Love isn’t real. I thought what I had with Bex was real, but she went through with the court hearing. Walked away from Alicia. What does that say about her? It says she never loved my daughter or me. I saw the hatred in her eyes when she looked at me. She could never love me. What more is there to say?
61
Hunter
* * *
“I want to stay here.”
I kneel down in front of Alicia and examine her face. She’s on the verge of tears.
Behind her, Toby and Cynthia are watching in silence. Around us, other passengers are heading through the terminal, rushing past in their haste to get to where they need to be. Where do I need to be? That’s the question.
“I know you do,” I tell her, taking her hand in mine. “But I’ve got to go to Rome for a while. You don’t want to come see it?”
“I’ll fall behind in school. I don’t want to fall behind. Claudette and I are talking about our magazine. We’re going to work together on it. You’re taking me away from my friends, from my house. I don’t want to go.”
“I thought you said you were excited.”
“That was at home. This is real. I didn’t think. I don’t want to go, Daddy. Please don’t make me go to Rome.” She’s crying now.
Toby gives me a nod. It’s slight, but it’s there. I sigh as I squeeze Alicia’s hand. “If you don’t want to go, you can stay with Toby and Cynthia, but I don’t know how long I’ll be away.”
“Yes,” she says, a grin forming on her lips. “I love it at their house. They don’t make me do homework as soon as I get in from school. They let me play first.”
“Is that the only reason you want to stay with them?”
“No, I don’t want to go so far from home and my friends.”
“You could make new friends in Rome.”
“I don’t speak enough Italian, Daddy. How am I going to make friends?”
“You’d learn.”
She pats my shoulder. “It’s all right to be scared, but I promise you’ll be all right on your own.”
I almost laugh, but then I see the serious expression on her face. “If you’re sure,” I say, nodding wisely. “I’ll do my best. Just talk to Cynthia for a moment, okay?”
I move to one side with Toby. “You sure you want to hold on to her?” I ask.
“When Ernesto was on the rampage, and you were on the run, all of this mattered much more. You needed to get you and her out of the country to be safe.”
“I know that.”
“My point is that it’s all changed now. The commission is dealing with Ernesto. Oswald and Brody are dead. You’re not in danger, and neither is she. You don’t need to be gone for any length of time.”
“Commission has said I should stay out there until the trial’s over.”
“Won’t take more than a day or two. They move fast when they need to. Look, you go see your father, make sure he’s settling in all right, and then come back. We can hang onto her for a couple of days, no problem.”
I shake his hand. “I upped your salary. The raise went through when I took over.”
“I know. I run the accounts too, remember?” He throws his arms around me. “Take care of yourself, Hunter.”
“Will do.” I step back from him, nodding down to Alicia. “You be good,” I tell her. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay?”
“Sure, Daddy. Bring me back a pizza.”