Title: Pregnant By The Mobster
Vittoria
I’ve been home for a week, and it’s as though nothing has changed at all. My sister Kira got pregnant in college and shipped off to Sicily to learn to be a proper chef, only to be welcomed back recently as if nothing happened. Luigi is still the golden boy of our family that can do no wrong, just like when we were young. And then there’s me, the self-sufficient one who’s always just ‘there.’
I was always told I was an easy child. Though because everyone acted like I wasn’t there, I don’t think what I said or did mattered anyway. I mean, I know my family loves me, but they don’t consider my opinion to have any weight. So, I withdrew from them, immersed myself in books, and focused on getting good grades.
Okay, maybe some things have changed. For example, I’ve just graduated top of my class and have my law degree in hand. It has to bear some leverage when I approach Alessandro about helping with the family business. I want them to take me seriously, and what better way to prove it than by showing what a hard-working, intelligent person I am? I mean, I bet I can even run circles around Frankie now.
I’m going to ask him today at my graduation party that my father is hosting. I know he will arrive any minute, and I’m ready to bend his ear and get him to accept my help for the family business. I’m ready to make my mark.
I step out into the garden, and my family and a few guests are already milling around. The tables are set out in a giant U shape. Alessandro will, of course, sit at the head of the table with me and my father, Sonny. His parents will probably sit with us as well as Katya.
My father smiles as he sees me. “There’s my superstar. Are you pleased with everything?”
I kiss both his cheeks. “It’s perfect, Papa, thank you.”
“Anything for my princess,” he gushes, stroking my hair out of my face. I pull away.
“Papa, leave my hair.”
“Show your face, honey. You’ve got such a beautiful face,” he says.
“Papa, please don’t embarrass me today. I want to show everyone how I’ve grown up and am ready to start working for the family.”
“This again,” he sighs. “I told you, you need to open up your own firm. Alessandro will fund it. You don’t need to be involved in the family business.”
I roll my eyes. “Enough, Papa. Let’s just get through today, okay?”
I lead him to the head of the table, and we sit side by side, standing only when guests come to greet us. I feel nervous, I’ve always blended into the background, but today, I’m the center of attention. Everyone is congratulating me and saying how proud they are of me. I see there’s a gift table that’s slowly piling up with boxes and envelopes.
When Alessandro arrives, my father hurries to greet him and escort him to where I’m standing. I’m seated next to him, which I deliberately arranged.
The food comes out, and soon, everyone is talking loudly while they eat. I eat quietly, waiting for Alessandro to turn his attention away from Katya. He glances at me and smiles. “What?”
“I want to discuss my future,” I say sternly.
My father instantly groans from my right. “Vittoria, this is not the place….”
“It’s the perfect place,” I say, turning back to Alessandro. “I want to become the family’s lawyer. I want to be part of the family business.”
Alessandro chuckles. “Tori, you’ve just worked so hard to get a legit degree all on your own. You don’t want to taint your name by getting involved with the kind of things we do.”
“On the contrary, that’s exactly what I want to do,” I say hurriedly before my father can shush me. “I think I can be a valuable asset to the family.”
Alessandro glances over my head at my father and then sighs. “Tori, after we lost your mom to the other family, what they did to her… I don’t want to put you in danger and cause your father that kind of heartache. It wouldn’t be right.”
“I can work behind the scenes, help work around legality issues. I graduated top of my class,” I insist.
“And I’m really proud of you, Tori, I really am. But you have a shot at a normal life, unlike the rest of us mixed up in this business.” Alessandro says, and before I can argue further, he puts a hand on my shoulder. “That’s my final word on the matter.”
Disappointed, I turn back to my food. I mostly pick at it, and my father nudges me when Alessandro is preoccupied. “Don’t be a brat, Tori. Enjoy the day. We’ll find you something to do soon enough.” I nod and give him a sad smile.
As usual, it’s as though no one realizes I exist. They talk over each other, drink, eat, and are generally merry while I wallow in my self-pity with a sad smile.
When it’s time to leave, my father insists I walk Alessandro to his car because, apparently, he’s donated a generous gift to me. I walk next to Alessandro and Frankie, who are joking with each other. Dominic and Sofia are already in their car, and I don’t see Carmine and Arianna anywhere, so I assume they’ve left. I glance back at the gate where my father has paused to speak with my Uncle Romero.
When I look back, I see a tinted car driving slowly down the road. I glance at the plates before the window rolls down, and a gun is shoved out.
Alessandro has also seen it, and he pulls me down with Katya. The gun goes off, and bullets fly everywhere. I put my hands over my ears and wait until the squealing tires spin-off. We all stand up, and Alessandro calls,
“Is anyone hurt?”
“Sonny! Sonny!” My Uncle Romero calls, and my blood runs cold. We all turn and see my father lying in a pool of his own blood with my uncle hovering over him. “Someone get an ambulance.”
Frankie hurries to him. “There’s no time. Alessandro, help me.”
“Get inside and stay inside,” Alessandro yells at me as he hurries to where my father is. I hesitate, but the glare I get from my uncle makes me rush inside and into the house. I pace up and down the entrance hall.
I can’t just stand here and do nothing. I take out my phone and search through my contacts before I dial Danny’s number. He’s the only cop I know who might help me.
“Danny, it’s Tori. I need you to run some plates for me, no questions asked,” I say. “Can you do that?”
“As long as it’s nothing illegal, sure,” Danny says. “Give it to me.”
I recite the plates to him, and he goes quiet for a moment. “Hmm,
I’d stay away from this, Tori. These guys have ties to the mafia.”
“Which one? Which family?” I ask. “Please, Danny, I need to know.”
Danny sighs and says, “You didn’t hear it from me, but it’s the
Volkov family. The head guy is Ivan Volkov, and that’s all I can tell you.” “That’s all I need,” I say. “Thank you, Danny.”
I hang up and grab my brother’s car keys. I hurry to the garage and get in, heading straight to the hospital. When I walk into the waiting room, Alessandro gets up angrily. “Tori, I ordered you to stay at the house.”
“I found out whose behind the attacks,” I say quickly. “I got the plates and ran them through a friend.”
Alessandro’s frown remains, but he takes me aside. “Who was it?”
“Ivan Volkov’s family, that’s who the vehicle belongs to,” I say. “I want to help get revenge.”
“You’re to stay out of this, Tori,” Alessandro growls. “This is not yours to handle.”
“He’s my father,” I spit, and Alessandro is about to say something else when a doctor comes out. “Mr. Sorvino?”
Alessandro goes to him, and they talk in hushed tones. I go to stand by Luigi, who is glaring daggers at me. I ignore him as I watch Alessandro. The doctor leaves, and Alessandro comes over to us. We all huddle in as he speaks, “Sonny is being put in a medically induced coma. It isn’t looking good, and they don’t think he will make it. I’m sorry, guys.” Alessandro looks at me. “If your information is good, I’ll send my message to the
Volkov family.”
My heart breaks, but I swallow my tears. I need to focus now to enact my revenge. My lips draw into a thin line as the men continue talking.
“Why would they attack us?” Luigi asks quietly.
“Probably because of how much we’ve expanded. We’ve united several families. They wanted an alliance with us at one point, but they might see us as a threat. But for me, this is an eye for an eye, and I will have men from Miguel’s family send a personal message to Ivan The Bear Volkov.”
“Why’s he called the bear?” I ask stupidly.
Everyone stares at me, and Alessandro shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is you shouldn’t be involved in this.”
“He’s my father, and this is my family too. I am not backing out now.” I cross my arms.
Alessandro looks at Luigi. “Go home, both of you. I’ll send additional security to the house to keep you safe. When I hear something, I’ll call you both.” He looks at me pointedly. “But the decision of what to do is mine and mine alone, as head of this family. You will both respect that.”
I nod, and Luigi takes my arm, leading me out of the hospital.
Ivan
My favorite meal of the day might be dinner, but lunch at my mother’s restaurant is always worthwhile. What I hate is being interrupted while I’m eating, so when my brother Leonid comes into the restaurant carrying a soggy box, I’m praying for his sake that it’s not coming my way.
When he puts it on the table, I don’t look up as I say, “I’m eating.”
“It’s Uncle Dimitri,” he says quietly. “Or at least a piece of him.”
I sigh and wipe my mouth on a napkin. I glance at my cousin Evgeni who is eating beside me. “Did I not just say I’m eating?”
“It’s from the Sorvinos,” Leonid says, and I look at him and push my plate to the side.
I pull the box towards me. The soggy bottom leaves a disgusting streak of wetness on the table. I open the box and see the hand of my Uncle, wedding ring and all, sitting neatly in the box. The blood has soaked the bottom, and there can be no doubt that he’s dead. I take out the hand and examine it before I look at Leonid. “He was utterly useless anyway. All the man did was drink vodka and fuck painted whores.”
I set the hand down on the table next to me, push the box away and pull my plate back to me. I continue to eat, mulling over the message from Alessandro Sorvino.
Leonid sits opposite me. “The messenger said Don Sorvino says to stay away from his family and those under his protection.” “Isn’t that sweet,” I say snidely.
“Should we tell our people that we’re at war with them,” Evgeni asks.
“Always so quick to make a rash judgment when it’s better to think things through first.”
I eat some more of my fish, enjoying the flavors. It reminds me of home.
Leonid shifts in his seat. “I have a shipment coming in a few months, maybe seven. I’m not entirely sure. I’m waiting for confirmation. It’s going to bring in a lot of money.” He signals to the waiter to bring a glass for him. Once it’s set down, he pours from the bottle of vodka on the table. “Money we’ll need if we go to war.”
“War is costly,” I say, wiping my mouth again and sipping my vodka.
“So we will declare war?” Evgeni asks, clearly confused.
“No, but I have a message for Don Sorvino. One that I will personally deliver to him.” I stand up, and both my cousin and adopted brother stand up. “I’ll do it alone.”
“Is that safe?” Leonid asks. He’s always been my right-hand man and second in charge. Originally he was my cousin, but his parents were killed in a bombing, and my parents took him in as my brother. I smile and place a hand on his shoulder. “It will be fine. You worry too much.”
I leave them behind at the table, pausing by the kitchen to bid my mother farewell with a kiss before I leave to go to my car. I glance at the time. I’ll be a little early, but I know the grocery store that Alessandro frequents. I’ll go there and wait for him to make an appearance so I can talk to him.
I once sought an alliance with his family, and I think about that as I start to drive. Once upon a time, I felt that if we united, we’d be unstoppable, but Alessandro married Katya, a rival family. Then his brother married the daughter of another family. His other brother married the daughter of an Argentinian Don, and then his cousin is getting married soon to another prominent Italian family. Their family is getting too big, and they need to be put back in their place, but perhaps now is just as good a time to make an alliance. Avoid war with numerous families by uniting under one.
I park across the street from the grocery store and turn my engine off. I wait patiently. There are various ways to unite, and I’m sure Alessandro doesn’t want a war any more than I do, although he may want revenge.
Alessandro and a woman walk into the grocery store, and I get out of the car, casually walking across the street and into the store.
It’s a proper Italian grocer, not something I would frequent often, but I know Alessandro owns the building and the family here is good to him. I make it my business to know things about my enemies.
I stroll around the store pretending to browse. It’s relatively large for a grocer, and I find Alessandro in the deli section with a woman I know is not his wife, Katya. I observe them for a moment. She’s beautiful and definitely family. She has those eyes, and when she speaks to Alessandro, she has admiration and a smile to dazzle.
I walk over and stand next to him as though it’s the most normal thing to do.
Alessandro doesn’t look in my direction, but I feel the tension rise between us. I pick up a sausage and inspect it as I say, “I got your message,
Don Sorvino.”
The woman falls silent, and I can feel uncertainty roll off her. She knows this is business but isn’t sure if she should stay or not.
“If my uncle dies, Pakhan Volkov, there will be a blood tribute to pay,” Alessandro says, as though this is just everyday shop talk.
I smile. “I expected as much. You know these things happen between families from time to time. It’s an unfortunate consequence of being in our line of business.” I put the sausage back as a worker hurries to assist me. “I’ll take some Mortadella and porchetta.” “How much?” the worker asks nervously.
“Half a pound each for my mother,” I say before looking at Alessandro, who is being helped by an older gentleman.
The woman he is with is staring at me with anger in her eyes. From the anger I see reflected there, I can only guess she’s closer to the man my guys shot than Alessandro is, perhaps his daughter.
“What do you want?” Alessandro asks, turning to me at last.
“Unity, wars are so expensive, especially the cost of lives lost.
Perhaps a marriage between our families and an equal distribution of territories to ease over a transition,” I suggest, turning to watch the young man preparing my order.
“I would suggest trying the pancetta. Your mother would like it,” Alessandro says. “You can try every meat here, but you won’t be marrying anyone from my family, Ivan.”
“Alessandro,” I say, addressing him by his first name as well, “there must be unity, or more blood is going to be spilled.” I change the subject, hoping to jar him. “Who is your lovely companion? Surely Katya won’t be happy with you keeping company with such a beautiful woman in your spare time.”
Alessandro clicks his tongue. “Leave my cousin alone.”
“Ivan Volkov,” I hold my hand out to her. “What is your name?”
She glances at Alessandro, who gives a slight nod. She doesn’t take my hand, but she says coldly, “Vittoria Sorvino, you shot my father.”
I tilt my head to the side. “I do apologize for that. My men can be a little overzealous at times when I give orders. I had no intention of declaring war. This is not the first time I’ve asked to unite our families. Alessandro, we would be indomitable if united. You seem to like marrying into other families to grow your power after all.”
Vittoria eyes me out, but I don’t pay attention. My focus is on Don Sorvino and what his next move is.
“I won’t be marrying any of my family members to you, Ivan, but we can talk of peace negotiations.”
Vittoria moves forward, and Alessandro puts a hand on her shoulder. “At my estate, you may bring guards if you wish but no more than three. I offer you this opportunity to discuss peace and assure you I won’t take your life. Yet.”
I snort and take my packages from the young man. “Many people have tried Don Sorvino, but very few have gotten that close. I accept your offer to discuss peace negotiations. I will mull over what I want from these negotiations. Perhaps we can come to an agreement that suits us both.” I look at Vittoria. “I do hope your father pulls through, Miss Sorvino. Losing a father is a very difficult thing to deal with.”
Alessandro steps between us protectively. “Don’t address her.
You’re here to deal with me.”
“Send me a date and time. You can leave a message for me at my family’s restaurant in Brooklyn. I’m sure you know where it is.” I turn to the cash register to pay for my packages, but the owner shakes his head.
“It’s on the house.”
I smile. “Thank you for your kindness.” I leave through the doors, noting the guards that have appeared. I nod to them and cross the street to my car. I climb in and start the engine. I see Alessandro and Vittoria standing at the register, looking out where I am.
Some would call me foolish for approaching the Italian Don without security, but I know he’s a traditional man who follows protocols. I’m sure I’ll have a time and date for our meeting in the next few days. For now, I’m curious to know what my mother will make with the meats I got her. I pull away and join the traffic, thinking about Vittoria’s angry eyes.