Page 114 of His Sinful Need

We all file out, even the Shadow, and I’m escorted by him right through the Villa and out the front door, to wait near Bricker’s car under the watchful eyes of the house guards.

CHAPTER46

BRICKER

The door closes behind Max,and I turn from watching him go to look at Anna-Vittoria instead.

“So he’s told you,” she says with a sad smile.

“Max Pedretti has a lot more honor than you give him credit for. He didn’t tell me. I went to see dad myself.He’sthe one who told me…and then I confronted Max, and he confessed.”

Her surprise is evident, but she wipes it away pretty quickly. “I see,” she says carefully.

“Making Max keep quiet about his relationship with my father? That’s not cool. So when this business with PacSyn is done, we better have a talk about it…Mom.”

She sits down again on her settee with a sigh. “If it will make you feel better to shout at me, Fabrizio, then go ahead.”

I sit opposite her, leaning forward, trying to quell the usual sense of frustration that rises when I deal with my mother. “I don’t want to shout at you, I just want to know why you thought it was better for Max to keep his mouth shut.”

“Because when it comes to your father, Fabrizio, things are…complicated. I did not want you offside with the Castellani from his first appearance, especially since I knew he was the best man—theonlyman—for the job. My cousin Vincenzo’s murder was a terrible thing, may he rest in peace, but it did open a rather convenient doorway to the Castellanis. And I am very sorry if you feel I have failed you as a mother.”

I throw my hands up. “You don’t have to be so damn dramatic about it. All I’m saying is, I would’ve liked to know who I was taking into my crew. And frankly, Mom, if it had been anyone else,anyother Capo, you would have told them. You didn’t tell me because of who I am, and that’s not fair. I have a hard enough time proving myself to the Family as it is. I don’t need you keeping information from me that I need.”

“You’re right,” she says simply. I’m so surprised at the admission that I don’t say anything, and she goes on. “It’s true, I would have told any other Capo, and the reason I did not was because you are my son, and Signor Pedretti was connected to your father. You have a mother’s heart to blame.”

Ugh, she’s really not playing fair. “I’m not blaming you, for anything, Mom,” I sigh. “And like I said, we’ll talk more about this once business is taken care of. But I wanted you to know that Max and I…” I pause here, unwilling to talk too much about what’s going on with Max. Things are tricky enough as it is; I sure don’t need my mother getting involved. “Max and I talked it out,” I finish. “We’re cool.”

She gives me a slight smile, and I’m not sure I like it. But all she does is nod. “As you say, when this business with the traitor is over, we can discuss it at length.”

“Speaking of Pony,” I say, shifting back into Family mode, “there’s one more element to the plan Max and I came up with that I wanted to run by you—Maestra.”

And with that one word, we put aside our familial bonds for the time being.

It’s always been this way. My mother has been afraid my whole life, since my very birth, that if people knew who I was—her son—they would target me. And so for my entire life, we’ve kept our relationship as quiet as possible. The higher-ups know, of course, but most of the rank-and-file remain ignorant.

My crew don’t even know, except for Van, because he grew up with me.

And it’s not like she was wrong, either. Nico, the product of a later relationship, is still protected, but he’s more widely known as her son in the Family. From time to time, that information has gotten out—and Nico has had more than one contract taken out on him.

That’s why she’s always been so reluctant to let him into a crew. Hell, it’s whyIwanted him with Pony in the van during the heist. But Nico has grown to resent our protectiveness, and he’s an adult now, capable of making his own choices.

For the rest of the conversation, we talk as Maestra and Capo rather than mother and son.

“One more thing,” I tell her as I stand to leave. “I want to tell Max the truth about you and me. Do I have your permission, Maestra?”

“Ask me as your mother.”

“Do I have your permission, Mom?” She opens her arms and I give her a hug.

“Va bene,” she whispers.

* * *

When I finally come out of the Villa, Max is waiting patiently by my Charger. I just give him a nod and we get into the car. Once we’re out of the gate and back on the road, I say, “She gave the go-ahead for that extra element.”

“Good. I’ll set it up.”

“You want to know her excuse for telling you to keep quiet about my dad?”

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