A Mob Boss's First Love (Book 1 Of The New York Mafia Trilogy)

13. Past Midnight

Adele was sitting worriedly on her bed looking at the clock. It was past midnight and Francesco hadn't returned to his room. After dinner, As Paulo, Francesco's father had demanded, he had kept behind his sons to speak to them but not before Francesco had pleaded with his father to take Adele back to her room. She had never seen Francesco so nervous before. His father had brought out a different side in him completely.

Minutes past and at last some footsteps were heard outside her door. She held her breath in her chest as the key turned in the lock and Francesco entered and closed the door behind him. He looked terrible. Adele gasped at the sight of him. He seemed pale and his face was badly bruised. It was obvious his father had beaten him. She rushed to him and embraced him "Francesco .... what happened to you ...... what did he do to you ..... he is evil ...... Your father is evil....".

Francesco rubbed his hands up and down Adele's waist trying to calm her down and comfort her "Shh, its ok. Its alright. Don't worry about me. I am used to my father beating me up. This is nothing compared to what I have suffered in the past."

Adele looked up "Why did he attack you this way. What was this about?"

Francesco spoke sadly "My father wants to send Costanzo and I to a high profile boarding school in Nevada where its senior year graduates go to the best law schools in the country. The school is a place that ..... people like us attend...... You know kids with rich and powerful parents who have obtained their wealth from illegitimate businesses. He wants us to go there and continue our studies from next year. It is where you don't have to hide who you are. They even teach you gun handling and how to shoot targets as well as the art of cheating the legal system. I said no of course. I don't want to be separated from you. I told him I want to stay with my uncle Piero in here. He didn't like my resistance at all."

Adele asked "So what's going to happen now?"

Francesco sighed "I don't know. He didn't change his mind. I tried to reason with him. At first I was telling him that Costanzo and I would be in danger out in the open but that argument was dismissed quickly. Apparently that school is guarded heavily and right next to a military base that the mobs sending their kids there control. Besides my father laughed off my concerns since he said he has eliminated almost all the threats and he has hardly any enemies left now so us staying with uncle Piero would be baseless. i wont give in reasoning with him though. Tomorrow I will try to convince him somehow."

Adele looked distressed "I cant believe any father can be this cruel to their son. He just beat you because you didn't agree with him. Why cant he respect your wishes and let you attend school where you want."

Francesco stated "That's my father for you. He has his son's lives all figured out."

Adele spoke "What does Costanzo think of all this. Did he protest against your father's proposal?"

Francesco sighed "What do you think? I got this beating because of him actually. He was the one who started protesting and of course I followed him in the argument to show that we have a united front. If it was upto me I would not have told my father how I felt and would have found another way to get my father to change his mind. But its all Costanzo's fault to underestimate our father and tried to talk to him as though he is a normal father."

Adele stuttered "Is Costanzo alright? or your father beat him too."

Francesco nodded "He is fine. When my father hit Costanzo, .....I did what I always did in this situation.... I hit my father back. Well.... when I always do something like this, it always works.......my father forgets all about Costanzo and I become my father's punch bag to save Costanzo's backside by getting all the attention from my father myself."