The Empire's Descent (First Draft)

Chapter 13: Bond

Luca left the family in the living room to bond and returned to his office to sort out the mess Gianni left behind and get the girls' things in order. He went to one of his safes and pulled out another phone.

"Marco, get him out of prison," he sighed.

"Yeah, I already got him. I knew you couldn't go through with it," Marco laughed.

Luca gave a brief chuckle, "is he talking?"

"Nope, he's pouting," Marco reported.

"I'm not pouting!" Luca heard somewhere in the distance.

Marco laughed again.

"Put him on the phone..." There was a slight ruffling before Gianni responded.

"Hi, Luci," Gianni attempted to evade a reprimand.

"Don't even try it," Luca sighed in exhaustion.

"Man," Gianni mumbled.

"Why?" Luca asked.

The question was simple, but the disappointment it held made Gianni feel like a fuck-up.

"I choked at the first meeting with the Japanese and then I, accidentally, offended them... I still don't understand how, and when I tried to press on, I had the wrong documents and everything was a mess and I felt like an idiot so, I ran to the bar. Then, I was wasted and some dudebro was all in my face and I was, like, 'you want some, asshole?' He was all, like, 'let's go, bro' and I was, like-"

"Gianni, calmati. I get it. You got in a series of arguments," Luca had to shut his rambling up.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," Gianni was sincere in his apology.

"I'm sure you are, but you are going to be held accountable for your actions. You could have told me, instead of running off like some rebellious teenager. Lord knows I have enough of those around here," the reminder had Luca holding his head.

"What does being held accountable mean?"

"It means you'll be doing the community service ordered by the Judge," Luca informed.

"Goddamn it, Luca, no!"

"What is it with you all thinking I am asking"?

"Luca-"

"Shut up, you get what you get and you don't complain about it and when you come back, we'll be discussing the privileges you have and how you will earn those back," Luca said firmly.

"I'll just move out. I'm a grown man," Gianni bluffed.

"Gianni Chibuike Giordano, I am not in the mood for your crap. You claim to be a grown man, but your actions have contradicted that, do not make me have to whoop you!" Luca lost his cool for two seconds.

"Fine!"

"Don't speak to me that way. Fix your tone," Luca said darkly.

The two were silent on the phone: a battle of wills. Gianni had to make a choice: rebel or comply. Damn it!

"I'm sorry, Luca," his tone softened considerably.

"Good man," Luca praised, "I'll see you when you come home, I love you".

"I love you too," Gianni mumbled with slight embarrassment as he saw Marco aweing at him.

Luca rubbed at his head, then went to look about the girls' medical team. He finally came off the phone with the doctors in the Family's medical universe and the time read 11pm. He was starving! He made his way down the stairs to find something to eat and was shocked to see the girls curled together on the couch sleeping and his brothers nowhere to be found. He tip-toed towards the girls and he knew they couldn't be comfortable. He nudged Ada who shot up quickly, frightened, but she recognized it was Luca.