“Which is?”
“You’ve hinted at your feelings many times in your letters. I’ve never returned them. I never will. Last night was just an unfortunate coincidence.”
“As if I hadn’t figured that out.” Anger radiated through her eyes.
“You should’ve known better. I’m thirteen years older than you.”
“So what?”
“I almost adopted you. My cousin actually did.”
“And? We’re not actually related.”
“You were a kid when we first met.”
“I haven’t been one in four years. This sounds like a grocery list of excuses. You didn’t care about my age last night.”
“You were in the club. I knew you were at least twenty-one.”
“You really have an answer for everything.” A tear trickled down her face. She quickly rubbed it away.
“It’s too easy to die when you don’t.”
“Why are you like this?”
“Last night was a way to pass the time. I’d have preferred it not to have been you, out of respect for the services you’ve rendered to me over the last seven years.”
“Services?”
“Our letters. They helped me pass the time behind bars. Much like last night.”
Another tear leaked out from her watery eyes. “That’s all they were to you?”
“What else should they have been?”
A strangled chuckle broke out of her. “Wow. I foolishly thought…god, I don’t even know. I can’t do this. Let go of me. Vinny and Tore are probably waiting for you.”
I ached to reach out and wipe away her tears, but this was for the best. The two of us had no place together.
“Will it happen again?” I asked. She frowned. “I want to make sure we avoid a similar situation in the future.”
“Last night…” She cleared her throat. “Last night was a mistake. A stupid mistake that never should have happened.”
“Agreed.”
“As far as everyone is concerned, it never happened. No one needs to know.”
“Good.” The word tasted bitter, but I needed to drive the point home. She was a distraction I didn’t need and couldn’t afford. I had the famiglia to regain control of and revenge to carry out.
She blew out air shakily, blinked up at the ceiling, and discreetly wiped away her tears. “Is that all you tracked me down for?”
I gave a slow nod.
“Great. Glad we could get that settled.” She dipped under my arm and scurried out of the room without a glance back.
I watched her go, muddled by the need to stay put and the desire to go after her. But the most conflicting thing was this feeling of invigoration for the first time in years. Prison life had been mundane, tedious, and monotonous, with only the occasional fights, maneuvering, and favors to spice up daily life.I’d probably said more words in that conversation with her than I’d said in the last six months.
Chapter 33
