Unwanted Inheritance

by K. Forest

  “Angelo, you okay?” asks my beautiful wife. She lets go of my arm and grabs his, trying to console him and to get answers.

  He raises his phone in his hand. “Just a big mistake that I’ve made way too many times.” Placing his sunglasses over his anguished eyes, he rubs his hair in frustration. If anyone else would wear sunglasses in an elevator, it would look ridiculous. Angelo somehow makes the look normal. “I’ll join you, your parents, and the girls tonight. Claudette has made reservations for dinner and a show.” He says, rubbing her hand and taking full advantage of her good will.

  “Angie, take your grubby hands off my wife. Get your own wife to take pity on you and involve in your antics, or I will tell Vampire Sherry your room number.” I say sternly, totally exhausted with him.

  The door opens with a ping to our floor. He walks out with my wife, and both are ignoring me. He glances over his shoulder at me. “I had Uncle Carmine book my room next to yours.” He smiles. “I’m skipping the gym; I have a feeling it will be a late night. I’ll meet you directly in the conference room at tomorrow morning at ten to meet with Benjamin Sabato.” He gives a quick cheek kiss to Katarina and then proceeds to help her parents to their room.

  Laughing, Katarina pats my arm softly. “Come on, husband. I need you to rub my swollen feet immediately. You promised to take full advantage in our suite, remember?”

  All annoyance toward Angelo fades away, and all I can think of is the sweet sugar taste of my wife.

  After a quickie that brought pleasure to both of us in our suite, I take her to Rockefeller Center. I delight her by taking selfies with the famous Christmas tree and ice-skating rink. After that though, I tell her that’s enough touristy stuff because I know she doesn’t want to take a horse ride. She kept commenting how badly she felt for the horses.

  During the warmer months, I would just have us walk or take my motorcycle to get around. But, in the winter months, I prefer either drive or have Gus, the hotel chauffeur, drive me.

  We greet the black SUV driven by Gus, and I slide her into the back and quickly place her on my lap. “Santos, you need to stop placing me on your lap while we drive. You won’t be able to do this when the baby arrives.” She always reminds me of this every time we are driven somewhere.

  “My dear wife, then I wouldn’t know what to do with my hands.” I tease her breasts lightly knowing she’s sensitive. I lower my hands around her still petite belly. It’s not noticeable to the average eye, but she now has a little pouch. “Plus, I like holding my girls while we drive. These arms are more secure than the seatbelt.” I nuzzle her head, and her white wool hat tickles my face.

  “So, husband, where are you taking us?” She asks me, while drawing circles on my chest.

  “I’m taking you to a hole in the wall that serves the best Italian food in North America. I used to go three times a week as part of my weekly routine after school and work. It only holds four tables, and it’s run by husband and wife. There is never a menu, and the name is actually Hole in the Wall.”

  The next day, everyone decides to go to brunch and do some sightseeing. Maria wanted to stay behind with us to meet Benjamin Sabato, but I thought it was in her best interest to stay anonymous. She is still underage, and I want to protect her and her abilities, especially from strangers who aren’t screened by me personally. After the incident with Lia and the shooting with my father, I need to treat each new employee and business deal with a white glove approach.

  I walk into the conference room to find Angelo sitting at the conference table. “Good morning, brother. Sleep well?” Angelo is dressed in a black, long-sleeve, button-down dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up showing his tattoos. His usually tousled hair looks like he made an effort to style it. “How did last night go?” I ask.

  “Bianca took Maria out to the club. What a nightmare following them. Can you believe that they called me an old fart who is no fun? They are trouble together.” He leans back, shaking his head. Bianca has a good head on her shoulders, and I know Maria will not jeopardize what she has.

  "Why are you so worried all of a sudden about our sister and friend?”

  “You act like I never worried before. I did, but you seem more occupied now, so I’m stepping up.”

  I sit down and look at my watch. “Well, this is not a good sign. Mr. Sabato is late. You would think he would be early to an appointment.” I state.

  “He’s here; I told the receptionist to leave him in the lobby until we were ready.” He looks at me with a smirk. “Are we ready?”

  I press the intercom on the table “Yes. Mr. Ferrari?” The secretary asks immediately.

  “How long has Mr. Sabato been waiting?” I ask.

  “He arrived about an hour and a half ago. I served him coffee in the lobby lounge.

  Should I send him in now?”

  “Yes, please send him in.”

  “Yes, sir!”

  I shake my head at Angelo. “Changing roles, are we? You want to be the hard ass cop, and I’ll be the good cop?”

  “I can’t let you always have the fun roles now that we are partners.” He grins.

  The door opens, and a man with his dark hair styled short, of medium height, and dressed in a full suit walks in.

  I stand up and reach out my hand. “Santos Ferrari. Thank you for taking the time to meet my brother Angelo and myself.”

  “It’s my pleasure to meet you both.” He gives me a solid handshake and does the same to Angelo.

  I point to a chair. “Please have a seat.”

  Angelo takes the initiative and starts the interview. “Ben, I’ll be direct and make this short. We like your credentials and think you could be a good fit in our organization. You will be based here in the States and in Italy. I believe you are by the book, but you also need to have an imagination to ensure our entities will be legally protected. You will be on probation, of course, to make sure you are for sure a good fit.” Sabato gives nothing away except a swell in his throat from swallowing. “Do you have any questions for us, Benny?” Angelo asks. He’s trying to get a rise out of him.

  Sabato doesn’t seem to mind. “No, I’ve done my due diligence on you both as well. Your organization seems straight forward with minimal lapses from your father’s organization. Nothing that I can’t handle.” He says confidently.

  Angelo pats the table, catching his attention. “We have also done our due diligence on you. We will provide you immense tools in order to focus on your investigation on your parents’ accident. That will be included in your employment package.”

  Benjamin’s neck turns red, and he fidgets a bit. He swallows, looking at both of us before answering, “I think we will all benefit from each other. I look forward to a long, prosperous relationship.”

  It’s my turn to wrap the meeting up. “Benjamin, we will email you the final contract along with an itinerary. We will see you in Italy starting in two weeks. That should provide enough notice to your current employer.”

  Angelo stands up, and Sabato does the same. “I look forward receiving it and working for you both.” We shake and say our goodbyes.

  “Well, that went rather well. I didn’t think he was handsome.” Angelo gets up and starts walking towards the door. “I have some business that I need to handle. I’ll see you at the airport.” He leaves before I can say anything. Luckily, I agree that the meeting went rather well.

  For the Las Vegas visit, my mother insisted that all of us stay at the family home as it was large enough. Having all of us home immediately put a smile on her enchanted face. She didn’t seem to be high on meds; however, she did just get released from rehab spa. New Year’s Eve will be the night of our reception, and that is when all of us will move to the family hotel and casino. For that time, everyone enjoyed my mother’s hospitality and generosity. It was odd sleeping in my childhood bedroom with my pregnant wife. It definitely put things in perspective.

  My father and Tony were noticeably absent most of the time, which was not unusu
al while in Las Vegas. In the past, days would go by without me seeing my brothers or father. I would accompany my mother and sister when I wasn’t busy with my hobbies.

  The girls occupied my wife most of the days leading up to our reception. Angelo arranged for the guys to go dirt bike riding, to play paintball, and even go on some hikes. He took his duties as best man very seriously. There was no teasing of strippers or clubbing.

  We checked into the penthouse at the hotel where Katarina and I will be spending our night. Angelo made sure to have sunflowers adding to the hints of white calla lilies throughout the suite.

  I’m clipping my black bow tie when Angelo walks in. It’s just the two of us getting ready in the suite.

  “God damn this monkey suit. Worst invention for menswear ever.” He says coming next to me while attempting to clip on his own bow tie. He has a fresh hair cut that mirrors mine, and his beard is more like a one-day growth.

  “Angie, you clean up well. You’re almost as handsome as me.” I joke, looking at him as he raises his eyebrows in disbelief.

  “Well, I’m dressing up for Mother and Kat, not for you. Note it in the book it will not happen again.” He gives himself a once over and leaves the bathroom. “I need a drink. Want one?” He asks.

  A few hours later, I can’t help thinking it’s funny how only half a year has gone by, and here I am, the guest of honor once again. With one foot propped against the wall in the corner of the hotel ball room and sipping Lion Whiskey, I glance around noticing all the usual overeager, superficial guests still trying to attract my parents’ attention. All are decked to the nines to celebrate my wife and I and the New Year. I check the entrance every few minutes in the hopes that time will speed up for my wife to make her grand entrance. Once whiskey gave me calming effects, but now she has replaced the liquid effect.

  Commotion at the entrance brings my attention back to reality. In walks the ladies with Claudette leading the pack. Krista, Maria, and Josephine follow behind. All of them are wearing black dresses with sequins varying in lengths. Maria has noticeable blue tints in her hair.

  Bianca follows and reaches for a microphone that a man is giving to her. “Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce my new sister-in-law, Mrs. Katarina Ferrari.”

  A murmur rises over the crowd, and this is followed by their clapping. In walks my wife draped in a sapphire satin dress with a plunging neckline. The material drapes down her body to the floor. When she walks, I immediately notice the slit in the skirt that goes almost straight up to her lady bits. Her golden hair is in loose curls with one side gathered up with a large diamond comb. Her cheeks betray her nervousness, showing a pinch of red with all the attention.

  Holy moly! My smoking hot wife is a goddess. I place my drink down and try to unnoticeably rearrange my bulge that is growing. I automatically walk towards my queen, not wanting to be apart any longer. She stops when she sees me coming and gives me the same contagious smile she gives me every time she sees me. I reach for her and give her a feather kiss on her cheek. “You are exquisite, my wife.”

  Chapter 23

  “Thank you, Santos, for inviting me to your home tonight. You and Katarina have made a warm and welcoming residence. It was especially nice celebrating Christmas and Easter here for the first time. Perhaps a new tradition is starting for all of us.” My godfather says as he glances around my home office. “Next year, your parents might enjoy joining us as well. I remember well the celebrations your father and I took part in when your grandparents were alive.” He is quieter than normal, getting lost in distant memories.

  We had retired to my office after dinner while my wife did one last barn check. Oskar had lit the fireplace, which gives the room an extra element of relaxation. Early spring still left winter chills in the evening air. Pouring each of us a three-finger drink of Lion Whiskey, I hand him his and sit across from him.

  “I’m really glad you came over tonight. I miss our one-on-one talks that we use to have in New York.” I tip my glass towards him. “The renovations are coming along slowly, but Katarina has already made it feel like a home. The Morrones’ house is almost complete, and they will be moving in soon. There have been little hiccups along the way with regulations and such; however, I just hired a new lawyer who should help us. In time, he can take over and handle some of the more annoying details such as the red tape regulations. Hopefully, he will be better at dealing with the inordinate amount of time and patience required in this country than I.”

  Both of us take the moment to sip of our whiskey. Closing his eyes, Godfather gives a sigh of bliss and says, “This is one hell of a whiskey. You definitely hit the jackpot.”

  “Agreed, Len and Lia are quite the team. They’ve been working on a new batch that will be called Lioness.” He hits me with a knowing look. “That’s a very fitting name indeed. Sam told me Lia has recuperated and adjusted well given the circumstances.”

  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that he would be checking up on her. Or the fact he subtly slipped in a double entendre. I’ve been corresponding mainly with Len via email. He’s claimed the same, that she is healing and throwing herself into work. “She’s putting her energy building up the distillery.” No need to say anymore to him.

  “Santos, I’ve always been proud of you. I’m hoping the next chapter in your life continues to be as gracious as the first part. It was a lovely celebration in Las Vegas. Katarina is a most welcome new member of the family. These last months have been relatively calm; let’s hope that continues. But, having said that, I confess to having some concerns going forward.”

  The door suddenly bangs open and in strides a very upset Angelo. “Sonny, we have an issue. Son of a bitch! I knew something was off. Shit! Hi GF!” He skids to an abrupt stop in the middle of the room as he spots our uncle. The rat kitten is following him into the room and halts next to his feet.

  “Angelo,” my uncle calmly states, “get yourself a drink, and take a seat.”

  Pulling himself together, Angelo slowly walks over to the bar and pours himself a generous glass. Taking a gulp, his anger is tamped down, and he proceeds to join us. Rat jumps up and sits on his lap.

  “Now, tell us about the son of bitch that you’re bitching about.” I direct Angelo while thinking to myself that he must know quite a few sons of bitches.

  “I did some more investigation on Ben Sabato. Before you lecture me, it is my job to triple check when we bring new individuals into our lives. It’s left up to me to know the weaknesses that can be used against them.” He finishes his drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “The report Maria gave us, it was missing a very major piece of valuable information. I’m not sure if she did it on purpose or not.”

  Now, he’s caught my attention. “Go on.” I say.

  “I think she chose him hoping he could be her half-brother.”

  My uncle interrupts quietly inquiring, “Who is this Ben Sabato? Sabato is a common name in this region.”

  “Remember the young lawyer I mentioned we had recently hired?” Godfather nods in understanding.

  Turning my attention once again toward Angelo, he continues, “She would have been around five years old and her step-brother about twelve years old when the crash occurred. The ages add up to them now.”

  I chime in, looking at him sharply, “Angie, Sam’s report gave us solid information that Maria was orphaned at five years old. No birth date, last name only Doe. She was dropped off at the orphanage by an unknown.”

  He looks sheepish and admits to having a DNA test done on her with the help of Germano. The test results showed chromosomal variations of Greek and Italian that were genetically related due to ancient medieval colonies.

  Standing up, I walk towards the large custom window that had finally been installed. As I gaze out into the dark moonless night, I wonder why Angelo had even thought to do this. “How far back did this DNA testing take place, and why didn’t you tell me? Is this something done to all individuals when becom
ing part of our team or family?” I ask Angelo turning towards him.

  When I had told Katarina that I lived relatively a boring life until recently, it was true. I have been sheltered from the intrigue and chaos that surrounded my family. Although not oblivious to it, I chose to believe I controlled my own destiny and that I could forge ahead without the ties binding me to my father’s way of life. I am beginning to realize too much of what I assumed was not the reality of our lives.

  “When we were in Vegas, I had a gut feeling there might be a possible connection.” Angelo explains. “She was chumming up to Sabato, and you know as well as I do Maria doesn’t chum up to anyone real fast. I don’t believe Maria means any harm, but she is too eager to find out information about her past. I gave her all the tools to get that done.”

  I wonder if Sabato suspects yet. If he does, we have greatly underestimated him.

  “I’m in the process of having Sam and Krista investigate more into the Greek and Italian connection before we make any decision on how to proceed.” Angelo looks to Godfather then back to me. Taking sips of his drink, he lets me soak up everything has just shared.

  Well, it looks like our little she-devil is doing her own intensive private investigation. Yet it’s astounding that she is getting a four-point-o GPA and excelling in all the other tasks. “Impressive indeed.” I say taken aback by everything Angelo just told us.

  “Boys, she’s a smart girl.” My uncle chuckles. “You can’t be that naive to think she wouldn’t proceed full throttle given with her intellect and her sassy attitude.” Then quite suddenly he turns to me, this time with a very serious look on his face. “Listen to your brother on these types of things, Santos. He has the experience; let him pursue all avenues to make sure we keep our family members safe.” With that said, he stands up ready to take his leave. “I need to get going. I have one last appointment before I call it a night.”

  “Last appointment?” Angelo teases. “A certain raven-haired dancer at Club XXX, perhaps?”