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“By the way, I have to go to Erice next week.”
“Business?”
“No. A family affair. A wedding.”
“I see. Is your mother putting the screws on you again?” Bruno grins.
“Of course. I swear, that woman is the only person on this earth who can bully me into doing whatever she wants.”
“She’s a feisty old gal,” Bruno chuckles. “Who’s getting married?”
“My distant cousin, Gina. I haven’t seen her since she was a sprig of a girl, but her mother is mine’s favorite cousin, so I guess I’m going.”
“What a good son you are.”
“Careful. I’m warmed up now. I’ll whip your ass.”
“Yes, Boss,” Bruno grins. “Will your brother be joining you?”
“Yes, Elio wouldn’t dare say no to his mother. I’ll leave you to run things while I’m away.”
“Of course.”
“Don’t fuck up.”
“Have I ever?” he smiles, getting up to leave.
“Smartass.”
“Are you taking Francesca with you?”
“Are you nuts? I’m keeping that crazy bitch as far away from my family as possible. She’s good for a shag, but I'd never hear the end of it if I introduced her to my mother.”
“So, no wedding bells in your immediate future, then?”
“Fuck off.”
Bruno cackles loudly and leaves my office.
* * *
I haven’t been to Erice in a while. It’s quiet here. Quiet and beautiful. Not at all like the hustle and bustle of Rome I’ve grown accustomed to. One can breathe out here.
“So, I suppose the whole family will be here for the wedding,” Elio says on our way to the grand villa I booked for our mother and us for the weekend.
“I hear they’ve crawled out from every hole in the kingdom for this,” I sigh.
“I’m surprised we even made it onto the guest list,” he snorts. “We’re not exactly popular with the extended family.”
“I suppose the fact that you and I are at the pinnacle of the mafia organization does present a love-hate scenario with the other side of the family. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for our mother.”
“So you tried to get out of it too, did you?” Elio grins.
“Yup.”
“What good sons we are.”
“More like a pair of pussies.”