C3 When Madré calls

"Ben." Madre's soft voice carried through the speaker. "Am I interrupting?" I never wanted my mother to feel like she was a bother to me or that I haven't got any time for her, her timing was just always off. It was as if she was waiting until I was in the middle of something then she calls, catching me off guard, in a tight spot or fuming with anger. I wasn't sure why, but this always made me feel like that little boy getting scolded for bringing home someone else's homework. I didn't use to be like I am today.

"I was just wondering what to get for dinner." I lie knowing that this would excite her and she would completely forget that I just barked at her like the shiity son I was. I believe that Madre knew what I did for living or at least mostly. I haven't ever sat her down and told her and she probably mostly assumes, but I believe she knows most of it. I can see it sometimes when she looks at me, she hides it well, but I can see how she wishes for me to be a normal son. A man who had a normal life, a normal nine-to-fiver and probably a man with normal interests; like going out to clubs, dating, getting married and having children, but my life was never intended to be like that.

"Then I am so glad that I called at this exact moment. Why don't you and Achille come over for dinner?" It was always my clothes or food when it came to my mother and this time I opened that door, which probably means I couldn't back out now, even if I really wanted to.

"Only if you are making your famous Ribollita." A genuine smile crosses my face at the memories burnt into my head. When we were growing up my father was a maintenance worker which means we didn't grow up with a lot of money, but we were happy, was what my mother used to say and I guess we were for the most part. Anyway, my mother's ribollita was and still is one of my favorite dishes to this day. Basically it is a bread-soup; made from leftover bread mixed with cheap vegetables like carrots, onions, potatoes and so forth, but one should not diss it until you tried it. It is delicious.

"Not what I had in mind to spoil my boys." She sighs. "I bought swordfish, was thinking steaks with lemon? Maybe some veggies and Arancini?" She softly giggles over the phones microphone into my ear. My mind's eye could see the small lines forming in the corner of her eyes as she smiles. "And Tiramisu for dessert." She pushes. This was a full blown traditional meal and that could only mean one thing; She was setting me up, again.

"Madre?" I question her with a sigh. "Who is going to be at this dinner?"

"Just us, Ben." Her voice trembles a little. She never was a very good liar. "I will see yu at seven, don't be late and wear something comfortable. Ti Amo." I listen to her mumbling something to someone else before she ends the call.

I should probably get a bottle of Valpolicella Ripasso, if there was one thing my mother taught me was that one should never show-up to dinner without a good wine and what better wine to bring than the most famous party pleaser, a perfect sweet red to compliment my mother's hard work. Preparing dinner for us and trying to find me a girlfriend at the same time, I mentally roll my eyes. Dinner...shit. Red won't do, I'll take a bottle of Librandi Critone as well.

"Brother." Achille interrupt my thoughts. "We have another problem." He adds to my already problematic day. Yes, brother why don't you just keep them coming, add them to the pile of the pile of problems hanging over my head like a dark cloud.

"What is it?" I turn to face him feeling a bit agitated, but the moment my eyes met his I knew that this was serious. What the fuck Achille spit it out. I locked eyes with him waiting for his lips to start moving.

"It's the Gambino's. They have Gian and his men captured in New York. They want to negotiate a deal." That motherfucking Gambino family has been rubbing me the wrong way for the past few weeks now, they were like an irritating rash, but now they are starting to fuck with my money, my business, my familia. "They are still going on about us operating on their turf."

"As I see it that is not their problem, it is their excuse. They don't give a shit about what we are doing in what they believe to be their city. The real problem was that the lazy shitheads weren't making a dime of my work." They should be glad that I was investing in their darn shitty city, I assume the foot traffic is making them a fortune in its own right. More people is always good for business. Threatening me with turf like a territorial pissing dog, wanting to negotiate a deal and proposing how they can accommodate me? "They can go fuck themselves! That is how they can accommodate me. Get that piece of shit on the phone." I bark.

"You need to calm down." Achille warns as he start scrolling through what I believe might be his contact. "Brother, that man is dangerous and unpredictable." He adds placing his hand on my shoulder and giving it a hard squeeze. So was I, I glare at him. "I know that look, but he has you by the balls here, Ben. Do you really want all those people's death on your hands?" I hated it when he was right.

In no longer than three seconds and two rings later the prick was on the phone. "Ciao, Benvenuto." Roberto Gambino's voice echoed through the line. "You are a hard man to get hold of." He chuckles in a mocking voice, but he wasn't wrong and I know that it irritated him that since all his attempts to get me to talk to him failed until now. Not many people has my personal number and like I said before Achille deals with the people I do not care to. Especially people like this bastard.

"I heard that you were accommodating my men." I slowly breathe, maintaining my anger as best possible. Those cunts won't hesitate to start killing my men. I needed to stay calm, Achille's words pop into my mind. This was not in my nature.

"Straight to business then. I like that." He chuckle again before clearing his throat. "Your men and their five possessions are safely in my company, yes. But for how long will be up to you." He is trying to intimidate me.

"What is it you want?" I question him cautiously holding my temper in check as I cling to the fact that he has the upper hand, or at least for now.

"I want to meet." His voice is calm, cold and to the point. I knew this was his intention all along and I also knew that it was inevitable, but I was hoping to do so on my terms, with the opening of the Casino, and if Antonio's men were doing their jobs it would have happened when I said so.

"Done." I agree, but not without my own conditions. He wasn't the only dangerous player on the board. The quicker he realized it the better for him and quite frankly for my temper to. "Let my men, together with my merchandise go and then we will meet. Tomorrow, I will give you a time and place in New York of course."

"This time Bennie-Boy. Next time I find something on my truf happening without my knowledge or approval you better be prepared to lose it." He ends the call.

"Mother fucker!" I throw the phone with all my force watching it fly through the air and bounce of the white wall, landing on the polished wooden floor, in bits and pieces, as my overwhelming anger burst through my body. Checkmate, He got me this time, but I will not let him get me again. That piece of fucking shit... My heart almost skips a beat when a sudden rush of vibrations pass against my chest. "What?" I answer without looking at the caller Id.

"Boss, we are coming in tonight. I don't know what you said to Roberto, but he gave us two cars and all our belongings and set us on our merry ways." Gian almost sang through the speaker. I was glad to hear this and maybe if I wasn't in such a foul mood I would have said something, but all I could do was tell him to get rid of the cars and stay put, wondering what type of game Roberto was playing. Holding onto them was his only security that I was actually going to show up, maybe he is testing me. I am a man of my word, but he doesn't know that.

"Not throwing your phone into shreds?" Achille questions me when I safely tug away my phone into my shirt's pocket.

"Mother invited us for dinner." I glare at him without answering his question, when was he going to learn not to give me his phone when I am raging. I know that he wasn't really complaining. I heard him and Tomasso earlier when they were talking about some new smart phone they wanted to try out. Only difference now was that I was the one who were going to pay for it. He was just a smart ass.

"Ribollita?" He questions with almost sad eyes. He hated it.

"No." I shake my head. "Seafood and Tiramisu for dolce." I add.

"Sounds serious. We better stop by your house to pick up some of that fancy wine of yours." He chuckles. Already ahead of you brother. "This is going to be fun." He grins before turning on his feet to go get the car. Fun for him, yes. Madre doesn't make a point of setting him up on blinds at least once a month.