Page 117 of Runaway in the Mafia
A man in a brown uniform appeared out of a side door. The ‘coffee’ he set in front of me was a fucking murder of the coffee beans. More milk than coffee. The last time I’d had milk, I must have been five. I took a sip, grimaced, then ignored it in favour of observing my father-in-law.
The man looked fine to me. He had a walking stick, but he walked as if he’d rather chuck it out the window than use it. His shoulders hunched slightly, but dressed in a suit, he had the presence of a sharp man with his wits about him. Unlike the one he faced.
“So, Vitale…” he rounded the desk. “My daughter has told me a lot of things.” He sank into the chair. The relief on his face when he did was the only sign of weakness. I remained quiet, and he leaned back in his chair, observing me with his keen eyes. “I’d like to hear your side of it.”
I leaned forward and placed the cup of milk with coffee on the table. “There’s only her side of it.”
“Oh.” He was surprised.
“She’s your daughter. That’s the only side that should matter to you.”
Something shifted in the air. I didn’t falter under his watchful eyes. He took his time to speak again, and when he did his tone had changed. “I agree.” A thread of warmth shone through it. “Her happiness means the world to me.”
“It should have.”
Silent accusation rang in the air. Just when I was doing a damn good job of getting into his good books.
He sighed and leaned forward earnestly. “I’m old, Vitale. A man of my age carries many mistakes in my life.” He lifted two fingers up. “I have two when it comes to my eldest daughter. One, I should never have allowed her to marry my friend’s son. I was wrong. I thought my friend had my daughter’s best interests in mind. But, like you kindly pointed out, in his case, he had only his son’s interest in mind. Normal, I guess. Right?”
“If you say so.”
He shrugged. “I’ll never know….” He trailed off, his mind clearly deep in thought.
“And your second?” I nudged.
“Yes. I seemed to have given her the impression that I was weak. Or my wife did. But it doesn’t matter. No father is so weak as not to protect their daughter. I am more than capable of taking on the world. For her.”
I could see why Ahana loved this man. Someone who prioritised their children’s happiness, especially a daughter’s, was an exception in my world. More so in hers. Respect seeped into my chest, uninvited but not unwanted.
“But I think you will do the same for her, yes?”
“Without a doubt.”
“Because youhavealready done that.”
I stayed silent.
“Should I know something about that?”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
He nodded. The chair creaked as he leaned back. “What worries me, though… how can I say it…”and here it comes.“Your field of work.” Of course. “Can you protect her?”
It wasn’t an instant no?
“I’d give my life to protect her.”
“I’m sure you would,” he murmured thoughtfully. “I’m happy she’s finally found her home.”
I frowned. “You don’t have any other worries?”
“No.” He shook his head. “Should I?”
I shrugged. “My w—Ahana seemed worried about the repercussions from the family, society.”
He waved his hand. “I’ll take care of that.”
“How?”
