A Mob Boss's Heirs (Book 3 of New York Mafia Trilogy)

30. Parental Power

Tristan knocked on his mother's office door and turned the handle when he heard his mother respond. He walked in silently and closed the door behind him and waited standing at the door.

Sancia was on the phone busy with one of her usual rants about why a warehouse wasn't making enough profit and giving instructions about who was to blame to her personnel on the phone.

Time went on as Sancia carried on talking on the phone. At some point, Tristan looked at his watch. At this pace they could even end up missing dinner never mind making it to at least half the meeting with the studio owners his father was meeting with. It had been almost 20 minutes and his mother was still making phone calls. He knew she did it deliberately. If she had any disagreement with his father she became the most extreme boss. He had lost count of how many phone calls she had made. Her employees feared her for good reasons. If she was in the mood, many ended up six feet under or banished but that day she cut their salaries until they delivered results. It always worked. Cutting salary was a threat. If they didn't deliver they were dead.

Tristan got bored of waiting and walked around his mothers office looking around at her artifacts and books. She loved literature and Greek mythology and she used metaphors and literature references in her phone conversations alot to send hidden messages to whoever was at the other end. If he wasn't so annoyed at having to cancel on his father he would have been entertained by her words. But of course there was no getting out of having to spend a whole afternoon and by the looks of it an evening with his mother. He couldn't even use the excuse of studying to get out of having to be there. He knew all his books inside out because of all the tutors his mother had recruited to give him regular private tuition. He could do all his exams with his eyes closed because of the number tutoring hours he was scheduled.

Tristan didn't mind that much spending time with his mother but he didn't like being caught in the middle of his mothers competition with his father. She knew his father really wanted Tristan in his meeting that day and she had on purpose scheduled this meeting with the McNamaras.

Tristan was standing in front of his mothers grand library and picked a magazine. He started reading as he was standing and then he finally heard his mother " All finished. We can go now. Let me gather my belongings."

Tristan didn't respond and carried on looking at his magazine. His mother didn't like being ignored at all " I didn't think you would come. What made you show up. You missed the previous meeting I scheduled that was at the same time as your father's. what made you show up this time?"

Tristan sighed. He had missed the previous meeting and gladly had paid dearly for it. He had been booked triple the number of hours of private tuition for the previous month with the excuse that he needed it even though he didn't. But he would have missed this meeting again if he didn't owe his mother. If he broke his word about owing her, she was going to ground him most likely too as his crime would have been heavier. He knew his mother's rules well enough. That way he would have missed the party at their house next week. His mother would have gladly locked him up for going back on his word making him miss the chance to have that promised dance with Vienna. He didn't want to miss any chance with Vienna at all. She had promised him a dance and he counted the days. He smiled at the thought of her.

Sancia spoke firmly as she was packing her bag "I just asked you a question Tristan. Does this mean you are learning your lesson? You owe me also son..,"

Tristan sighed and put the magazine back on the shelf. She wanted him to admit defeat. She got satisfaction out of it. He turned around and stated " I owe you. Of course. I almost forgot. What would you want from me mother? Let me think.... You will ask me to go to the Giovanni 4th July party instead of going where father goes or maybe is it next Christmas you want to book me to go to the Giovanni's residence with you rather than spending Christmas with grandpa O'Neil?"