Chapter 6 - THE UNCLE WHO NEVER RAISED HIS VOICE
Renato joined us for dinner the next night.
That was Lorenzo's idea.
Mine was to lock him in a basement.
Lorenzo claimed his plan was smarter.
I remained unconvinced.
The dining room could seat twenty-four people.
Only four chairs were occupied.
Lorenzo.
Renato.
Me.
And Leo sleeping beside me in a portable bassinet.
Renato looked at the seating arrangement.
Then at Lorenzo.
"I didn't realize domestic staff had joined the family table."
I placed my napkin on my lap.
"Neither did I."
Lorenzo hid a smile behind his wineglass.
Renato noticed.
That mattered.
Dinner began quietly.
Soup.
Bread.
A main course none of us tasted.
Renato finally put down his fork.
"How is Leo?"
"Improving," Lorenzo said.
"Excellent."
"He's gained eleven ounces."
Renato smiled.
"Wonderful."
"Since we stopped using Aster deliveries."
The smile remained.
But his fingers stopped moving.
Only for a second.
Then he reached for water.
"Aster is a distributor, Lorenzo. If a product was contaminated—"
"It wasn't."
"No?"
"The formula was correct when it left the manufacturer."
Renato nodded thoughtfully.
"Then Bellini?"
"He lied."
"Did he?"
"You sound surprised."
"I'm disappointed."
"You recommended him."
"Many years ago."
"Why?"
"He was competent."
"He's also eight hundred thousand dollars in debt."
Renato sighed.
"People disappoint us."
His gaze moved toward me.
"Frequently."
I felt the insult.
Lorenzo heard it too.
"Careful."
Renato looked at him.
"With what?"
"My patience."
A long silence.
Renato leaned back.
"When your father died, you were twelve."
I wondered why he was saying this.
Lorenzo knew.
His expression hardened.
Renato continued.
"You couldn't sleep unless the hallway light was on."
"Don't."
"You had nightmares."
"Renato."
"I sat outside your room."
The older man looked at him.
"Every night for almost a year."
Lorenzo didn't move.
"I taught you to drive. I taught you how to negotiate. I taught you which men would smile while planning to betray you."
"You forgot one."
Renato's expression changed.
"Apparently."
Lorenzo leaned forward.
"You taught me blood was everything."
"It is."
"Then why is my son's blood full of sedatives?"
Silence.
No shouting.
No gun.
No theatrics.
Just the question.
Renato stared at him.
Then at Leo.
"I would never harm that child."
"Bellini says otherwise."
"Bellini is desperate."
"Travis Kane says otherwise."
That did it.
Renato's face finally changed.
Tiny.
But enough.
Lorenzo saw it.
I saw it.
"He is alive?" Renato asked.
"Why wouldn't he be?"
Renato recovered.
"Men with his debts often have poor survival rates."
Lorenzo smiled.
Coldly.
"He told us about Felix."
Renato's hand tightened around his fork.
"Felix Moran works for dozens of companies."
"Not anymore."
"What did you do?"
"Nothing."
Lorenzo's smile vanished.
"Nico found him before you could."
Renato looked toward the doorway.
Security guards stood outside.
The first real trace of fear appeared in his eyes.
Lorenzo continued.
"Felix is talking."
That was another lie.
Felix was missing.
But Renato didn't know that.
"What does he say?"
"You tell me."
Renato sat very still.
Then, unexpectedly, he laughed.
Quietly.
Almost sadly.
"Elena ruined you."
Lorenzo's face changed.
My chest tightened.
Renato looked toward Leo.
"She made you believe softness was virtue."
"Don't say her name."
"Why? Because she was a saint?"
"Because she's dead."
"Exactly."
The word hit the room.
Renato put down his napkin.
"Your wife convinced you that this family could become respectable."
"She convinced me my son deserved better."
"Your son deserves to survive."
"He nearly didn't."
"And what happens when you dismantle everything that protects him?"
Lorenzo stared.
Renato continued.
"You think legal businesses make you safe? Courts? Police? Tax filings?"
His mouth twisted.
"Your father built an empire because nobody protected men like us."
"This isn't Sicily in 1960."
"No. It's worse. Now everyone pretends the knife isn't there."
I looked at him.
"You were making Leo sick to control Lorenzo."
Renato's eyes moved to me.
"You're very confident for a maid."
"I'm not your maid."
"No?"
"No."
Something in his expression chilled me.
"You should remember what you are."
Lorenzo stood.
The chair scraped backward.
Renato lifted one hand.
"There he is."
Lorenzo froze.
"The man I raised."
"Keep talking."
"I weakened nothing."
"You sedated my son."
"No."
"You paid Bellini."
"No."
"You created the staffing agency."
"No."
"You sent Maya here."
Renato looked at me.
Then back at Lorenzo.
"I allowed a solution to present itself."
My heart stopped.
Lorenzo's face went blank.
"Explain."
Renato sighed.
"Leo was not thriving."
"You were making sure of it."
"Bellini exaggerated his condition."
"Why?"
"Because you needed time."
"For what?"
"To come to your senses."
Lorenzo stared.
Renato's voice remained calm.
"Elena died, and instead of taking your place at the head of this family, you started selling assets. Closing routes. Canceling agreements."
"Illegal agreements."
"Profitable agreements."
"I was becoming a father."
"You were becoming vulnerable."
Lorenzo's hand curled into a fist.
Renato continued.
"I wanted you focused here. On your child. Away from decisions you were making emotionally."
"So you starved him."
"I never ordered anyone to starve him."
"Then what did you order?"
A pause.
"Keep him medically fragile."
I felt sick.
Lorenzo whispered, "He was six pounds."
"I told Bellini to ensure he remained under observation."
"You drugged him."
"I authorized mild sedation."
"He's two months old!"
The shout shook the glassware.
Leo woke and cried.
I immediately lifted him.
Lorenzo stopped.
Everything in him redirected toward the baby.
Renato watched.
And smiled sadly.
"Exactly."
Lorenzo looked back.
Renato's voice softened.
"Three years ago, a man insulted your father in a restaurant. You broke his jaw."
"That wasn't my father."
"You know what I mean."
"That was another life."
"Two months with a baby and suddenly you hesitate."
"I call it thinking."
"I call it decay."
Lorenzo stepped toward him.
Renato did not move.
"You tried to kill my son."
"I tried to preserve the man who could protect him."
"By destroying him?"
"He was never supposed to get that weak."
There it was.
Not denial.
Just justification.
My stomach turned.
Renato looked at me.
"Then she appeared."
"You arranged that."
"Felix found her."
"Why?"
Renato's eyes moved to Leo.
"Insurance."
My blood ran cold.
"What kind?"
"If something happened to Leo, a grieving woman secretly feeding him would answer every question."
My hands tightened around the baby.
Lorenzo's face became terrifyingly calm.
"You planned to blame her."
"Only if necessary."
"And Travis?"
"Disposable."
"And Bellini?"
"Useful."
"And me?"
Renato looked at Lorenzo almost tenderly.
"My nephew."
For one second, nobody moved.
Then Lorenzo pulled a gun.
I had seen him draw one before.
This was different.
No hesitation.
No warning.
The barrel pointed at Renato's forehead.
Renato didn't flinch.
"Lorenzo," I said.
He didn't look at me.
Renato smiled.
"Do it."
Lorenzo's finger tightened.
"You know how."
"Lorenzo."
"He deserves it."
"Maybe."
Now he looked at me.
My voice shook.
"But Leo deserves a father who knows how to stop."
That hit him.
I saw it.
Renato saw it too.
Slowly, Lorenzo lowered the gun.
Renato's smile disappeared.
That was when I understood.
He had wanted Lorenzo to shoot.
Because murder would prove Renato right.
Lorenzo placed the gun on the table.
Then looked at Nico.
"Take him."
Two guards stepped forward.
Renato stood.
"You cannot imprison me in my own family's home."
Lorenzo stared.
"Watch me."
As they escorted Renato away, he turned back.
"This ends badly."
Lorenzo picked up Leo from my arms.
His son stopped crying almost immediately.
"No."
Lorenzo looked at Renato.
May you like
"For the first time, I think it ends differently."
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