Page 3 of Memento Mori
As Don, my father lost the love of his life when he took over the family. He chose the Famiglia over the woman he loved, as he was expected to do. They were going to get married according to my sister, but our grandfather, Salvatore, forced my father to choose between love or family. My father doesn’t talk muchabout that time, but when he does, pain and sorrow were always reflected in his words.
He chose to marry our mother, Marianna, instead of the woman who still held his heart even though she was dead. It was sad and something he regretted to this day. That was why I couldn’t understand why he was insisting I marry any of these women. They were only after the power and prestige that came with my name, just like my mother when she married my father.
“You would think he’d go about it differently,” Alessandro said, agreeing with me. “But maybe he believes you’re unwilling to settle down to find someone you love. You’re twenty-eight, and in a few years, you’ll be Don. We will need a capable Donna, but it seems like you’re not in a hurry to find one. You’ve had no steady girlfriend and no prospects of a wife.”
“Doesn’t mean I should be marrying just anyone. I have fucking standards.”
“Standards?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Bro, you’re a man whore, let’s be honest. You switch women, like they’re your designer suits. You don’t have a steady girlfriend because you don’t want a steady girlfriend. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it has nothing to do with standards.”
I glared at him. Yes, I was in the company of a different woman more often than not, but it didn’t mean I didn’t want to find love.
“I’m not a man whore. I just love the company of beautiful women, like any other man on the fucking planet. And not justone at the moment. But back to the topic at hand, which isn’t my sex life.”
“This entire situation is about your sex life, Tony.” Alessandro rolled his eyes. “Who you’re sticking your dick in is coming back to bite you in the ass.”
He was right, but I wouldn’t admit it. “What do I do?”
He laughed when I ignored his comment.
“If you don’t want to burn the place to the ground, and you haven’t gotten anywhere with the columnist, or the editor, I suggest you call the owner. Have him stop the story. I’m sure you can persuade him.”
Damn, I didn’t want it to come to that. I hated when my two worlds collided. As an upstanding businessman, I schmoozed with the upper echelons of Chicago’s society as CEO, designing and building luxury homes for the wealthy. However, there were times wielding the Rizzo name like a knife through the heart was necessary. I became the person who sheds blood for whatever reason, no matter the consequences. In this instance, the CEO wouldn’t cut it, but Underboss would. There was no other choice.
I reached for my office phone. “Laney, could you please come in here? Thank you.”
I hung up the phone and while we waited for my personal assistant, Alessandro shifted in his seat. I’d known for a while hewas interested in Laney, but he tried to hide it. However, I didn’t know why.
“Come in!” I called out after a quick knock sounded.
She pushed the door open, and the sound of Laney’s heels clicking against the glossy hardwood floors of my office caused Alessandro to sit up in his chair a little straighter.
Yeah, he’s got it bad.
“Good morning Mr. Rizzo and Aless... Mr. Rizzo. How may I help you?”
Alessandro grimaced when she called him by his last name, taking me by surprise. I also didn’t miss that she almost called him Alessandro, which I wouldn’t find weird if I didn’t know Laney was always professional. She never called anyone by their first name.
“You all right, bro?” I asked.
He glared my way, and I shrugged to hide my confusion. His olive complexion was tinted red, and he stopped talking when she entered the room. He was pissed.
When Laney looked between us, her eyes landed on Alessandro and something flickered in them, but she shuttered it quickly. Maybe Alessandro wasn’t the only one who was interested.
Laney Duvall was beyond beautiful. Dark, ebony skin, long legs that went on for days, and an ass that was out of this world. I enjoyed the view every time I had the chance. But to top it all off, she’d been the most intelligent and the best damn assistant I ever had. Not to mention she had been the only one who hadn’t tried to fuck me. Many tried until I hired her, and I was thankful for her restraint.
No matter how beautiful the woman, rule number one was, I didn’t sleep where I worked. That was opening the door for a sexual harassment lawsuit and too many problems that I wasn’t willing to deal with for a piece of ass. But a little flirting wasn’t out of the question, especially if it irked my little brother.
“Laney, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Tony?” I asked, smirking. “We’re friends, no?”
“We are, Sir, but you know I can’t do that.” She smiled with her shoulders relaxed. “It’s inappropriate and I like my job. I wouldn’t want my co-workers getting the wrong idea.”
“But I’m the boss, Laney. What I say goes. Call me Tony.”
The scowl on my brother’s face made the innocent interaction between Laney and me even more enjoyable. Just a few minutes ago, he laughed about my predicament. Right now, he wanted to reach across the desk and throttle me. Justifiable payback for finding humor in my situation.
She shook her head and laughed. “How can I help you, Sir?”
“Could you please set up a meeting for today with George Driver, the owner of Exposé magazine?”
