The Next Chapter

Marcello Terenzio absolutely loved being a father. Words could not adequately express his delight with Demetrius and Amanda. However, after two weeks at home being a dutiful father and husband, and having very limited interaction with the family “business” he was itching to get back to work.

Marcello was not surprised to see his father in his office in the SVT Building at 7 am when he strolled in. Amusement briefly flickered through his eyes as he simply nodded once at his father’s silent frame, reclined comfortably on the couch, drinking a cup of coffee. Marcello walked past him, over to his desk, booted up his computer, began to knot his tie, and merely waited for whatever it was the old man had to say.

“You’re Aunt and I are concerned, or rather I am, that you’re getting soft,” Stefano said, resting the Styrofoam cup of coffee on his leg.

Marcello finished knotting his tie, then shifted the family owned gray eyes over to his father. “Would that be Aunt Carissa, or Aunt Lil?”

“A stupid question.”

“Point taken. And why do you both think this?”

“A few different reasons. Your recent absence would be the climax. My appearance back in this world shouldn’t-“

“Stop.” Marcello held up his hand, and narrowed his gaze on his father. “Let’s clear the air so I can get back to work. Number one, if you’re concerned your appearance back in this world has made me lax, you’re wrong. I might have let you take forefront but only because your mind is fascinating to see in action. Like a bug under a microscope. But I’ve gotten all I need to from it. Number two, I delight in this game just as much as you and Aunt Lil, but I will never love it the way you two do. I will love my wife, and my family more. I know this is incomprehensible for the two of and I don’t give a fuck. Get over it. Deal with it. I can do this job just as well as the both of you, and if push came to shove I could rock my son to sleep and put a bullet in your head without batting an eye, tuck in my daughter in, then make love to my wife better than your old, broken ass could fuck Wei Lin. Feel better now?”

Stefano remained silent for a few moments, and then simply nodded once. “No, but it will do.” He rose to his feet. “The WMT has been too quiet, find out why.”

Marcello flicked his eyes to his father’s coffee cup and made it float from his father’s hand into his own. “Done. Have you cleaned up the mess you made with the Suey Sing?”

“I’m working on it. They want me to do a job for them, so Lil and I are going to rendezvous with Caleb and go over the logistics. Shouldn’t take long.”

“I’ll have SVT do some digging and find the remainder of Hung’s family. The way that went down doesn’t sit well.”

Stefano curled his fingers around the handle of his cane. “You think it was a set up.”

“It might have been. Though I don’t blame either one of you, really. That needed to be done. Still, it might have set something else in motion.”

“Find out and nip it in the bud before it becomes a problem. We can’t afford to waste our resources with the petty little shit the WMT likes to throw at us.”

“I will. You and the ascended one try not to slaughter any more people in our allies’ territory.” Amusement flickered in Marcello’s eyes as he pulled them from his father and over to his computer screen.

Stefano’s mouth curved subtly. Without saying another word he turned around and walked out of his son’s office.

Marcello sipped the stolen coffee cup, glancing at his phone to make it dial. “Get me all senior SVT Agents in the conference room in an hour. That includes heads of our pilot offices. Governor Terenzio's group too. I want CI kept in the loop.”