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Even though I knew the way, Paulie escorted me into the basement. Seated behind an oak desk, with Lorenzo in front of him, I cringed from my father’s hardened gaze. He sat with his hands folded on top of the wood and a look of death in his eyes.
Leaning back in his leather chair, my dad loosened his black pin-striped tie and tugged on his collar. He motioned for me to take the chair next to Lorenzo. Paulie sat on my right. I was sandwiched between them, with my father pinning me down with his cold brown eyes.
Dad glanced at Lorenzo and smirked. “I’m ready to collect the favor you owe me.”
“What do you want?” The pain in Lorenzo’s voice was evident.
“The parcel of land where my son found you, give it to me.”
Until then, I wasn’t sure if my father had a hand in Lorenzo’s disappearance. I should have known better. He was a snake, a man who would do anything to get what he wanted. What was so important about that property? To me, it looked like nothing more than a massive tract with industrial machinery on it.
Lorenzo narrowed his eyes at him. “Give it to you? Haven’t I given you enough already? Haven’t you spilled enough blood?”
The Don held out his hand to silence him. “You should consider yourself lucky I’m only collecting on the one favor you owe me.”
Lorenzo sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “Lucky? I committed the worst sin imaginable to repay you. We were supposed to be friends. We’re going to be family. Is this how you treat your family?”
“My family is smart enough not to cross me. They have a role. They play their part.” He looked at me. “They do as they’re told.”
I had seen with my own eyes how much Lorenzo owed my father. He handed his soul over to the devil a long time ago. My father had taken his time asking for favors. He staggered his requests to keep from drawing too much public attention, but in recent years, the number of business deals Lorenzo had entered into at the Don’s behest was growing.
My dad folded his arms over his chest as a knowing look was fired off in Paulie’s direction. Paulie responded with a nod. They had communicated something I had yet to understand.
A few moments of uncomfortable silence ensued before my dad removed a white slip of paper from the top drawer of his desk. He slid the paper in Lorenzo’s direction, shutting the drawer with his other hand. His behavior disturbed me.
Lorenzo stared at the paper for far too long before he picked it up. He read the words several times with a defeated expression on his face. My father owned him. He knew it. There was no running from a man who had everything.
“No,” Lorenzo said, crumbling the paper in his hand. He threw it on the desk in front of my father.
His lip curled up in anger. “How dare you deny my request after everything I have given you?”
“We’re done here.” Lorenzo stood, kicking his chair behind him.
My father pushed himself up from behind the desk, meeting Lorenzo’s gaze.
They engaged in a stare down.
&n
bsp; Lorenzo turned to leave.
I thought my father would stop him, but he let him go, leaving me in the lion’s den.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Gia
After the engagement dinner, Sonny drove me home in complete silence. His body was stiff, his movements almost robotic. Not until we got to my house did he relax. Sonny walked me up to my bedroom, waited outside while I changed into my pajamas, and then sat on my bed with me.
“Why are you acting so weird?”
He looked away from me and sighed. “I’m not sure what to think anymore.”
I tugged on his shoulder to get him to look at me. “Talk to me. I’ve known you as long as Angelo. Don’t shut me out. You’re the only real friend I’ve ever had.”
He smiled and slipped his fingers between mine. “I don’t know what to tell you, G. Things are different. Times are changing. Some things I can’t tell you for your own good.”
“I hate being shut out. If I’m in danger, I would like to be made aware of the thing I should fear most.”
