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“Then one year a big drug cartel tried to move into the city. They were cocky and arrogant and came in with a total disregard for the people already there. Their leader agreed to meet with me, but it was simply a tactic to distract me in their volley for more territory and power,” I continued.
I paused as the painful memories took ahold of me. To this day, it was still difficult to talk about. She looked up at me with concern and her fingers clutched a little more tightly at the scorched fabric of my shirt.
“The leader had arranged for a hitman to kill both my son and my wife in cold blood at the same time I met with him,” I said softly.
“I’m so sorry, Cyrus,” she whispered. “I didn’t know.”
“I know, sweet girl. It was many years ago and I got my revenge in the end,” I answered.
“What was she like?” she asked.
I cupped the back of her head with my palm. Without pause, I kissed the top of her scalp and she snuggled in closer to me.
“Her name was Isabel. She was a powerhouse, brave and confident. She had a fiery temper, but the endless capacity to love. When she had my son, it softened her in ways I hadn’t expected, and I loved her even more than I ever thought possible. In some ways, you remind of her,” I explained.
“How?”
“When you smile, your eyes light up and this cute little dimple reveals itself on the left side of your face. She used to have one on either side.”
I brushed my thumb against the spot on her cheek, smiling as I thought of both the past and the present.
“And what about your son? What was his name?” she asked next.
“Henry. He was a sweet boy. He was only seven years old when he died, but he had the makings of a little politician right from the start,” I murmured. I couldn’t hide the sadness from my voice.
“I’m so very sorry. What happened to the men that killed them?”
“After I found out about their deaths, I buried them, took a single week to grieve, and then I went to war with the drug cartel. My soldiers were strong. The other families of New York stood along with me. My allies were powerful, and we destroyed them, but I lost many men in the process too. My business took several hits and instead of rebuilding it from the ground up, I retired,” I explained.
“And the hitman?”
“I killed him myself, along with the sorry excuse for a human being that was the cartel leader.”
“I hope you didn’t give them a quick death,” she spat angrily.
I looked back at her with surprise, falling for her even harder because of it. “I didn’t.”
“Good,” she replied proudly.
For several moments, the two of us were quiet. She appeared contemplative and I didn’t push her any further, knowing that my story was a heavy one to grapple with.
“Where are we going now?” she finally asked.
“I’m taking you to an old friend. He’ll watch over you while I find Anthony,” I replied.
“James?”
“Yes. He used to be one of my closest allies. He also retired, but I don’t think he’s stepped back from that world as much as I did.”
She looked out the window, going quiet again for a while.
“There’s something else I’m wondering about,” she began.
“Ask me,” I coaxed her.
She smiled softly, searching my face before she spoke again. “Why a pizza place? It seems awfully random for someone like you.”
“To honor my Isabel. When we first met, I’d taken her to the best pizza place in the city. The little thing had boasted about her pizza making abilities. I dared her to make it for me on our second date, not really believing her and thinking she was just showing off. She’d been right though. Hers was better and she made me admit it by the end of the night,” I said, wandering down memory lane. I sighed, remembering the way her face had lit up when I’d told her how good it had been.
