Page 47 of Count Down

I remember being in awe when I visited as a kid. It was like an old museum. Now it feels stuffy, rigid, unable to bend or change.

“Gina?” I hear a familiar female voice. When I look up, I see that it’s Klein. She’s dressed formally in a skirt and jacket. Her jet black hair pulled back in a smooth ponytail. She’s smiling, happy to see me. “How are you? What brings you down here?” She comes to the bench and sits next to me.

“Hey!” It’s a bit of a relief to see a friendly face here. “I just need to talk to my dad for a minute.”

“He should be out soon. We just got out of a meeting.” Klein leans in and lowers her voice. “How are you doing? Your dad hasn’t said anything about what you decided to do.”

“No, he wouldn’t,” I smile. “We had an argument. He got mad when I told him I didn’t want to go to law school.”

“I’m sorry,” Klein searches my eyes.

“It’s okay. I moved out. Got my own apartment and I’m teaching pilates more. I’m working on my choreography, too.”

“How is that going?” Klein seems relieved.

“Good, good,” I say. “I’ve got a piece in the showcase on Saturday.”

“That’s exciting—“ Klein says before we’re interrupted.

“Hey there,” a man in his mid-twenties comes over from the same direction as Klein. I’m guessing he was in the same meeting. I’ve never seen him before. He’s looking me up and down as he sidles up to us. “Who’s your friend?”

I feel Klein go rigid next to me. “Blaine,” she says, all the friendliness of the tone she had with me is gone. “This is Gina Nicoletti. District Attorney Nicoletti’sdaughter.”

Blaine blinks once, the sly smile disappearing from his face. “Nice to meet you,” he says expressionless, before he turns in the opposite direction, toward a group of desks.

“Guy’s a fucking creep,” Klein whispers to me. “Sorry, I knew he’d be scared shitless if he thought the DA might find him checking out his daughter. I think I hear your father coming. Good to see you.” She’s right, I can hear my father’s voice coming from the same hall Klein and Blaine came from. Klein leans over and gives me a quick hug. I doubt hugs happen much in this office. I appreciate it. “Let me know if you ever need anything.” Then she gets up and heads in the same direction Blaine went a moment earlier.

My father walks into the lobby, talking loudly with two other suited men. They shake hands and say their goodbyes. When the two men start toward the elevator, my father turns around. That’s when he finally sees me.

His eyes widen for a split second before he looks away and heads back to his office. I hear a door slam around the corner behind his assistant’s desk. She doesn’t look up, but I scowl toward my father’s office.

A moment later, the assistant’s phone rings and she picks it up. She simply says, “Yes sir.” Then hangs up.

“You can go in to your father’s office now,” she says to me.

I haven’t missed these antics.

When I enter, he’s sitting in his chair, turned away from the desk, facing the wall behind it. Is he going to refuse to look at me the whole time? Either way, I have to warn him. I close the door behind me.

“You’ve got some nerve—“

“You’re in trouble!” I cut him off. He doesn’t say anything else. He doesn’t turn around. “Someone’s planning to assassinate you. You have to step down. You have to… take mom and go into hiding.”

Finally, he swivels his chair around to look at me. But he doesn’t look me in the eyes, not at first. He looks at my hands, then behind me. Like I’ve brought him something or I wasn’t alone. Then he looks me in the eyes. He looks older than I remember. But just as angry and spiteful. “Of course I’m a target.” He holds his hands out gesturing to his office. “I’m the District Attorney.”

I walk toward him, up to the edge of his desk. Again, he glances at my hands. He looks like he’s wondering why I’m coming closer to him. “This is for real. Whoever it is, they’re not going to stop until you’re dead. You’ve got to go into hiding. You’ve got to get out of here.”

His lips curl into a snarl. “Who told you this? Your mafia boyfriend?”

“It’s true. You’re in danger!” I ignore his last comment. But it confirms what Luca said. My father did have me followed.

He continues. I saw no love in his eyes before, but now I see flashes of hate. “For all I know you’re in on it.”

“What?! I don’t want anything to happen to you. You’re my father!”

“Oh, now you remember?” His chair slides back against the wall as he stands up. Everything on his desk rattles as he slams his fists on it. “Where did you get the money to move out?! Are you some kind of mafia whore?!” His hands gesture at my clothes.

My mouth moves wordlessly as I’m stunned from his accusation. He can’t believe what he’s saying. He knows better. He’s just saying it to hurt me. But still, the fact that he wants to hurt me like that is beyond anything I was prepared for.

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