Page 32 of Protecting Charity

“Good. You?”

“Good as I can be. What’s on your mind, son?”

Pops didn’t get to be the Don without being able to read people. I’m sure he could see the stress abusing my body. My muscles were tense, and knots were forming in my shoulders. I was afraid the world was going to come crashing down around her, around us, and there would be nothing we could do about it. How were we supposed to protect someone that went out of their way to deny anyone’s help?

“Charity.”

“Ah, less than a month since I lifted the order, and you’re already here with your woes.”

“It’s not like that, she’s not making smart choices, and we have a bit of a problem. Luca lost his shit on her, and he pressed his gun to her head, and she egged him on.”

He chuckled as if I told him a joke.

“What is so funny?”

“I knew she could handle herself with you guys.”

“I know you have her up on this pedestal for some reason, but we have the FBI involved right now.”

His smile wiped from his face, and he became deadly serious. “Do you know why I allowed the deal with her?”

“Because you liked her, you’ve said this.”

“No, Son. It was because I saw a lot of me in her. She may not be my blood, but that girl was born for this life. She’s smart and meticulous. Give her credit where credit’s due.”

“If you think so highly of her decision-making skills, then why did you keep us away from her for so long?”

“Loyalty. I wasn’t about to let my sons get attached to someone that could betray them. I went through that, and I wasn’t about to subject my family to the same fate as me. She’s earned her place for long enough, and she’s doing a damn fine job.”

“What am I supposed to do about the FBI?”

“Do they suspect her?”

“No, but that’s not to say they couldn’t lean her way.”

“Okay. Stop borrowing trouble from the future. Does it make sense to deal with a problem for longer than you need to? There isn’t even a problem yet.”

“I need to get ahead of it.”

“Nico, this isn’t a press conference, and you aren’t dealing with rumors. There is no getting ahead of it because there isn’t anything there.”

How could he say that? There was a problem. The FBI was here and investigating way too close to Charity. Harding was just around the corner where Charity stood. All he had to do was round the corner, and he would see it involved her and ruin her life beyond repair.

“This is the life she chose, Nico. She’s smart enough to navigate it flawlessly.”

“Everyone makes mistakes; just look at you.” I flinched, regretting the moment the words came out. I didn’t mean for them to sound so harsh, but let’s point out the obvious. Most of the men in this prison grew up in a life of crime, and they all made mistakes and let their emotions get the better of them. Pops included.

“Yes, they do. So give her a chance to make some.” He stood, effectively ending the conversation from going any further. “Look at how you viewed her before you stuck your dick in her. You didn’t have a problem until you did. This is another reason I didn’t want you guys involved. It’s clouding your judgment. I thought, maybe, after all these years of getting to know who she truly was, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

I never understood why he thought so highly of someone so young—why he would entrust such vital things to a woman that wasn’t blood.

“Was it all just a test?”

“For her or you?”

“Us.”

“You tell me, Son. Do you feel like you’re failing somewhere?”

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