“Yes,” I said. “You could’ve just come yourself. You didn’t have to start a mafia war to spend some time with her.”
“Maybe,” he said. “But imagine you were in my position. You’re head of one of the biggest families in the biggest city in the world. I may be an important man and I may have a lot of latitude, but I still answer to many, many people. I couldn’t just pick up and move here.”
“It’s not such a long drive from New York,” I said. “A few weekends a year would be a good start.”
He laughed again. “I suppose you’re right. I’m a vain man and I only know one way of life. My daughter, she never took to that life. She never wanted any of it. I tried to instill in her the same work ethic and self-reliance that I built up in myself, and I think it worked a little too well. She ran away the second it was possible and never looked back.”
“Can you blame her?” I asked.
He stiffened. But his hands remained behind his back. “I think I can,” he said. “I’m family.”
“You don’t get to choose family, do you?” I asked. “I certainly never did. Even when I was a street kid getting passed through the system. I didn’t have a say in anything, it was just, you go here, you do this, you stay with these people. Even if they were a bunch of assholes, I still had to stay and take it, because I was just a kid.”
“What’s your point?” he asked.
“Family isn’t everything,” I said. “Just because you’re her father doesn’t mean she owes you a thing.”
He let out a breath and I saw some of the tension relax. “I disagree with you,” he said and slowly turned around. He released his hands from behind his back and crossed them at his chest. “But I suppose I’m starting to come around.”
“Why are you here, Drago?”
“I thought we could speak, man to man.”
“I don’t speak for Elise,” I said.
“I know that.”
“And you can’t make her do something she doesn’t want to do.”
“I know that, too.”
“Then what’s there to say?”
He gestured with his hands, like he was trying to get me to see something right in front of him. “She listens to you. For better or for worse, I don’t know why.”
“How did you find me?”
“I’m a connected man. It wasn’t so hard.”
“I guess it’s time for me to switch hotels, then.”
“If you like.” He waved that away. “But this is as safe as it gets. Plenty of cameras, hotel security, a police station nearby, plenty of cops down in the park. Bennigan isn’t going to make a move on you here, at least not until he gets desperate.”
“You know about Bennigan?”
“Of course,” he said. “I’m connected. If I could find you, then of course I know what you’re hiding from.”
I grunted. “Tell me again why you’re here.”
“I want you to convince Elise to come home with me.”
“I don’t think I’m going to do that.”
“Try anyway.” He tilted his head. “I can make it worthwhile. You’re a killer, right? You do jobs for money? Well, I have plenty of money.”
“Elise isn’t for sale.”
“No, I didn’t think so.” He smiled at me, and I found him loathsome and toad-like. “You don’t need money anymore, do you? I mean, you have plenty. I know what you charge, and I know you’ve been very active these last few years.”
“You’re right that I don’t need money.” I stared at him hard, hoping he’d just leave on his own.
“What do you need then, Tanner? You’re in over your head on this one, aren’t you?”
“I’m staying ahead of it.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. Your whole strategy relies on me sitting down with the Leone family, right?” He laughed and this time it was malicious and sharp. “Don’t bother denying it, I know what you’re trying to do. I already ignored a message from them, and I can bet you put them up to it.”
I stared at him and refused to let my anger show on my face. “So you’re going to avoid making a profitable business decision, for what? Pride?”
“Something like that.”
“If you sat down with the Leone family and hammered out a deal—”
“I get my daughter back?” he asked. “You think that’ll happen?”
I stared at him. “No,” I said. “But she definitely won’t get killed at least. I feel like you owe her that much.”
He smirked and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t owe anyone shit,” he said. “Much less her.”
“Then I have to ask you again: Why are you here?”
“Because I know you’re in deep shit,” he said. “And I know you need to get out of it. Tell me what you want in exchange for my daughter, and I’ll give it to you.”
My mind raced. I didn’t want a thing from Drago, certainly didn’t need money, but I did want him to make a deal. I could suggest that, but I had a feeling he’d only laugh at me. I wanted him to get the hell out of here before he made things worse with Elise, and I wanted to knock him off his game.