I lift my hand and wave, running up the steps to get inside of the plane. The sooner I get to Sophie, the sooner I can get her out of jail and make her my wife.
Or, maybe I’ll leave her in jail for a day or two.
***
“Take me to the police station,” I tell the taxi driver, not liking that Gianni isn’t here to pick me up, but I don’t want anyone else to see Sophie in his state. She will already be ashamed. The less people who see her, the better.
“No problem.” He stares at me in the rearview mirror, and I feel his questioning gaze.
Signing, I meet his eyes with my cold stare. “Is there something you need?”
“No, sir. I was wondering if you’re Matias Milazzo? Head of the Milazzo crime family?”
I nod. “I am, so I would respect your discretion with anything you see today.” I pull out a few hundred dollars from my wallet and toss it at him for the forty-dollar cab fare.
“Yes, sir. Anything you need, sir,” the driver states with glee. “You can count on me. I am most loyal. If you ever need a driver, I’m your guy, sir. My name is Tony.”
“Nice to meet you, Tony. When we get to the station, you are to wait for me. If I find you told anyone about this, I’ll kill you. Understand?”
“Yes, sir,” he says with a smile as if my threat doesn’t scare him.
Odd man.
“I promise, sir. You are safe with me.”
I do need a loyal driver. I only like it when Gianni drives, but he needs to be at my side, not driving me around. The other men are too cocky when they drive, too, so I can’t ask them. Maybe I’ll keep Tony in mind.
“Do you have a family, Tony?”
“I do. My lovely wife of twenty years and four kids. All are in college.”
“What a wonderful life.”
“It is. It’s hard as a taxi driver, but I like what I do.”
Having a family is very difficult in my life. Ella was a big chance for me to take, but now that I have her, I can’t stop the urge to want more.
I want Sophie. I want children with her. I want Ella to have a mother. She deserves that. She deserves everything. And she and Sophie get along so well. This family has to happen. There isn’t another option.
“And you? Do you have a family?”
I nod. “I do.”
“I did not expect you to be a family man,” Tony admits. “No offense.”
I manage a smile, surprised at how at ease I am around this man. It’s almost off-putting. “None taken, but in my line of work, family is everything. It’s how we build our name, power, and fortune. Nothing is more important than family.”
“That is true. I like that.”
We pull into the parking lot at the police station, the low ache in the back of my skull becoming more intense. I have blood on my shirt sleeves and a cut on my face, but the cops won’t question me since I’m the one who pays their bills. I hate getting this close to them. I prefer to keep the law out of my business as much as possible.
“I’ll be back, Tony. Do not leave.”
“No, sir, Mr. Milazzo. I’m right here. I’m your guy. You can count on me.”
His eagerness is endearing but slightly annoying, but somehow, I can’t help but like him. I tap the car and a heavy, dreaded sigh escapes me as I open the door of the police station. Putting my game face back on and hiding the exhaustion, I tense my jaw.
“Where the fuck is she?” I shout into the room. There is one man on the bench and he reeks of alcohol. When he sees me, he keeps his eyes cast downward. His hair is dirty and falls over his face. As I walk by him, I get a whiff of piss.