Kevin’s voice firms.“He told me, ‘Don’t have her just follow.Let her lead. Let her decide, in the end, what she wants.’”
“Why did he want that for her?” Gino asks.
“When he was with her mother, she didn’t know he was a part of this life. Not until she was dying and he wanted to tell her the truth. For almost three years before she died, he lived in a fantasy with her, away from his problems.”
He pauses. “Alicia made him promise he wouldn’t force Vanessa into this world. She was fiercely protective of her daughter. But when Vanessa turned sixteen, your father for whatever reason came up with this plan for her to one day work for him.”
Kevin continues. “When he asked, she said yes. She thought it was her duty. After she graduated college, we all moved to New York, and she took a job at the hospital to gain experience—so she’d be ready when your father needed her.”
His voice softens when he says, “We all know that didn’t happen, but she would have come the second someone called her.”
“I don’t doubt that, Kevin, but how do we know no one else knows who she is?” Gino asks.
“I am not sure,” Kevin says. “Your father was very deliberate about staying away from her. He didn’t want anyone finding out until certain alliances were in place and he felt ready.”
Gino nods slowly, then looks over at me. “Still, it’s strange. The very day she finds out the truth and shows up here, someone attacks us—in the one way no one is supposed to.”
“It is odd,” Kevin admits. “But for now, it looks like a coincidence. I’ll look into it. I still know a few people.” He winks and heads out the door.
As soon as he’s gone, Drew speaks up. “So what do we do?”
“We figure it out,” Gino says firmly. “But first, we eat. Then we plan.” He looks at me. “After dinner, take Vanessa home and stay with her, just like we discussed. Dad bought her an apartment as a graduation present, so that is probably the most secure place for her right now.”
“You got it,” I confirm.
Gino looks around to the rest of the guys. “As for the rest of you, keep doing what you’re doing. We’ll keep this low on the radar for now. The last thing we need is to start a war in everyone’s front yard.” Gino stands and heads for the door. We follow.
After dinner,Gino and I head back up to his office to talk more about this wholestaying with Vanessasituation.
I don’t guard people. That’s not my job. I’m a lawyer—I broker deals, the kind that bring in money both legally and illegally. I make things happen on paper, not with a gun.
And last night, it already feels strange to call it last night. I wasn’t meeting Vanessa. I was sitting across from the Germans with Gabe, while Alonso played intimidation and muscle in case things went sideways.
They did. Badly.
Now I’m sitting on the loveseat in Gino’s office, bracing myself for a plan that may or may not work. Knowing how independent Vanessa is, she isn’t going to take orders from me or anyone else.
But something also feels off.
Gino moves behind his desk and lowers himself into the chair. He only sits there when he knows the conversation isn’t going to go well.
He sighs. “Listen, man. I know you’re not the guarding type. You’re not the guy who wants to fight people, but I need your help with this.”
He leans forward slightly. “My father kept Vanessa from me, but after what happened this afternoon, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone knows about her now. She needs to be protected and watched. At least for now, until we can fully prepare her for what’s coming.”
“I’m flattered you’d really trust me with this,” I say flatly. “But I’m not a bodyguard. Why not Drew? Or Ry? Or literally anyone who actually does that for a living?”
“My father asked specifically for you to watch her?—”
I cut him off. “Why the hell would your dad ask that?”
Gino leans back slightly. “After he died, there were a lot of plans he left behind. I didn’t go through them at first. Not until today after we started poking around. I was pissed. I thought I was his only kid, so I didn’t spend much time thinking about how everything would be handled.”
I can see the hurt in his eyes when he looks up at me. “But he had plan after plan. For how things should run. For how things should go for Vanessa. I think he expected me to start poking around sooner than I did.”
“What do you mean?” I press.
“Well, there’s a lot of things. But the first big one.” He pauses, then lets out a breath. “Your father knew about Vanessa.”
