Focus on your friend.
Whatever you do, don’t look at that building…
“Well, this feels like old times,” I remark, gently closing the living room door.
The terrace is luxurious. One of those additions to a home that you find plastered on the cover of an interior design magazine for everyone to see. It has it all. Lush greenery, terracotta molding, wild rose bushes nestled around a cobblestone deck. It even has a cherub fountain that robins can’t resist.
This kind of beauty hides many sins.
“Let me tell you, Ifeelgood,” Dante says, grabbing a coffee cup and extending it to me. “I wasn’t made to chit-chat with pensioners all day. These old bastards are never satisfied.”
“I can’t even imagine you doing that.”
“Yeah, well, X hasn’t let us anywhere near this place since you. It’s been a full-time job finding time to see the guy and keep him somewhat in check. We’ve made good money in the cushion job, but I like it better here with you guys.”
I smile, removing the lid on the cup. “I like it, too.”
“You look better today,” he says, leaning back to get a good look at me. “Rested.”
“It’s been a rough couple of days… Months.” I let out a chuckle. “Years.”
He fails to hide a wince. “I can… only imagine.”
Rather than get into the deep, dark stuff, I gesture towards the greasy bags, raising my eyebrows in question.
“Donuts in one bag,” he divulges. “Bagels in the other.”
“Cream cheese?”
“What am I? An amateur?”
While I slather the bread with it, Dante sets down his cup. “X called a few minutes ago. They located Vito. He wanted me to tell you.”
“Already?” He nods. “Where is he?”
“Chicago. Strata’s playground.”
“Maybe he knows about Victoria.”
“Possibly. Mimi told me a little bit of what she overheard last night.”
If she heard it, Xavier did, too. I was rambling so much that I'm not even sure what I said. “I'm not hiding anything.”
“Good. I think it’ll only help you to lean on others right now. You know a storm is coming with your return, right?” Dante tilts his head at my silence. “Your family alone will be stunned to learn you’re alive. Vito has been running for years. X merely wanted revenge then. Now he’ll want to protect you. Hewillcatch your father.”
“I'm counting on it.”
He smirks. “You sound a bit like us, you know.”
“That man ruined my life. I plan to make him pay for it.”
“I’ll be more than glad to watch you do it.” He dips into the bag for a powdered donut. “Bo’s coming over later. I wanna see where your skills are. He doesn’t believe you can beat him.”
“I'm not sure if I can either.”
“Well, I've bet my hard-earned money,” he says with a grin, “so you knock himflat.”
“Holyshit.”
