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My stomach turned at the idea of our future kids being wrapped up in something so vile without their choice or knowledge.
“It ends today,” Dominic said with force, and I believed him. He hated this as much as I did, maybe even more.
He rolled to a stop at the curb, his usual spot, before shutting the engine off. I’d already texted my dad to let him know we were on our way, bringing a guest, and that we needed his help. I didn’t want to put too much in writing in case any of our text messages were eventually subpoenaed. What could I say? I’d watched a lot of cop shows, growing up.
The front door opened, and my dad peered outside, obviously too curious to wait. I didn’t miss the look of surprise on his face as soon as he noticed Dominic’s father getting out of the backseat.
“Get inside,” my dad instructed before waving us in and shutting the door behind us. “You never know who’s watching.”
“You sound as paranoid as he does,” Dominic said, referring to his father.
“That’s because we both know who the real enemy is,” my dad added, and I realized that the Firenzis were truly bad news.
“They’ll kill us,” Dominic’s father breathed out, clearly uncomfortable.
“They won’t,” my dad vehemently disagreed. “The Firenzis don’t go around, murdering people, regardless of what everyone here in Hopetown says. Rumors start like a match strike in a pile of dry hay. If it doesn’t get watered down, it turns into a blazing inferno of lies that grows and spreads until you have no idea what’s true and what isn’t.”
Dominic’s dad looked downright surprised. He’d believed that the Firenzis were capable of murder and had done so in the past, which was why he had taken their physical threats to heart. He’d truly thought Dominic’s life was in danger. I honestly couldn’t blame him. No one knew the facts when it came to that family, and everything was based on hearsay and old wives’ tales that people insisted were true.
“They threaten. They hurt. They might send you to the hospital with a broken rib or two, but they don’t tend to cross the line into murder. It’s too messy, and they have enough on their plates with their illegal businesses and making sure those run as smooth as possible. So far, they’ve been able to do just that.”
“You’re sure?” Dominic’s father asked, still unable to believe what he was hearing.
“I’m sure.”
“Dad,” I said, sounding small, and everyone’s eyes shifted toward where I was sitting.
“What is it, sweet pea?”
“I’ve always wondered about Mom and the accident. She wasn’t murdered, right?” I’d never come right out and asked him about it before. I figured the truth was too painful for him to talk about, but since we’d brought up the topic of murder and being murdered, it seemed like the right time.
“Oh, no, sweet pea. She wasn’t. It really was an accident. She swerved to avoid hitting a deer and lost control of the car. It was a freak accident. Most people wouldn’t have died from the impact alone, but she did. Sometimes, things happen that we have no explanation for. But no one had her killed, I promise you that.”
He emphasized the main point that I had asked, giving me a sense of peace I’d never realized how desperately I needed. The rumors had always circulated in the back of my mind and lived there, taking up space. Now, I could finally let them go.
“Thank you.”
“Now, tell me what’s going on. Why are you three here? Although I don’t hate seeing this reunion”—he wagged his finger between Dominic and me with a smile on his face—“at least tell me it means what I think it does.”
“It does,” Dominic said without needing to further explain.
He and I were back together, where we belonged, and nothing was ever going to change that again.
“One thing before we get started.” My dad took a seat at the kitchen table, and we all followed suit. “I never got the chance to thank you for what you did.”
He looked directly at Dominic’s father, a man I knew he couldn’t stand, and extended his hand. The two men shook, and I wondered how many times that had ever happened before today. They gave each other a nod, a silent understanding passing between them that, right here and now, we were all on the same side.
As we sat around the table, answering all my dad’s questions and filling in the blanks, my dad actually looked happy. Or maybe it was relieved.
“We’ve been working on them for years, you know? We’ve always been missing the one piece that would hold it all together. The glue, so to speak. Otherwise, we knew the case would fall apart during trial.”
“What about me?” Dominic’s father asked, clearly worried about his own neck.
“We know you’ve done things like grant them permits, got closed buildings to reopen, and allowed them to have access to multiple inaccessible private properties. But those are all basically misdemeanors on their own. If you testify against them, I can get any potential and future charges against you dropped with no jail time.”
“Will I have to give up my office?”
Dominic’s dad was always worried about his reputation and prestige. If he had to step down, I knew he would spin it in a way that still made him sound like a good guy who was doing it for all the right reasons even though he wasn’t.
