Page 20 of Did My Heart Love Till Now?

My eyes expanded at Joey whose own were just as large.

Federico continued. “If I am no longer able to permanently attend to my duties as Don, my son Gavino, shall carry on my duties.” He turned to me, handing me the folder. “There is a reason your father was so adamant on you joining the family.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “You are now in charge.”

I dropped the binder on the desk, lifting my hands. “No no no. That's not how this works.” I fell back into my father's large executive, brown leather chair. “This is not how the mafia works! I just want to help this once.”

Federico slid his hands in his pockets, grinning. “Well, it's how your father runs his family, so it looks like we'll be having a ceremony for you tomorrow night.”

“Fuck.” I muttered into my fist.

6

Federico laid a dagger on the desk as I sat back in the oversized executive chair. The slight clinking sound caused me to raise my head. He took a piece of paper out of the folder and slid it over to me. I picked up, reading the words left by my father. Of course, it said what Federico had just read aloud, but it was a more personalized contract. Only my father would have a contract for his own son to sign.

I studied every word carefully, making sure I fully understood what I was about to get myself involved in. It pained me to even think of hiring a lawyer for this moment. He was my father. Would he fuck me over? I sighed. “Give me a pen.”

Everyone except Joey and Federico scoffed at the audacity of me being their boss now. Though I could not wait to be free, I knew helping my father and Giuseppe was the right thing to do. Federico shifted his eyes to the dagger.

I leaned up in the chair, pointing at the blade. “You want me to cut myself with that unsanitary sharp object?”

He shook his head, chuckling. “It has been sanitized, and yes.”

“This is how people get tetanus and other shit.” I stood and took a lighter out of my pocket. Picking the dagger up, I sparked the lighter and ran the flame back and forth under the steel. I pressed my right index finger to the blade, feeling a sharp sting. My finger dripped enough blood for its purpose. Dangling my fingertip over the agreement, I pushed on a small circle near the bottom of the paper.

If my father did not let me out of the contract once he was free, this had just signed my life away and bound me to the family until I died. I glared at the words in the last paragraph announcing my position. The only thing left was my ceremony. I wrapped my lips around my fingertip, pressing my tongue against the wound to stop the bleeding.

Federico slipped a small, pointed object from his pocket and poked his thumb. He then pressed it next to my bloody fingerprint. He nodded. “It's done.”

I shrugged. “So, what now?”

“We’ll have your ceremony tomorrow evening at six, so when you attend your father's arraignment, you’ll be able to tell him the good news.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “He’ll be happy to see you and have something to look forward to.”

I snorted. “Yeah, I bet.” I brought my finger back to my mouth as I saw it began to bleed again. “So, now I can do whatever I want? And the family will have to accept it?” I mumbled through my finger.

Joey sighed.

Federico shot him a glance then turned his attention to me. “There are still laws in which you must abide by, but for the most part, yes. I will personally go over those with you tomorrow over dinner.”

“I have to go on a date with you, too?” I raised my eyebrows, smirking sarcastically.

He rolled his eyes. “Your ceremony includes dinner.” He held his palms face up in front of him. “All of us will have dinner together.”

“Whatever.” I sighed. “Can you guys please leave and give me a chance to process this?”

Federico nodded. He gestured for the others to leave the room. They all filed out of the office, but Joey remained behind. I fell back into my father's chair. Slowly, I twisted it back and forth. Leaning my head back, I stared up at the ceiling. Joey walked around to the front of the desk, plopping in one of the other chairs.

“Understand that you need to dress respectably tomorrow night.” He paused, chuckling. “As in…a suit.”

I planted my feet into the floor to stop myself from spinning and glared at him. “No shit.”

He took a piece of paper out of a square box on the desk then grabbed his phone and a pen from his inside jacket pocket. He started to write on the paper, but I did not pay much attention as I began to turn the chair in slow circles, rotating the entire way around.

He stood, placing his phone and pen back in his pocket then slid the paper over toward me.

“What's this?” I picked it up, inspecting it.

“That's her number.” He rolled his eyes.

I froze, then adjusted my posture, staring at the note.

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