Page 40 of Clean Slade
I hadn’t protected my best friend from my father. And now I wouldn’t be able to protect myself or our daughter.
“If trying to save my daughter from you makes me a coward, I’ll wear that insult as a badge of honor.”
“Save? Why would my granddaughter need saving from me? I love my Alessia. And you took her from me.”
I knew my father was blinded by a lifetime of crime and devotion, but this was edging on delusional.
I should know. I’d been raised the same way, and I’d still known the life was wrong even when I’d enjoyed it.
“I had to. I didn’t want her to be like you.”
“You mean you didn’t want her to be like you. We’re the same, you and I.”
“Maybe once upon a time, but I’m not the same man anymore.”
He lowered the gun, but I could still feel the sting of its mark on my skin.
“You think because you dyed your hair and opened your gay dog store, you’re different?”
“Yes,” I said, biting back so many things. Too many things. There was no point in rehashing age-old arguments.
“How many times do I have to tell you? Once a mafioso, always a mafioso.”
“And how many times do I have to tell you? I’d rather you shoot me than have the same gross conversations.”
“Would you relax? I don’t want to kill you. You’re my kid. Why would I do that?”
He laughed and sat on the chair, waving his men away.
“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask Grandad? Oh wait, you can’t.”
He grimaced.
“That was strictly business. He was old, and I needed him out of the way so I could run this family. That’s it.”
I nodded.
“Of course. How silly of me. Because everyone kills their family for money.”
“If I wanted you dead, I’d have done it the moment I found you.”
A shiver ran down my spine. I knew he’d been on the island. I knew there was no way he hadn’t found me. Why did I ever listen to anyone else? Why hadn’t I just run? Although what good would it have done me? Slade had taken all the precautions to hide us away, and my father had still found me.
“So youdidblow up the cartel.”
My father smiled. “You know I can’t answer that.”
That was as good an affirmative as I could get.
“Why?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“Well, maybe I’ve gone stupid all of a sudden. Why don’t you explain it to me?”
“They took your friend. I had to do something.”
“Why do you care about my friend?”
