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“Do I have any other choice?” Veronica asked. Gibson didn’t answer her. She heard his retreating footsteps. Veronica hauled herself up. She took a quick shower. She didn’t want to face her father in her dusty traveling clothes. Veronica put on a comfortable white sweater, an old pair of jeans, and some thick socks.
After combining her hair, she headed to her father’s study. The door remained partially open, an invitation for her to enter. She knocked first, before joining her father in his office. Arturo sat in the chair behind his desk.
She was surprised to find him out of his suit. Her old man looked terribly small, dwarfed by the leather chair and the robe he wore. Cancer had left its mark on him, Veronica thought. She glanced at the salad and soup on his desk.
Noticing her stare, he finally spoke. “These days, soup and salad are all I can handle. I can ask the chef to prepare something else for you if you’d like.”
“This is fine. I’m not particularly hungry tonight.” They ate in silence for a few minutes. A normal father would ask his daughter about aspects of her life. Of course, he probably wasn’t interested in the life she led outside of the Familia.
“Time is no longer my ally, Veronica,” Arturo finally said. He pushed his half-finished soup aside and studied her.
“Father, why did you really call me back home?” she asked.
“Can’t an old man wish to spend his last few remaining months with his only daughter?” Arturo asked. When Veronica said nothing, he continued,“After the car accident, you locked yourself in your room and refused to speak to anyone for days. Do you remember?”
“Accident? You mean after Mom and the twins were murdered? Father, you don’t have to choose your words with care anymore. I’m no longer a child,” Veronica couldn’t help but say.
“Yes,” Arturo said tiredly. Veronica noticed the dark shadows under his puffy eyes and wondered if he had trouble sleeping lately. Arturo continued, “Once you found your voice again, you liked reminding me how I failed to protect our family.”
“I just lost my mother and brothers. It was only natural I acted out,” Veronica conceded.
She wondered where this conversation was going. Arguing with her father every single time he brought up a point wouldn’t lead her anywhere. Veronica decided to listen to what he wanted to say.
“I failed your mother and brothers and I might be dying, but at the very least I will ensure your survival. Someone must carry the Romano family name,” Arturo said briskly.
Color seemed to return to his drawn and haggard face. A trick of the light, Veronica thought.
She pondered his words carefully, then asked,“What do you mean by that?”
Here it comes, she thought. He was going to bring up marriage. Veronica’s parents’ nuptials had been arranged by their families. Her mother was the daughter of a prominent Greek mafia boss. Their union was meant to strengthen ties between their two families. After her mother was killed, her grandfather cut all ties to her father.
“Do you remember my good friend Nikolai?” her father asked.
Arturo was referring to Nikolai Baranov. Veronica conjured the image of the pale-haired, hard-eyed six-foot-seven Nikolai. Some Bratva men looked like thugs wearing monkey suits but despite his numerous tattoos, Veronica always thought Nikolai looked like a beautiful killer in a suit.
The Baranov Bratva were one of the Romano Familia’s oldest allies. Nikolai had taken over the leadership of his family after the old Pakhan had died. She knew that much.
Veronica had a massive crush on Nikolai in her teens. Many of her father’s visitors hardly paid any attention to her. Veronica felt like a ghost most of the time. Nikolai was the only one who had really seen her.
She shivered, not from the cold in the room but from an old memory. She always played hide-and-seek with her imaginary friend Silvia in her father’s office. Needing to pee, Veronica remembered slipping into her father’s private bathroom. After she was done with her business, her father and Nikolai entered the office. Her father hadn’t noticed she was there, but Nikolai had given her a knowing wink. Veronica remembered her entire body feeling hot that time. Back then, she didn’t understand what her body was telling her.
“What about him?” Veronica finally asked after realizing her father hadn’t said anything more.
Her heart began racing dangerously fast. Why did her father bring up Nikolai? For some reason, she imagined herself walking down the aisle in her wedding dress, to Nikolai. Wait. What was she thinking? Nikolai was twice her age. She bet he still looked gorgeous, but Veronica doubted someone like Nikolai would want an inexperienced bride like her. Veronica needed to focus, to hear what her father was telling her.
“This is a delicate topic,”her father finally said.“Perhaps we should continue this conversation tomorrow morning. I had a long day at work and you must be exhausted after being on the road so long.”
Veronica frowned when a red dot appeared in the middle of her father’s forehead. It took her a second to realize what it was.
“Father, get down!” Veronica yelled but it was too late.
Arturo Romano’s face had turned into a pulverized red mess. A ragged groan of protest tore out of her throat, then a scream.
Chapter Two
Nikolai Baranov tapped his fingers impatiently on his desk and stared at his black computer screen. He wondered how Arturo’s dinner was going.
His old friend told him Veronica was coming home today. Arturo promised he would tell his daughter the arrangements he had made with Nikolai. How that conversation would turn out, Nikolai didn’t know. He could leave his office. His associates often remarked that Nikolai worked too much. Maybe they were right. Nikolai could leave the office and head back to his million-dollar penthouse suite, to his quiet and empty home.
