Page 71 of Driftwood Daffodil 3

Suddenly I understood why Antonio sounded the way he did. Alex was home. His youngest daughter was the only thing that could get to him.

“I don’t care.” Antonio yelled back. “Listen Gio, tell your father you have a bottle of Whitley 25 year scotch back at the house and he’ll follow you.”

“It’s that easy?”

“It’s that easy.” He confirmed, then growled, “put that down Alexandrea.”

There was a crash, a pop, and a hiss, followed by Antonio saying, “I have to go.” Then the line went dead.

Apparently Atlee’s dad had his own problems. Talking to him did remind me of something. I scrolled through m y contacts and sent Atlee a text.

Me: Are you there yet?

Atlee: Yeah, she’s almost done.

Me: Anything interesting happen?

I was more interested in what Nova and her brother talked about. Since I couldn’t be there, I asked Atlee to listen for me. There were perks to being a Mancini. Like the guards on our payroll and the room with an intercom they agreed to do the visit in. Honestly, I was a bit surprised when my father set the whole thing up. Then again, he was probably already drunk at the time.

Atlee: Well, Kato knows about your deal. He told Nova to get out of it.

Fuck that. I’d kill her before I let her go. Something I would’ve liked to tell him myself. I was going to kick Romeo’s ass for this.

Me: What did she say?

Atlee: She pretty much told him to go fuck himself.

That’s my girl.

Me: See you when you get back.

Atlee: Are you picking Nova up for the dinner, or do you want me to bring her?

I leaned over and looked in the room. My father and uncle had pulled Saul into the booth with them and were trying to convince him to either take a drink or fuck the dancer, I couldn’t tell from here. It would be a miracle if I got them out of here by the time Atlee and Nova got back.

Me: You better bring her.

I had her dress at my house anyway.

“Giovanni!” My uncle called. “Get in here and have a drink with us.”

I huffed out a breath. The second Romeo got home, these idiots were his problem.

NOVALEE

The drive home was much quieter than the drive there. Atlee tried a few times to initiate a conversation, but I wasn’t paying attention. The only thing I could hear was the question burning in the back of my brain.

What did I do?

I was so distracted that I let Atlee drive home.

The look on Kato’s face when I told him that he left me alone was all I could see. Where did that come from? And why did I feel like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders after I said it?Not only that, but when he told me about my deal, I pretty much told him to suck it up.

Kato was the best brother a girl could ask for. No matter what was happening, Veda and I always came first. He gave up his whole life to raise us and I pretty much spit in his face. I didn’t just slap him when he was down, I kicked him in the nuts and stomped on his heart. So, why didn’t I feel worse? Why did it feel like I could breathe for the first time in two years?

“Do I need to be worried about you?” Atlee asked while driving past the run down and partial broken welcome to Soiree sign.

“No. Why?”

---