Fire and Sweets (Book 3 of Wolves of Milano)

2.Eavesdropping

Kara was at the restaurant later than usual last night, then she came home and checked on her little brother. Fed him too, because the little geek forgets to eat when he’s in his gamer's World of Warcraft mode. But she can always get him functional with sweets. She is aware that that is not real food and the growing boy needs nutrients and vitamins, but she is his sister, not his mother. She gets to spoil him. And the higher werewolf metabolism burns through sugar faster, so he won’t get fat if that’s all she feeds him. It’s their little secret.

She just came out of the shower, when she hears talking from downstairs. There is really no way for any privacy in a shifter home, so no matter how quiet her mother talks, she will be overheard by someone. If not Kara, then her brother Teo and he tells her everything. Many would think that they don’t see eye to eye, but the age gap of twelve years is just right. Her little brother is her best friend and she is proud of him. For various reasons, but their friendship always comes first.

It makes no difference that she is in the attic apartment, she’s still close enough to hear every word. The skylights are her favourite feature up here. The whole loft- style apartment is a home studio for her art. Paintings everywhere, art supplies wherever you look and a tiny nook that is her library. A cozy recliner, a reading lamp, book shelves, and a few selected bottles of whisky. She’s got her own bathroom, bedroom and art space up here. No kitchen, she’s got enough of it at work, she doesn’t really need one at home. 

But right now, she stands in her walk in closet, wrapped in a towel, listening to her mothers phone conversation. She doesn’t know who her mother is talking with, but she can hear every word her mother whispers. She doesn’t like what she hears, not one bit. “You can’t go through with this. This is barbaric. Just listen to yourself! We’re living in the 21st century. You can’t just force people to marry.” 

Kara wonders what that is all about and she has the distinct feeling that her mother is talking with Uncle Vito. He was trying to force Vittorio into an arranged marriage. Is he doing it to someone else now? The trouble he put his own son into was huge. And the thing he tried to do with Alessio? He kidnapped his girlfriend and now they are both gone. Who is her Uncle targeting now? 

“I’m not going along with this. You don’t have my vote, not when it comes to Kara. And I’ll do what it takes for you to see it!” Her mother stopped whispering. Did she hear that right? Uncle is plotting something that involves her? Damn it! Her mother will not go with it, she said so herself. Will he retaliate? What if he goes after his own sister? What will they do? Her mother is the Beta, but she doesn’t stand a chance against the Alpha, she is not a fighter.

“I don’t care about the alliances. That’s on you. Fix it! But you’re not getting my daughter!” She can hear the anger in her mothers voice. That is followed by a phone shattering against a wall. Her mother’s temperament is epic. She is known for keeping spare phones in drawers here at home and at Rialto. She goes through phones the way other people change underwear. The slamming of the door is a bad thing though. It was not the front door. Her mother is in a bad mood and she probably locked herself in her bedroom. It’s days like this that Kara wishes for their father to be here, but he isn’t. Damn the slut that took him away! Mother will never forgive him, but he was the only one that could bring her down from the rampage.

Teo must be awake now, no one can sleep through this racket. She better get dressed and feed the kid before he goes to school. It all looks like she will be responsible for Teo and for the restaurant for a while. Oh joy! And she had this brilliant idea for a new painting. Where will she find the time to paint, if everything is suddenly her responsibility? She knows from previous episodes that this can last days on end. She can’t count on her mother right now, her older brother does his thing and can’t be bothered and Teo is just a kid of sixteen. She can’t expect anything from him, she needs to take care of him. It seems like she’s the only adult in this house right now, she better act like it.

She walks downstairs and passes her mothers room quietly. No use in stopping, she won’t answer to her knocking or saying anything. Kara goes straight to the kitchen and prepares breakfast for herself and Teo. She will set a tray out in front of her mothers room later. It will probably stay untouched, but she shows that she cares by doing it. Maybe this fit won’t last that long? Maybe mom just needs to cool down? She can think what she wants, her mother does her own thing, she always has.

“That didn’t sound good.” Teo says when he walks in.

“Nope.” She shakes her head. “Eat your breakfast. You’re gonna need it. I don’t have time to cook, you can come to the restaurant later and I’ll hook you up with something.”

“Just give me pizza money and I’m good.” Teo smiles at her.

“Are you sure? You can’t live on pizza and sweets.” Kara tells him.

“I’ll be fine for a few days. Maybe it’s time I learn how to cook?” Teo chuckles.

“Don’t joke about it. I can’t babysit your ass in the kitchen as well. I would have to clone myself to get everything done.” She shakes her head.

“I can come and help with the office work, if you want?” He offers her.

“You’ve got school. Get that done and the social media pages, I’ll worry about the rest.” Kara hugs her little brother. “Go on, you’ll be late.”  

Kara sighs deeply and glances around. The home kitchen used to be her happy place for so long. Now her crazy uncle had to ruin that too. She suddenly feels trepidation and the first tendrils of fear crawl around her. What is he planning? Can’t he just leave everyone alone? She has nothing to do with the pack and she likes it that way. She is not politically ambitious, that’s her brother Massimo. However, he chose to play on a higher level. The pack business is just not enough, Massimo is targeting the Mayor's position.

She cleans up the breakfast remnants and gets the coffee going. She will throw something together for her mother, who probably won’t even touch it, but she has to try. Sometimes it’s the little things in life that can give her mother a semblance of peace. Maybe breakfast is one of them? She takes a tray and puts the coffee on it. A glass of fresh pressed orange juice and mother’s favourite brioche and jam. She takes the tray upstairs and leaves it on a chair next to her mother’s room. She knocks on the door and walks away. No pressure, just quiet support.

With her mother out for the count, she goes to the restaurant early. It’s her job to take care of deliveries and go over the orders so that Rialto can function. They have two catering gigs in the next few days, so she will be extremely busy. Maybe she should make a spreadsheet for herself? She needs to delegate her pastry work between her assistants, if she wants to sleep at all. Making the plan in her head on the way to the restaurant, she misses the gorgeous morning sight of the fog lifting from the park and the sun coming through. She also misses a figure following her.

Since Rialto doesn’t open before eleven, it’s just her and two kitchen aids. Prep for the lunch crowd starts early, too. She takes the checklists and goes over the supplies. They are good for today and the few things not there will be delivered around ten. All is good in the kitchen. She makes online orders for drinks and produce, then she checks the mail and the bills. She sighs again, it’s starting to be her thing. She would much rather be doing anything else, but she is stuck in the office. She calls Andrea to come early and she promises to make it up to the girl with a day off next week. Hopefully her mother will be back in Rialto by then.

Kara opens the catering site to check on new inquiries and to confirm the two gigs they have on the weekend. She only needs to deliver the food for one, but the other is more demanding. She has to go over the rooster to see who she can assign to work the catering. They will have forty guests, so that means at least three in service and a barman. Is everything ordered? The drinks, the fruit, ingredients? They opted for the standard catering menu, so the food will not be overly complicated. She can take one of Fernando’s assistants for that and leave Rialto in the capable hands of their main Chef.

She makes the spreadsheets and divides her time equally between the office, catering, and kitchen. She will even have a few free hours to relax. She leans back in the chair and closes her eyes. The conversation her mother had this morning is playing on a loop inside her head. She just can’t get it off her mind. She doesn’t have the time to worry about it, she has to get her mind on the restaurant and make sure at least one thing runs without a glitch. Easier said than done. What is her uncle up to? What does it have to do with her? Can’t someone just shoot the guy and be done with it? She never liked her uncle, but his latest stunts have made her loathe him.

“Hey, Kara. Office work again?” Fernando asks her from the door.

“Yeah. Mom is not feeling well.” She nods. “Can you spare one of your assistants for the Saturday catering? They have a standard menu and I think it’s more important if you steer the ship here. We can’t both be absent, if mom is not here.”

“Sure. We can’t afford for things to go wrong. You might get away with a warning, but your mother would skin me alive, if we mess things up.” Fernando tells her.

“I’m not so sure about that, but we better make it work.” Kara sighs.

“Hey! I might be a total asshole in the kitchen, but I’m here for you.” Fernando smiles at her. She has known him for over a decade and she knows he cares for the restaurant just as much as her mother. 

When Andrea shows up a good hour early, she gives her today’s assignments, so she can concentrate on running the business. Making sure she has everything for the catering job, she gets the kitchen aids to load the van, while she checks the list. With time to spare, she goes over everything twice. It’s just her way of doing things. She wants to make it perfect, because their reputation depends on it. No mistakes policy for the catering. It’s what sets them apart from all other catering services in town.

She drives the van herself. She is used to it. it gives her the chance to be out from the kitchen heat for a few hours every week. The destination is an office building downtown. They have an event for the employees and they ordered sweets and finger food package from the Rialto catering service. They just have to set it up and she can send someone in the evening to pick up the trays. A fast job she doesn’t need to be present for.