Page 255 of Redemption (Sempre 2)

“I heard Frankie say it the day of the auction,” she replied. “He wanted my master to sell me to him. Terrified me. I thought he’d do it.”

“Thank God he didn’t.”

“Yeah, but he still taunted me over the years. I’d see him when he came to Blackburn. He’d stand there and stare at me. Just stare. He always hurt my mama. He always . . .” She paused, angry tears glistening from her eyes. “He did things to her, but never me. He just watched me all the time, like he was waiting for when the time was right.”

“And you saw him when you were in the warehouse?”

She nodded, wiping her eyes as a tear fell down her cheek. “I imagined him, I guess. Standing over me, just staring as usual, like the time still wasn’t right. He looked older, but it was definitely him. I’d never forget that face.”

Haven let out a bitter laugh while Vincent remained stoic. He hadn’t wanted to believe it, but something about her words made him wonder if she hadn’t imagined it at all.

“Thank you,” Vincent said. “I just needed to hear you confirm it.”

“You’re welcome.” Haven eyed him peculiarly. “Are you sure you’re okay, Dr. DeMarco? Won’t the people who monitor you track me here now?”

“I don’t have my ankle monitor on anymore.”

Her eyes widened. “Is your trial over?”

He stared at her, realizing at that moment how cut off she was from everything. He had been following her for weeks, gathering the courage to approach her, unsure how she would react to a wanted man showing up at her doorstep . . . a man most people suspected to be dead. But she didn’t even know. She knew nothing.

Standing, Vincent stretched his aching back. “It’s not over yet, but it will be soon. Nothing to worry about.”

“Okay.”

“Anyway, I should be going. I’ve taken up enough of your time.”

Haven walked him to the door, the two of them silently hesitating in the foyer. There was so much Vincent still felt he needed to say, the words stuck on the tip of his tongue. He nearly managed to force them out, overpowering his lingering pride and overabundance of shame, when the front door to the brownstone thrust open behind them. A female’s laughter carried through the downstairs.

Vincent immediately dropped his head, his eyes darting to the girl. She looked at him with surprise, and familiarity struck Vincent as he vaguely recognized her.

Senator Brolin’s daughter.

“Oh, wow,” she said, a grin lighting up her face. “Another one?”

Vincent didn’t stick around to find out what she meant by that.

36

The first weekend in June, Carmine received a call from Salvatore about a celebration for Corrado’s exoneration. He begrudgingly got dressed that Saturday night and drove to Salvatore’s house at dusk, parking his car toward the back before hesitantly making his way to the front door. He pressed the doorbell and Abby appeared, seemingly relieved when she saw Carmine there.

“Hey,” he said when she ushered him inside. “How are you?”

She smiled softly, her voice barely a whisper. “Fine. You, sir?”

“I’m here with these motherfuckers, so I’m obviously not doing that good.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” she said shyly, offering to take his coat. “You talk to me like I’m a person.”

“You are a person, Abby. They’re just too nasty to see it.”

She stared at him, surprised by his candid response, before slinking away to do her work. Carmine headed for the den when someone called his name, and he turned, his blood running cold the second his eyes came into contact with Carlo’s. The man smirked as he strolled toward Carmine. “You’re lucky your godfather didn’t overhear that exchange. Something tells me he wouldn’t be amused.”

Carmine stared back as he fought to control his temper at the man’s smug expression. “There’s nothing wrong with saying hello.”

“You said much more than hello, boy.”

Carlo looked as though he was going to say something else when Corrado walked over and interrupted. “Carlo, Carmine. Is there a problem?”

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