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I tried not to seem too eager as I waited for him to tell me something, anything.
“Carla’s in some sort of in-patient facility for the next six months.”
I blinked as I processed that information. “I thought that the lawyer was cutting a deal. Caleb admitted his guilt.” After the recording was uncovered, Caleb admitted his part in what happened to the Moreno family. He pleaded guilty and agreed to no trial. It was the best thing he’d ever done for Carla and probably himself.
I suspected if he’d been free, he would have found himself facing some sort of accident.
“Carla agreed to six months of therapy and rehab.” I opened my mouth to argue, but my father lifted his hand to stop me. “Moreno agreed to it. He could have fought it harder, but I think they both believe that it’s for the best.”
He clicked his tongue. “She’s been through a lot.”
That wasn’t the half of it.
I didn’t say anything further. There wasn’t anything left to discuss. Carla wanted me to put our relationship in the past, and though I didn’t agree that we needed to do that, I couldn’t ignore her wishes.
Because at the end of the day, Carla wasn’t wrong, she’d been through more than most people, and she deserved to heal. It was selfish to not acknowledge that.
“I didn’t stay behind to talk about Carla.”
I turned my attention back to my father. “I didn’t think you did.” My stomach twisted in knots, as I wondered what the hell he was going to say next. The only reason I was even being allowed to attend school was because of what happened. Both my father and uncle believed that it was best for everyone involved to get away from New York.
Even though I was cleared, I was on the radar of the NYPD, which was not a place any of us needed to be, especially after what happened with Luca last fall.
“Your uncle and I have been talking.”
“Oh?” I kept my voice steady.
There was a tight smile on my father’s face. “We’ve decided it’s best if you consider stepping away from the family business.”
Shock. I was shocked. Whatever I’d been thinking my father might say, it wasn’t that.
“I managed to get my hands on the recording that Carla took,” he paused, “Ezra Wright was helpful in that.”
“And?”
The fingers that were on my shoulder tightened. “And I know that you don’t want this life. You convinced Carla to spare Caleb because you didn’t want her to be like me or her father.”
There was grief in his voice. I opened my mouth to refute what he was saying, but he shook his head.
“I don’t want you to be like me. I don’t want you to spend your life in the mud. I did everything I could to make sure that didn’t happen, and somewhere along the way I forgot that.” He looked away, overcome with emotion. “Or maybe I just didn’t want to lose you.”
Never before had I seen my father show so much emotion, especially toward me. So, I did the only thing I could, I embraced my father. “Thank you.”
We embraced briefly before pulling away, neither of us comfortable with such displays.
“But that doesn’t mean you can just use my money to screw about.” He discretely wiped his eyes. “You better study. I was kidding about the parties.”
I laughed. “You don’t have to worry about me.”
He smiled at me, and for the first time, there was pride in his eyes. Pride, not because I was responsible or the perfect enforcer, but simply because I was his son.
“You’re going to be okay.”
I nodded.
“And if you are not, you can always come to me. You don’t have to be perfect, and I’m sorry for every time that I made you feel as though you had to be.”
There was nothing that I could say. His words choked me, so all I did was nod.
