I held Frankie in my arms as she quietly sobbed into my chest, still not wanting to believe he was gone. Hell, none of us wanted to believe it. But his unresponsive body on the bed and the father’s words of faith and loss were hard to argue with. Massimo was gone and hundreds of future neighborhood kids were going to suffer for it.
I stood with my arm around Frankie and remembered all the times I’d run to Massimo as a young boy and asked for his advice. Having worthless drug addicts as parents, Massimo had been my only real paternal influence and, often, the only person who fed me. Up until their deaths, I hadn’t felt comfortable intruding on the Mancinis because, while Mattia Mancini had a kind heart, Vincent Mancini never would have given me permission to date or marry his daughter if he believed I wouldn’t be able to take care of her. And I wouldn’t have blamed the man.
When Father O’Patrick finished his sermon, we followed him in the blessing and prayer of the deceased. We all followed the sign of the cross and said farewell amens to Massimo. Father O’Patrick shook Luca’s hand first, then Ciro’s, and then mine. Frankie managed to let go of me long enough to give him a hug, but as soon as he let go, she was back in my arms. He walked out of the room without a guard, but priests were common sights in the hospital, so we weren’t overly concerned with someone seeing him.
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” Frankie whispered brokenly. “So many kids still need him.”
“He’s irreplaceable, that’s for sure,” Ciro added. “There’ll never be another Massimo.”
We all had vastly different relationships with the man, but that just made us love him more. He had taken the time to know us, to learn about us, so his help and advice was tailored for the individual. Ciro was right. There’d never be another Massimo.
“He was a good man,” Luca added, standing the closest to his bedside. Luca had very few people close to him, and he just lost him one.
“Our children are never going to know him,” Frankie whispered sadly. “They’re going to miss out on one of the greatest men we’ve ever known.”
Ciro looked over at us. “Children? Is there something we should know?”
I smiled, but Frankie blushed, if you could believe it. “No,” she rushed out. “Seriously, Ciro?”
He shrugged. “Not to bring up old wounds or anything, but if you hadn’t taken off, you and Phoenix would have two kids by now,” he retorted. “So, get to it. Luca and I can’t wait forever to become uncles.”
Frankie turned away from my hold and regarded her brother. “I’m not getting knocked up so you and Luca can play uncle,” she sassed.
“Finish school, get situated into the business, then you can give us our nieces and nephews,” Luca instructed. “By then things will be…settled.” The room quieted, but I noticed Frankie didn’t object to Luca’s timeline.
Massimo’s death was the end of an era.
Frankie coming back was the beginning of a new one.
Soon, Luca was going to take over the entire Benetti enterprise and Giovanni will fade away into obscurity. He’ll live in the comfort of his fortress, aging and protected, while his eldest son becomes the god everything already thinks he is.
We were saying goodbye to Massimo and, with him, everything that might have once made us innocent. We were embarking on a new reign now that the missing piece was back.
We were going to rule Morgan City, and there would be no one to stop us.
The End.
The Son
Copyright 2020 Monica Clayton
Published by M.E. Clayton
All Rights Reserved
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This book is a work of fiction. The entire content is a product of the author’s imagination and all names, places, businesses and incidences are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), places or occurrences, is entirely coincidental.
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Warning: This book contains sexual situations and other adult themes. Recommended for 18 years of age and over.
Table of Contents
◆◆◆
Author's Note
Acknowledgement
Dedication
Prologue
1. Ciro
2. Roberta
3. Ciro
4. Roberta
5. Ciro
6. Roberta
7. Ciro
8. Roberta
9. Ciro
10. Roberta
11. Ciro
12. Roberta
13. Ciro
14. Roberta
15. Ciro
16. Roberta
17. Ciro
18. Roberta
19. Ciro
20. Roberta
21. Ciro
22. Roberta
23. Ciro
24. Roberta
25. Ciro
Epilogue
Playlist
About the Author
Other Books
Contact Me
Author’s Note
◆◆◆
Just a couple of things before I let you go and get your read on. While I am doing my best to work with better editing and proofreading software, all my books are solo, independent works. I write my books, proofread my books, edit my books, create the covers, etc. I have one beta who gives me feedback on my stories, but other than that, all my books are independent projects.
That being said, I apologize, in advance, for the typos, grammar inconsistencies, or any other mistakes I may make. Since writing is strictly a hobby for me, I haven’t looked for commitments in regard to publishers, editors, etc. My hope is that my stories are enjoyable enough that a few mistakes, here and there, can be overlooked. If not, my books are probably not
