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“Hey,” I said, pulling Nick’s attention. “How are you?”
“I’m good, I’m good, honey. How you doin’, sweetheart?” Nic was born and raised in Brooklyn, and his old-school New York accent made De Niro sound like a phony. “Who’s this fella?”
I shook my head. “Just a friend. Brandon and I work together in Boston.”
Nick regarded Brandon with a raised brow, and the thick muscles of his arms flexed a little more as he polished his glass. He was one of those men who could turn any number of kitchen chores into a threat. “Friend, huh?”
Brandon only sat there stone-faced. I recognized the display. It was the way certain types of men get when they’re not willing to give first.
“Friend,” he repeated with hardened eyes and tightened jaw.
“I hope so, I hope so,” Nick said before turning back to me. “You got a minute, kid?”
Brandon frowned in concern.
“I’ll just be a second.” I stood up and followed Nick back to the bar.
“So, listen, honey,” Nick said as he took his place behind the bar. He leaned over the top so his big face was closer to mine. “I don’t want to worry you, but I thought you should know.”
My stomach dropped. There was only one issue that Nick would preface that way. I had hoped it was done for good the last time.
I traced a water stain with my fingertip. “Is it Victor?” I asked quietly.
Nick’s deep-set eyes creased with pity. He clasped a big paw over mine and squeezed. “I’m sorry, honey. He’s been showin’ up to Danny’s gigs the last few weeks. I see them talkin’. I don’t know what’s goin’ on, but I figure you oughta know.”
I squeezed back and sighed. “No, you did right. I definitely needed to know that.”
“Anytime, honey. You want me to let you know if he keeps showin’ up?”
Victor Messina, the man in question, was a small-time loan shark and neighborhood thug who was just big enough to be legitimately dangerous. It was bad enough that Dad was getting mixed up with him again. I didn’t want to get Nick into trouble if the guy caught wind someone was watching him.
“No,” I said. “That’s okay. I’ll check in with my dad first and see what’s going on.” I stood up on my tiptoes so I could kiss Nick on the cheek. “Thanks.”
“Anytime, honey. Don’t be a stranger, y’hear? And you let me know if blondie over there don’t treat you like absolute gold. Only the best for you, baby girl.”
I grinned and pushed off the bar. “You got it.”
Nick winked and turned toward a new customer.
“Everything all right?” Brandon asked when I approached.
I grabbed my coat. “It’s fine. He’s just an old family friend.”
Brandon cocked his head at me, not buying it. When it was obvious I wasn’t going to say anything more, he tossed back the rest of his drink and stood too. I waved at my dad, but he was completely lost in his music, eyes still shut as he purred into the microphone. When I turned around, Brandon had bundled himself back up and was ready to go.
“Come on,” he said, holding out a gloved hand. “I said I’d walk you home.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but Brandon’s expression, earnest and kind, stopped me. His previous arrogance hadn’t made a single return since he’d apologized. This was that same look I’d seen that night in the snow. Only concern…and something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on, something I suspected was in my eyes too. So, after a moment’s hesitation, I put my hand in his and let him lead me out of the club.
Ten
“Ican’t believe you would have walked home by yourself in this neighborhood.”
Brandon gazed around the street where I grew up, as if the Victorian houses were made of cardboard and scrap metal. Okay, maybe some of their shingles were a little battered, but this part of Brooklyn was completely suburban. Six-story walk-ups and traffic signals morphed into gated single-family homes on tree-lined streets, complete with the occasional station wagon parked out front.
“Yeah, all of these minivans pose a real threat,” I replied. “Come on, you can’t possibly think this is a bad neighborhood. Not compared to the south end of Boston.”
“It’s not the houses,” Brandon replied grimly. “It’s the emptiness. You grew up in the city, but you don’t seem that street smart, Red.”
