Page 18 of Wild Ace

“Okay, let me know if you change your mind.”

“I will.” He closes the bathroom door and I hear the water turn on.

I know everyone has their moments of weakness, but I’ve never seen his until today. He’s been my rock and my strength since my dad died, and now it’s my turn to be his.

After nonno gets out of the shower, I take one and change into a pair of yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt I still have in the spare bedroom from when I stayed here after his surgery in September.

Braiding my hair, I feel more like myself again after the longest night and day of my life.

I’m exhausted, but I’m also starving, so I root around in the kitchen and throw together a salad for myself and settle in on the couch to watch some TV.

It doesn’t take long before my eyes grow heavy and I can’t keep them open anymore.

I’m too lazy to drag myself to bed, so I pull the handmade afghan my nonna made from the back of the couch and cover myself in a little of her love, making me drift right off to sleep with thoughts of a man who did more for me tonight before knowing my name than anyone’s done in a long time.

♠ ♣ ♥ ♦

“Alexis, wake up.” My nonno gently taps my arm.

“What’s going on?” I ask groggily, not even sure if I’m awake yet or not.

“I hear voices downstairs.”

I bolt upward, fully awake now, with my eyes looking all around. “What?” I throw the afghan off me and stand. “You stay here and I’ll go check it out.”

“No, I’m coming too.”

“Fine, but I’m going first.” I unlock the door, and sure enough, I hear men’s voices down below in the deli.

What the hell?

I walk down the stairs slowly, and when I turn the corner, I get a peek at what they’re doing. It looks to be workers installing security cameras and new doors.

Again, what the hell?

Seeing as they’re not here to rob us for whatever we have left, I walk right up to them. “Excuse me, what are you doing?” I ask, and everyone stops to look at me. “Who are you and why are you here?” They all go back to their work except one who walks over to me. “Are you going to tell me who you are and what it is you think you’re doing?”

“We’re here to install your new security system and doors, Ms. Manzato.”

“How can that be? I haven’t even called the insurance company yet. Neither my grandfather or me has ordered this. I can’t…” I swallow, my eyes flitting to my nonno for a brief second. “We can’t pay you for this.”

“Not to worry. It’s compliments of Mr. Carfano.”

“Is that so?” I scoff.

“Yes.”

“Does he not think that I can take care of things myself?”

“I can’t comment on that.”

“Well, what can you comment on?”

“We’re just here to do a job we were given.”

“And you were told to break in? Because you broke in here to do all of this.” I wave my hands around at the men working. “This place was boarded up and you broke in to help? We just had a break-in. Do you know what it’s like waking up to–” I cut myself off and take a deep breath. “You know what? Never mind. Where can I find Mr. Carfano? Where is he”

I can tell he’s reluctant to tell me, but I level him with a stare that has him humbly giving me exactly what I want. “He’s at The Aces.”

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