“Penny, listen!” Olivia shouted, and I sat beside her while she massacred “When The Saints Go Marching In.”
“Amazing.”
“I messed up, listen again.”
She played it like a million times and while I didn’t feel pain I swore that if I could, I’d have felt my soul crumbling to ash.
It was a long afternoon.
CHAPTER FIVE
Gideon
Tessa’s Ristorantewas a restaurant I frequented often. I’d grown up with the owner’s daughter, Tessa, and there was a loyalty there that put me at ease whenever I entered.
By the time I arrived with Penn, Danny, and Alex, Victor was already seated. Two of his security were also with him, and so the hostess sat us at a rather large table to accommodate our party.
“Victor,” I said by way of greeting.
He rose and shook my hand. “Gideon, good to see you.” I normally frowned at people calling me by my first name, especially those who worked for me, but I sensed Victor was setting a tone.
“Is it?” I pulled out a chair for Penn—who rolled his eyes but sat—prior to taking my own. Danny and Alex were on either side of me and Penn.
“We have much to discuss.” Victor was in his late sixties, but he wore it like he was eighty. Politics was sucking his soul away much like it did for everyone.
“Let us order food and drinks, and then we can talk.”
He nodded, and the server arrived. I got a bourbon, Victor an old-fashioned. Penn, never one to drink much, got an iced tea—which Danny, Alex, and Victor’s men all ordered as well.
“I’ve only been here one time before. Care to do the honors?” Victor placed his menu down and smiled at me.
I faced the server. “We will begin witharanciniandbruschetta pomodoro. I’ll have the Black Angus strip; he’ll have thepenne all’Arrabbiata.” I turned to Penn. “What would you like?”
“I’m gonna have therotini di la nonna—no peas, though.Eew.”
I chuckled and waited for Alex and Danny to order as well as Victor’s men. Once the server walked away, I regarded Victor.
“You can’t resign.”
His sigh was heavy. “I’m done, Gideon. I can’t continue. I was already entertaining the idea before the calls came. They simply pushed me in that direction.”
“Let’s talk about these phone calls. Did you recognize the voice?”
Our drinks arrived and I waited for him to answer while he took a sip. “No. I may be old, but I recognized the voice modulator.”
“Interesting. Perhaps they used that because they feared you’d recognize them.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. It didn’t matter. The threats were clear. Fee wants to move south where it’s warmer and she’s scared if I stay on the ticket and in office, I won’t make it.”
“The theory on my end is that Benito Calvern, or someone who wants him as governor, wants you to resign instead of waiting for elections because they want Solange on the ticket because she’s easier to beat. With you, there’s a chance.”
“That’s plausible,” he agreed.
“So, why not see if you win, and resign after the elections and Solange take over? They can’t do anything about it at that point,” Penn added.
The server brought over our appetizers and once she left, Victor answered Penn.
“They thought of that. The threat was if I didn’t resign before elections they’d kill Fee slowly, in front of me, keep me alive to hear all of it, and then I’d die. I don’t care much about me, Gideon, but Fee, she’s my love. I can’t risk that.”
