She grins, leaning back on her seat.
She points over toward the fountain. “Look at Fleur. She seems to be getting on well with Monty.”
I look where she’s pointing. Just visible in the last of the sunlight, Fleur has got her hand on Monty’s shoulder, laughing at something he just said. “Who’d have guessed?” she adds. “Maybe my permanently single friend is about to end her drought.”
“You mind her dating a criminal?”
“Hell, it’s not as bad as being married to one, is it?” She gets to her feet. “I’m getting another drink. Do you want one?”
“I’m good.”
I watch her heading into the kitchen. She’s in a tight white party dress and the sight of her ass makes me hard at once. Fuck, I want to be in her.
Once she’s gone, I can think again. I light up a cigar and watch the party in progress.
A lot’s happened in the week since we’ve got back. I’ve been stitched up pretty well, my cuts and burns on the mend. All Amato’s businesses now belong to me. Everything that leaves a sour taste is getting dumped. The rest helps rake in the cash to make our lives as easy as they can get.
I’ve got a lot of people to pay, to look after, to give orders to. The only important one is in the kitchen right now, getting herself another drink.
She seems to have bounced back from what’s happened to her. She isn’t sleeping great but I know that will improve with time. That’s something we’ve got a lot of now. Time and money. All you need for a good life with a good wife. That and obedience.
She comes back out with a beer in one hand and her phone glued to her ear. “Listen,” she says down the line. “I’m not coming back. I’m staying here. I don’t give a shit what you think. Just because your debt was forgiven doesn’t mean you get a reset, Dad. You go to the cops tomorrow and tell them you want to confess or you know what will happen.”
She hangs up, looking at me as she returns to her seat. “Sorry about that,” she says.
“Don’t apologize for having a spine. Unlike your father.”
“He says he’ll do it tomorrow morning.”
“You think he will?”
“He’s a coward at heart. If he thinks you’re going to kill him if he doesn’t confess, he’ll sing like a nightingale. Tell them he was drunk that night. Get them to reopen the case.”
“You care if he goes to prison over this?”
“I care about justice for what happened. Now can I sit and drink please? I don’t want to spend the evening thinking about my father.”
“Turn your phone off.”
“You giving me an order?”
I sit up straight. “You refusing to obey it?”
“Maybe.”
“Then maybe I take you upstairs and remind you why you need to obey me.”
“Promises, promises.”
She’s about to get up when Sergio appears in front of us. “Monty’s about to take Fleur home,” he says. “Wanted to check that if it was all right to take Barb for the ride.”
“Fine by me,” I say. “What about you, Anna?”
“Sure.” She waves over to Fleur, yelling to her a moment later. “Call me. We’ll catch up.”
Fleur and Monty walk toward the dock, Barb by their side, tail wagging.
Sergio hovers for a moment, looking at Anna. “Something up?” she asks.