Page 61 of Donned in Black

Her shins are scarred and her feet are bloodied, even one of her arms is bruised. “You alright, rabbit?”

“I’ll be fine.”

I only partially believe it. Those eyes of hers, they’re clouded with a war of freedom and guilt.

xxx

The next few days are a scramble to dispose of the old safe house and purchase a new. I plan on dumping it for an under-the-table cash deal, and if it doesn’t sell, I’ll fucking knock it down. Moving on from my father’s reign couldn’t happen sooner. Clean slate.

I wear shades to cover my black eye and lather the side of my face in vitamin E in hopes the slash from Marty’s knife doesn’t scar. It would be the only thing he left behind.

I smile at the thought of his corpse. Even though it causes my rabbit pain, she doesn’t know the magnitude of the deed she’s done.

Now to pick up the pieces. I leave Ellie with Scar and Dice to delegate some pick-ups and get a pulse on the street. I need to know what people are saying and the temperature of the Russians.

Where am I going? Hmph. I’m taking the biggest risk of all.

The drive upstate is long. Long enough to think through my next steps, but there are so many unknowns riding on how the day goes. I pull up to a gigantic high-security prison with beige walls and barred windows. Multiple sniper-nests shadow my car as I drive toward the visitor’s center.

When I walk in, I’m reminded of how my freedom is skating on the edge every day I run the Valentino family. I check in and write down the name of the man I’m visiting. Ronaldo Rigiano – Ellie’s father. She’d kill me if she knew. But this is something I have to do, for more reasons than one.

I’m directed to a booth with thick glass and a microphone vent so we can hear each other, and I wait for him to arrive. I have no idea how he’ll react, or what he knows from the inside, but I have to try.

A door on the other side opens, and a security guard rivaling my height and stature steps through with a stoic expression. He then steps aside to give an older man in an orange jump suit room to enter.

He saunters forward flicking a straight-edge razor – speaking to his power even in the can. He’s got a large unmistakable nose, silver hair slicked back, and his glasses are thick black squares covering most of his face. Ronny the Shadow Rigiano.

He stares at me with disdain and calmly drags out the chair. He sits, eyes unblinking, the scrape of a razor against his chin echoing through the vent.

“Sir,” I start, and he hoots in amusement.

“Get the fuck out of here, sewer rat.” Ronny shows his teeth.

“We need to talk.” I tilt my head and widen my eyes, explaining so much without saying anything.

“The Rigianos have nothing to say to you.” Ronny runs a hand over his head. I notice his muscular forearms even though he’s the same age my father was, and the tattoo of a wine barrel on his right one.

“Our families have more in common than you might admit,” I try again.

He stays silent, his eyes like brown marbles. I understand the fear this man instilled in his dealings, because even I – a free, protected man – feel the tension.

“Martino Rigiano will be avenged,” he seethes. “You watch your back, Donovan.”

“Even if he’s the one who put you here?” I knock on the wood counter once to drive my point.

He raises his razor toward me and narrows his eyes. “If you’ve come to sew chaos, sewer rat, you will do it without my presence.”

“I’m here out of respect and to make amends,” I say.

The Shadow’s chair scratches as he rises. “Don’t you ever show your face here again.” He smacks the glass with his razor, grills me, then turns abruptly toward the door.

Fuck.

xxx

I meet with Ellie that night with a heavy heart. There’s nothing more I want than to provide good news about my relationship with the Shadow. Just to put her mind at ease. But I can’t. So I don’t even think about mentioning it.

I grab her hands in mine and slow-dance with her around the safe house kitchen to lift her spirits.

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