Page 102 of Merciless Monster

“Are you staying?” Angelo asks excitedly.

“Yes, son. I’m staying.”

“Cool! Will you take me to school tomorrow? Mom, can Daddy take me to school tomorrow?”

“I was thinking you could take the day off so we can do some things around the house,” Dante answers.

“Oh. Okay.”

Splash stretches out against Dante’s back while he’s kneeling in front of Angelo.

“Hey, you trouble maker,” Dante smiles and ruffles Splash’s fur.

He stops when he sees Dad standing on the landing at the top of the staircase.

“Angelo, will you do me a favor, son?”

“Sure, Daddy.”

“Would you take this bag upstairs for me? There’s a surprise in it for you. Open it and I’ll be up in a few minutes to join you. Okay?”

“Oh, wow. Okay. Come Splash!”

Dad waits until Angelo is upstairs before he comes down.

“Arnold,” Dante says in greeting and holds out his hand.

“Hello, Dante.”

Dad doesn’t shake Dante’s hand but rather walks past him and takes a seat in the living room.

“I’d like to talk to you, Dante,” Dad says.

“Yes, Sir.”

Dante follows my father to the living room and sits down across from him. My heart is racing. This could go either way.

“Dante, I’m spitting mad.”

“I imagine you would be, Arnold.”

“Aside from the fact that I’m disappointed in you, to say the least, I’m mad as hell! If I were a younger man, I’d beat the crap out of you.”

I’ve never seen my father so angry. I'm quite taken aback.

“How could you put my daughter and my grandson in this kind of danger?” he continues.

“It was never my intention. I apologize. I love Mia and Angelo dearly.”

“I don’t doubt your love for them, Dante. But, what are you going to do to dig them out of this hole? How can you ever keep them safe now that your enemies know about them?”

“I have a plan, Arnold.”

“I would bloody well hope so!”

“Dad.” I say, hoping to calm my father down.

He looks at me as if he forgot that I was in the room. His expression softens a bit.

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