“I think we should leave.” His voice broke into the gentle silence that had settled over the room.
“Five more minutes, please.” I ran my fingers up to his jaw and over the shadow of a beard that had formed on his face.
He chuckled and eased himself up onto his elbows. “I mean leave for good. Just go away and disappear. We could go to Italy. We talked about going to Italy. We could live in the villa, or somewhere else, and no one would be able to find us.”
My lips parted, and numbness filled me, because I’d played that game before. I ran away from home, from Chicago. I became someone else and in all honesty doing that ate away at my insides and suffocated me.
Running away, that was me. Running…
“Luc, I…”
“I know it’s like before, but this time you have me. If we get you out of the country, you could be safer, out of danger. It’s a good idea, isn’t it?”
I nodded. It was a good idea. Leaving. I would be safe. I could disappear, but what would happen here? What about Dad?
When I’d left before, I had the safety net of him. He’d looked so frail yesterday. He looked like he was on his last breath.
“My father, Luc.”
“He will understand and do what needs to be done.” His brows furrowed. I didn’t miss the harshness in his tone and I recalled all that he’d said yesterday about Dad. “I’m thinking leaving might be our best option. We can think about it, but not for too long. Maybe by tonight. Tonight we can decide.”
“Okay,” I breathed.
“Okay?” He actually looked relieved.
“Yes. We decide tonight.”
“Let’s get back to Raphael’s and see what’s happening. But I’ll plan like we’re going.”
It was all so sudden.
We got dressed and got back to the manor by ten.
I was so happy to see Dad sitting in the living room with The Four. Claudius and Marcus came back with us.
It was strange seeing so many in this room. Although it was big enough to accommodate a small party of people.
I rushed up to Dad and gave him a hug and kissed his cheek. He hugged me back but then looked to Luc.
“Don’t you dare say anything to me about taking her away from here,” Luc cut him off before he could comment.
“I wasn’t going to. I heard what happened yesterday,” Dad answered.
Instead of sitting next to Dad, Luc took my hand and pulled me over to the empty seats on the sofa. I noticed Gio’s cocky smirk at Dante as they exchanged curious glances with each other.
“It’s been several days, and we’ve come up with nothing,” Dad stated.
“They’re playing with us,” Luc filled in. I could feel his rage toward Dad rippling off him.
“They’re fucking with us, son,” Dad stated boldly. He looked more like himself now. “We need to turn this town upside down. With the level of control I have over this city, I’m surprised we haven’t found them yet. It’s more than odd. It suggest they have help.”
“The Salvatores and the Manellos,” Claudius offered.
I didn’t know who anyone was.
“No, not the Salvatores,” Marcus intoned. “Tag killed their consigliere. They would never link up with him after that.”
“But they might with Victor. He’s a powerful man to keep,” Dad continued.
