Page 10 of Surprise Baby for the Don

6

Mateo

It’s been a long day, one that’s drained me of every ounce of energy I have. I loosen my tie and sink down into my well-worn leather chair in the study. Here, in the dim light, I can finally relax and let the troubles of the day melt away. I swirl the glass in my hand, watching the amber liquid catch the low lamplight before I take a long, slow sip. The whisky burns good on the way down, the alcohol quickly going to my head, dulling my senses.

A soft knock sounds on the door, and I know it’s Rocco even before he steps inside. “Evening, boss,” he murmurs quietly, assessing me in my relaxed position. “Mind if I take a minute?”

I raise a brow, gesturing for him to come in.

“As long as you’re here to drink, you can have all the minutes you need,” I joke, taking another sip from my glass. “Business is for the office; the study is for drinking.”

A smile tugs at his lips, and I catch the faintest glint of nostalgia in his eyes.

“You’re just like your father, you know,” he responds wistfully. “He used to tell me the exact same thing.”

“Where do you think I learned it?” I chuckle, leaning further back into my chair and shutting my eyes, bracing myself for whatever Rocco’s going to tell me.

Rocco’s been with us so long that it’s impossible to picture this family without him. He was the right hand to my father for forty years. My father’s long gone, but Rocco is still here, still at my side, the same steady presence in a world that’s constantly shifting. I open my eyes a fraction to look at him. He stands a few feet away, hands behind his back, his gaze steady and full of that familiar, knowing look he always carries.

“You look beat, Mateo,” he says, settling into the leather chair across from me. “I don’t blame you. You’re holding up your father’s legacy, after all. That’s no small thing.”

I nod, taking another sip of my whisky and shutting my eyes again.

“My father built this empire, brick by brick,” I say, picturing him as I talk. “He kept it running peacefully for decades, and here I am, trying to do the same. It’s not exactly simple.”

Rocco chuckles, and I imagine him shaking his head. “No, it’s not,” he agrees. “But you’ve done well. And you’ve done him proud. If he were here, he’d say the same thing.”

I feel the weight of the compliment settle on my shoulders. Coming from Rocco, a man who knew my father better than anyone, those words mean more than I can express.

“So, what’s on your mind, Rocco?” I ask, sitting up and raising my glass, my moment of relaxation on hold for now. “It’s rarethat you bring business into this room.”

He sighs, and there’s something in his expression that I can’t quite read. “I wanted to talk to you about something I’ve been thinking about for a while now.” He pauses, as if choosing his words carefully. “My retirement.”

The word hangs in the air between us, and I feel a pang of something that almost feels like loss. I’ve always known that one day he’d hang up his hat, that there would come a time when Rocco wouldn’t be around but hearing him say it out loud is like a punch to the gut.

“Retirement, huh?” I manage, my tone light, though my chest feels tight. “Thought you’d stay here forever, Rocco.”

A small smile crosses his lips, though there’s a sadness in it. “If it were up to me, I would,” he says sadly, sinking down into a chair next to me with some difficulty. “But we both know I’m not getting any younger. I’m pushing seventy-five, Mateo. My body can’t keep up the way it used to.”

I nod, letting out a slow breath. “Well, when the time comes,” I breathe out, not even wanting to imagine a world where Rocco isn’t at my right side. “You know I’ll take care of you. Whatever you need, Rocco. You’re family.”

He nods, his gaze softening. “I know, Mateo. And I appreciate that. You know I’d trust you with my life.”

There’s a pause that carries weight, and I know there’s something else on his mind. He’s been around long enough to know that if he’s going to say something, he better say it straight. And if there’s one thing Rocco’s never done, it’s beat around the bush.

He leans forward, his expression serious. “There’s another matter I wanted to bring up, if you don’t mind.”

I gesture for him to go on, now that the seal’s already been broken.

“It’s about the Savinis,” he says gravely.

At the mention of that name, a flicker of annoyance stirs in my chest. The Savinis have been a thorn in my side from the beginning, their family business little more than a thinly veiled racket that’s been causing trouble in the city for as long as I can remember.

“Go on,” I instruct, curious as to why he’s bringing this up now.

“You know your father tried to make peace with them,” Rocco says, his voice quiet. “He tried for years, but it was never enough. They’re not the kind of people you can trust, Mateo. They don’t honor agreements. They don’t know the meaning of loyalty.”

I nod slowly, considering my next words carefully. “I promised my father I’d do everything I could to keep the peace,” I finally manage. “He kept things quiet for forty years, Rocco. That was his legacy. I don’t want to be the one to break it.”

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