Page 81 of Disgrace

John groaned under his breath. “I don’t have time—”

“You will make time because you need to.”

Fuck.

Leonard waved a finger at the doorway where Lucian had disappeared. “Go let your father know you’ll both be here for a bit longer.”

“Wait, you mean we start the extra hour today?” John asked.

“I did not stutter,” Leonard murmured.

John found his father sitting on the front steps of Leonard’s quiet Brooklyn home. Lucian alternated between sipping his bourbon, and smoking a cigarette. He offered the pack to his son, and John took one out.

Maybe a smoke would calm his nerves.

Who fucking knew?

John didn’t smoke very often, now. Just whenever the urge struck, or he needed a bit of stress relief. That first drag off the cigarette burned his lungs like nothing else, but also felt like calm swimming through his veins.

“Are you done for the day?” Lucian asked.

“Not entirely. Another hour, or so.”

“Okay.”

John glanced over at his father, but found Lucian didn’t seem the least bit bothered that he couldn’t leave. In fact, Lucian seemed perfectly content to sit right where he was, and wait for his son.

“Thanks, Papa.”

Lucian looked up from his seat. “For what, John?”

“This.”

You.

Lucian seemed to understand, and only gave his son a nod in recognition. John was coming to learn that maybe he had more than a couple of safe places—in many ways, his father was becoming one, too.

“I didn’t mean to overhear,” Lucian said, “but I heard what you said regarding Andino.”

John’s irritation flashed through his gut.

Hot and poisoned.

Damn.

He wished he could let that go.

“He’s putting Siena in danger again and again,” John said. “And for what? Nothing.”

“Not nothing, son, to—”

“Take over the Calabrese. He’ll absorb the Calabrese Capos, streets, and their crews into the Marcellos, which will only make his organization bigger when he finally takes over Dante’s position officially. So, that compared to Siena’s life? Nothing, Papa. That’s what.”

Lucan looked over at John, and his familiar hazel gaze flashed with something John didn’t recognize. “He’s not explained this to you at all, has he?”

“Explained what?”

“You’ve got this all wrong, John.”