The Desire

20

Alessandro Morino

Avalon looks at my brother like he set the moon in the sky. If you ask him he probably would convince you that he had. Truth be told we all have looked at Niccolo in that way since we were children. He has a knack for drawing people in without ever even trying to. His harsh looks or blunt words never deterred anyone. Least of all my Avalon.

So far she has exceeded in doing all of the things Niccolo has wanted, even without him having to verbalize it. During the debriefing with Sonny she stood to the side observing like a fly on the wall. I hate to admit how well she blends in with my brothers and I. She just fits, the confidence, intuitiveness, the ego. All of it she has and wears just as well as any one of us.

Now she's continuing to plan which tactics she would use during her interrogation. Only a fool would go in without a game plan, it's the best way to get faster results. Cocky bastards thought they were above proven tactics. Whoever she learned from taught her correctly.

My brother had hinted at utilizing Avalon more if all worked out today. Today he's taken her on in the same way he had done myself, Emiliano, and Pietro. Subtly testing her to see if she could keep up. From what I see he's content with her responses thus far. Fuck, I'm really going to have to get used to working with her, there's no way either her or Niccolo are letting go of this idea of her taking on a role within our family.

Avalon is passionate about this work and Niccolo never lets potential go wasted. The two of them are inevitable. In this scenario the only issue is me. My desire to protect her clouds my judgment. Turns me into a barbarian of a man who wants to lock his woman in a cave just so the world can't penetrate it.

"Five." Five spectators including himself. It's what he wagers. The mere thought of an untrustworthy snake even getting a peek at Avalon burns my vision. Niccolo was willing to negotiate the original terms of Avalon's interrogation. Renegotiations didn't come from the goodness of his heart. Not that he had much of either anyway. No, there's something he wants from me. For her I am willing to find a way to part the Red Sea if it meant giving her what she needed. Most of all what she desired. Whatever Niccolo would ask for in return is worth it despite the grief it is sure to cause me. Niccolo would die before he ever made anything easy for me. "Emiliano, Sergei, Marcella."

Emiliano is a no brainer. I'd be concerned if he wasn't. Emiliano has been desperately trying to get back into Niccolo's good graces since using our father as his own personal punching bag. As much as the poor excuse of a man deserved it, it only added gasoline to the fueled fire within our family. Clearly Niccolo wishes to punish Emiliano for allowing Gia to witness the shrewd violence that closely.

Sergei is a longtime family friend. For many years he was the right hand to my father. Weddings, birthdays, baptisms, every single event he has been there for everything. Even after his abrupt retirement. Sergei refused to support my father's habitual cheating on my mother. Loyalty is a principle not an option. Sergei understood what my father so desperately could not, which is why he retired from his second in command position. His presence today is no bother, time and time again he has proven himself and I know he will fairly judge her. Especially with Marcella around.

Unsurprisingly Niccolo wants her there to observe. Likely with very limited input to Avalon's performance. As a favor to Sergei or because of Marcella's potential I have no idea. Marcella is Sergei's niece from his sister. When Marcella was five she died in a fire when Marcella was only five years old. Since then she has been raised by Sergei, now at nineteen she has decided she wants more of an active role within the organization

Mamma has been very supportive and a sort of mentor to Marcella. Now she is getting her first formal opportunity to participate. Exciting for her, for Avalon I have to heed caution. I don't know very much about her but she seems tame enough to not be a problem. Sergei is a close friend I would hate for that to have to change.