Francesco was in his office with his feet up on the desk as he was on the phone while playing with the telephone cord. He had been on a lengthy conversation with Arturo who was away but running his business was as usual. As he was listening intently he saw the door open and he frowned as he saw O'Neil's blonde head popping inside. O'Neil just pushed his way in the room making Francesco looking with a mixture of annoyance and disbelief. The nerve he had was not conceivable. Even Adele did not disturb Francesco in his office often.
O'Neil had of course arrived early and had not obviously taken note of any do not disturb instructions from Francesco's men. O'Neil didn't follow Francesco's rules. But he was pushing it that day.
Francesco pointed to the door snapping his fingers and pointed to the door signalling to O'Neil to leave as he said on the phone "Yes Arturo. I am happy for you to arrange that. I have no objections to you using my side of waters. What's mine is yours in the fight ..." He raised an eyebrow as he watched O'Neil sit across from him on a chair. Francesco sighed and leaned his head back looking at the ceiling "You are right. The Irish May drop by when you least expect it. Appropriate time and place does not apply. He then glanced at O'Neil "And they have no sense of boundaries or borders..."
O'Neil said loudly deliberately for Arturo to hear "But the Irish can drive. They also don't mistake diesel with petrol..."
Francesco shook his head at O'Neil as he spoke "Yes he is in the room... He let himself in... Take no notice... Yes I know it's not a funny joke. He made sure you nearly miss your wedding. Lucky he didn't... No ... I don't think that was all a conspiracy to sabotage your wedding because of Jackson. O'Neil was definitely doing it deliberately to sabotage your wedding for laughs... Yes... He is that mental. He would have also let you get married in a dyed suit the colour of a rainbow just because he found it funny... You are welcome. Any time Arturo. I knew he would pull that stunt so I had plenty spares with me... Yes he is looking at his watch right now telling me to cut off the phone...."
Just then O'Neil reached over and put his hand on the phone pressing down the buttons making Francesco close his eyes as he heard the beep.
O'Neil said "He obviously knew I was waiting. He wanted to make you remember the day you had to sort out the mess on his wedding day..."
Francesco opened his eyes "The mess you created." He then put the phone down soundly "Don't ever cut off the phone when I am on it."
O'Neil chuckled darkly as he pulled a small bottle of Irish cream whiskey as he crossed his legs "Sure. Don't disrespect my people when you are on the phone." He drank from his whiskey as he said "You look better than yesterday".
Francesco started dialling a number "I need to call Arturo to finish the talk..." but O'Neil put his hand on the phone "Francesco. That can wait... He can call you if he wants to..."
Francesco said "No. You can wait. Outside... For your turn."
O'Neil said "He is a patient man. He will wait his turn. He knows I am here. Come on Francesco. You just said it yourself. Time and place that applies to your people don't apply to mine... Do you want me to get annoyed?"
Francesco put the phone down " You are taking advantage... You know I wont kick you out of my house...."
O'Neil smiled as he put his whiskey back in his pocket " I know. You don't kick me out... We are going to be family one day." He then watched as Francesco banged his fist on the desk and said " Woah. This desk is family heirloom. Don't damage it... Our grandkids will be sharing stories about how Papa Rosario broke his antique Lincoln era desk... Come on. Don't pretend you don't know your son is intending to propose to my daughter once he turns eighteen..."
O'Neil watched Francesco walk around his desk. Francesco sat in front of O'Neil on the edge of the desk. O'Neil noticed Francesco's non amused face and said jokingly "Actually no. Our grandkids will be talking about how Papa Rosario killed Papa O'Neil by throwing him out of his office ... through the window..."
Francesco said "State your business." He crossed his arms over his chest "Why are you here? Lunch time is not right now... You are the inviter and invitee. You must be fully aware that my wife has not even had the chance to cook any lunch yet... You invited yourself not long ago ..."
O'Neil said "I didn't think you had other plans... You don't."
Francesco said " You are not here to discuss my plans. By turning up, you have cancelled my plans. I cancelled my meetings for you. So why are you here so early and why do I have the pleasure of having lunch with you when I just saw you yesterday?..."
O'Neil said " Relax. I think you need to unwind for a bit... Sometimes taking a step back is the way forward..."
Francesco gave him a look "Maybe for you, a step back is a step forward... It's not for me. I need a leap forward to be ahead of the game so I don't leap backwards while my family collapses with me..."
O'Neil nodded as he leaned back in his chair putting his hands on the arms of the comfortable chair as he said "I don't deny I get more privilege than you because I am Irish and my name is not Italian. There are many families on the radar of FBI. My contacts in FBI say there is a big wave of investigations coming... The question is who would you save if you could... I could send pre-warnings despite me not being optimistic that there is any point..."
Francesco said " I didn't save the one family my youngest son wanted me to save..."
O'Neil said "Viggo wanted to save them. They couldn't be saved Francesco. Angelia was attached to the Gustavo and Andovini family. They couldn't be saved. They didn't want to be saved. They ignored your warnings and even threatened you to keep away. Grave mistake. You forsaw that attack. You warned them. They didn't believe you... They didn't let you help them... Then what happened after the massacre? It was you who tried to make sure cause of death was a mixture of arson and gas leak so no one bothered Angelia from the police and it didn't leak to the papers that a mob war went too far. Some people can't be helped Francesco. You can't save the world. Your family has always come first..,"
Francesco nodded "I saw the list you sent me. They won't be able to cover their tracks. There is just too much evidence lying around... They are careless. All of them."
O'Neil said "That's why they will get caught first and they will crack first under investigation..."
Francesco said " I have no fear. I leave no evidence behind. Never. There is more criminal evidence against the Catholic Church and Vatican than there is against me..."
O'Neil said "Only dead men don't talk."
Francesco said as he walked back to his chair " Alive men can talk. I don't fear it. Do you?"
O'Neil said "It's not about fear. It's about anticipation."
Francesco sat down "I am always ready for betrayal."
O'Neil said sadly "I know."
Francesco stared at O'Neil in silence as he looked at his watch "To what do I owe this meeting to?"
O'Neil said "You are in danger more than ever. So I think you need to keep your friends close..."
Francesco laughed as he put his hands behind his neck "When have I not been on danger? I nearly died while my mother was pregnant with me. I know that."
O'Neil said " There are a few threats to your life... We need to catch them. All of them..."
Francesco said "And by talking to me, you are speeding me up. Are you?"
O'Neil said "Yes. Because I am going to ask you to let me in your classified information that you keep refusing to share with me."
Francesco said "I told you. They are off limits. It's too risky."
O'Neil said "I like risky."
Francesco said "I know. That's why you can't know of the information until I feel it's right..."
O'Neil said "Don't make me use force."
Francesco said "You cant get involved in certain operations. The one you refer to, is off limits. Even my own sons are not involved."
O'Neil said "I will use force if you say no..."
Francesco said "No."
O'Neil said " I don't take no as an answer Francesco. Name a time that I did."
Francesco said " I can't tell you the details. I don't operate like you. I plan. I execute but I don't take bigger risks than I can afford unlike you. I am at planning stage... I have nothing to share with you even if my answer was yes."
O'Neil said "Fine. I give you one week."
Francesco said "Are you done now? I have work to do."
O'Neil asked "Aren't you offering me some drink. We could be here a while. I have invited company ..."
Francesco asked "Who else beside your family are coming?"
O'Neil said "Offer me a drink. I always offer you one..."
Francesco pushed his vodka bottle to him "Drink up."
O'Neil said " I want Irish cream whiskey... Have you got any?"
Francesco said " No. Why would I have any?"
O'Neil smiled "To keep me here longer..."
Francesco said "What do I need to do to get rid of you today."
O'Neil said "There are ways..."
Francesco picked up the vodka drink he had offered O'Neil and took a sip while he was listening.
O'Neil said in a serious tone "Don't go to Sicily."
Francesco coughed on his vodka and then stared at O'Neil "Pardon me."
O'Neil eyed him. He said "You are going. Aren't you? You were never part of their celebrations. Why are you forcing yourself to join them at a time of mourning... You don't have to go to the funeral. Don't go. Just don't. He doesn't deserve your forgiveness before death. It's what the old Don wants. He took your son as his successor but he wanted a saviour. One who saved him from guilt ." He stood up walking to Francesco and stood in front of his chair towering over him. "Listen to my advice. Don't give him the satisfaction."
Francesco drank from his vodka glass and put it away " Do I even need to ask who told you I am going to Sicily? Only my wife is the one who I discussed it with. Last night."
O'Neil said "She told me because I asked her about it. She told me you are thinking of going. Don't do this. The Don ruined your life by turning a blind eye to your father's abuse. He is a catholic. Divorce goes against his faith but he made excuses for his son for divorcing your mother and disallowing her from seeing you. If you don't confront him now then you won't get another chance. I know you Francesco. There is no way you will confront a dying man when you never confronted him when he was well. So you are going for forgiveness of him on his death bed. Don't. I tell you as a friend. Don't."
Francesco stood up and looked ahead as he put his hands on the desk looking into the distance. "You know. It makes no difference to my life if I make the trip or not."
O'Neil said "Exactly. Then why do it?"
Francesco said " For my mother."
O'Neil asked "What?"
Francesco turned to him " My Mother ... she agreed to stay. In the last minute... she was convinced to stay ... she asked me to go see my grandfather and in exchange she would stay in New York ... until she can convince me to make amends with my father..."
O'Neil narrowed his eyes "This is the most outrageous." He closed his eyes holding himself back from saying inappropriate words. He put his hands on his hips and breathed out and then he opened his eyes "And if you refuse...."
Francesco said "She will go to my father... She will stand by his side and when my son turns twenty one she knows the time is up. My father will answer to me while my son stands by my side... She knows that..."
O'Neil said "Its a big sacrifice for you to visit that family that never took even one step to make your life better. They will win this way. You do know that your eldest son is choosing you. He would abandon those people for you. Yet, by going to the Don you will make peace. It's going to be victory for them. Let your son destroy them like how he is planning to. By turning his back and denouncing them, that family would be on their knees. The respect for the old Don will no longer be there once he is dead and none of his sons are respected like you are Francesco. You offered protection to that region from a distance and your grip was tighter than the old don. Don't do this when you are close to victory"
Francesco said " Victory is not what I am after... I don't need it...."
O'Neil said "You don't need this either... Since when do you give into blackmail?"
Francesco said "I don't. I could keep her here by force if I wished it."
O'Neil said "Then why do you give into your mother?"
Francesco said " Because it's the only way to keep her here willingly. She will stay thinking she can make me love my father. She can't. She will realise it soon enough. But I would do anything to keep her away for as long as she stays away..."
***
Sancia was sitting in the kitchen watching Adele as she was drinking red wine. She was sitting on a stool leaning to the kitchen table with her legs crossed.
Adele kept looking at Sancia offering her refreshments but she was not having any except red wine. It was a fine red wine of course or so Sancia always said. Francesco always offered the finest wine at his home. Adele wondered how Sancia could drink without her red lipstick looking out of place. She always looked ready for business and never looked tipsy after drinking. At her home Emanuel mostly stocked their cellar with Irish drinks so when Sancia came to Adele's house she loved the wine.
Once Adele was done with putting sweet deserts in the oven and placing the pots on the cooker, she sat down with her cup of coffee opposite Sancia. She smiled "What a fine day?"
Sancia shaking her head "It is in your view. It always is... it seems. Tell me something Adele. How does your husband let you cook when you were in bed last night? I thought you would be in bed."
Adele said " I am well enough to cook some food. It's a good distraction for me. He knows how much it puts my mind of everything when I cook and bake. I am fine now. The good night sleep and medication helped."
Sancia said "I can see that."
Adele asked "Sancia. Where is Clarissa? Isn't she joining us?"
Sancia said "She is with your son. I don't control my daughter like you Adele. She can come up here when she is done ..."
Adele said "I don't control my daughter. I just feel, the girls will feel pressured if they spend so much time with the boys. I prefer my daughter not seeing your son as often."
Sancia said "You fear my son with your daughter. I don't fear your son with my daughter... You know how lions work in their prides.. The lionesses do the hunting and defend our territories even if men are in charge.... Vienna is stronger than you think Adele. I was her headmistress at school. She was a high performer who did not even need to show off and her scores were quite high in survival camp. She doesn't need saving. So tell me Adele. Am I getting it wrong here? You don't like the lion that Emanuel and I have raised... But you can't ask a lion to change his nature Adele. Stop thinking you can ask the king of the jungle nicely to change. He won't. Neither will your daughter abandon his lion. Accept it."
Adele didn't like being called out. She didn't want to argue with Sancia. She was a lioness who roared if anyone insulted her cub. She smiled "I have no problem with the children seeing each other... as long as it's not irresponsible. They are too young. Their preferences may change. They don't need to pressure themselves..." She was trying hard in changing the direction of the conversation and was doing it deliberately.
Sancia smiled "You see your daughter as this helpless female who you want surrounded with rose petals ... I want my daughter surrounded with thorns. The sharper the better."