Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi

James.

Still feeling beyond happy about the news of the baby still being healthy, I walked over to the fridge to get myself a quick snack before meeting with Giovani. Becca was dripping with joy, which made me relieved, to say the least. She had no idea what was going on in the background, and I didn't want her to, either. She shouldn't suffer the stress of anything anymore. My wife was looking forward to a wonderful life with our expanding family, and I wouldn't let worry settle in her mind.

At least, despite the stress on my end, we were going to have our honeymoon soon. The kids were happy, and that's all I could ask for. Speaking of which, I stopped into the nursery for a visit before heading off to discuss things with my cousin. Alessandro was playing around with a few cars and stuffed animals. Dahlia sat in front of him, doing the same, making happy cooing noises threaded in with a few words. When they saw me, they let out squeals of happiness and hobbled over. I took a seat on the ground and spread my arms, taking them into a huge hug and giving a few chuckles. "Hello, loves," I said to both, holding them close and grinning widely. Madeline looked on, no doubt touched by this interaction. Eventually I stood up and picked Alessandro up, holding him toward the ceiling in a swift motion that had him squealing with laughter and shouting for more. I tossed him up into the air a few times before putting him on the ground. Dahlia protested with a few whines.

I gave her attention too, tossing her a bit before leaving a huge kiss on the cheek. Giving my daughter a big squeeze, I finally put her on the ground and patted both. "I love you!" I said to the kids, who responded back in kind. Madeline clapped her hands, saying, "Oh darling, you are so great with the kids! They are always so happy to see you. It warms my heart. They've been doing wonderful and having a ball in here," she said. I nodded, smiling at her. "I am very happy to hear that," I said, giving her a huge smile. After a final hug for each of the little ones, I turned to leave. "Thank you for all the hard work you do, and for agreeing to watch over them when Becca and I go on our honeymoon."

"I hope you have the time of your life, darling!" Madeline said, giving a little wave. "It is no problem, I am always delighted to be here with these little angels." I could tell by how her tone gushed that she meant that with all her heart. With a positive mood, I exited the nursery and headed out to my car. Security would be driving me to another compound where Giovani was ready to meet and speak. He was very vague after the wedding, and I wanted to know more about what was going on.

The drive was quick. Cloud cover hid the stars, prompting me to randomly hope that Becca and I got a few days under the stars without such clouds on the beach during our honeymoon. It would be good to relax a little then. Eventually, we came upon the compound, and I entered the building, getting a glance from a few of Giovani's men on his security team, but nothing more than that. I nodded with respect for them as I made my way through the halls. Arriving at his office, I knocked on the door. I let him know ahead of time via text that I was on my way, so he was well aware of this meeting. His soft voice rang out on the other side. "Come in," he said. I entered the room and sat down in front of his desk.

At the moment, Giovani was typing up something on his laptop. He glanced up and gave me a kind grin before pushing it aside and threading his fingers together, resting his elbows on his desk. He looked rather authoritative and had a sly glint in his eye.

I wasn't sure if I liked that, but technically, the wedding had gone well despite the suspicious things that kept happening. Becca didn't notice, at least, and the kids were safe. In that case, I couldn't be too annoyed with the secrecy. "James!" Giovani said, giving a nod. "Welcome. I'm so glad you wanted to meet with me here, there are a lot of things I wanted to go over," he said, causing me to raise a brow. I was still Don, so it likely pertained to that. Still... "We're going to talk about what happened at the wedding, right Giovani?" I asked, crossing my arms and leaning back in the cushioned chair I was sitting in. He chuckled and nodded, his smile only widening.

"But of course. In fact, that's the primary thing I wanted to talk about. That entire situation happened because of the Cartwrights. Oh, what's his name... Right, Sylvio. A very nice friend of yours, no doubt," he said, his tone now very sarcastic. I rolled my eyes, but then furrowed my brow. "Wait. He was connected to the Cartwrights?" I asked, causing Giovani to chuckle and shake his head. I sighed, wishing he could be more forthcoming as opposed to playing around, at times. "Not at all. He was just an annoying bastard I wanted to get rid of and did so in a creative way," Giovani said. "Good at his job. But an asshole. Now, very good at his job. He's six feet under because of a poisoned wedding cake. The one none of you ate."

I widened my eyes, fascinated by this. My heart began to pound. What?! We had almost been poisoned? I licked my lips nervously, wishing I had been paying more attention. Seeing this reaction, Giovani's demeanor softened. "Relax. Like I said, I took care of it. I suspected the cake was poisoned and could have just got rid of it just in case. I killed two birds with one stone, though, and had him try it. It was a fast-acting poison. We got rid of the cake and replaced it," he explained.

I nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. "How did you get him to try it?"

"Told him to taste a bit of the frosting," Giovani said with a wink. I couldn't help but chuckle despite how morbid that was. My cousin continued. "So, the Cartwrights are still active, as you know, and tried sabotaging your wedding." "The loud banging was therefore more than fireworks, as I suspected?" I asked, causing him to nod. The man ran his fingers through his slicked-back hair, wearing a reassuring but somewhat sinister smile.

"Yes. That was a shootout that myself and my men took care of. What a time to feel alive, during a gunfight at a wedding. Your guests and your wife were none the wiser, and the kids were perfectly safe. They tried to make it otherwise, but I shot those fish in a barrel, so to speak."

"It was that easy?" I asked, blinking in surprise. Not even a whiff of this activity was picked up by Becca, thank goodness, given she would be tossed into stress all over again. Giovani just smirked, now, giving me a thumbs up. "I wouldn't say it was completely easy. A lot of planning was involved, a lot of research, a lot of money trading hands. You're family and deserve some peace, though. I was willing to pull strings to make sure it happened," my cousin said. Surprisingly, I felt a tear trickle down my cheek as I realized just how often Giovani went above and beyond for me and my family. My cousin was a dangerous person, but someone with a heart of gold. I very much appreciated that. I bit my lip, considering things. He was exceptional at getting things done, and making sure the word didn't get out. No doubt, he bribed enforcement to keep their mouths shut for times like this. Cartwrights or not, this would continue to follow me.

"There was another thing I wanted to ask about," I said slowly, letting out a sigh. What I had was a huge responsibility, and cursing Giovani with it wasn't ideal. I had a feeling he wasn't going to be opposed to what I'd be asking him, though. "Go on," Giovani drawled, reaching over to take a sip of his wine. "Oh. Would you like a glass?" he raised his, and I thought for a moment before nodding. He gestured to one of his own security men, who poured me a glass. I thanked the man before refocusing on my cousin.

"I am very exhausted being the Don. The Cartwrights being at large are just a drop in the ocean, to be frank," I began. "My family will have this heavy burden on us as long as I am our family's Don. I've been able to efficiently take care of business, but it's not meant for me."

"You've been doing a great job, James," Giovani offered with an encouraging smile. "The family is thrilled to have you at its head. Still, I can tell it's stressing you out, yeah. Not to mention you have a kid on the way." "Exactly," I said. "Meanwhile, you are as efficient, if not more so, than I am. I think you would be a great person for the position I find myself in. I just don't want to dump all of these problems on you, it's a huge responsibility and comes with a lot of stress."

"Which I deal with on the regular already, James," Giovani chuckled, giving me a wink. He studied me for a second before saying, "You know, I don't mind the added stress or responsibility. It would be an honor to be the Don."

"You and I have a very different way of looking at it," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck and grinning sheepishly. I felt hope rush through me, though, at his willingness to hear me out and possibly take the Don position.

I said, "In that case. You wouldn't be opposed to me giving you that title, then? I know it is a heavy decision, and you may need to think about it for a while. But I'm confident you would be the best fit for this, Giovani. You would bring it justice and make our family prosper."

"Such sugary words from the Don, I feel like royalty," Giovani joked, giving me a wider smirk. I rolled my eyes and couldn't help but chuckle. He then grew serious, however, taking a sip of his wine and giving a nod.

"Look, James. I genuinely admire you and want to help you. The Don position is something I would be more than willing to take. This whole ordeal means a lot to me, and I think you are doing amazing work. It is taking its toll, though, on you. Can I handle it? Yes."

"Well then," I said, straightening up. "Let's get things squared away that you will be the family's Don."