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“Something tells me it wouldn’t have really mattered if I had said no.”
I gasp. “Dad!” I’ve never heard my dad speak like this—he was rough, firm,different.
“It’s okay, dolcezza,” Theo says, smiling at me. Then he looks directly at my father. “With all due respect, sir, no, your blessing would not have made a difference to me, but I’m sure it would have meant the world to Holly.”
My dad smiles. “Good, the last thing I need is for my daughter to be stuck with a fool missing his backbone.” Okay, I knew my dad would have changed. I mean, how can someone spend five years in prison andnotbe affected. But this man in front of me is completely different. My dad never would have said something like that before. I don’t even know how to respond.
* * *
An hour later, we exit the building. This is the part I’ve always hated the most: walking out and leaving my dad stuck behind those walls. I can’t imagine what he’s been through over the years. “Your dad looks good,” Theo says as he starts the car.
“Yeah.”
“Dolcezza, three more days, and he’s out of there. And you won’t ever have to come back to a place like this.”
“You can’t promise me that, T. Anything could happen in the future. We need to live for today, make the most of what we have now.” It saddens me to think that I could one day be visiting my husband in a place just like this. I’m not even sure how he’s managed to avoid ending up behind bars for so long. “How do you do it?” I ask him.
“Do what?”
“How do you get everyone to do your bidding? Wherever you go, people seem to know who you are, and they don’t ever question anything you do. You got my dad an early release, just like that.” I click my fingers together.
“It wasn’tjust like that, dolcezza. I paid off the right people. That’s all. It’s about knowing who to go to when you need to get shit done.”
I spin his words over in my head. He had to pay people off? Who? And how much? “Theo, how much did you have to pay to get my dad out?”
“Not as much as I was prepared to. I’d do anything for you, Holly.”
“I know that. But I’m curious. How much?”
T sighs. “Five hundred thousand.”
Five hundred thousand? That’s all it took? Reilly and I could have paid that if we knew the right people. “I can pay you back,” I say.
“You’re not fucking paying me back. Besides, my money is your money, Holly. So, really, I used your money to pay it anyway.” He smirks.
“That means my money is your money too. And it won’t matter if I transfer the remainder of my trust into your account.” I think I’ve managed to outsmart him. But I should know he’s always one step ahead.
“You could try. But it won’t work. Your money is your money, Holly. You’re not transferring it anywhere. Besides, I had my bank block any transfers from your account into mine, back when we first met and you were insisting on paying me for a fucking coffee.”
“How? What?” How does he do this?
“Dolcezza, I’m not fighting with you over money.”
“We’re not fighting, Theo. We are having a conversation.”
“We’re leaving at six tonight. Is there anything else you want to do before we fly out?” I chew on my lip and stare at him. There’s a lot I want to do with him,to him. Theo notices me eyeing him up. He laughs. “Unless you want me to pull this car over and fuck you right here, you need to stop looking at me like I’m your next meal.”
“As much as I want you to do just that, I think I should go and see my sister and mum before we leave. You don’t have to come with me if you have other things to do.”
He turns to me and shakes his head. “The only thing I have to do today is you, dolcezza.” He smirks. “So, where to first?”
“Reilly’s house.” I take out my phone and send her a text.
Me: I’m on my way to your house with T.
Reilly: Right now? Shit, okay.
Me: Can you get Mum to meet us at yours? I’m going to Italy with T tonight.
