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I did have rose-colored glasses on when it came to Donato. That tended to happen when someone always had your back or at least made you think they did. Now that a seed of doubt had been planted, it was amazing how quickly it took root.
I’d been betrayed by my own flesh and blood. Donato could easily do the same to Vinny. Or he could do it to me. He’d said he wanted to give me a way out. I wanted that too. But what we wanted didn’t matter. Questioning Donato’s motives today didn’t change what I had to do. I owed it to him to see this through.
I stood in the center of the warehouse, the past flooding my mind as a reminder of why I could trust no one before I could stop it.
“Son,I have somewhere I want to take you.” My father used that smile he wore right before he conned someone. It was cunning, enticing, and I knew better than to fall for it. But what if this time it was genuine? He never called me son. Maybe today things were going to change. Maybe we’d be like a real father and son should be.
“Where are we going?”
“To take care of a little business. Thought you’d like to see what your old man does. You’re grown,” he said, slinging an arm over my shoulders, his eyes shining with what looked like pride. I’d never seen that before from him. “Maybe you’ll want to follow in my footsteps.”
“Sure,” I said, and he squeezed my shoulder, his grin widening. If I worked with him, we could be closer. He wouldn’t ignore me. And he’d look at me with pride all the time.
We climbed into his car and drove toward the city. He asked me about school. We talked about sports. He said he’d seen how I threw a pitch, and if I kept that up, I’d be headed for the major leagues. I couldn’t hide my surprise, and a warm spot began to grow in my chest. It had never been like this between us, not in all my fifteen years. This was what I’d always wanted. Just to hang out. Talk. Have him pay attention to me.
When we arrived in a seedy-looking area of the Bronx down by the docks, unease slithered down my spine. I didn’t like it here, but my dad wore an expression that said we’d just arrived at Coney Island for a day of fun.
“You ready?” he asked. I nodded, but I had no idea what to be ready for. We got out of the car and walked toward what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse.
He pulled on a metal door, sliding it back. I hesitated, fighting the urge to run. I told myself this was what I had to do to be closer to my dad. I stepped inside, and the door closed behind me with a loud creak.
In the center of the room, a single light hung from the ceiling. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, but I couldn’t see the periphery of the building. I didn’t like it. It felt like there were people watching from the shadows.It’s not like that,I convinced myself. This was business. My father wouldn’t bring me into harm’s way.
A man stood under the light. He had on a suit that looked expensive, which he filled out with muscle. Despite his salt and pepper hair, and the wrinkles around his mouth and eyes, he was no old man. There was a presence about him. He demanded respect and instilled fear. I stayed rooted in the doorway, shivering when his gold tooth glinted in the light. I’d never met anyone like him, and I hoped never to again. My father shoved me forward. I shuffled my feet until we stood right in front of the man. He towered over me, and I wasn’t short. I tilted my head back, the hairs on my nape standing when our eyes met.
My father stepped back. I clenched my hands into fists at my sides to hide their trembling. The man didn’t speak, appeared to inspect me, though for what, I didn’t know. I swallowed hard, uncomfortable under his microscopic gaze. The man seemed content to keep me under it for as long as he pleased.
My instincts screamed for me to get away. My brain knew that it was too late.
“Do you know who I am?” he finally asked, and I shook my head, unable to speak. “I’m the man who owns you.”
I roaredas I recalled the words spoken to me in this very spot. “No one owns me!” I shouted to the emptiness, the sound bouncing off the walls.Except her.
Vivian.
God, I needed her right now. She’d calm me. Settle the turbulence. I needed to feel her around me.
You can’t have her.
I roared again in frustration. I’d had to give up my safe place in her. Deep down, I’d always known the life I’d lived would take her away from me, but I was having a harder time accepting it than I’d anticipated. I needed to see her, but I had to stay away. Be the man she needed me to be. One strong enough to let her go.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Vivian
Present
At six-thirty themorning after our joyride, Stone met me in the lobby of the Four Seasons wearing a baseball cap, and we snuck out the back entrance to his waiting SUV. I hadn’t considered that he couldn’t go anywhere anonymously when I arranged a place to meet up, but he was a good sport about it. We made it out unnoticed.
“Where are we off to at this early hour?” he asked once we were settled in the back seat. I gave the driver the Warren Street address of Muriella’s apartment, but if Stone recognized it, he didn’t say anything.
“You’ll see,” I said. “Any bold ideas on how to fix my problem?”
“That’s why I’m really here?” he said gravely, pretending to be wounded by putting a hand over his heart.
“In about twenty-five minutes you’ll find out why you’re here,” I corrected, and he grinned. Stone had a killer smile and was handsome as hell. He was built like a cowboy, and damn if he didn’t look good in a pair of jeans. The ones he had on that morning fit him like a glove. I was going to be mopping up Muriella’s drool.
Stone was a salt-of-the-earth kinda guy, didn’t disrespect women. “I got nothing, Vivian.” He sounded genuinely regretful. “If we could figure out what triggered this, then I think we’d have a better shot at getting you back where you belong.”
