An Offer You Can't Refuse, Sal Bianchi [free ebook reader .TXT] 📗

darkly. Colletta’s face contorted into a snarl, and she opened her mouth to yell something at them.

“Do you have any sfogliatellas?” I asked her before she could say anything. I didn’t mind putting up with it, but I didn’t want Colletta to have to deal with it. She glared at me as though she knew what I was doing, but then sighed.

“No, but I can make some,” she said as she turned to walk into the kitchen.

“No, wait,” I called as she walked away. “If you don’t have any already made, it’s fine.”

“Nonsense,” she called back. “it’ll only take a minute.”

I sat back down awkwardly. I’d only meant to diffuse the situation and asked for the first thing that popped into my mind. I actually wasn’t that hungry, especially for something as rich and sweet as a sfogliatella.

“All right,” Colletta announced as she returned a few minutes later and dropped a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of me. “They’ll be out of the oven in just a few minutes. And I don’t wanna hear any protests. You’re skin and bones! Don’t think I didn’t notice that you’re hungover, too. I’ve told you a million times you need to eat to get over a hangover. You probably starved yourself this morning when you got up, didn’t you?”

I was equal parts touched and embarrassed by the scolding. Colletta was the closest thing I had to a mother. After my real mother died, I’d been raised by my father alone, but Colletta was the only one who showed me any kind of love and affection. Our relationship was complicated, since she was actually an employee of my family, but I’d always seen her as my family above all else.

“I ate a little,” I protested. “A cornetto and some coffee.”

“Ha!” she barked as she thrust a fork into my hand. “Some breakfast, that is. It was probably at a girl’s house too, huh? Look at you, your clothes are all wrinkled, and your hair’s a mess. Did you even look at a mirror before heading over here?”

I hadn’t, actually. I’d only gotten as far as contemplating having a shower before Roxanne returned, and then I’d had to leave so she could get ready for work.

“You’re lucky that scruffy look is popular with the girls,” Colletta laughed. “Come on. I know you don’t like eating when you feel sick, but you’ll feel better faster.”

I rolled my eyes and forced myself to take a few bites for her sake.

“That’s my boy.” Colletta beamed before taking a dishrag from somewhere behind the counter and proceeding to wipe down the countertop. “So, tell me about this girl. Is she your girlfriend?”

“Nah, just someone I met recently.” I shrugged as I took a sip of coffee.

“Typical Nicky.” She shook her head in mock disapproval. “Always out breaking girls’ hearts. I wish Alessandro would get out and find someone. He’s always holed up in his office all alone. It isn’t good for a young man to only focus on work.”

I swallowed painfully at the mention of my brother. It was still a very sore subject for me, and one I usually didn’t enjoy talking about.

“How is Alessandro?” I asked tentatively. I could feel a shift of tension in the air, and I knew that the patrons behind me must be quietly listening in.

“He’s doing just fine,” Colletta answered confidently. To the average person, it might have sounded like a normal response, but I’d known her long enough to be able to sense the anxiety in her voice. It was understandable, since she couldn’t really speak ill of him in front of so many people, even if she wanted to. “Working too hard, as usual, but he’s taken to the position fabulously. I’d say better than Marco, even.”

I could hear some low murmurs behind me at that, and I smiled with amusement. People obeyed my brother out of habit and loyalty to the family, but very few people shared in Colletta’s opinion that he was doing a better job than our father had. My actions and his response to them were probably a pretty major component in that, but I still wasn’t sorry about my decision to leave.

“I’m glad he’s doing well,” I smiled. “Anyway, I better be going. It’s already past twelve, and I still haven’t started working.”

“All right, Nicky,” she smiled a little sadly. “Oh, but take these before you go.”

I watched as she quickly turned and headed back into the kitchen. She emerged a few minutes later with several plastic storage containers.

“Here are the sfogliatella.” She grinned as she pushed the largest container toward me. “And here are some pre-made meals, since I know you’ll probably be eating those cup noodles and microwave foods for the rest of the week. Do you have a fridge at that office of yours? You should refrigerate them as soon as you can. Freeze some of them, too. They’ll keep for longer.”

“Colletta.” I protested as she continued to shove containers at me. “I don’t need so many. I’m not sure I even have space.”

“Don’t talk back to me,” Colletta retorted. “If you’d come to see me more often, then I wouldn’t have to worry so much. “

I sighed as she laid the guilt on thick. I did feel bad that I didn’t stop by to visit more often, but it was just better for everyone involved if I stayed away.

“Okay,” I conceded as I carefully stacked the containers. “Thank you. I’ll try to come to see you again soon.”

“You better,” she warned. “Ah, and before I forget! Give little Dante a visit, won’t you? He misses you, you know. He’s always looked up to you.”

“Yeah, of course, I will.” I smiled awkwardly. Colletta didn’t know, but I’d actually been around to visit Dante more often than I had to see her. Dante was Colletta’s son and one of the few people within the mafia’s ranks that I still trusted.

Ever since he was in elementary school, he used to follow