Page 29 of Waiting Game

“Why don’t we both not go then?” I rationalised, throwing my arm over my eyes.

The lights in here were far too bright, and Larissa’s voice was far too loud.

My head was still thumping from the nights before, and all I wanted to do was sleep.

“Because he’s still our father. Now go get dressed,” she ordered.

I saw her glancing at the two plates of pancakes still on the dining room table which I foolishly forgot about. But she didn’t say a word or even bring it up on the trip to the prison. I knew that people would already be talking.

The Family’s gossip train was faster than any known in the world.

Someone would have seen me leave with Valerie, and someone would have noticed that neither of us returned. I worried about what Antoni would have to say, and what Vera would have to say. But I knew that logically I was not the one who had to be worried about the backlash - it was Valerie.

As a man, in our world, I could get away with anything.

I could literally get away with murder.

The same was not true for the women.

As backwards as it was, and as much as Antoni had been trying to change things, the elder generations still held the reins when it came to situations like this. I knew that she would cop it from her mother, and from the other elders in her family. I only wished that she would let me protect her from all of that.

I would happily slit the throat of anyone who made her feel like she was unworthy.

I stayed put in the driver’s seat, staring up at the large stone building that had housed my father for the past near-decade. He had been sentenced to twenty years for grievous bodily harm and trafficking. Both him and his lawyers were sure that he would get off with a slap on the wrist or at least minimal prison time. Antoni’s father had pulled every string and used every connection he had, trying to keep him out of jail.

In the end, nothing worked.

I knew from the beginning that it wouldn’t end well.

The judge was not on the Santino’s payroll, and though a lot of law enforcement was corrupted in some way or another, there were some with morals who wanted nothing more than to take us down.

“Come on,” Larissa rolled her eyes, getting out of the car and slamming the door shut. With a sigh, I followed. Once we got through security, we were led into the visitor’s hall where we sat at the plastic table and waited. Eventually, a loud buzzer sounded and the door opened, inmates filing in to meet with their loved ones.

Dad strolled in at the back of the line. His hair had greyed significantly since being locked up, and his face was fraught with more and more lines each time that I saw him. He gave Larissa a hug, before sitting down opposite me.

“How’s it going, kiddo?” he smiled at Larissa, a gentleness in his eyes that was only reserved for his daughter.

“I’m good, Dad,” she smiled back.

“And you, Lorenzo?” he turned to me, his smile disappearing, “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Fine,” I said, “busy.”

He nodded, not looking at me, his eyes scanning the room and the people around us.

“Are the Redliners still giving you trouble?” he asked quietly, checking over his shoulder.

I stole a glance at what he was looking at, and noticed the man staring straight at me.

His arms were covered in tattoos, and his beard was bushy and grey. The look on his face gave away the fact that he knew exactly who I was.

I only nodded.

“Not to mention the girl trouble,” Larissa mumbled under her breath.

I shot her a deathly glare.

I knew that she couldn’t help but say something.

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