Page 5 of The Vatican
I didn’t care that he was a sweaty mess, I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. Uncle Luca was over six-foot, so I barely came up to his chest. Benetti Junior was built the same way.
I pulled back and looked up at him. “Am I interrupting?”
Uncle Luca stepped back and reached for his water. After a healthy drink, he said, “Are you ever?”
I laughed. “I can recall a couple of times when Aunt Remy couldn’t look me in the eye for a few days, thank you, very much.”
Uncle Luca smiled-something he rarely did-and chuckled, “Brat.”
Looking at Uncle Luca, it was hard not to think about Francisco. Francisco was the spitting image of his father, and it was a fine damn image. But all my family was beautiful, and I wasn’t being biased. They each had something special about them that they brought to the table and passed down to their children. The most obvious was my mom’s and Uncle Ciro’s eyes, but the entire family really was beautiful as a whole. If Cira wasn’t so damn insane, she’d be a catch.
I took a seat on the weight bench as Uncle Luca took to the treadmill to wind down. “Your daughter called me yesterday,” I smirked.
I could hear his sigh over the treadmill. “And?”
“She underestimates you men, greatly,” I told him. “That girl has absolutely no respect for you guys. But you’ll be happy to know that, while her plans have been improving, they are still far from execution level.”
“That’s good to hear,” he replied dryly.
I smiled. “You do realize the man that marries her is probably going to put a bullet in his head by their first anniversary, right?”
Uncle Luca chuckled-another thing he rarely did. “I know,” he agreed. “If it weren’t for the fact that it wasmyempire she was trying to take over, I’d actually be proud of her.”
I arched a brow. “She is rather fearless.”
Uncle Luca’s black gaze slid my way. “Unfortunately, she’s reckless as well,” he commented. “Impulsiveness is not a good thing in a leader.”
“So, it’s not because she’s a girl?” I teased.
He smirked. “I’d make you the Underboss if you were a blood Benetti.”
I cocked my head as he turned off the treadmill and took a seat across from me on the other weight bench. “I think that’s the problem,” I told him. “Knowing that you’re not sexist gives Cira hope.”
“Well, unfortunately for her, Francisco is very good at what he does,” he replied. “Her brother is going to carry on the Benetti traditions famously when his time comes.”
“No one can argue that, Uncle Luca,” I said. “If anyone was born to lead, it’s him.”
His brows drew downward, regarding me. “You really believe that?”
I reared back, surprised. “Of course,” I answered automatically. “He was raised byyou. How could he not be?”
Uncle Luca propped his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together as he leaned forward at bit. “Luca, tell me what you see when you think about Francisco?” He was the only person that called me by my first name. Everyone else called me Ria or by my middle name Saveria. The only time I was ever called Luca by anyone else is if I was getting in trouble.
I thought about that question and random childhood memories ran through my head. Francisco had a wonderful upbringing, just like the rest of us, however, none of us had the pressure of being the next head of the Benetti Family. None of us had the pressure of wondering if we had what it takes to maintain what’s been built. We could afford to fail. He couldn’t. Our failures were his, but his failure wouldn’t be ours.
“I…I see a man who understands the difference between being a Benetti and beingtheBenetti,” I answered honestly. “I see a man who won’t fail, no matter the cost.”
Uncle Luca looked like he wanted to say something, but then he quickly shifted back to teasing. “And Cira thinks it’s enough to just be a Benetti,” he chuckled.
“And I have no doubttheBenetti now andthe futureBenetti know just how to handle the little lunatic,” I teased back.
He changed topics, knowing there was nothing to be done about his only daughter. “Are you staying for dinner?”
I shook my head. “Not tonight. I have-”
“Dad!”
I grimaced. “You could have kicked me out, you know.”
