Chapter 17: Convenient Mafia Wife: Chapter 17

New York City, New York Five Families CATALINA I call the don’s mother the next day and after the initial pleasantries, I put the idea to her about Carlotta enrolling in culinary school.

‘I’m not sure how Severu would feel about that. It’s not what young ladies in our family usually do.’

‘Neither is getting a bachelor’s degree, but Guilia did before she married,’ I point out.

‘You are right. But why doesn’t Carlotta bring this up to Severu herself?’

I almost laugh, but I realize Aria is serious. Either she’s blind to how my sister sees her son, or she’s blind to how intimidating her son can be.

‘Because he makes her extremely nervous,’ I say with honesty. Pretending otherwise serves no one. ‘That’s something else I wanted to discuss with you.’

‘What do you mean?’ Aria asks warily.

Hmm…I wonder what she thinks I’m going to say. ‘Carlotta told me that when she came to your home for dinner, the don and my father spent most of the time discussing business.’

‘Nothing that shouldn’t be discussed in front of a young woman, I assure you.’

‘That’s not what I’m concerned about. How is Carlotta supposed to get to know her fiancé when he spends all their time together talking to my father?’

‘She’ll have a whole lifetime to get to know him,’ Aria says patiently, like she thinks I should know this.

But this isn’t the last century, and my sister deserves to be wooed, if only for her very short engagement.

‘I don’t want my sister walking down the aisle terrified of what is to come,’ I say bluntly.

Aria sighs. ‘Unfortunately, my son has the habit of discussing business whenever his men join us for dinner.’

‘Then maybe he should take Carlotta out to dinner alone.’

‘Like a date?’ Aria asks, sounding amused. ‘I’m not sure he would take such a suggestion from me seriously.’

Well, he definitely won’t if Aria herself finds the idea laughable. I ask, ‘But you will talk to him about culinary school?’

‘Cooking classes at the very least,’ she assures me.

I thank her and ring off. Someone has to talk to Severu about acting like a fiancé and not just a don. If his mother won’t do it, I know my father won’t. Heck, he’s part of the problem.

I consider asking Zio Giovi to do it, but that feels cowardly. I am not a coward, no matter what my father wants to believe. I will call the don myself. I do ask my uncle if he has the don’s cellphone number.

‘No. I may be married to your aunt, but I’m not one of his men,’ he says to me. He doesn’t sound bitter exactly, but for once he’s not smiling when he’s talking to me either. ‘Why do you want it?’

‘Oh, I just need to ask him something about the wedding.’ Since I’m helping to plan the wedding, that sounds believable.

And technically, I’m not lying. Having a good wedding requires a happy bride, at least by my estimation.

‘I’m sorry I can’t help you.’

‘That’s all right. Thank you, anyway, Zio.’ I give him a quick peck on the cheek and turn to go, but he grabs my arm.

I stop and look at him inquiringly.

‘I haven’t told you how proud I am of you for how you handled yourself yesterday. If you hadn’t been there, your sister would have been taken.’

Or we both would have been killed. I shiver, but smile my thanks. ‘You’re the one that taught me to shoot.’

‘Your father isn’t happy about that,’ Zio says with a grimace.

‘I know, but if I only did things that made Papà happy, I would spend all day, every day, holed up in my room.’

Zio doesn’t deny it. In fact, he laughs. ‘You’ve got spunk, tesorina, despite how your father has tried to beat it out of you.’

It’s the first time anyone has acknowledged to me aloud what my father does. Zia always pretends to think I’m clumsy. Though it has been a long time since she’s had to patch me up. I’ve gotten very adept at avoiding Papà. Carlotta is either completely unaware, or she too chooses to tell herself my injuries are somehow self-inflicted.

But Zio has said the painful truth and my heart nearly bursts with all the feeling that acknowledgement provokes. I give him a spontaneous hug, squeezing him really tight. ‘Thank you, Zio.’

‘You know I would stop it if I could.’

‘I know.’ Like he said. He may live here, but he’s not part of the New York mafia. Not really.

And my father is the don’s consigliere. Even if my uncle went to the don, Zio’s word wouldn’t be taken over my father’s. And if it was, the only thing that would happen would be for the don to remove my father from his position. That would devastate my father, but it would not protect me, or my uncle, from his wrath.

‘He hardly hits me anymore,’ I reassure my uncle.

‘You intimidate him because you don’t cower.’

I think it’s more because I’m good at staying out of my father’s orbit, but I don’t mind my uncle believing I am stronger and more influential than I am. It feels good to have someone believe in me.

~ ~ ~

I remind myself of that belief in my strength after I sneak into my father’s room while he is showering before dinner. I use Carlotta’s birthday to unlock his phone and quickly memorize the don’s number before dropping the phone and leaving the room as silently as I entered it.

It’s the next day before I can call the don to talk to him about Carlotta.

‘Yes?’ he barks in an unfriendly tone when he answers.

I don’t let that deter me. He wouldn’t recognize my number. ‘Hello, Don De Luca, it is Catalina Jilani.’

‘Catalina.’ He sounds shocked. ‘If you are looking for your father, he is not with me.’

‘No, I called to talk to you.’

‘About?’ He sounds wary.

‘My sister. She’s nervous about the wedding.’

‘This sounds like something for my mother to handle.’

Is he kidding? No wonder Carlotta is finding it so difficult to get to know him.

‘She’s not marrying your mother,’ I say, trying to keep my voice even, but unable to keep my annoyance out of it completely.

‘I am aware of that,’ he says in an even tone.

The lack of anger in his voice gives me the courage to continue. ‘She needs to get to know you better. She still sees you primarily as her don and not as her fiancé.’

‘I do not see the problem with that.’

‘You don’t?’ I ask, having difficulty keeping my voice respectful as I know I should. ‘She’ll be your wife soon.’

‘Is there a point to this phone call, Catalina?’

The way he says my name sends shivers through me and they are not from fear. It’s a good thing I’m running after the wedding. If his voice can do this to me, I have no business remaining anywhere in his and my sister’s orbit.

‘You need to take Carlotta on some dates.’

‘You want me to court her?’ Incredulity infuses his tone.

‘Is that so shocking?’ I demand. ‘You are her fiancé.’

‘Exactly. We are already engaged. There is no point in a courtship.’

‘Not for you, maybe. But you are not a 19-year-old, afraid of marriage and the man she’s supposed to spend the rest of her life with. Is it so much to ask that you take her out and let her get to know you? Let her see the softer side of your nature.’

‘I have no softer side to my nature,’ he informs me in a hard voice.

‘I don’t believe that.’ He was careful with me after the men attacked us. He was the reason I was able to let go of the gun and get out of the car.

‘What you believe is irrelevant.’

The words hurt. Though there is no reason they should. After all, that is exactly what my father believes. My opinions are as irrelevant to him as I am.

‘That may be so.’ I cannot keep the hurt entirely out of my voice, no matter how hard I try. ‘However, Carlotta is not.’

‘I did not say you are irrelevant.’ He sounds offended. ‘Merely that your belief about my character does not matter to the truth of who I am.’

Oh. It’s weird having the don explain himself to me, but it sends a curl of warmth through my heart. Only my heart isn’t the one he needs to penetrate.

‘Please, think of Carlotta. Do you really want her terrified as she walks up the aisle?’ I never plead with my father. I know it’s useless. I can’t help hoping Don De Luca will be different.

‘Do you have a suggestion for these dates?’

Oh, my gosh, he’s listening to me. He’s willing to try.

‘Maybe dinner at a trendy restaurant with a tour of the kitchen after?’ I suggest.

‘We have weekly dinners scheduled with my family.’ He sounds impatient now.

I don’t let that deter me. ‘Yes, where apparently you spend the entire time discussing business with my father.’

‘What else should I discuss?’

‘Anything that you can talk about with Carlotta, not your consigliere.’

‘I am a don. Carlotta must become accustomed to not being the center of my attention.’

‘No doubt,’ I say, too frustrated to hold back my disdain. ‘However, that should not mean that you ignore her entirely. I am sure your father did not treat your mother with such disregard.’

Aria would not be the confident, self-contained woman that she is if that were true.

‘My father and mother were practically strangers when they wed.’

‘And I’m sure if she could have had it differently, she would have.’

‘Fine, I will take Carlotta to dinner. Are you satisfied?’

‘With a tour of the kitchen?’ I press.

‘I will arrange a tour of the kitchen if you believe that will please her.’

‘I do.’

‘Are we done here?’

The I have more important things to attend to remains silent, but I hear it all the same. I don’t care. He agreed to take Carlotta to dinner and do something that will make her happy. That’s all that matters.

‘Yes. Thank you for giving me some of your precious time.’ Okay, maybe gratitude isn’t the only thing I’m feeling, but I managed to say the words without a bit of the sarcasm I feel.

I’m taking that as a win.

He hangs up without saying goodbye. I don’t know why that makes me smile, but it does. I have never seen the don be anything but meticulously polite when talking to women. My aunt. His mother. My sister. Myself.

Hanging up without saying goodbye is definitely rude. It might be something he does with his men, but I doubt he has ever hung up on his mother without a proper word of parting.

It should not make me feel so pleased to have gotten under his skin. But it does.