Page 8 of Family Matters

“I'll be merciful, I promise.” Luca grinned, then continued. “However, the mercy doesn't extend on Liam; I'll kick his ass all the way to Palermo.”

“He has to learn like I did.” Brian said in a playful tone, then sighed. “I'm getting old Luca. He could probably whip me now.”

“I'm not getting any younger, either.” Luca lightly squeezed the other man’s shoulder, his voice reassuring. “I'll do my best to get a top fighter out of Liam. He has it in him, librarian.”

“I’m almost forty. It’s odd, but I feel like I’ll be around for a long time.” Brian’s tone changed from slightly melancholic to confident. “Sorry, I'm being silly. I’m absolutely convinced you will succeed; you taught me and I hold my own.” He smiled brightly, eyes shining with paternal pride. “Of course he has what it takes, he’s a Cavallieri.”

Luca nodded with a small, affectionate smile, then cleared his throat, smirking. “I wonder what his family's reaction would be, if they knew who you, his father, really are. And how rich Liam will be one day.”

“They would probably be shocked.” Sadness clouded Brian’s eyes. “I was more than likely a nobody to Margaret, someone to pass the time with. She didn’t even recognize me when she came to the library.” He huffed a bitter laugh. “She wanted my son back with her and the others, can you believe it? Liam is smarter than that, he knows they only want his money, never him. It angers and saddens me.”

Luca’s heart broke for the librarian, and he felt the need to comfort him, even if only for a short while. “Your son will find someone who will appreciate him for his many qualities. He already befriended all the heirs.”

“I know.” Brian nodded, the sadness in his eyes gone. “There are a lot of amazing people here who already love him. He'll be alright.”

“Like I told you earlier, the kid has everything he needs to follow your footsteps as the next Wisdom Keeper.”Luca gave the librarian a bear hug. “I have to go, stop worrying so much.”

“You know how I always worry.”Brian returned the hug. “However, you are right.”

The Sicilian walked out of the building, leaving the librarian alone with his thoughts, all of them revolving around his firstborn. What Luca said a few minutes earlier about Liam finding his soulmate one day made Brian remember a talk he and Don Calogero had about the future of his oldest child, more specifically his marriage.

According to the Educator, Liam, as his father’s successor as the next Wisdom Keeper, had to make a political union. His position was the second most important from The Council, after the Judge, and it came with great responsibilities. He would need all the help and support he could get his hands on, and marrying into an influential family was a good way of gaining loyal supporters and allies.

Brian reacted to Don Calogero’s words by saying that he couldn’t picture Liam choosing his spouse based on other criteria than the feelings he would have for them, especially since he was deprived of affection most of his life. Plus, although his son hadn’t brought the subject up yet, the librarian suspected he was gay, and didn’t know how many of the Grand Families were open-minded when it came to same-sex marriages.

Don Calogero shook his head, smiling paternally, and, after a few seconds of silence, he said the names of Gabriele and Nicola, Martino and Luca, Baldassare and Elyan. Their marriages, the wise, old mafioso said, consolidated the position of the respective families and were based on love at the same time. The families of those young men were not only accepting of their sexuality, they always encouraged them to express their true self, no matter what it was.

Brian’s thoughts took another turn, but didn’t stray away very much from the talk he and Don Calogero had. At some point, the Educator started to praise Liam, his eagerness to find out everything about the Old-World Mafia’s history, the Laws and principles that governed the organization, The Council’s role and attributions, and also about the hierarchy.

Brian smiled, nodding. Liam’s curiosity about the world his birth father and the rest of the family belonged to was insatiable. He asked the librarian if Luca would still be Consigliere once Gabriele would turn twenty-one and would become the Judge, who was going to be the Treasurer, since Brian would take the seat of the Wisdom Keeper, and a million other questions.

On the other hand, Don Calogero cleared his throat and continued after a very brief pause, maybe appointing Liam as the next Wisdom Keeper wasn’t such a good idea. The young man was indeed Brian’s firstborn, but almost everyone, from soldiers to allies and associates, were already seeing Blaise as his father’s successor.

Indeed, even from the very start, Malaspina, Dominic, Gabriele, all the other heirs, and pretty much everyone else gave the little boy the importance and respect due to a future member of The Council. Even the reserved, taciturn Luca expressed his preference and affection for Blaise by calling him il bello di Zio.

Brian sighed and rubbed his temples. At almost ten, Blaise’s level of intelligence was way higher than that of most kids his age, and it didn’t take him very long to understand what being part of the Old-World Mafia meant for his family and how the lives of everyone in their family changed since Brian discovered his true origins.

Blaise was close to being shot once and also was the target of two kidnapping attempts in less than a year. The maturity and control he showed when faced with those dangerous situations earned him not only the affection, but also the admiration and respect of The Council members and soldiers alike.

You are not even forty yet,Brian said to himself, rubbing the bridge of his nose, you have a lot of time to decide on the next Wisdom Keeper. Who knows, maybe, in the end, Dane, Jeremy, or even Simon would be a better choice than Blaise or Liam.He let out a huffed laugh, amused at the thought of his younger son taking his seat. However, over the last ten years, the man learned that anything was possible, so it wouldn’t be so big of a shock.

Successor or not,Brian continued his internal monologue,your duty as Liam’s father is to keep him away from all the people who could hurt him, from false friends to gold diggers.The librarian suddenly remembered what Bart said about Harvey Robson, the counselor at The Base’s school, looking at Liam when he thought no one saw him.

“It was like he scanned their son,” Bart continued, “like he appraised him, but in a sexual manner, like he was trying to determine if the youth was good sub material.” Luca, who was also present, approved the other man’s words, saying he also caught Harvey eyeing Liam in an almost predatory way. He probably didn’t have good intentions, and they had to keep an eye on him when he was around Brian’s oldest son.

At first, the librarian took the whole thing lightly, joking that Bart and Luca are after his position of chief worrier. However, not long after that conversation, he started to notice Harvey only came to borrow or bring books back when Liam was there, always casting glances in his direction and repressing his sigh of frustration when he was ignored.

The buzz of his phone brought Brian back from his thoughts. As he read the message, a bright smile spread on his face, reaching his eyes. The client Luca was supposed to meet at lunch had an emergency, and he was heading to the library instead, to have lunch in Bart’s and his husband’s company.

I can’t wait.Smiling, Brian sent the short message, then put the phone back on the counter and raised his head, just when the school counselor was walking inside. Bad luck, asshole, Liam isn’t here today, the librarian thought, slightly amused, seeing how the other was looking around, a bit confused.

Time to set things straight, dude,Brian thought, checking his watch and making a plan. It was only fifteen minutes until lunch, and he intended to keep Harvey there under one pretext or another until Bart and Luca would arrive. Then, the four of us would have a little nice talk, the librarian thought, lowering his head so the other man wouldn't see the expression on his face.

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“Let's get one thing straight, Harvey.” Bart started in a cold, warning voice. “You hurt my son, I kick you in the nuts until they hit your brain.”

Luca chuckled, then turned to the librarian, speaking in Sicilian. “Remind me to never piss your husband off.”

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