Page 136 of Fish out of Water
She hadn’t said much since I pulled her from the shitty warehouse where the men Vito set up met their demise.
My mother wrote across a notepad on the desk.
“Whose office is this?” I scanned the space. It looked a little too similar to places I’d seen before.
My mother shifted in her seat. “It doesn’t belong to anyone in particular.”
I lifted my eyes to stare at the ceiling. “Hell.”
I caught a bony elbow to the gut.
I jerked my head toward my grandmother. “Ow.”
“Sorry.” She patted the spot where she’d assaulted me. “I expected to you say something else.”
“So what? You’re already doing business down here now?” Florida was supposed to be the place where I could build a life that wasn’t tainted by my family’s name.
Then Vito came, bringing his bullshit.
Now it looked like my mother was putting down roots of her own.
“I can’t leave you here to deal with Vito. You have a life of your own to live.” My mother’s eyes slid Julia’s way before coming back to me. “I think it’s best if I have a presence here.” Her nostrils flared. “Especially after what happened today.”
What happened today was Vito led the men he was involved with to believe he could get them even more money than he owed.
And it didn’t end well for any of them.
“What are you going to do with him?” I didn’t like the idea of Vito going right back to his normal life. The guy was clearly a problem.
One that kept getting bigger and bigger.
“Vito is being handled.” My mother’s evasiveness did nothing to make me feel any better.
“How am I supposed to live my own life when his bullshit keeps fucking it up?” I was beyond aggravated.
I was pissed.
“His issues won’t affect your life in any way.” My mother folded her hands. “I promise.”
I didn’t see how that was a promise she could make. Not when Vito was the reason Julia was sitting beside me now, clearly in shock.
“I’ll believe it when I see it.” I stood, reaching one hand Julia’s way. “Come on, Banana Pants. Let’s get out of here.”
She took my hand immediately, letting me pull her up from her seat.
My grandmother twisted in her chair, hooking one arm over the back as I led Julia to the door. “I’ll call you later, honey. Make sure you’re doing okay.”
“Fine.” I opened the door.
“I wasn’t talking to you.” My grandmother pressed the fingers of one hand to her lips and blew a kiss straight Julia’s way. “I love you, sweet girl.”
Julia barely smiled.
My grandmother winked with the eye not covered with ice. “You did great today.”
I pushed Julia out ahead of me.
She needed out of here. Away from all of this.
