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“We spoke on it. I have put my trust in her and if she says we’re good, then so be it. I have told her she’s my family now. To me, that means her family is also my family. This would include you. Therefore you’re always welcome at the compound. Anytime.”
He nods, looking straight ahead. “My illness it’s not going to get better.” His hand goes through his hair. I wasn’t sure how old he was, but I could see what she saw in him. A gentleness and wisdom things I do not have. Things I may never have, no matter how many books I read or years I live. I was a hard man, hot-tempered and mouthy. I can hear my people making their way to do as I had asked. His eyes follow me as I look around. “I would like to give you and Toney something. She would never accept it had I offered before, but if you agree, she just may as well.”
“So, you’re using me to bribe her. That woman doesn’t do a damn thing she doesn’t want, and you know it, but I can try and talk her into whatever. Though I would say if you want her to agree, use the kid.”
Gio nods. “Has she spoken of her past? Of her father?”
“Yes.”
“Then you know about Nana Marie?”
I look at Gio, confused. “She’s not mentioned that name.”
“My involvement with her little girl, though she is not quite so little anymore. Nana will be eighteen this year. She may make contact, may not, but if Toney is truly ready to be a mother, then you are going to need a safe space to accommodate all of you. I would like to give you all of this.” He motions toward the house. “Call it an engagement gift. It needs some work, which I will take care of, but once it is done, I would like you to have it. There are already many rooms, good rooms, for whatever you need.”
“I told her I would help take care of her daughter. Promised it. Though, I don’t believe taking your home is right.”
He lifts his hand. “I am alone here mostly. Tobey comes and goes, but after his reassignment, he is going to want more of his own space, he helps me, but I have already thought about leaving this house and going somewhere that I can get more help. I bought this house thinking I would have children and grandchildren, but when I found out about Parkinson’s, I chose to not have children as they don't know if it is hereditary or not. I would not risk passing this nightmare off. Take the place. I would rather it go to family than total strangers.”
“Fuck. If she kills the messenger, she’s going to be alone. Help is what you need? I can give you that. We have apartments at the compound and more help than one can handle, trust me.”
“Perhaps I’ll tak you up on that one day.” He smiles. “Ah, here’s my ride. Excuse me.” Taking his cane, he starts down the few steps as a Rolls Royce comes around the corner.
“Anytime,” I say more to myself than anyone else. This is a lonely man. I can see it. Even when I had all the pussy a man like me could want, I was still lonely.
I can hear my daughter babbling about as I begin to start carrying food out to load into cars. When we're on the last of it, Monroe stops me. “What the fuck did Sully do?”
“Did you know Finn wasn’t even eighteen?”
“Not until he told us, no. Though the way he speaks, I figured wet behind the ears.” He looks at me seriously. “Don’t put too much on Sully. He was following Calen’s objectives.”
“As soon as the vote was through, he should have informed me of all the fucking bullshit my unc—Calen did.”
Monroe scoffs. “When would you have liked that to happen? Seriously, we barely voted, and we got the message about Ciara. It’s been nuts since then, one thing after another. We’ve barely any time to breathe.”
“We’re never going to have time. Something is going to have to be done. Finn knows too fucking much. So we are either going to have to patch him or boot him. If we boot him, you know we can’t leave him to spill shit. We need the core of our table during the party to come to an agreement. Then we have church tomorrow, and we take a vote one way or the other. He’s just a fucking kid.”
“So were we, once upon a time.” Monroe clamps a hand on my shoulder. “So were we, though way I hear it, he’s got a scary-ass sister in Arizona. She took on the fucking Irish and Italians-and won.”
“For fuck’s sake!”
