Page 47 of From My Past
“Yes, I saw to that. Before we left her workplace I asked if she needed anything specific and she said no. I am sending Cara out to get her a few outfits and toiletries.” I explained.
“Good. It’s not a good idea for her to be out right now.”
“I assumed that. But why do you think that?” I cocked my head and asked.
“It is 9:30 in the morning. An hour and a half since Luca’s deadline and he will be furious. I’ve already heard from a few of our scouts how the Italians are snooping around here waiting for a glimpse of her to take her out. It doesn’t seem as if Luca cares about bringing her back, there is a kill order out on her.” My father said, no dressing it up or trying to sugar coat it. Most of the time it bothered me how bluntly he spoke about business, but now, I appreciated it. I needed to know what lay in wake for Talia in order to protect her from it.
“Any word on how the businesses are doing?” An hour and a half was a long time in our world. Once the Italians knew we had pulled our business with them, which they no doubt knew by now, they would get vicious.
“There has been no retaliation thus far. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t in the works.” He said with a sigh.
The Italian mafia was bloody, they believed any malfeasance against them needed to end with blood and pain. We tended to only go to bodily harm and murder if provoked, that didn’t mean that we would let people walk all over us, far from it. There are more ways to break a man than simply drawing some blood.
For example, you sink his businesses, his way of making a living and see how it hurts. Especially when they depended on our help in business to continue to provide drugs and weapons to their associates. Those of who would not react kindly to their shipments being delayed.
“Understood.” I nodded. “Anything else?”
“Yes. In fact, there is more.” He dropped the papers and crossed his arms over his desk. “I need to know how far you’re willing to take this. I understand she is important to you, or she was, and you just need to get her out of a bad situation. But we are using a lot of resources, a lot of men, and some of them are asking questions.”
“What does it matter if the foot soldiers are asking questions? As long as they are doing their job, that’s what I care about.” I shrugged, leaning back in the chair.
“Kieron. This is serious. I back your decision to take her from them, but you ultimately committed a form of theft in their eyes.”
“I know.”
“Good, then you realize that this is bigger than just you because of your position and the position of the Garzino boy. If the grunts are asking who this girl is, why we are doing all this, it is important to keep their support and dedication. Even if that means giving them a bit of the story. So again, I ask you, who is she to you?” The words came out as a question, but I knew it was more of a demand. He would find out or he would make it so.
“She’s my girl.” I said simply. “She’s my girl and she deserves all the protection of being such.”
“Your girl? Didn’t you just meet her?”
“No, I was just reunited with her. And you know that, old man. There is a difference. She is,” I took a deep breath and tried to explain it as best I could. “She is the girl who got away. Like she told you yesterday, we met while she was in college. We had one night together and I was a goddamn coward who walked away because I was so convinced that I would put her in danger by being with her. If you recall, I wasn’t allowed any lasting relationships back then because of the trials and the requirements of the Clan. But I always kept an eye on her.” I ran a hand down my face as I was reminded of Sion and his betrayal.
“Speaking of, I fired Sion.” I said quickly, no nonsense about it. My decision had been made and there wasn’t any reason to prolong it.
“You what?” My father snapped.
“He had looked the other way when Talia started to have visible marks on her. He knew what was happening and he looked the other way. Then when I confronted him about it, he had no reason as to why he did it. He ‘assumed it was a sex thing’ and directly broke an order.”
My father sat back in his chair with a thoughtful expression. His anger had been replaced as he scratched his face in thought. He wasn’t angry or I would be being yelled at. But he was thinking it all over.
“Interesting. There have been small things that have been leaked. Things that were only privy to certain groups. Sion was always on the outskirts of that information, but it is possible he would have been able to hear it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me we had a mole?”
“It wasn’t anything big, yet. Small strategy moves, businesses we were going to buy or try to move on, but all of it was information that the advisors and I hadn’t made a full decision on yet.” He rubbed a hand over the scruff on his chin in frustration.
“Damn him.” I muttered. “At least he is gone now. Fucking traitor.” I said with venom lacing my words.
“Yes, I agree.” Kellan said, still thoughtful and like he was trying to solve a puzzle in his head. “Anyway, if she is indeed your girl, I take it that you have honorable intentions? Moreso than any of your…overnight guests.”
“Yes, she’s it for me. The others were just a distraction until I could find her again.” I confessed. I wasn’t ashamed by my words, if anything I was excited by them. I wanted her in any way she would have me. It was much, much too soon for marriage, but I would be steady and true and sometime in the future, Talia would understand that I would never hurt her. Then maybe we could move forward.
“I’m glad to hear it. It was time for you to start thinking about finding someone to settle down with. I’ll have Franny start getting the preparations made and you will need to make a formal announcement. I understand that you have purchased a home and no doubt that you two want to move out there, but I think at least until after the wedding you should stay here where there is more security.” Kellan said, he was talking quickly like he did when he had already made a plan and was trying to get it executed.
“Wait, wait,” I sat forward and put my hand in the air. “What wedding?”
“You two are going to be married are you not?” He asked me like it was the simplest thing in the world.
