Page 76 of When She Tempts (The Fallen)
“Why?”
“Your don values my opinion,” he says, a self-satisfied smirk appearing on his face.
Jesus. He’s as delusional as ever. My father is one of the clan’s submarines—men tasked with delivering weekly stipends to the lowest level foot soldiers and their families in a given territory. The positions are cushy and usually reserved for men past their prime, but my father scored the job when he was still relatively young.
He wanted it so fucking bad he was willing to give up the single shred of honor he was born with for it.
“Nice of him to check in. He’s a good man, that one. He pays me respect.”
My eyes widen in genuine disbelief. Is hefuckingserious?
It takes him a few seconds to register the expression on my face, but when he does, the smirk melts away, and he rubs his knees awkwardly. “He’s changed, you know? He’s not like he was back then.”
Nino doesn’t actually know Sal, so it’s all bullshit. It’s easy to get into my father’s good graces. Treat him like he’s someone important, and he’ll eat right out of your hand. My father’s pride has always been his most precious possession, and Sal cracked that puzzle three decades ago.
“What was he asking about?”
“Told me about the De Rossi kid.” He scoffs. “They come and go, you know? Arrogant little fucks who think they know better than the man who gave them everything.”
“Did he ask you any questions?”
He throws his hand up. “Sure, Gio. He asked me lots. How I was doing here, the word among the soldiers and their families…” He raises his shoulders. “I might not be in Casal, but I’m well connected here.”
Sal couldn’t give a fuck about these people. The bottom rung is irrelevant and replaceable.
“What else?”
“He asked about how you were doing. Too bad I couldn’t tell him much since you never visit anymore.” He has the audacity to give me an accusing look.
“What did he want to know about me exactly?”
“He asked if I knew where you spent your time these days. I told him his guess was as good as mine. You’ve got a place only thirty minutes away from me, and still you ignore your old man.”
My small apartment on the outskirts of Naples is covered in cameras. No one could have gone in there without me knowing. But Sal could have put someone on surveillance, just to check if I’m ever around, and by now he knows I haven’t been there. Has he done the same at my apartment in Rome? If he’s trained his eye on me, he might already know I’m in none of my known residences, and with that tail he put on me…
My frown deepens. “That’s all?”
“That’s all, son. We talked some more about the word on the street. I told him his support is unwavering here, and then he got up to leave. He thanked me beautifully, Gio.” He jerks his chin toward the floor. “Look.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I see a crate of wine bottles. Probably from one of Sal’s vineyards.
“Want to open one?” he asks.
I’d rather drink bleach. I stand and straighten out my suit jacket. “I have to go.”
“Already?”
I’m tempted to just walk out of there, but something pulls me back to look at him. I drink in his aging body, fat and wrinkled all over. He’s pushing seventy. Soon, he’ll be dead.
We lock eyes, and he quickly grows uncomfortable beneath my stare. Shame creeps into his expression. He knows exactly what’s on my mind whenever I look—reallylook—at him. Anger wraps around my heart and squeezes hard. When I’m done making Sal pay for what he did to my mother, it’ll be Nino’s turn.
“Goodbye, Father.”
I step outside, and shut the door behind me.
CHAPTER19
MARTINA
