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“I’ve got a kitten,” I warn her. She sighs and backs away to stand in the doorway. “The kitty’s new mommy gave it to me. She’s a weird lady. Too busy and stressed to feed and watch it until it’s ready to go home with her. So she’s giving me the car to get around in. She found out I’m walking to and from work. The kitten isn’t allowed to get cold.”
Carina shakes her head. “That is some rich white people shit. Won’t take care of the cat but spends thousands for someone else to do it.”
I laugh. “I guess.”
“Why was it here though? I thought you were supposed to drive it to work?” Her forehead crinkles.
I sigh at the sight—she’s too young for it to do that. Lying to protect her is the easiest thing I’ll do every day of my life. “I tried to argue with her I didn’t need it, but she got mad. Threatened to pull the donation she gave for charity. I’ll take it I guess. Until it’s time to give her the kitten.”
“Huh, okay.” She yawns. “So what did Carlo say about the money?”
I shake my head.
She sighs. “I’m sorry. This is bullshit. What are you going to do?”
Shrugging, “It’s community college and vet tech, I guess.”
Another sigh. “I wish to hell I could help you.”
“It’s fine. I knew it wouldn’t happen.” I paste a smile on my face, doing my best to pretend I wouldn’t cry myself to sleep over the loss of my dream.
Chapter4
Celia
Only I couldn’t letit go. When I told Hank, the owner and vet for the clinic I worked at, who knew my dream was to one day work with him then take over his clinic, he offered to pay for half of my school as a loan without interest. He saw it as an investment because he wanted me to take over. His son is a pediatrician in the far west suburbs. He hadn’t made any other connections to partner with and didn’t want the practice to close when he was ready to retire in ten years or so.
If that was true, then maybe, just maybe, I could get Carlo to give me the rest. So more than a week after I met with Carlo, I demanded another meeting with him. Yes, I had to ask for a meeting with him.
The bastard put me off for four days.
He was in a bad mood the minute I walked through the door. “What do you want now, Celia?”
I took a deep breath, trying not to lose my temper. “The owner of the vet clinic is willing to pay for half of my school. All I need is ten thousand. Please, Carlo—”
He scoffed. “What the fuck I gotta tell you? I’m not paying for school. It doesn’t matter if it’s ten or five grand. Shut the fuck up about it.”
“Why can’t you help me for once in your fucking life?” I hated that I was crying in front of him. I wasn’t sad; I was frustrated I couldn’t kill him.
“Sonny! Get her the fuck out of here.” Carlo shouted to one of his soldiers.
“I’m your daughter, you asshole! I’m not a fucking lackey for you to toss out when—” Sonny grabbed me by the arm and started dragging me out of Carlo’s office.
I couldn’t believe it. “I hate your fucking guts. My greatest hope is you get cancer like Johnny and it eats away at your body too!”
Sonny let me go when he closed Carlo’s office behind us. Anger firing me up, I pushed hard against him. I managed to catch him off guard and he went into the wall.
Another of Carlo’s soldiers, Al was there and laughed at him. “She almost took your ass out.”
Sonny backhanded me across the face, sending me off my feet. The blow left me stunned, my ears ringing. While I was out of it, he grabbed me by the arm again and shoved me out of the house, then slammed the door and locked me out.
I fell, still stunned. My mother appeared at my side. Sighing, she muttered, “Why do you have to fight with him? You shouldn’t say such things to him. He’s your father.”
Her words hurt worse than the blow from Sonny. I blinked back tears caused by her—not Sonny. “Why do you never fight for me? He says awful shit to me all the time. You never say a word until I say them back. If he were my father he would give a shit about me. But he doesn’t and neither do you.”
“Celia, please, you don’t understand.” She grabbed my arm to help me up.
I shook her off. “No, I don’t understand. I don’t understand why it’s always Carlo. How come it’s never me or Carina, even one time?”
