SIX
MATEO
A FEW HOURS EARLIER
Once Lucy and Kevin arrive, Gino, Kevin, Drew, Gabe, Jake, Marco, and I all head into the library. “So,” Kevin says, looking around at all of us, “I see you boys had yourselves a bit of a scuffle today.”
“Yeah,” Gino replies, a little apprehensive, clearly unsure of where this conversation is headed.
Kevin folds his arms. “So, tell me, does the shooting happen often at this house or not? Because I am going to need to know what I’ve gotten Vanessa into.”
“No,” I say before Gino can answer. “It doesn’t. Not often, at least.”
Kevin nods once. “Well, that settles that.” His gaze shifts back to Gino. “Now that you know Vanessa exists, what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know, what do you think I should do?” Gino asks.
Kevin doesn’t hesitate. “First, you need to trust her. Let herhelp in whatever way she chooses.” His gaze sharpens. “But she shouldn’t be alone. Not right now.”
“Yeah, I am going to have Mateo with her,” he says, glancing at me.
“Good. Now, what do you want to know about what I’ve been up to?”
The room goes quiet. The rest of us exchange uneasy looks, suddenly unsure whether we’re meant to be here for what comes next, or if this is a conversation that should belong to just the two of them.
“Should we go?” I ask.
“No,” Kevin says firmly. “You’re all going to need to hear this. From now on, protecting her falls on all of you.” His voice softens. “I love her like a daughter, but I can’t keep doing this forever.”
That’s when it clicks. Kevin has been Vanessa’s father in every way that mattered, just like my father was for Gino. Antonio couldn’t fully be there for either of his children, so Kevin filled that space for her.
“Kevin, tell us what you have taught Vanessa over the years that we won’t need to?” Gino pauses. “Please tell me she isn’t completely oblivious to all of this.”
“Trust me—she isn’t oblivious.” Kevin chuckles. “Antonio made sure of that. He told her things and taught her skills I didn’t even realize she knew until recently.”
He folds his arms and gets a serious expression on his face. “I taught her how to fight. Literally. Karate, mixed martial arts, judo—she trained more than just about any kid in Utah. She’s witty like her mother, too. She’ll bust your balls when it’s appropriate, and she won’t take shit from any of you.” He gestures loosely around the room.
Then his tone shifts. “But she’ll need time to warm up to all of you. She was raised as an only child, and she grew up in asmaller city. I don’t think she’s used to all the glitz and glam of New York.”
Kevin smiles as he continues. “She’s smart, too. Always has been. She ran track at CSU for a season, but she was there on an academic scholarship.”
So she’s smart and athletic.Yeah. I’m starting to like her more and more.
“Is she trained with any weapons?” Gino asks.
“Knives. She knows how to shoot too, but she’s not a fan of guns. But if she wanted to, she could take anyone out with a knife.”
Gino meets Kevin’s gaze. “What did Dad want for her?”
Kevin shakes his head. “To be completely frank, I don’t know. Your father told her about this life when she was sixteen.”
That makes us all go quiet.
“What?” Gino snaps, his voice rising.
“Don’t come at me,” Kevin says quickly. “I didn’t know she knew anything until two years ago, when she graduated and we moved here. Your father had some kind of plan. I don’t know all the details, and I don’t think she does either.”
Kevin takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. “Your father wanted her to be independent, and to have her own opinions on things. I know that’s not the norm in this world. He didn’t want her to be a follower—that was the one thing he was adamant about.”
