Page 108 of Wrapped in Silver

And my daughter…

I get out of my SUV and look up to the sky on this perfect spring day.

I hope you can forgive me, sweetheart.

Even though me and your mom didn’t always get a long, you were everything to me.

Saying a silent prayer doesn’t absolve me of anything, but it’s something.

Heading onto the busy crossroads, I dip into one of Castor DeMatteo’s sister stores. He’s the prick who loves gold and precious metals, you might recall. It’d be sacrilege not to give the Valentino family the business after what Donny did for me.

Apparently, the Russians still don’t know we were involved. That’s the beauty of no survivors. By the time Nikolaj learned I was a Valentino, it was too late. And when Donny came in guns blazing? I guess I’m still a ghost.

I push open the door to chimes overhead, and see a familiar face behind the counter. “Big Ace, what’s up, fucker?”

“I lost a bet,” the giant man says. “My boss likes to punish me by sending me to the dirtiest place on the planet and sell some shiny toys.”

“Lucky you, I’m buying one today.”

“Oh.” He throws his arms out. “Make it any easier for me and I’ll rob you blind.”

“Fuck off.” I laugh and slap the glass table. “Nothing under three karats.”

“Whoa! Going to give me a heart attack here. You know what? Why don’t you come back tomorrow. If I make a sale like that, Castor’s going to keep me here indefinitely.”

We both crack up. The big guy is fun to have around, just like I remember when he was making deliveries to my shops.

“Alright, alright.” Ace sighs while leaning over to pull out two sheets of sparkling diamond rings.

As I’m going through them, I picture Quinn’s face opening such a gift. She’d never expect it, considering all of my rhetoric up ’til this point. Even after promising I want nothing to do with traditional wedding stuff ever again, she doesn’t even blink. She’s just happy to be with me.

That’s how I know she’s worth all of the jazz. I want to give it to her, honestly.

“Yo, Ghost.” Ace looks up at me seriously. “You must be the luckiest mother fucker in the industry.”

“You heard, huh?”

He tilts his head. “You might remember me as a little errand boy—”

“Never thought of you as little.”

“Hah.” He pats his belly. “Well, I’m number two to Castor now. I hear things. I know things. Here and there, you know.”

“Uh huh.”

“And for the big Stallion to stick his neck out like that for you. Woo, boy. You must’ve been a legend in your day.”

“Still am.”

Ace shrugs. “Guess that limp gives you a bit of swagger. Alright, time to weigh you down a little more. Which one’s it going to be?”

I sift through the second sheet, remembering that she loved the pear-shaped diamond Estina Esmeralda wore in the beach episode ofChilling Desires… and I hate myself for knowing that. “That one’s the right shape. It looks a little foggy though.”

“Oh,oh!” Ace has an idea. “Castor would kill me for talking you down in size, but I have a 2.5 karat pear over here. Came in this morning. Hold on.” He runs to the back and pulls out a GIA certification and a diamond that’s literally in a napkin. “Look at that.”

It’s true. It’s brilliant.

“D-color, super pure, no lab grown bullshit.” Ace winks at me. “I can have the old jeweler mold you up a band in no time.”

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