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My mother is quiet for so long I wonder if she’s hung up. Finally, she sighs. “Your father is lucky he’s lived as long as he has. It isn’t the reason I thought he would die, but I’m not surprised.”
I gasp so hard and fast I choke. “What? You told me to honor him. To do as he says. Now you’re saying it’s not a big deal he’s…”
“I told you to honor him to keep him from becoming angry and hurting you. Your father wants to use me being deported as the excuse he let his addiction to cocaine overwhelm him, it’s a lie. For the last three years, he’s been wrapped up in a woman. He let his business fall, he spent millions on her, all for her to steal even more and disappear. For the things he’s done against the Outfit, he should’ve been dead a year ago.”
Without realizing it I use her words against her. “How could you not tell me?”
“Because it’s not for you to know. There’s nothing you could do. I hoped Eddie would protect you from what was happening. When he died, I was so worried about you. I’m glad it’s Manuel in the end. He will be a good husband for you.” My mother chuckles from happiness. It’s something she does telling me how happy she is, as if the joy won’t fit inside her.
A different warmth fills me as I tell her goodbye. For her happiness alone, I’ll marry Manuel… I’m a liar. I’m not marrying him for anyone but me. I roll over, wondering if I can get more sleep, but my stomach grumbles for food.
I go downstairs to find my father has left. I’m to pack up my life and prepare to leave for Colombia on Friday. Handing the house phone back to Harriet, I thank her for passing the messages along.
“Can I get a grilled cheese and some of your yummy tomato-basil soup, please?”
“Yes, of course.” Harriet appears to hesitate. Before I can ask her why, she’s gone.
When I sit down in the dining room, waiting for her to bring everything in, I sigh. I wonder if Manuel will have rules like my father. I wasn’t allowed to go into the kitchen and sit with the housekeeper or cook. My father refused my mom permission to teach me how to cook since no husband I would marry better expect me to cook or he wasn’t good enough to marry me.
Harriet sets down the tray she had everything on in front of me. She begins slowly transferring everything to the table, including the sweet tea I love and forgot to ask for. “With you leaving, I was hoping I could ask you for a reference for finding a new position.”
“Of course. I’ll ask around to see if someone is looking for a new housekeeper as well.” I don’t press her about staying with my father.
Before my mother left, we had both a cook and another maid besides Harriet. Now, we’re only down to Harriet. If my father was still entertaining the way he did before she left, Harriet wouldn’t have been able to cope with the large house alone. I approved a cleaning service to come in once a week to do all the cleaning Harriet couldn’t do by herself. “Is there somewhere you’ve heard of?”
She shakes her head. “No, but I’ve only put the word out today. It’s early yet.”
“If you do, let me know, and I’ll talk you up as much as I can,” I assure her.
Looking around the empty, large dining room, I feel the emptiness of not just the dining room but the house closing in on me.
* * *
Manuel
Leaving Richie alive is the last thing I want. The only thing I like less is leaving Nicolette behind. All I want to do is carry her away to keep her all to myself. If Dominic hadn’t shown up, I would still be in bed with Nicolette—no doubt in my mind.
It’s for that reason I keep walking away. This craving for her has to be controlled. It will be easier to do with her not within arm’s reach. When she is, I can’t fucking think straight.
I work my phone to ensure everything is prepared for her arrival. Talking to her mother is my last call. Gabrielle Angelo is a Colombian mother through and through. I’m warned of all the ways my life will come to a painful end if I hurt her daughter. Then I’m yelled at for not giving Nicolette the wedding ceremony of her dreams, before she finally complimented me for being thoughtful enough to approve another ceremony in Medellin without any expense spared.
A press of the button sends the gate open. I drive into the small backyard. Entering the house, I key in the code for the alarm. My phone rings as I toss my keys on the counter.
“Hey,hermano, don’t forget. While you’re there leave cash for the housekeeper.” Felix is talking the moment I answer.
“Why am I leaving her cash?” I toss the cash he told me to leave on the marble island in the kitchen.
“Because I don’t trust her with a card, even prepaid. Catherine is still pissy about handling my requests after I bitched her out for the crappy maid she hired. The damn fresh herb garden is dead after the last cold snap. She needs to buy it all new again. And instead of doing it in the window boxes, she’s going to set up the water grow system. Did you see the girl? You gonna lock her down?”
I roll my eyes, him and his damn fresh herbs. He can tell if it’s fresh or not, and he’s killed a chef for lying to him. Catherine handles our homes around the world, and because she’s been with us since we were kids, she has no problem treating Felix like the pain in the ass he is.
“Yes and yes. I’ll be sitting down with her father tomorrow to settle the contract. Once it’s done, I’m going to kill him. I told Dominic Sabatini, and he agrees.”
He blows out air that might be a laugh. “Sure your prospective new bride is loving that.”
“She understands if it’s not me, it will be someone else. The man is unraveling. It’s embarrassing. In the end, his death will be to her benefit.” I’m annoyed at him reminding me of Nicolette telling me she could never forgive me for killing her father. It’s fine, we had sex less than five minutes after she said it.
“Hmm…sounds a little too understanding. Since you just went into the house and you’ve been in Chicago a few days, it means you’re staying in the Levin brothel. How understanding is she going to be about that?”
