Page 114 of Clean Slade
And in a way, I guessed, this one also did. His absence loomed over my head like hanging off a cliff, waiting for someone to push the button that would send me down to the bottom.
With or without him, that feeling never went away, and until he was six feet underground—or hell, the deeper, the better—it wouldn’t ever go away.
“Yeah. But you know how it is.”
Grams nodded and patted my hand before sitting next to me.
“I’m sorry I didn’t have time to clean. We’ve only been using this place for emergencies and—”
“Grams, do you really think I care how clean your safehouse is?”
“I know you don’t, but—”
“Yeah, I know. Your house is your pride and joy and all that jazz. Don’t worry. She won’t care either.”
Nino checked his watch, and I narrowed my eyes.
“Problem?” I asked.
“I hope they’re on their way,” he said. “We need to be back in an hour, or he’ll get suspicious.”
See? He’s still here, even in his absence.
“They’ll be here soon. Trust me.”
Such a loaded word to throw at someone I didn’t even know anymore. Someone who, for all his promises, I still didn’t know if I could trust.
But if Grams did, then what choice did I have? At some point, I had to trust someone, right? Or I’d go crazy. If I wasn’t already.
Nino turned the cup around the saucer, staring at it while taking deep breaths.
“He’s getting real impatient, you know.”
“Wasn’t he always?” I asked.
“Yeah, but he’s on edge. He’s always angry. He shot two of his detail the other day because they asked him if he was okay.”
“Are they dead?”
“Nah, we patched them up, and they’re back on duty.”
I nodded. Of course. What kind of question was that? He only ever killed family, after all.
“Your father is unstable. Always has been. Don’t let that influence your own actions, or you’ll all be walking the same path he does.”
I glanced at Grams and looked at Nino, who did the same.
“Grams,” I started but bit my lips. Nino completely lost it and burst into laughter. “Did you just go all Gandalf on us?”
Grams waved us off with a dismissive smirk and sipped her coffee when the door opened, and everyone stilled. Nino’s right hand disappeared from under the table, most certainly reaching for his gun. Grams did the same.
Was I the only one who hadn’t brought my firearm to this? What was happening to me? You’d think after all these weeks of dealing with Tony’s and Salieri’s men, I’d get wiser, but nope, still an idiot.
The floor creaked, and I turned around to find the most beautiful mass of man walking through the doorway with slow, careful steps.
“You’re here!” I said and got up as my grandma and Nino eased.
I held back the desire to run into his arms and kiss him silly, and instead, I just flashed him my smile and watched as Mac appeared behind him.
