I take a few steps up so that we’re on level ground. This is my house too now, and I hope we can respect each other. “What would you have done in my place?”
He shakes his head, not following.
“I do care about your father,” I explain. “But he’s also helping me find my brother. And he introduced me to a family I didn’t know I had.”
“All those things benefit him as well,” Frankie informs me.
“I know,” I insist. “I’m just trying to explain that I had no choice.”
“You had a choice,” he replies.
“So what would you have done?” I ask him again.
“I wouldn’t stop at anything to get my brother back,” he says.
“Me neither,” I agree.
I see the calculations going on in his mind. He doesn’t want to give up his anger, but he’s realizing that maybe things aren’t as cut and dry as he thought. Reluctantly, he shrugs. I feel like I’m getting through to him. This is an important moment because together, we form the core of Francisco’s home life. If the two of us can’t get along, it will make for a very stressful living situation.
“I’m sorry I called you disgusting,” Frankie relents.
“And a gold-digger,” I remind him.
“The jury’s still out on that one,” he says.
I open my mouth to object, but then he smiles, letting me know he’s just kidding. Relief washes over me. I like Frankie, and I want to count him as a friend. I know I’m technically his stepmother now, but it doesn’t feel that way. We’re closer in age than I am to his father, which means he can be a significant ally. He also seems to be the only person in the house who isn’t employed by Francisco. That counts for something.
“Do you want any help unpacking?” he asks.
“Sure,” I agree. “Have you ever been to Italy?”
“Not as often as my dad goes,” Frankie says, following me up the stairs. “But I’ve been a few times.”
We wander up the stairs in tandem, talking about less controversial things. By the time we reached the top, it seemed like everything is going to be okay between us.
CHAPTER 36
FRANCISCO
Giovanni fills me in on everything that has been going on in my absence. Some of these things require a face-to-face conversation, so he wasn’t able to keep me properly informed while I was in Italy.
“I appreciate you looking out for the family,” I say at the conclusion of our talk.
I put a hand on his shoulder to make sure he understands just how valuable his contribution is.
Giovanni shakes his head. “I’m glad you’re back. Being the boss doesn’t suit me.”
“You wear it well,” I observe. “Maybe someday.”
“The only way that would happen is if you were killed,” he reminds me. “So I’ll just take my pension and be happy with that.”
We laugh because there is no pension in our line of work. But there is the potential for great wealth. I want to change afterthe flight. My suit isn’t as pristine as I would like it to be, and I welcome the idea of a shower.
Giovanni performs his last half hour as boss while I get settled. I arrive back in my office, clean and energized. Even though I’ve been up for more than twelve hours, I’m ready to get down to business. I need to let everyone know sooner rather than later that I’m back at the helm.
I make a few calls while Giovanni sits in one of my office chairs, sipping scotch. There’s a knock on the door, and Giovanni gets up to answer it. Marcello steps into the room, giving me a deferential nod as he takes a seat to wait for me to finish my telephone conversation.
I hang up, glancing over at him. Now we’re ready to talk, so I open the floor.
