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“It’s nice to hear your voice again,” he drawled, and my stomach roiled with nausea. I sat back and tore my eyes to the calendar. It was the year he was first eligible for parole. He’d done eight years of hard time before the possibility of getting out was granted to him and as I listened to the silence on the other end of the line, a cold fear started rising from the tips of my toes at the likelihood that he could or would get out.
“I’ve been reading all about you in the newspapers for years now, my girl,” he continued.
I wasn’t his girl. I was no one’s girl.
“Have you now?” I ventured carefully. I cocked the phone against my ear and leaned back in my chair. I did everything in my power to remain professional even though his voice struck a chord of hatred deep inside me that refused to go away.
“I’ve heard all about your fancy new office from your pretty little assistant, Jenny,” he said boldly, and I froze.
“What do you mean?” I asked as my eyes flashed to the blonde head flouncing into the elevator. Her eyes met mine once more and she grinned knowingly.
Fucking hell.
“Oh, Jenny? She works for me. She’s done you a few favors now, hasn’t she? She got you that meeting with Harris Realty so you could build a fancy new school in the middle of Manhattan. Not only that, but with that ritzy group that wants to sponsor education for the poor and needy kids, right?” he pushed.
My blood ran even colder.
“You didn’t think she was doing that on her own, did you?” he accused.
Fuck him.
“What do you want?” I asked coldly.
“I scratch your back, Keri, you scratch mine. I called in a few favors for you and now you’ll call in a few for me,” he demanded.
“I’m not going to help you,” I answered.
“I’m going to tell you how this is going to go. You’re going to accept a few donations from a few new businesses in the city. You’ll take those names and add them to whatever lists you need to ensure that no one ever takes a second look at them. You’ll use whatever connections you got to make sure that people look the other way when they have large payments come in from Mexico or Jamaica or Grand Cayman or wherever the fuck they come from and you’ll do it in a way that ensures that I remain in business for a long time,” he said, his voice hard. There wasn’t an ounce of emotion in that voice, just unabashed danger and expectation that only a monster like him was capable of.
“I can’t do that,” I replied, still keeping my voice as strong as I dared.
“You will, daughter. You abso-fucking-lutely will do everything I ask unless you want to wind up dead,” he said.
I swallowed heavily.
“Look at the desk in front of you. Tell me what you see,” he instructed and there was something decidedly evil in his tone that made my blood run cold as ice.
I did what he said and looked down. There was a tiny red laser dot on my desk. I watched it move side to side and I finally turned to look out of the corner of my office. Through that window, I could see a man in the neighboring building.
He was holding a massive sniper rifle and as that laser flickered across my chest, I knew that I was just a trigger pull away from death.
“Do you see it, daughter?” my father asked, and I froze there in my chair, awash in chilling fear that refused to abate.
“I see it,” I replied, my voice devoid of all emotion.
“A long time ago, I told you that you were expendable, that anyone could be replaced, even a kingpin’s daughter. I didn’t need you to marry the Battistas. I could take them myself if I wanted to, but that was a long time ago, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. A long time ago,” I echoed.
“I’ve had a long time to think about what I would do when I got out,” he murmured.
“You’re out on parole,” I breathed.
“That I am. They let me out on good behavior. I have to wear this stupid ankle bracelet, but it’s nice to fucking walk the streets of New York again,” he went on.
“I see.”
“You know, the view of Central Park you have is great and all, but there’s nothing like walking through the park itself, ya know. Why don’t you look out your window and wave at your father? It’s been a long time since you’ve seen me, especially since you never took the time to visit me in prison, you goddamn ungrateful bitch,” he spat.
