Page 56 of Lorenzo & Lily

“Good. Your new title will be my chief of staff.” He ignored Rio’s wide eyes and continued speaking. “I’ve never really needed a full chief of staff before, but things are changing and you’re perfect for the job. You’ll get higher security clearance, which means you’ll need additional training and vetting, but I don’t think that will be an issue other than the time it will take to do it. We’ll need to hire at least one other person to handle all the admin duties you’ll no longer have time for. We’ll make the hiring decision together, as they’ll be my admin as well, but you can work with our HR rep to select the candidates for interview, and they’ll report directly to you.”

“I-You-Yes, Cap. I’ll get started on that.”

Lorenzo nodded. “We still have the threat of a dock strike, so we won’t post the position until after that mess is resolved, and the media fervor over my daughter dies down. Will you be all right until then?”

“Yes, Cap.”

Lorenzo scribbled a number on a piece of paper and handed it to Rio, then watched with a grin as his eyes bugged out. “That’ll be your new gross salary. It won’t kick in until next month, but I hope it’s enough to keep you here.”

Rio was still staring at the paper. “I wasn’t thinking about leaving.”

“You’re excellent at your job.”

Rio looked up.

“You’ve handled everything I’ve thrown at you and then some. While you were doing excellent work, the work you were doing was not all that excellent, it was tedious. Employees don’t stay in tedious positions, and you’re someone I’ve come to rely on for discretion and efficiency, as well as quality. Those are not easy traits to find, and I want to make sure you know how much I appreciate all you do here and ensure that you stay.”

“Consider yourself assured, Cap.”

Lorenzo heard the voices of his brothers coming down the hall. “That’s good to know. If you’re ever unhappy here, Rio, I want to know about it. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Captain. And you should know how much I appreciate the chance you’ve given me, and the responsibility. I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t.”

Marcello knocked on the open door. “This a bad time?”

Rio stood up and carefully folded the paper in his hand. “No, Sir, we were just finishing up. May I get everyone some coffee?”

“Yes, please,” Lorenzo said as his brothers entered and Rio shifted out. “Have the kitchens bring me something to eat, too. I skipped breakfast this morning.”

Rio nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

Lorenzo turned to Alex. “Rio already connected with Tavin, Mara, and Corrado. You and Rebecca called them last night?”

Alex nodded. “We also spread the word to our sisters.” His face split into a wicked grin. “Except for Arianna, they’re all joining us for dinner tomorrow night.”

“Fabulous,” Lorenzo muttered. It wasn’t unexpected, but it was irritating. “I’m surprised Rebecca isn’t here now. She could start annoying me before the others get here.”

“She’s enjoying a well-deserved morning off and pampering herself a little. Plus, she wanted to be there to welcome Cecilia and Liliana when they arrived.”

His irritation faded. “That’s very kind of her. I’ll be sure to thank her when I see her.” He checked his watch. “Speaking of, I’ve only got a little time before I head over to welcome them myself. Any updates?”

Marcello nodded. “I looked into Cecilia’s family. The father and brother are both out of jail. Somehow, her mother managed to keep their social standing, so their life hasn’t changed all that much. They seem to be living off of some family trusts, since the family company was dissolved after their convictions.”

Fucking assholes.He’d bet they were living off Lily’s money. He wanted to confront them, but they didn’t deserve his attention right now. “Thanks. I’ll let you know if I need further information. Any new info about the strike from your contacts?”

Rio entered with coffee and pastries, then left before Nate spoke. “I reached out to some of the other Council members, though they didn’t say much. Some had heard rumours of other members – including Bruno Paget, Minister of Energy and Transportation – speaking to Field, but none had seen it firsthand.”

“Or admitted to seeing it, at any rate,” Marcello added. “I did some digging into Field. What Laura inferred at the meet yesterday was just the tip of the iceberg. We found years of covered up harassment claims, even some assault claims that were filed with the police, but then retracted. My guess is Field or someone who works for him leaned on the women involved.”

“Not only that,” Eddie continued. “But we believe he’s also abusing his wife, Susan. She’s never filed charges against him, but when I was digging into his family life and speaking to some neighbors, they tipped me off to it. Said when they first moved in, Susan had some visible bruises. Now, they don’t see bruises anymore but, every once in a while, she walks as though she’s in pain.”

“They have any kids?” Ethan asked.

Eddie shook his head. “No. She was pregnant at one time, but was rushed to the emergency room about four months in, covered in bruises. They lost the baby. She claimed she fell down the stairs, but the doctors didn’t believe her. She wouldn’t change her story, and the hospital couldn’t push anymore, so they left it be.”

Lorenzo rotated his coffee cup on its saucer, seeking to control the anger he was feeling; he’d never understand men who violated and perpetuated violence against women. Never. “So, he’s an asshole. That’s not news. What we need is evidence that he’s done something illegal, or that he’s going to try and control the vote through fraud or other means. If we can arrest him right before the vote, it could change the outcome.”

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