Page 174 of Dance of Ruin

But it’s been done.

I just wish it had taken a bit longer for him to die.

39

NAOMI

The hostess leadsme to the table in the back corner of the glass-walled restaurant overlooking Central Park.

My dad smiles as I approach.

He looks…good.

Despite the absoluteshitstormabout to land at his feet, he still looks every inch the power broker. Navy suit, perfect posture, not a strand of salt-and-pepper hair out of place.

But his eyes look tired. Like they know damn well what’s coming, and soon.

He stands when he sees me: I blink at that. He even pulls out my chair. I sit stiffly, more confused than comforted by these sudden attentive gestures.

“Hi…” I say.

He smiles faintly. “Hi, sweetheart. Thanks for agreeing to meet me.”

My God. I haven’t heard him call me that in years.

“You can thank Nico for that,” I say with a shrug. “He…convinced me.”

He really did. He told me that after his dad’s heart attack a few months ago, he couldn’t imagine having missed any chances to spend time with him. Granted, Vito Barone is anamazing, loving father. And my dad is—well, you know.

But still.

The server glides over and takes our orders—poached salmon over Greek salad for me, and, interestingly, acheeseburgerfor my father. I gaze down at the tablecloth, picking the edge of my napkin, wondering who’s going to start.

“I know what’s coming,” he finally says, hands folded on the white tablecloth. “I’ve spoken to my lawyers, I’ve seen the files. I know what’s about to come out.” He pauses.

“Is this the part where you tell me none of it is true?” I say dryly, looking up.

Dad smiles sadly. Then, slowly, he shakes his head.

“I’ve worked with some bad people, Naomi. Really bad. I had only one goal, one vision.” He exhales through his nose. “The White House. The Oval Office. And nothing was going to get in my way.”

He looks out over the park, as if looking for the man he used to be.

“I told myself everything I did was for the greater good. For my legacy. For you. For the country. I sold it to myself a thousand different ways…” He pauses. “But the truth is, it was greed and ego. Nothing more.”

My stomach tightens, twisting.

“So no, Naomi, I’m not going to tell you it’s not true. Because most of it is. I bribed. I manipulated. I lied. I turned a blind eye to things I shouldn’t have. I turned myself into a man with no exit strategy.”

Something dark throbs inside of me.

“Including murder?” I ask quietly.

Dad frowns. “Pardon me?”

“The bad people you worked with…” I hesitate. “Did you ever condone or order murder?” I look away. “Or…sexual assault?”

I already know the answer to this. Nico’s already told me everything, how the former head of the Syndicate set up the bombing at Vito’s birthday in an effort to make the Barone family take out my father. That my assault was yet another tactic to hurt Leonard.

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