Bend Me, Daddy

LUCA

My father never failed to make an entrance, especially when he had a full room of people to show off in front of. The power he wielded as the boss of this family had always been too much for him. He continually felt the need to exploit it. And although he normally listened enough to those around him in order to be somewhat logical when it came to decisions about the family business, over the years that need to be reassured of his power and importance had begun to sway his arguments. But he was the boss. And when he gave us orders, no one dared to contradict him for fear they wouldn't wake up the next morning, because he also didn't put up with disobedience. When he made mistakes, the rest of us did as he commanded without question, even knowing we were about to get fucked. It was important to respect the position, if not the man.

But not this time. This time, I would go down fighting.

I stood up from my chair, buttoning my jacket as I turned to face those seated behind me, and met the eyes of every man in the room. We were gathered in my father's office for a private meeting. Only those men in a top position of power in the family were here. They would make sure the word spread about the decisions made and that my father's orders were carried out exactly as told.

However, today I saw sympathy in the eyes looking back at me. Understanding. Rebellion. Hatred. I'd spoken with all of them before this meeting, unbeknownst to my father, and they were all familiar with my father's inclinations toward Mario. I turned back to the man seated like a king behind his oversized desk. Mario, my brother, and the man who had just been officially named as my father's successor, was suspiciously missing from this very important meeting. He was no longer in hiding, and if there was anyone who didn't realize he was back, they would know after today, so there was no reason for him not to be here. It made me uneasy.

"I beg you to rethink this decision," I told him, careful to keep the anger out of my tone. "Mario isn't fit to run this business. He doesn't care about our family. Only about his own gains."

"He is my eldest son," Luigi bit out. "It is his right."

"He is out of his fucking mind, padre," I told my father for the hundredth time, hoping somehow, in front of witness who will agree with me, it might actually get through to him. "And he'll drive the business into the ground and all of us into an early grave."

This meeting had been called a week ago to discuss the anointment of the next boss. Someone who normally works closely with the current head of the business in preparation to take over. The families would witness it, agreements would be made, and this way, there would be no fighting when it came time. It would be a smooth transition.

The only problem was, that someone was me, not my brother. Mario had been completely out of contact with the family these last three years. And I couldn't sit here and say nothing. Not when my own honor was at stake. I'd given up everything for this family. I was never asked what I wanted to do with my life. No one cared. I'd given up any aspirations I might've had to do something else with my life for the business. And on the way, I'd lost people who were important to me. Friends. Maria. And now I could lose Veda. We would never be able to have a life together as long as Mario was still alive.

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"He is not fit to take your place. You have to see this." I waved my arm toward the back of the room. "There are others here who agree with me. Just ask them." Over the past week leading up to this meeting, I'd been in contact with nearly every man in this room. They'd all agreed to back me up. They knew Mario. Knew he wasn't stable and that he'd ratted us out the day he took Maria's life and brought the feds into the mix. And then he'd cowered behind their protection until the dust had settled and he'd had a chance to get to our father and fill his ears with lies.

My father sighed heavily and turned his eyes to the rest of the room, as though he were patronizing a small child. "Who here agrees with Luca on this? Eh? Gino? What do you say about this?"

I found the man I'd met on the lake that day with Veda sitting near the back of the room, but he wouldn't meet my eyes. "I'm good with whatever you decide, Luigi," he said.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. "What the fuck, Gino? We had an understanding."

The big man shrugged. "Sorry, Luca. But I gotta take care of my own."

Which meant my father had gotten to him after our agreement was made and probably threatened to cut off the legs of his sons if he sided with me. Son of a bitch.

Looking around, I knew without asking that he'd gotten to the rest of them too. The bastard was one step ahead of me, as always. "No." I shook my head. "No." All eyes turned to me. "Mario killed a woman I loved. Shot her in the head while my cock was still inside of her because he felt threatened by me and my success in the business." Most of those in the room knew what happened, but I could tell by the shocked expressions there were a few who had never heard the details. "She was an important member of the cartel and I worked with her and her brother for a good year before Mario fucked it all up by killing her. If it wasn't for the fact that her brother and I had a mutual respect for each other, we would've had a war on our hands. He brought the feds in to bust up the transaction, and then he hid in witness protection like the fucking coward he is. But that wasn't enough for him. Now that he's back, he's filled our father's ears with lies. Lies about me." I pointed to the center of my chest. "He still has it out for me because I know who he really is. I don't believe his lies. I'm not fooled by the charm that oozes from his pores. It's all a facade to hide the piece of shit he really is." There were murmurs among those in the room.

"But my personal relationship with my brother aside, Mario is a rat," I continued. "And he needs to be dealt with accordingly." I saw a few nods. "My father, understandably, doesn't have the balls to do what needs to be done." "Watch your fucking mouth, boy."