Page 9 of The Gangster's Girl

He doesn’t stop, his body shaking and his clenched hands tremble at his sides. Moving out to my porch, he marches into the garden where the girls are. It’s a beautiful, tranquil night and had things gone as they were supposed to, India would have enjoyed it with me. Anger rages in me when I realize how confused she will be now.

Her father’s acting like a maniac and as much as I want to throttle him for behaving this way, I can’t.

“India,” Robbie shouts, “Ronnie!”

Letting out a squeak, Ronnie races toward him, jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist. “Did you win? You won, didn’t you?”

My eyes go to India and as she walks to me, I notice a pulse flutter in her throat and she strokes a hand down her neck. “I think you’re the one who won,” she whispers, “I’m right, aren’t I?”

Her eyes turn curious and she tilts her head to the side, like a kitten that’s just seen a yarn. “What did you wish for?”

You. Only always you.

“Nothing!” Robbie snarls, putting Ronnie down and not that gently and she gives him a sour look. “He doesn’t want anything.”

“You have to want something,” India breathes, frowning and she lets out a yelp when Robbie pulls at her so hard that she stumbles backward.

“Careful!” I snap and Robbie gives me a look full of hate, one he’s never given me in all the years we’ve known each other.

“Don’t tell me how to treat my daughter!” He pulls at her arm, “India, move it. You too, Ronnie.”

“Why are you acting like a caveman?” Ronnie asks, running after her daughter and husband on her wedges. “What the heck happened up in the library?”

“You don’t want to know,” Robbie barks, cursing when India wriggles free from him.

“I’m not going until you tell us what’s going on.” She looks at Robbie who firmly shuts his mouth and then she pleadingly turns to me.

“You’re going whether you want to or not.”

“What’s gotten into you?” Ronnie hisses but Robbie doesn’t answer and Ronnie reluctantly gets into the car.

India shakes her head at Robbie. “I’m nineteen you can’t make me.”

“Indiana Rochelle Penrose,” Robbie yells at the top of his lungs, “get in the fucking car now.”

Backing away from her dad, India looks at me and to my surprise she runs over to me, slamming into my body in a frantic hug. Burying her face against my neck, she clutches me with her hands, grasping as if she doesn’t want to let go.

I don’t either. But I have to. I don’t want to cause a rift between her and her family. I will leave things to calm down a little and once they have I’ll remind Robbie that the rules of the game can’t be broken.

And if he is uncooperative one more time, I won’t hesitate to take more drastic measures.

Stroking my hand over India’s hair, I rasp, “Uncle Clay loves you. Always know that.” Kissing her temple, I add, “Go. Go to your family...”

I don’t get to finish my sentence before India is yanked out of my arms and I get a fist on my mouth, cracking my upper lip.

Ronnie screams and so does India, putting her hand up to close her eyes and Robbie sneers,

“That’s what you got for sniffing around my daughter.” He pulls at India’s arm. “Move it!”

He drags her over to the vehicle and she reluctantly gets inside, immediately turning around to look outside the window at me and I brush off the blood on my lip with my knuckles, nodding at her.

I want her to know everything will be all right. That she can always count on me.

Standing on my courtyard, I watch them drive off. She’s gone. For now. But she will be back. Those are the rules of the game. And they can’t be broken.

He shouldn’t have hit me. He shouldn’t have insulted me that way in front of his daughter. I’ll need to retaliate and I shudder when thinking I had buried that past but then again...once a mobster, always a mobster.

CHAPTER FIVE

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