A Mob Boss's Heirs (Book 3 of New York Mafia Trilogy)

89. His Father's Words

Adele was sitting next to her daughter on a two seater sofa watching her husband as Francesco was questioning his daughter  about what had happened for the second time. Adele was seeing her husband in a different light. It was the first time he had excluded her from the decision making when it came to Vienna. When he had the phone call from the school he had made it clear to Adele that he was not going to accept her decisions where his daughter's safety came into play. Francesco was a businessman who took risks but he didn't gamble with his child's life.

Francesco was pacing the floor in front of the sofa as he had his hands behind his back. His tone was harsh but calm " Vienna... I am going to ask you to tell me what happened one more time. Just go through what happened for me very slowly one more time." Right now there was a meeting next door between Letizia's parents and the O'Neils. They were anticipating him to join them but Francesco took his time. His daughter was his everything. He was going to go to the meeting when he felt he was satisfied with his daughter's answers.

Adele wrapped her arm more tightly around her daughter's waist as she noticed Vienna was not handling being questioned by her father. She was nervously looking down at her lap and she knew that Francesco was testing to see if Vienna had forgotten to mention anything or missed details for any reasons... It was common practice for Francesco. Everyone in the household knew. Francesco could question them twenty times if he wished it to repeat the same thing and they had to comply. Adele knew Francesco was checking if Vienna was hiding anything from him. Adele at this moment knew she couldn't say anything but wanted to help her daughter be at more ease. Francesco was not helping their daughter feel calm with his tone.

When Francesco was met with silence, he stopped pacing the floor and faced the two seater sofa as he rested his hands on his hips warning his wife with his hard stare to not interfere which she understood. Adele didn't dare breath a word. She knew Francesco was going to exclude her completely from dealing with this issue if she interfered. She was lucky she was allowed to accompany him to the school. She had spent the time they were in the car trying to convince Francesco not to send any one with machine guns to the Marciano mansion. She knew her husband was about to declare a war. Her husband loved their daughter to death. Even as a child when anything happened to her while a nanny took care of her, the punishment for the nanny was most severe. It wasn't the case about her sons. She knew Francesco could forgive Adele if she even cheated on him. He had let Michael go after all. But she knew if she hurt their daughter even accidentally she couldn't be forgiven. It was impossible for Francesco to forgive Letizia that easily. She didn't dare say Letizia's name in her husbands presence no matter how badly she wanted to plead to Francesco to forgive her. Adele knew her husband's mood and tone. This was a cut throat day as she called it. If anyone crossed Francesco on this day they were going to have their throat cut by Francesco making them lose the ability to speak. She knew her husband was not going to hurt her and she was sure of it. But even she didn't dare dispute Francesco when he was furious about his daughter getting hurt.

Adele was seeing Vienna was looking at her lap not daring to look up. She sighed. Her daughter had no idea that her father's anger was directed at others and not her. Vienna was the immune one. Vienna was the one her father died for in a heartbeat and punished anyone severely who harmed a hair on her head. But of course Letizia was a teenager. Adele didn't think her husband was going to kill Letizia.

Adele kissed her daughter's soft golden strands of  hair that matched her own "Darling. Tell your father what happened again. Look up sweetie and tell him what you just told him."

Vienna looked at her mother " I told father everything." She then looked up at her father finally and whispered" I am sorry.,. I don't have anything to add..."