Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 59304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
His eyes get a distant look. “I hope you’re right.”
“Maybe you should’ve tried to persuade Father not to do this.”
He shakes his head. “I’m not saying that. Your father is the Don. If he made this choice, it’s the right one. Anyway, he doesn’t…”
“Sorry?”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s clearly not nothing.”
“You know your father, Dario. He carves his own path.”
“He listens to you when it counts, Rocco, you know that,” I say. “You’re not just his consigliere. You’re his – our – friend. You need to lighten up.”
He smiles. “You’re right. But it’s my job to worry about the Family when your father’s mind is elsewhere. Anyway, you’re the one with a face like a slapped ass.”
“You’re lucky I don’t have my gun on me, slinging words like that.”
We both laugh.
“Seriously, my oh-so sensitive godson, are you okay?”
I shrug. “Yeah, good.”
“But?”
I look out at the water, the shimmering diamonds of sunlight bouncing like skipped stones across the azure.
“It’s this girl. Siena.”
“Yeah?”
“We kissed.”
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
“This morning, I saw her talking with another man, and it pissed me off. Much more than it should have. We hardly know each other, but when I saw her laughing with him, I got angry, Rocco, really goddamn angry.”
“What’d you want with this girl? Some island fun? Something more?”
“She doesn’t even know we’re in the mob,” I sigh. “I shouldn’t even let myself think about something more. What am I supposed to say—Hey, Siena, want to go on a date when we get back to the States? Just ignore the men in suits following me around with guns under their jackets…”
“You could tell her you’re a politician.”
“I don’t want to lie to her,” I say. “If anything happens, I want it to be real.”
“I’ve never known you to talk like this about a woman.”
I shrug, stare out at the water some more. It’s not like he’s wrong.
“Could it be that part of you likes her not knowing who you are?” Rocco suggests.
I say nothing.
“Maybe it’s nice not to see fear in her eyes. Or awe. Or something in between.”
“You’re right. On this island with her, I almost feel like a normal man. But I’m not, and I never will be, and she can’t know that. So I need to accept that if anything happens, it’s the here and the now, that’s it.”
“But you want more than that.”
“Calm down, Rocco. I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“I barely know her.”
“But you want to get to know her.”
“You’re changing the subject,” I say, clapping him on the arm. “We’re supposed to be talking about the fact that you’re determined to be a miserable bastard even though we’re in paradise. Let’s go get some breakfast.”
He smiles tightly. “You’re right. I could use a distraction. But you know I’m here to talk if you need.”
“I always know that. And remember, just because Father’s distracted right now, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t respect you. You’ve served him, and the Family, well, old man.”
He chuckles. “Old man? We’re almost the same age.”
“There’s a big difference between fifty-eight and thirty-seven, hate to break it to you.”
He punches me on the arm. “Now you’re the lucky one. If I had my gun…”
CHAPTER 11
SIENA
The day goes by in a blur of arranging and rearranging and trying not to scream as the responsibilities stack up on me. Toward the end of the day, I sit in my room with my phone on speaker. Mom sounds proud when I tell her that Veronica has given me sole responsibility for the trip.
“Yeah, but it’s not like she had a choice.”
“Oh, hush,” Mom replies. “She could’ve called in some backup. Or hired another agency to assist. This means she trusts you. She knows you’ve got what it takes.”
“Honestly, Mom, it doesn’t feel like that. But I’m doing my best. It’s just everything seems determined to go wrong.”
“How do you mean?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s silly. But the staff seem… a little scared? Like they’re trying to sabotage me, and they’re guilty about it or something.”
Mom pauses, letting me hear how insane my words sound.
“I think you need some time for yourself,” she says.
“I was thinking that. But I don’t want to leave my room for too long in case I’m needed.”
“What time is it there?”
“Almost ten.”
“I’m sure you can sign off for the rest of the evening.”
“I don’t—”
“If you took some time for yourself, what would you do?”
“Honestly? I was thinking of going for a night swim.”
“Ooh,” Mom says. “That sounds fun. You’ve always loved swimming. Remember your nickname when you were little?”
“The Little Mermaid.” I smile, remembering.
“You should do that. Clear your head for tomorrow. Mommy’s orders.”
“Okay, maybe I will. And Mom… if this job goes well, I’m going to get a bonus. I might negotiate a promotion.”
“That’s fantastic.”
“It means I’ll be able to help you like I promised,” I practically sing the last part.