Page 119 of Playing the Game
“I’m in a different position now. When I left you boys, I had no other choice.”
“Yes, you did. You just thought it would be?—”
“Don’t tell me why I did it. You don’t understand and you never will. Besides, that’s not the matter we’re here to discuss.”
I clench and unclench my fists as I fume. I’m about to lose all control. “Tell me what the fuck you want, and let’s get this game over with.”
“Don’t take that tone with me. You won’t like the repercussions.” She waits until I force myself to calm down.
I suck in a breath. “I’m not going to say another word until you tell me what this is about.”
“Let’s start at the beginning. What questions do you have?”
“Why do you want my son? You could’ve taken Jack, but you threatened to kill him if it were ever to be found out that he’s my son.”
She nods and returns to walking through the cornfield. “I couldn’t take Jack because too many people knew about him. It was too risky. When you gave him up, I knew you could do it again. You proved you could walk away from your child just as I had done.”
My stomach turns, and a wave of nausea hits me. “That was different.”
She glances my way. “Was it? The way I see it is you gave him up so he could have a better life. That’s what I did with you and Jonah.”
Fuck me.
I turn my head and face the fact that she’s right.
I take my glare to the ground. “Why do you want to raise a child now? And why do I need to produce an heir by the time I turn thirty-five?”
“You haven’t studied Le Milieu, have you?”
“No. Is that some term for the French mob?”
“You were always so smart.” She tips her chin up to the sun. “I made an arrangement with my husband.”
“What kind of arrangement?”
“My life for your son—a new leader. It’s time for my husband to announce a successor. Once the baby is born and I have him with us, he’ll be declared the future don.”
My chest ignites with fire. “Over my dead body.”
“If you insist, it will be.”
I loosen my tie. Just as I was afraid of, I’m out of my league with her. The situation is worse than I thought.
How can I take back the reins?
“Let’s say I give him up when he’s born. What then? Do you get released or something along those lines?”
“Released from what?”
“You said my son’s life for yours.”
“Oh, yes. I can see where you got confused.” She runs her hand along the leaves of the cornstalks. “I was given my life years before.”
My mind tries to piece everything together. What my dad told me about her up and disappearing swings before me.
“I can only assume you mean when you went missing from my dad’s life for the second time.”
She peeks over at me. “Did he tell you that?”
