Page 20 of Reign of Fate
“Is Adriana making new friends at school?” she asks.
“Adriana keeps talking about a girl named Taylor. Taylor this and Taylor that,” I kid. “She seems to really like this girl.”
Elisa laughs.
“What’s so funny?”
She laughs louder and harder, covering her mouth with her hands.
“What?” I say, although I’m enjoying the show as she laughs, her cheeks turning pink.
“Taylor—Taylor is a boy,” she sputters.
“A boy? Are you serious? How do you know?” I ask. Jesus! She’s only four, and the boys are already sniffing around.
She finally stops laughing, her eyes twinkling and her smile huge. “Adriana mentioned this boy named Taylor and how he shares his snack with her, and they sit next to each other every day.” I’m obviously not hiding my frustration well because Elisa continues. “He’s just a sweet little boy. He’s only four, and he’s looking for a friend. Adriana is chatty and personable. And Adriana says that Taylor is shy. At this age, it’s not about boy-girl stuff. It’s kids being kids, no malice or judgment, just having fun.”
Logically, I know this to be true. But I also know that boys grow into young men. “I don’t like it,” I spit out. “Not at all.”
“Don’t you think you’re making a little too much out of this? In a month, Charlotte might be her bestie, or Mary, the other two little friends she plays with. And personally, girls can get jealous and catty. Maybe not at four, but the drama will come.” She rolls her eyes. “I hated the drama.”
I can’t help it. I have to laugh at her expression. “High school wasn’t fun, huh?”
“Nope.” She shakes her head.
“I kind of remember you as a teenager. You were already promised to Guido, as I recall,” I say.
“Yep, and the girls at school wouldn’t stop teasing me about it. Or they would tell me about all the whores he would visit because I wasn’t giving him any. Girls can be ruthless,” she says sadly. “If anything, that’s what I would want to protect Adriana from. She’s beautiful now, and she’s going to be gorgeous as a young woman, and her heart is pure. I would hate for people like that to take advantage of her or make her feel less than the wonderful person she is.”
“Anyone hurts my daughter, and they’ll have to deal with me,” I grumble.
She gives me a weak smile. “I wish it were that easy. The heart is a fragile thing. We have to arm Adriana with confidence and encourage her to be her unique self. Once she knows her own worth, what others say won’t matter.”
“You’re speaking from experience,” I comment. She remains silent, and I know there’s something she’s not saying.
My phone buzzes.Sean: Leaving now.That’s my cue.
“You’ll have to excuse me once more. I have to make a call. If our food arrives, please start in,” I say. I stand and make my way to the front entrance. One by one, my men join me, and we find a dark corner where we can wait for Sean to come out with his two dinner companions.
I quickly catch my colleagues up to speed. Levio and Dan approach first and divert the men who were sitting with our politician, away from Sean, who quickly gets out of our way and dives into his car for refuge. As I get closer, I see that Levio and Dan recognize these men.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Levio asks.
“Jesus, you have some explaining to do,” Dan says, dropping his gun. Voices rise, and the larger of the two men, who is now arguing with Dan, reaches for the gun in his holster under his jacket.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I say, placing the barrel of my gun against the back of his head so he can feel the metal touching his scalp.
The slimmer man turns to me. Holy shit! Raffaele is going to lose his mind. I come face-to-face with Ruggero. Since that day at Elisa’s house, he’s gone quiet. Lately, both Bruto and Ruggero are rarely seen. Even when Raffaele and I have gone to meet with Bruto to go over the books, Ruggero’s conveniently been away tending to business.
Yet, here he is with Sean McDaniel, and all signs point to Ruggero shaking down a political patsy for either money or a favor. Judging by the look on his face, he’s been caught, and he knows it. This is going to be interesting. I pull back the gun from his lackey.
“Turn around,” I tell the man. He’s one of the newest soldiers. Not my choice, but then again, I didn’t have to work with him. It’s rare that we let an outsider become part ofUltimo Morte.Clive Sullivan is a kid from the wrong side of the tracks who was desperate to claw his way into our world. He started off as an errand boy and gained Bruto’s trust. I’m not easily duped, and I don’t trust Clive.
I glance from Clive to Ruggero. “I can explain,” Ruggero says.
“Shut up!” I bark. “There is no explanation you can give for going around me and our capo and speaking with Sean McDaniel independently. What business could you possibly have with Mr. McDaniel?”
“I thought we needed more leverage. Getting photos of the future senator is collateral if he tries to defy us or get out of our deal. I did this to protectUltimo Morte,” Ruggero declares. “Clive is here for backup. That’s all. I swear.”
