Page 28 of Forgotten Sacrifice
I glance over to Vince behind the wheel, examining this mystery of a man. I didn’t see him after dinner, his mood having shifted abruptly during dessert.
Why his mood shifted, I’m not sure.
Why I care, I’m also not sure.
We cross the bridge into NYC, only to come to a grinding halt. “This traffic is terrible,” I comment.
“That’s New York for ya,” Vince says.
“If I had an apartment in the city, I could walk to the Chess Hall and avoid the traffic problem,” I suggest.
“Nice try, but the answer is no,” Vince says firmly.
“Why not?”
“You got the cash to live in the most expensive city in the world?”
“No, but you could add it to my debt,” I argue.
“You wanna be forty and still ‘under my thumb?’” He raises an eyebrow.
I shrug. “You’d be in a home by then.”
Vince’s laughter fills the vehicle, but he shakes his head. “The answer’s no, for a hundred different reasons.”
“Name one,” I challenge.
“New York isn’t Parisi family territory. You’re safer in Jersey,” he says.
“I’m safer, or you’re safer?” I counter.
He waves his hand dismissively. “Package deal. You’re my associate.”
It’s my turn to raise an eyebrow. “When did I get promoted from extortee to associate?”
“Extoree isn’t a word.”
“The man’s a dictionary,” I mutter.
Vince flashes a smile. “I prefer wordsmith.”
“Uh-huh.” I examine my nails, considering. “If I’m an associate, that means I’m important to the family?—”
“Wherever you’re going with this, the answer is no,” he cuts me off.
“For a wordsmith, you have an extremely limited, two-letter-word vocabulary,” I inform him crossly.
“What do you need to prepare for your upcoming tournament?” Vince changes the subject as we start moving, only to come to another standstill.
I glare at him. “You not making me puke on the drive to the tournament.”
“Then I’d suggest you not tie one on before the tournament,” he counters.
“There’s no alcohol in your house.” I know, having snooped through all the kitchen cabinets. “Why?”
“I don’t need booze to have a good time, or to unwind, or to relate to people, or any of the myriad of reasons why people drink.”
“You having a good time?” I say skeptically. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
