My Fiancé’s Bodyguard by Ivy Wild

"I'm guessingyou've all heard the news by now," I said as I looked around the table at my brothers. It was midnight, and the four of us were sitting at a table in the restaurant attached to my father's bakery. Well, I guess it was no longer my father's bakery. Earlier today he'd been sentenced to twenty years in prison for a list of crimes I'm sure he committed, but had been too conceited to cover up.

"We're all aware," Constantino replied. Constantino was the second oldest, myself being the oldest of all of us. He ran his fingers through his espresso hair. "But, I'm not sure why you had to call a meeting at this hour. It's late."

"We really shouldn't be meeting like this at all," Giovanni said, leaning back in his chair. Giovanni was the third oldest and, of all of us, ran the most legitimate businesses, meaning he didn't want any part of the Family. "The Feds were already all over us. Meeting like this is just asking for trouble."

Teodoro barked out a laugh. I shifted my eyes over to the youngest and most unhinged brother. My brothers and I, despite all four of us having different mothers, looked mostly the same. We three oldest took after our father more than anything. Strong, Italian noses, jawlines, and dark espresso to black hair. But, Teodoro, or Teddy, as most people called him, looked nothing like the rest of us.

His hair, while perhaps not completely blond, was much lighter. As were his eyes and even just his general demeanor. The irony was not lost on me. My father used Teddy as his cleaner. Meaning, when something went awry and needed cleaning up, Teddy was the one he called. He could make men, crimes, rumors, you name it disappear without a trace, and no one knew quite how he did it.

"Don't be a pussy, Gi," Teddy scoffed at Giovanni. "No one's gonna hurt your shiny new businesses. What'd ya open today? A new Subway franchise?"

Giovanni was always the consummate businessman, unless Teddy was involved. The two of them just did not get along. They'd always been like this. They were only a year apart, but because Giovanni had a late birthday, they'd been put into the same class year. Something had gone down between them years ago, and they'd clearly never gotten over it. "Cut the shit, Teodoro."

"Don't fucking call me that, Giovanni," Teddy spat back at him, starting to get up out of his chair.

"Would you please both just calm down," I said, not able to take their bickering anymore. "Yell any louder, and the cops really will show up."

Teddy let out a laugh, settling back into his seat. "Good one, Primo. You always did have the best jokes."

Giovanni brushed a hand through his hair but kept quiet.

"Alright, if we're all done arguing, the reason we’re here is yes, because father was arrested and sentenced to twenty years, but more than that, we need to develop a succession plan."

"And I suppose you're proposing to take the lead in the interim?" Constantino asked with a raised eyebrow.

I shot him a cold glare. "I am the oldest."

"We're all the oldest," Constantino replied.

He was right. While technically I was born first, each of us was the first born son of a valid marriage. My father got around, unfortunately. Which made this a delicate situation.

"That is true," I replied slowly. "Regardless of who heads the family while Father's in prison, there are certain threats we are facing that you all should be aware of."

"Oo, Primo sounds all serious," Teddy said in his normal joking tone. "Hold onto your butts, this is gonna be good."

Constantino snickered, and Giovanni looked bored. I looked at each of my brothers in turn and tried to repress a sigh. None of us got along, some, like Teddy and Giovanni, worse than others. That was the way father had raised us. He never named an heir, so all of us were in constant competition for his love and affection. All of us, save for Giovanni, who seemed content not to have anything to do with the family. Still, that didn't stop him from bickering with Teddy.

"I'm not sure if you've heard the rumors, but it seems with the trial and father's connections in Latin America, the truth about his heritage has gotten out."

"So?" Teddy snickered, a knife flashing in the low light as he cleaned his nails.

"So," I said in a serious tone, "Father headed the Italian Mafia. Him not being Italian causes problems. Problems that have passed down to us."

"What are you saying, Primo?" Constantino asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

"I'm saying that our family's hold as leading family has been severely questioned by other members."

"They wouldn't dare," Constantino sneered.

"They do dare," I said, meeting his stare. "If the rumors are to be believed, the other families feel we should no longer remain in charge as our heritage is not legitimate." I sighed. "Worse than that, the members of the syndicate have gone silent on things because they are waiting to see what happens. They don't want to unintentionally piss off a family that could be in charge."

"Either that or their biding their time to try and make a run for the throne themselves," Giovanni pointed out.

"Right," I agreed. "Hence why we need to have a meeting. Sort out a plan."

"Why not just get rid of 'em all? Start from scratch. I can get that done if needed."

I looked at my brother Teddy. "We are not going to start a war."

"Why not?" Teddy asked with a gleam in his eyes. "This town's been far too quiet for far too long. Let's shake things up."

"I'd appreciate if you would not 'shake things up' just for the sake of it," Giovanni said with a sour tone. "Unlike you three, I have legitimate businesses that require people to not be afraid for their lives to make a profit."

"What a fucking bore," Teddy said as he leaned back in his chair.

"That brings me to my next point," I said. "I do think now is the time for reform. Father's era operated a specific way. As we can see from his arrest and trial, that era is done. If we are to be successful, we need to move things into more legitimate arenas."

Constantino let out an irritated growl. "Father's gone for two minutes, and you're already trying to undo everything he's worked for."

"Not undo," I spat back. "Protect. You saw how much the Feds seized in their raids. When he gets out, he'll be responsible for restitution as well. We need to move things into the open so that we aren't constantly running from the cops anymore."

"I couldn't agree more," Giovanni said. "I'm tired of trying to hide or explain away my family name."

Constantino's fists hit the table. "The both of you can fuck right off." He pointed his finger at me. "I know all about your conversations with father. He told me all of them. Told me about how you were constantly preaching to change the way he did things. It's why he never named you his heir outright, despite the fact that, as you love to say, you are the oldest. You're not fit to lead this family. All you want to do is dismantle it. And I'm not going to let you do that."

Instinctually, I knew that Constantino and father had been having discussions behind my back, but hearing him admit it outright was something else entirely. "I am not trying to dismantle this family. Father's already done that with getting himself arrested and thinking he was untouchable. Now look at him and look at us."

"I think we look pretty damn good," Teddy said with a cackle.

"Would you shut the fuck up already?" Giovanni spat at him.

"Fucking say that to my face," Teddy growled back, leaning in closer. Giovanni met his challenge and repeated the words back.

Before I knew it, Teddy had unholstered his gun and was pointing it at Giovanni, who was pointing his own gun at Teddy's crotch.

"Go ahead and pull that trigger, Teodoro. I might die, but at least I'll take away your ability to fuck with me. Might not be such a loss, though. Rumor is you haven't been able to satisfy a woman in years."

"That's not what your mom told me last night," Teddy said with a snicker.

"Would the both of you put your guns down?" I asked, familiar with the game these two played.

Teddy twirled his gun around his finger before putting it back into its holster. But not before thrusting up into Giovanni's gun. "She especially liked this move," he said with a cackle.

"You fucking twat," Giovanni replied as he sheathed his own weapon.

"Father's sitting in prison, and you two can't stop joking around," Constantino said, pointing at the two youngest, "and you're already planning a coup," he yelled, pointing at me. He stood up, his chair clattering to the floor. "The reason the other families are trying to make a run for our position is because they think we're a bunch of fucking cunts, which the three of you are."

"You know it's bad when Consty swears," Teddy laughed, only making things worse.

"This meeting is over," Constantino said. "I'll be taking over operation of things for the time being. I'm the only one fit to carry on our family's legacy."

"Wait just a minute," I said, standing up myself. I knew it was wrong to get into it with my brother, but I knew this was my one chance to reform the family. With father gone for the time being, I could get everything on the right track and secured so that when he came back, there'd be no stopping things. I knew my brother meant well, but I also knew that he was being naive. The days of extortion and murder were over. Business had become more subtle, and our influence needed to follow suit in order for us to survive.

"Sit the fuck down, Primo. I don't answer to you and neither did father. Don't you dare get in my way," he said and with that, he turned and left.

I let out a sigh as I sat down. Giovanni stood and shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, Primo," he said. "But, you know I sort of stay out of these things. Good luck and all."

"Yeah, you better run," Teddy called out after him as Giovanni exited the restaurant.

I looked at my youngest brother and put my head in my hands.

"So, about this mob war we're going to start," Teddy said.

I put up my hand. "Teddy, I swear to God, I'm not joking. No wars. We've got enough going wrong. We don't need to add to it."

My brother stood and let his head fall back before letting out an exasperated sigh. "So bored," he exclaimed before straightening himself out. "Well, I have a specific set of skills, so you know where to find me if you need me. Toodles for now, then," he said before all but melting into the darkness. For how loud he was normally, he had an uncanny ability to be quiet when he wanted.

I sat alone at the table, a single light on above me as I tried to make sense of everything that had just happened. Constantino, I knew, would try and reach out to the other families in the syndicate. The Irish and Jewish outfits, along with select Italian families, made up the syndicate, and it had operated well since my father came into power. However, that didn't mean things were happily ever after. The different family leaders within the syndicate tolerated one another to the extent they all made money together. With my father's businesses shut down and our legitimacy as the head family within the Italian outfit questionable, the precarious peace that had been maintained for decades was most certainly at risk.

My brother rushing in to confront them, no doubt with threats and ultimatums, wasn't going to be received well. I could feel a headache starting to form behind my left eye just at the thought of the shit storm he was going to kick up.

Standing on the outskirts of the syndicate was the Chinese. The Ping On operated out of Hong Kong and had a fairly strong presence in Boston. They hadn't been invited into the original syndicate because of their involvement in human trafficking, something Gaspare Bianci had strictly forbidden my father from engaging in. But, not being invited into the syndicate had been a grave insult to the Ping On, and I knew they'd been looking for an opportunity at revenge.

These were things my father, and therefore Constantino, seemed not to understand. They believed they were invincible, which made them weaker than they needed to be.

Giovanni would be no help, and Teddy was useful, but not for something like this.

The next few years were going to be very interesting, to say the least.

"So, I know you said we shouldn't start a war, but what if we got the other families to start arguing."

"Jesus, Teddy!" I said, nearly jumping out of my seat. "I thought you left."

"I did, but then I came back. Wanted to check with you."

"No wars, Teddy!" I all but yelled at him.

"Okay, okay. God, you're all so boring."

"Out!" I yelled, and this time I heard him leave through the front door.

After about five more minutes of sitting in silence, I stood, and made my way to the exit. I walked out the front door and locked it behind me. As I looked up at my father's bakery, I made a silent vow to myself. I would take my place as head of the family, and I would legitimize our name.

Constantino and my father could go to hell.

I had some serious work to do.