“In so many words, yeah.”
I blink a few times. “You?”
He grins. “I would’ve if I had the bank, butno. Dad.”
There’s a history of me fighting with DonAlessandro about money. After the shooting, he insisted on payingevery medical bill that wasn’t covered by my insurance, includingthe rehabilitation facility, which I stayed in for three monthspast my insurance coverage, and then providing private physical andoccupational therapists who came to my home for months afterleaving rehab.
When I was still recovering at home andneeded to go to doctors’ appointments, he had one of his “men”drive me. He paid for moving my office, and removing all vestigesof the old office so I wouldn’t have to deal with going back thereand sorting through the mess. Then he paid for the first two years’rent on the new office, stating I needed time to build up mypractice again.
My parents think he walks on water. My sisterand brother-in-law told me I would be crazy to turn down the help.And, as you could imagine, I didn’t win one argument withAlessandro Di Caro. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure no onewins any argument with Alessandro Di Caro. Except maybe Sofia.
“That’s…that’s…unexpected?”
Gio laughs. For a while. “You’re part of thefamily.” He put up his hand when I try to speak. “No. Really. Don’tfight it. You’ll exhaust yourself and get nowhere. It’s his way,and believe me, it’s his pleasure. If for no other reason than whatyou mean to Soph, you’re in his heart.”
“Loving Sofia is easy. I don’t need hisgenerosity to support that.”
“I know that. You know that. Sofia and Mattknow that. And Nat sure as fuck knows that. But it’s his way.”
“In other words, done deal, never to benegotiated.”
Gio nodded. “Exactly.”
Nat comes off the elevator carrying a laptopbag, her jacket thrown over her shoulder, took one look at my face,and says, “She knows he paid the bill.”
Gio grins.
She turned to me and puts her hand on my arm.“It’s annoying, I know. Some perspective. When I finished my lastsemester at school in Oregon, he came and got me in his privateplane.”
I feel my mouth make an O.
“He told me, I was his,” she points to Gio,“and that was all the explanation I got.”
“Right.” I go to grab my luggage, but Giobeats me to it. “It seems it’s an inherited trait.”
“You better than most people know, pick yourbattles.” I nod. “I can’t recode his DNA,” she shoots a glance atGio, “so,” she shrugs, “I don’t fight what I can’t win.”
“Smart woman,” I tell her.
“Practical,” she replies.
After we’re settled in the car – Nat’s in theback since she’s going to meet her friend, and we’re joining upwith them later – Gio asks, “Where to?”
“Monument Restaurant and Tavern,” Nat says.She gives him the address and we’re there in less than fifteenminutes. She leans forward and Gio turns his head. They kiss, andshe says, “See you in a bit.” Then she leaves the car, and Gio andI head off to get cannolis.
Boston, Massachusetts
Ethan
Tilt
Adam and I arrive at Monument Restaurant andTavern at the appointed time: twelve forty-five. I’m jumpy as fuck,and I can’t let that shit see the light of day. Natalia knowsTheresa. Saw her yesterday at the wedding. They probably see eachother more than occasionally since they have Sofia in common. Ifeel like a kid in junior high wanting to ask a friend of the girlwho I want to meet to tell me if she likes me, and will she talk tome by my locker. Not that I ever did that shit, but you get me.
We walk into the restaurant and I scan leftto the seating area in front of the open kitchen, then right, whereagainst the far wall the bar runs almost the length of the place.Natalia is sitting by herself, her head down, probably looking ather phone. She’s at a four-top to the left of the bar, as I’drequested when I made the reservation.
I chose this place because it’s in a busyneighborhood, and anyone following Drew and Nick would see theywent into Boston for brunch at a trendy place. More to the point,the walls are brick and are about twenty feet high. There are fewwindows, and most of them are placed way up on the wall. Adam and Ican keep a three-sixty on the place from the reserved table’svantage point, and the four-tops are made of thick wood, useful ifwe need them for cover.
Natalia turns her head, and when she sees me,she moves off her chair, sticks her phone in her back pocket, comesout into the aisle, and gives me a hug. I reciprocate, look down toher seriously pretty face, and ask, “Where’s Gio?”
