Her Mafia Daddy - Chapter 14: Chapter 14
You are reading Her Mafia Daddy, Chapter 14: Chapter 14. Read more chapters of Her Mafia Daddy.
Vincenzo left us and I decided to learn more about this man who seemed to fear his father but had saved me all the same. "What do you do in the 'Ndrangheta?" Dimitri choked on his grappa and coughed loudly. "Are you always so forward?"
"I apologize. It's just that you seem different from your father. I'm having a hard time seeing you as a hardened mobster." He licked his lips and studied the glass in his hand. "It's all I have ever known. I was young when my mother died, and since then it has been Zia and my father, and the 'ndrina. I was inducted at fourteen. There's no other life for me."
"That sounds...sad." The edge of his mouth hitched, making him appear like a younger version of his father. "Only someone from the outside would see it as such. Being the Ravazzani heir is a great privilege."
"It is but only if you want it. If you want the same life as your father."
"I have no choice And it is not a bad thing, being both feared and respected by everyone I meet. My father's reputation is known by many."
"I can't imagine what it is like for a boy in our world. My sisters and I were sheltered from my father's business."
"As it should be," Dimitri said. "What we do is men's business, though there are more and more women leading 'ndrine nowadays."
"There are?"
"Sí. In fact, I thought my father would arrange for me to marry the daughter of La Madrina, the head of the Melbourne 'ndrina. But then you came along."
Australia, wow. "Did you want to marry this other woman?"
"No, but that hardly matters. My role is to marry and have more Ravazzani boys to carry on our tradition."
"Not necessarily, Your father could remarry." Dimitri 's expression said this topic had been broached and rejected. "He refuses. I think he carries around a lot of guilt over my mother's death."
Rafael Ravazzani, feeling guilt? I couldn't believe it. "Was she ill?"
"No, she was murdered." I gasped, grabbing the edge of the wooden table as I swayed from surprise and too much grappa. "Shit, that's awful. I'm sorry, Dimitri ."
"Thank you. I barely remember her, but my memories are good ones."
"How did it happen?"
"She was running on the beach. A South American gang killed her and guards. It had to do with a deal my father made with their rivals."
"No wonder he feels guilty."
"Unfortunately, it is all too common in our world." Dimitri heaved a sigh that sounded bone deep. "The only way out of this life is death, Tina . Each of us knows that."
I finished my grappa while digesting this grim news. "Shouldn't you be trying to convince me to marry into your family?"
He lowered his voice to barely above a whisper. "I told you, there is no need for convincing. This is happening, whether we like it or not."
"I know my reasons for not wanting to marry you, but why don't you want to get married?"
"It doesn't matter, and we shouldn't discuss this here." I glanced around us, but there was no one else in the old tasting room. Only the wine barrels could overhear us. "We're alone."
"No, we aren't. There is no privacy in the house or anywhere on the estate, Tina . Never forget it."
"I don't see any cameras." My father's cameras were the clunky old school type, that whirred as they moved. "They are sophisticated. You won't see the cameras or listening devices unless my father wants you to."
My stomach sank as I considered my escape plans. Was there surveillance equipment in my bedroom? "At least you have the freedom to
leave the estate."
"I wouldn't exactly call it freedom, but yes, I am able to leave." He poured us each more grappa. "I'll take you anywhere in Siderno you wish
to go, yes?"
"Sure. How about the airport?" He chuckled and toasted me with his glass. "You have a sense of humour, Tina Mancini. I didn't expect that. You also have spunk, as the Americans call it, but I cannot decide if that is a good or bad thing."
"I'm hoping it's good because I don't know how to act any differently."
"That must be why my father reacts to you so strongly."
"It's because he hates me."
"No, he doesn't. You made him very angry last night, angrier than I've seen him in a long time. He was very worked up."
"Must be my special charm at work."
"It's weird. He is usually very polite with women."
"I find that hard to believe."
"No, I mean it. He charms them. Puts them at ease. Women love my father." Of course they did. He was a gorgeous and powerful Italian man, and no doubt a beast in the bedroom. I remembered Katarzyna and her model-like perfection despite being in her late 20s or early 30s. Were all his girlfriends so beautiful?
"Your expression is strange," Dimitri asked, his eyes trailing over my face. "What are you thinking about?"
I was tipsy but not drunk enough to confess my troubling thoughts regarding his father. I went with a partial truth instead. "I've barely thought of escaping today."
"I apologize. It's just that you seem different from your father. I'm having a hard time seeing you as a hardened mobster." He licked his lips and studied the glass in his hand. "It's all I have ever known. I was young when my mother died, and since then it has been Zia and my father, and the 'ndrina. I was inducted at fourteen. There's no other life for me."
"That sounds...sad." The edge of his mouth hitched, making him appear like a younger version of his father. "Only someone from the outside would see it as such. Being the Ravazzani heir is a great privilege."
"It is but only if you want it. If you want the same life as your father."
"I have no choice And it is not a bad thing, being both feared and respected by everyone I meet. My father's reputation is known by many."
"I can't imagine what it is like for a boy in our world. My sisters and I were sheltered from my father's business."
"As it should be," Dimitri said. "What we do is men's business, though there are more and more women leading 'ndrine nowadays."
"There are?"
"Sí. In fact, I thought my father would arrange for me to marry the daughter of La Madrina, the head of the Melbourne 'ndrina. But then you came along."
Australia, wow. "Did you want to marry this other woman?"
"No, but that hardly matters. My role is to marry and have more Ravazzani boys to carry on our tradition."
"Not necessarily, Your father could remarry." Dimitri 's expression said this topic had been broached and rejected. "He refuses. I think he carries around a lot of guilt over my mother's death."
Rafael Ravazzani, feeling guilt? I couldn't believe it. "Was she ill?"
"No, she was murdered." I gasped, grabbing the edge of the wooden table as I swayed from surprise and too much grappa. "Shit, that's awful. I'm sorry, Dimitri ."
"Thank you. I barely remember her, but my memories are good ones."
"How did it happen?"
"She was running on the beach. A South American gang killed her and guards. It had to do with a deal my father made with their rivals."
"No wonder he feels guilty."
"Unfortunately, it is all too common in our world." Dimitri heaved a sigh that sounded bone deep. "The only way out of this life is death, Tina . Each of us knows that."
I finished my grappa while digesting this grim news. "Shouldn't you be trying to convince me to marry into your family?"
He lowered his voice to barely above a whisper. "I told you, there is no need for convincing. This is happening, whether we like it or not."
"I know my reasons for not wanting to marry you, but why don't you want to get married?"
"It doesn't matter, and we shouldn't discuss this here." I glanced around us, but there was no one else in the old tasting room. Only the wine barrels could overhear us. "We're alone."
"No, we aren't. There is no privacy in the house or anywhere on the estate, Tina . Never forget it."
"I don't see any cameras." My father's cameras were the clunky old school type, that whirred as they moved. "They are sophisticated. You won't see the cameras or listening devices unless my father wants you to."
My stomach sank as I considered my escape plans. Was there surveillance equipment in my bedroom? "At least you have the freedom to
leave the estate."
"I wouldn't exactly call it freedom, but yes, I am able to leave." He poured us each more grappa. "I'll take you anywhere in Siderno you wish
to go, yes?"
"Sure. How about the airport?" He chuckled and toasted me with his glass. "You have a sense of humour, Tina Mancini. I didn't expect that. You also have spunk, as the Americans call it, but I cannot decide if that is a good or bad thing."
"I'm hoping it's good because I don't know how to act any differently."
"That must be why my father reacts to you so strongly."
"It's because he hates me."
"No, he doesn't. You made him very angry last night, angrier than I've seen him in a long time. He was very worked up."
"Must be my special charm at work."
"It's weird. He is usually very polite with women."
"I find that hard to believe."
"No, I mean it. He charms them. Puts them at ease. Women love my father." Of course they did. He was a gorgeous and powerful Italian man, and no doubt a beast in the bedroom. I remembered Katarzyna and her model-like perfection despite being in her late 20s or early 30s. Were all his girlfriends so beautiful?
"Your expression is strange," Dimitri asked, his eyes trailing over my face. "What are you thinking about?"
I was tipsy but not drunk enough to confess my troubling thoughts regarding his father. I went with a partial truth instead. "I've barely thought of escaping today."
End of Her Mafia Daddy Chapter 14. Continue reading Chapter 15 or return to Her Mafia Daddy book page.