He can’t be serious…
Fingers steepled, elbows on the top of his pristine desk and dark eyes focused on me in a hard stare, Vinnie reiterated his last question when I couldn’t quite find my voice. “Miss Moretti, do you understand what I’m asking of you?”
Oh, I sure as fuck did, and if he was asking, I was a fucking monkey named George. Either way, I was screwed, blued, and tattooed. And in my case, with the cumulative events since I’d crash landed back in the vicinity of the Carlottis, it was fairly literal. But after what I'd just learned...
“Yes,” I replied as tonelessly as possible while holding on to my composure by the skin of my fucking teeth.
He sighed like he was the one put out. “I do sympathize with you over the position you’re in, but you did offer your assistance when you reached out. You had the choice of staying out of the situation.” Thinking he was done, I was going to ask to be excused, but just as I made to lift up a little, the hardened mafia don mien cracked. He briefly let his rage and hurt show before smoothing it back out. “There aren’t rules of engagement in our world, yet you reap what you sow. Rodrigo went too far when he had my sons and nephew attacked." It wasn't lost on me that he left Santos out, and I had to wonder if he blamed Santos for not protecting his blood, injured or not. I watched as he paused and swallowed, and then, without meeting my eyes, which I was grateful for as I had my own trouble dealing with it, he finished. "After what was done to Giovanni… It will be the complete annihilation of every last one of the fucks that planned, knew about, or touched my son.”
And that right there was why I couldn’t tell him to screw off and leave town again. Why I would have to keep my plans, and Vinnie’s, from the guys until it was over. Then, maybe, we could all have a shot at something real. If I didn’t wind up dead first. And that brought me to the one stipulation that I wasn’t going to abide by.
“I’m staying at the guest house until I’m needed. They’re going to ask questions already, and they’ll probably resort to doing something they shouldn’t if I’m suddenly here instead of there.” I almost said Santos would come up here, but I didn’t think he was Vinnie’s favorite person after Rodrigo’s defection and Santos' failure to prevent Vanni from being sodomized. It wasn't Santos' fault, and if Vinnie went after him in any way, he’d be facing more than just my retribution. Surely he knew it was a distinct possibility that his eldest son would be the first person to have a go at him if he dared attempt it.
He debated long enough to have me worried he’d deny me even a little time with them, and my palms slicked with sweat that my leggings just couldn’t keep up with until he slowly nodded, not a single strand of his salt and pepper hair falling out of place.
“I suppose that would be acceptable as long as you make the proper excuses for your absences.” I could almost hear an echo of Tony’s voice from that night, nearly the first words he’d said to me in years. Snitches and ditches, remember?
“Yes, Mr. Carlotti, I understand.” I bit my lip as I stood from the chair in front of his desk, braving one last question. “There will be men there? To watch my back?”
“As I said, you’ll be followed, discreetly.” That didn’t exactly allay my fears, but it would have to do. I wasn’t a weak ass bitch that couldn’t handle myself, and I needed to remember that fact.
Giving him a plastic smile, the one I used to reserve for customers, I dipped my head in respect. “Of course, I’ll be on standby.” With a wave of the new phone he’d given me, I headed for the office door.
“Oh, and please, call me Vinnie next time. Such formality isn’t needed when you’re doing your duty for the Family.”
I couldn't turn around; I’d have said something that would have landed my ass in hot water, and it was already hanging out in the breeze after what I’d just agreed to do. Intent on hurrying back to Tony's place, I went in search of my belongings, fully determined to spend every minute I had left with them while I could. When they found out that I'd gone behind their backs, I was afraid they might hate me.
* * *
Bags in tow, I clunked up the steps and wrestled with the door, vaguely regretting declining the offer of assistance from one of Vinnie’s house staff. As I backed into the entryway, the weight on my shoulder lifted, and I glanced over my shoulder to find Tony pulling the door open for me as he took my bag.
“Here, give me that one, too,” he said, gesturing to the large rolling suitcase I was pulling. It felt odd to let him take it all while I was nearly empty handed, and I debated telling him I had it, but I decided to give in.
“Thanks. I can take the duffel back if you’d like?” It was awkward having nothing in my hands while Tony played bellhop, but he shook his head before collapsing the handle on the suitcase and picking it up like it was nothing.
“You want a room down here, or upstairs?”
I didn’t know how to answer him. On the one hand, his offer to be upstairs was a giant leap from being locked in the room down here, but it would be easier to leave and do what Vinnie needed if I was closer to the door. “Um, I’m not sure. I thought I’d be getting the same one back, but Santos is in there, and…” I shrugged, not sure where I was going with my own thoughts.
But Tony didn’t seem to think it was odd, or if he did, he kept it to himself. He was different, and I suspected it was thanks to their attack in jail. Would he revert back to being a dick again? “Santos can’t do the stairs yet, and he’s been in there being a mopey shit since you left, so I don’t think you’d be staying in there alone even if he wasn’t in it recovering. I’d feel more comfortable with you upstairs with the rest of us, but it’s up to you.”
Put that way, I decided to opt for upstairs. I’d just have to figure out how to get away when needed. “With you all is fine.”
Satisfaction lit his stare before he turned to guide me through the house, using the time to interrogate me. “Since my father ignored my calls and messages, I’m going to assume you made some sort of deal to come back here?”
The truth wasn’t an option, so even though there was a hint of regret for the lies I was about to hand him, I blithely delivered them anyway. “He thought I was only coming back to prove I was alive and well then leaving again. When I let him know I was going to be sticking around for a while, he had my things brought down. Your car and the one I’ve been using are both in the garage, by the way.”
“Yes, I’m aware, and the car is yours. I’ll have it transferred into your name as soon as you renew your license. The only reason it wasn’t before is so that it wasn’t linked to you. It’s currently under a rental company, but it shouldn’t take long once the paperwork is filed.”
“You don’t have to do that, Tony—” I started to protest, but he cut me off.
“I want to. Hell, the others will if I don’t, so you’re stuck with it. Unless you want something else?”
“No, it’s a great car. Thank you.” I swore he was dragging his feet, going as slowly as possible to make this conversation even more awkward. Talking to him had never been easy, but this was painful. And he fucking stopped mid-way up the damn stairs to pin me in place with narrowed eyes.
“Want to tell me what was really discussed up at the house? I’m not buying that my father wanted to protect your delicate sensibilities from us. He likes you well enough, but he wouldn’t intervene that way.”
Oh, if only you knew how very far he’s into your business, buddy. “He wanted to keep an eye on me and make sure I wasn’t blinding you with my golden pussy.” Rolling my eyes for effect, I gestured for him to move along, and thankfully, he did, albeit with a grunt of annoyance, or maybe disbelief.