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“It will be fun to see you try.”
His idea to meet him at the Belmont Lake State Park was clever, a location not only near where my father lived, but with a large enough lake and plenty of room to hide his soldiers. Plus, there wouldn’t be as much of a presence from law enforcement to interrupt our business meeting.
As soon as I was off the phone, Brando moved closer.
“Where’s the meet?” he asked.
“Belmont Lake State Park. One hour.”
“The men are ready. Are you calling the Russians?”
I thought about his question. “Yeah, but not until we’re ready. We leave in fifteen minutes. I have a few things to do.”
“Understood. The plan is in motion.”
The plan. At this point, everything could go wrong.
As I rounded the corner to the kitchen, the sight of her standing at the edge of one of the islands was as chilling as it was breathtaking. I could tell by her face that she’d sensed I had some news.
Cassidy remained silent as I walked toward her, trying to find the right words to keep her from losing her mind while I was gone. I had no intentions of dying on this day, but the plan was in motion to ensure the child returned safely no matter what happened.
She was trying to keep from falling apart, her jaw as strong as ever, but I could see the tears forming in her eyes and there was the same nervous tic I’d noticed on the night I’d met her. As she wrapped her finger around a tuft of hair, the monster inside of me returned to the surface.
“He called,” she said, holding her head high.
“He did. It’s almost over, baby.”
“Are you certain of that, Valentin?”
I cupped her face, holding my breath as she closed her eyes, allowing me to caress her skin. “You need to trust me, my sweet angel. More now than ever. Can you do that?”
“I do trust you, but I know that when life isn’t precious to someone, they won’t understand the pain others go through for the loss. This man doesn’t care about my daughter. He only wants revenge. Isn’t that the way of the mafia? The only thing that matters?”
Her words cut through me more easily than any sharp knife. The truth was she was right. But things had changed. “Just know that she will be brought home.” As I lowered my head, pressing my lips across hers, when she pressed her hands against my chest, I pulled her to me, holding her as close as possible.
I’d been brought up a Catholic, my mother insisting that her children have faith. In my mind, it was the only way she’d allowed herself to care for my father, accepting his line of work. She believed that if there was goodness in our hearts, then God would never forsake us.
Sadly, I’d accepted the fact that there was no salvation for ruthless beasts like me. Then Cassidy had entered my life and my world. Whatever happened, she would see that her goodness had brought me some light.
She clung to me even after I pulled away, staring down at my bloodstained chest and finally looking away.
“I need to go, but you won’t be alone. You will be protected by several of my men. My mother will be here, and my sister should stop by in an hour or so.”
“How will I know if you’re dead or alive?”
“You’ll know, Cassidy. You’ll know.”
As I walked toward the doorway, I looked back, soaking in every inch of her, my heart aching.
Then as I turned my head, fisting my hand, I shut it all down.
The emotions.
The love.
The need.
The passion.
There was only one thing that I needed to concentrate on and that’s exactly what I was planning on doing.
Then all hell would break loose.
