Page 2 of Boss of Brooklyn

She turns to look at me.

“I'm Luca,” I say, offering my hand. “Luca Del Toro. Vince and I go way back.”

She shakes my hand, her grip more confident than I would have expected. “Emily Bennett. It's nice to meet you, Luca. I didn't realize you were coming today.”

I smile at that. “I'm full of surprises. Just dropped in to say hello to the family.” I look past her to see Vince approaching, and he doesn’t look entirely happy to see me.

“Luca,” Vince says, his tone carefully neutral. “I didn't expect to see you here.”

I shrug noncommittally. “You know me, always turning up where I'm least expected.” I smile at his girl. “It was lovely tomeet you, Emily. I can see why Vince is so smitten.” With a wink, I walk off to see who else is here.

*****

A few hours later.

“Drink?” Vince offers, moving to the bar.

I nod, taking a seat on the plush leather sofa. “Scotch. Neat.”

He pours two glasses, handing one to me before settling into an armchair across from me. For a moment, we just sit there, two old friends separated by more than the coffee table between us.

“So,” I finally break the silence. “I assume you wanted to talk.”

Vince takes a sip of his drink, his eyes never leaving mine. “Yeah, I did. Look, Luca, I know things have been... strained between us lately.”

I snort. “That's one way of putting it.”

“I get it, I do,” he continues. “What I did, going legit, it wasn't just about me. It affected all of us. But I need you to understand –”

“Understand what?” I cut him off, my voice sharp. “That you turned your back on everything we've built? That you left me to clean up the mess?”

Vince winces, but doesn't back down. “I found something worth changing for, Luca. Emily... she showed me there's more to life than this game we've been playing.”

I down my scotch in one gulp, the alcohol burning a path down my throat. “And what about loyalty, Vince? What about the family business?”

His face is blank for a moment. “I found something that means more to me.”

I feel the anger rising in me, hot and familiar. “So what, you're just going to walk away? Pretend none of this ever happened?”

“No,” Vince shakes his head. “I'm asking you to walk away with me.”

The room goes silent. I stare at Vince, certain I've misheard him. “What?”

“Think about it, Luca,” he urges. “We've got the resources, the connections. You could go legitimate, build something real. Something you could be proud of.”

I laugh, but there's no humor in it. “You've lost your mind. Maybe you could do it, but there's no walking away from this life for me.”

“There is if we do it together,” Vince insists. “You're the Boss of Brooklyn, Luca. If you decide to change course, the others will follow.”

I shake my head, backing away. This is too much, too fast. “It’s time for me to leave.”

Without waiting for a response, I stalk across the room. As I leave Vince's penthouse, my mind is a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions. The boss of Brooklyn, considering walking away from it all. It's laughable.

And yet...

As my car weaves through the late-night traffic, I’m surprised to find myself thinking of that Sofia Romano girl again. Of the fire in her eyes, those lips that were made for sin, and those curves. Of a world where I could walk into her restaurant as just a man, not a monster to be feared.

It's a dangerous thought. A weakness I can't afford.

---