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I sigh. He’s right. I owe him a little more context than that.
I decide to start off by telling him about my not so little offer to Mimi and her restaurant. When I finish he shakes his head at me and gives me an incredulous glare.
“Jesus Salvatore. Three million for a fucking restaurant that you won’t even be investing in?” he quirks a brow. “That’s a very expensive gift.”
“It’s Mimi,” I answer and it’s enough.
“Yeah, it’s Mimi. Jesus Salvatore…” a tentative expression washes over his face and he drags in a deep breath. “The thing with Gabe was bad… wasn’t it?”
I bite the inside of my lip. “Yeah. I… can’t talk about it Vincent.”
“Maybe I can…”
I narrow my gaze. “What do you mean?”
“Last year when Sorcha and I were trying for kids and nothing was happening, Sorcha had a lot of doctors’ appointments. Fertility shit. She told me she saw Mimi at the clinic.”
“Really?” It’s weird hearing that and strange coincidence that Sorcha saw Mimi.
Vincent nods slowly. Vincent and Sorcha had been trying for kids for years and didn’t even tell us until they were well into her fifth month of pregnancy that they were expecting. They’d had a lot of problems along the way. Their son, Timothy, is two months old now, but he was born premature. They keep calling him their miracle baby.
“She said it looked like she’d just had an appointment with a midwife,” he continues. “And Mimi looked happy. She never saw Sorcha, and my girl didn’t say anything. She’s good like that, knows when to keep a secret.”
My breath stills. I find it hard to believe that Mimi had all that going on and I wasn’t a part of it.
Sadness fills Vincent’s eyes. “She was pregnant wasn’t she? With Gabe’s child?”
I look away then back to him. Vincent has a way of being too damn insightful, makes it hard to keep things from him.
“Yeah.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything. Remember it was me who told you. I didn’t get to where I am today by being a schmuck who doesn’t pay attention, Salvatore. I think the minute you landed the first punch on Gabe I knew. I wasn’t sure though, then after you left that night it all came together in my head. I put two and two together.”
“I know I shouldn’t have lashed out like that at him. I couldn’t help it, Vincent.”
“Bro… I won’t be the guy to tell you that. I would have done the same and this is Gabe we’re talking about. My brother too. You know I will give my life for my family. I’mmafiosothat way, but shit is shit and I would have acted the same, doesn’t mean it was right. It was just your way of getting justice.”
I sigh. “Thanks for understanding. I appreciate it. I just wish it didn’t happen… made things bad for me.”
“Take it easy on Mimi, Salvatore. You don’t need to tell me specifics. I was there on the journey last year and saw what Gabe was like. She’s hurt, give her time. I guess though that you got your foot in the door with your very expensive gift.”
I chuckle. “It wasn’t about the gift though Vin. Honestly I’m a little surprised she didn’t come to me in the first place. Her father was never going to help her like that.”
“No… he wouldn’t. All my dealings with him, I never liked that guy. Pa thinks the sun shines from his fucking ass because he gets all the classy clients but fuck… I don’t trust him. But you know me, I do what Pa tells me and if he trusts a fucker I have to trust him too.”
I never knew Vincent had such strong feelings toward Mimi’s father.
“Me too,” I agree. I don’t have to speak to him but in the past I’ve always had to make the effort not to show my dislike.
It started at Mimi’s mother’s funeral. The man just left her with the nanny by the graveside. It was that moment that I lost respect for him. He left her because he was so distraught over his wife’s death that he had to leave his little girl by herself.
Me and the boys stayed with her. All of us.
Frankie, Vincent, Gabe, Nick and me. It was the five of us as always.
It rained and it poured and Mimi cried along with the storm. All the while I held her hand.
“That guy is just uptight because we own his ass. But hey, it’s his daughter you’re interested in. So…you don’t have to worry about the old man.” Vincent chuckles.
