“I’m taking good care of him.”
“Okay, because I’m worried about him, Letty.”
Without hesitation, Letty replied, “I am, too, hun. I am, too.”
Not a moment later, Letty ended the call. Giving Miles a nervous look, she smiled, and opened the passenger door.
“Ready?” Letty asked, with a faint smile to Miles.
“As ready as it gets,” Miles replied. “Let’s go.”
Miles scrunched up his face as he tried not to laugh.
“Sorry, but it’s true!” Letty said as a laugh ripped from her mouth.
“Not in the car, please,” Miles said as he winked at Letty.
“The things we do in this car... And you’re worried?”
Pulling on Letty’s jacket, Miles pulled her closer. “The things we do in this car.” Corina tore up the driveway of the Capadonno residence as Letty tapped her fingers nervously on her pant leg.
“Gotta relax, Letty. It’s all going to be fine. You’ll see,” Miles said, trying to reassure his longtime love. Jerking on the steering wheel, Miles pulled Corina into a parking spot and quickly cut the engine.
“Miles, I’m trying to relax, but in reality I feel like puking.”
“Letty, you are beautiful. I do not classify you losing your lunch as beautiful. You need to calm your nerves. Everything is going to work out just fine.”
“I know. Just take it a step at a time, right?”
“Wrong. I’m planning three steps ahead of these whack jobs. You leave the worrying to me. I’ve got this. I promise.”
Miles had a look of compete self-assuredness on his face. It eased Letty’s own worries a bit.
How can he look so sure of himself when all the odds are stacked against us? Letty wondered.
“Now c’mon. Let’s go visit Mr. Happy and then we can go enjoy ourselves.”
Not waiting for Letty to reply, Miles opened the car door and quickly banged it shut.
“I’m coming,” Letty replied as she unfolded herself from the passenger seat of the car.
Miles waited for Letty to rise from the car. He closed her car door for her and placed a hand on her shoulder as he led her across the courtyard, all while keeping a keen eye on his surroundings. As a black Mercedes began the crawl up the long tree-lined driveway, Miles rushed Letty inside.
The heavy oak door slammed behind Miles, as he and Letty stepped into the foyer. The house seemed quiet at first. They stood there silently for a moment as they listened. Apparently they had arrived in the calm of the storm, because just as they were beginning to think everything had calmed down, a barrage of shouting voices came from the parlor.
“What the frig is going on now?” Miles asked loudly as he stormed from the foyer, pulling Letty along beside him by her hand.
“Aye! Look who’s here!” Michael Capadonno called out from his hospital bed, looking much more cheerful than anyone expected him to.
A small child sat on Michael’s lap, happily chattering to the grieving mobster as if he was Santa Clause himself asking her what she wanted for Christmas.
“Miles and Letty are here!” Michael called out to someone in the kitchen. The glare that permeated from Michael’s eyes did not match the jovial tone to his voice. The look that Michael was giving Miles and Letty was nothing short of lethal. Letty squirmed a little under the weight of Michael’s stare, not Miles, though.
“Aye, old man!” Miles said, in a just as cheerful voice. “How’s it hanging?”
“Shriveled and wrinkled,” Dustin said with a growl as he walked into the room. “That’s how, asshole.”
“Dust! Mouth!” Sasha yelled as she tried to cover her daughter’s ears. “I know it’s hard for you, but can you not curse around Gia? She repeats everything!”
Michael eyed his daughter as she spoke. Diverting his eyes to his granddaughter, Gia, Michael shook his finger at her.
“Oh, no no, bella dolce. The mark of a true Capadonno is to only reveal what we must. You never repeat what you hear. You keep that to yourself. Keep secrets for yourself to enjoy.”
“Dad, seriously?” Sasha asked as she glared back at her father.
“Sasha, you start them young! It’s how they learn. Gia, you just tell Mommy your secrets, okay? Don’t pay Poppa no mind.”
Sasha lifted Gia off of Michael’s bed, and let the child toddle about the living room, her light brown ringlets hanging loosely around her cheeks.
Sasha seemed to be desperate for a change in conversation. As she led her daughter away from Michael, Sasha kissed Miles on his cheek and smiled warmly at Letty. As Sasha’s eyes met Letty’s, she patted Miles’s arm gently and slowly released him from her hold. Leaning in to Letty, Sasha whispered in Letty’s ear, just loud enough for Michael and Miles to hear.
“I hope you’re taking good care of him,” Sasha said with a smile. “I’m glad for you both.”
A slippery smile creased Michael’s face as he regarded Letty. “Don’t worry, Letty’s taking good care of me. She’s my favorite girl.”
Michael’s eyes caught Miles’s hooded gaze. As his son scoffed, a smirk curled from Michael’s lips.
“Slow your roll, old man,” Miles said as he hooked an arm around Letty’s waist, tugging her tightly to his side. With a cocky look on his face, Miles continued, “This one’s all mine.”
Despite herself, Letty laughed as Miles playfully tugged on her waist, but as she felt the weight of Michael’s stare, she wiped her face clean. Miles ignored the hostile glare that was shooting out from his father’s eyes and planted a kiss on Letty’s head, not daring to let her waist go. Sasha, turning to face her father, laughed and replied, “You’re such a ham! I was talking about Miles! Don’t they look great together?!”
Michael had an unimpressed look upon his face.
“Oh, yeah. Like a million bucks.”
Noticing that Letty appeared to be uncomfortable under the weight of Michael’s gaze, Miles quickly changed the subject.
“Is this my niece?” Miles said as he bent down to meet the three-year-old.
Arianna toddled over to Miles happily with a lollipop in one hand and a baby doll in the other. She had soft light brown ringlets that hung around her face, and a pair of hazel eyes that bucked against the Capadonno tradition of dark eyes and nearly black hair.
“This is her! Ari, say hi to your uncle Miles.”
The girl didn’t speak, instead she hugged her uncle’s face, careful to avoid his beard.
“She’s darling, Sasha,” Letty said as she watched Miles with the little girl closely.
“Thank you. So is your little one,” Sasha replied. “We’ll have to get them together for a play date.”
Letty smiled genially. “Sure, one of these days.”
“Enough chit chat!” Michael complained. “I haven’t had breakfast.”
Sasha raised her eyebrows testily as she looked back at her father. “Theresa made you breakfast and you threw it at the wall! You can have a bowl of cereal.”
“Cereal! What am I, five?” Michael complained.
“I can make him an omelet real quick,” Letty suggested.
“No, he can have his Wheaties,” Miles suggested. Casting a glare at his father, Miles continued, “He’s gonna need them.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m about to make lunch. He’ll be fine. I’m here trying to teach my daughter that it’s not okay to throw fits when you don’t get what you want, then her grandfather goes and has an atomic meltdown!”
“Stop hampering on me, Sasha!”
Letty placed a hand on Michael’s shoulder. “Take it easy. Let’s check you out.”
As Letty pulled a stethoscope out of her bag, Sasha scooped up her daughter and headed towards the kitchen. Miles stood in the doorway of the parlor keeping a close watch on his father as Letty took his vitals.
“Does he have to stand there?” Michael asked in annoyance, pointing to Miles who was eyeing him like a hawk.
Letty turned to face Miles, looking a
t him with an understanding gaze.
“As a matter of fact I do,” Miles said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“We’re okay, Miles. I’ll be done in a few,” Letty assured him, trying to keep the peace between father and son.
“What’s the rush?” Michael asked.
When Letty didn’t answer the question, Miles did for her.
“Going to take this beautiful lady out for a night on the town. Surely you understand… Saturday is her day off, after all.”
Michael held Miles’s hardened gaze for a moment. A beat later, Michael said, “Leave us. I need to have a word with Leticia.”
Miles didn’t take his eyes off of his father’s face. Letty watched the exchange with bated breath. There seemed to be a conversation going on, an interaction that she tried to understand but failed.
“Make it quick. We have things to do,” Miles said as he gave a final look of scrutiny towards his father. “Letty, if you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen.”
Nodding in understanding, Letty put a thermometer in Michael’s mouth as she continued to record his vitals.
“Yo,” Landon said as Miles walked into the kitchen. “Fancy seein’ you here.”
Miles nodded at his brother as he took a seat at the counter.
“Can I get you something to eat?” Sasha asked as she gave Miles a look of concern.
“No. Actually we’re just coming from brunch. Funny story…”
“Are you sure? I’m making paninis…”
“Really. I’m good. Y’all don’t watch the news, do yas?” Miles asked.
“Not lately,” Sasha admitted. “Why?”
Not wasting any time, Landon grabbed the remote control and turned on the thirteen inch TV set that sat on the counter. Flicking the TV to channel six, Landon and Sasha quickly saw what Miles was talking about. The noon broadcast had footage of Dante Sabotino being hauled out of Violet’s Diner. There was footage of Miles and Letty running to the car, and an interview of the police officers who foiled the execution attempt.
“Are you fucking kidding me!” Sasha spat. “That bastard! We trusted him!”
Landon was suspiciously quiet on the subject. As Sasha ducked into the pantry, Landon slid a scrap of paper across the counter to Miles.
Be careful what you say around the girls. They can’t be trusted. Rip this up.
Miles ripped up the paper as he was advised and shoved it in his pocket. Leaning in closer to his kid brother Miles whispered, “Elaborate. Which girls. Letty, too?”
“No,” Landon whispered back. “The Capadonno girls. Sasha, Rainey, Sonora and Rumor. They are just as shady as the guys.”
“Yeah? Sasha?”
With just a nod, Landon confirmed Miles’s question just before Sasha reappeared from the pantry with a loaf of bread in her left hand, and a fresh tomato in her right.
“Landon, can I make you a sandwich?”
“No, I’m good. I’m about to go out.”
“Yeah, I won’t be staying long either,” Miles said as he sheepishly tapped his fingers on the countertop.
“Hey,” Sasha said. “You and Letty should come to Sunday dinner tomorrow!”
“I don’t know, Sash…” Miles said reluctantly.
“No, no. I insist! Dinner is at three,” Sasha said with a happy smile on her face.
“She cooks for an army,” Landon said with a laugh.
“Taking notes from Mom’s book, huh?” Miles said with a wink.
“I can only hope. That woman was a saint,” Sasha replied.
“Yes,” Miles said coolly. “She was.”
As the conversation fizzled out, Sasha began singing along to a commercial jingle as she prepared lunch for her daughter and Michael.
“Your vitals look good, Michael,” Letty said as she scribbled down his blood pressure and temperature on his chart. “Now you know I can’t be here all the time, so you should go easier on the next part-time nurse Sasha hires.”
Michael didn’t seem interested at all in discussing his health or the prospect of a new weekend nurse. Placing his hand firmly upon Letty’s own, Michael squeezed Letty’s hand tightly. Immediately, Letty stopped talking and was silenced by Michael’s cool gaze.
“You disrespected me, Leticia. You know I don’t stand for that.”
“Excuse me?” Letty asked, not having any idea what Michael was talking about.
“When you started working for me, you promised me that you would never get romantically involved with any of my enemies.”
Letty looked taken aback by Michael’s words and his stern tone of voice.
“I’m sorry? Michael, I’m not romantically involved with any of your associates, and quite frankly I’ve lost track of who all your enemies are. I am here as your nurse, nothing else.”
Michael’s grip tightened upon her wrist, his nails digging hard into her skin.
“Don’t play coy with me, girl,” Michael spat in nothing more than a whisper.
Letty tried to pull her arm away, but this only served to agitate Michael further.
“You know damn well where I stand with him. You were there. You know what went down…” Michael spat.
“Me being here as your nurse has nothing to do with loyalties. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re not a man that takes no for an answer. You pursued me relentlessly for this position. I am here because you need a nurse. I am leaving with your son because I love him,” Letty said, her voice quaking as she spoke. “Let go of me, Michael.”
“You made a promise to me to not engage with my enemies… He IS the enemy!”
“Michael, you’ve lost it. Miles doesn’t want to hurt you. He just wants to live his life free from under your control!”
“Clearly, I overestimated your intelligence then, Letty. He has hoodwinked you if you think that Miles is not going to take my life before this is over.”
“And would you blame him?” Letty spat as she fought to break free of Michael’s grip. “You, his own father, tried to kill him!”
“You’ll be sorry that you ever crossed me, Leticia. Guaranteed.”
Miles continued to shoot the shit with Landon at the counter when the sound of raised voices came from the parlor.
“What the fuck?” Miles said as he recognized Letty’s raised voice. She sounded upset.
Pushing out his bar stool, Miles ran from the kitchen with Landon on his heels. Rushing into the parlor, Miles sped to the sound of the noise. Their voices had risen to a fever pitch and as Miles crossed into the room with Landon, Letty screamed out, “Michael Capadonno get your hands off of me!”
Michael had Letty’s sweater clenched in his fists as he pulled her face close to his.
“You’ll be sorry, Alves! Just as sorry as my duplicitous son!”
“Your duplicitous son will kick your geriatric ass if you don’t take your hands off my woman.”
Michael didn’t do as he was asked though, only becoming more agitated by the second. Letty wasn’t exactly trying to keep calm anymore either though.
“And tell me, Michael, what is it that is so duplicitous about your son? The fact that he went to your dying wife’s side rather than picking up merchandise for you? Or the fact that he acted as a real man should?”
A smirk tugged at Miles’s mouth despite the seriousness of the situation.
Get ’em, baby.
“You know nothing about this life. You know nothing because you’ve lived a charmed life. Protected from all this…”
“A charmed life?” Letty spat. “My father is a plumber! There were times when my father had to dip into his 401K to pay the mortgage. Don’t tell me about charmed lives!”
“I loved my wife, Andie… But the fact of the matter is, business comes first.”
“Maybe to you,” Letty spat. “But to a red-blooded man with a heart, Miles made the right choice. Any sane person would have made the same choice!”
Michael still hadn’t taken his hands off of Letty, a fact that was not lost o
n Miles. Approaching the foot of his father’s bed, Miles placed his hands over his father’s and forcefully removed Michael’s hands off of Letty. As Letty was freed from Michael’s grasp, Miles motioned for Letty to step away. As she did, Miles gripped up his father’s shirt.
“Now let me tell you somethin’, old man… You crossed the line! I don’t care if you come for me. I can handle myself. Don’t you ever, EVER come after an innocent! Letty did nothing wrong! You cannot control and manipulate people! You wanna hold the fact that I went to my mother’s side when she was dying, that’s fine… but remember this… Andie Cormack was a fucking saint, and you… When you cross over that line, you’re going straight to fucking hell.”
Michael laughed in Miles’s face. “Smoking section, with all my friends.”
“Get your coat, Letty. She quits. Don’t call her. Don’t look at her. Don’t even mention her name!” Miles spat. “You and I have beef, old man. Don’t take it out on innocent bystanders!”
“She can’t quit!”
“Yeah? Well she just did! Sasha, you gotta hire another nurse. He just snapped on the wrong fucking one!” Miles spouted.
Sasha rushed in from the kitchen with a look of shock on her face.
“What is going on now?” Sasha demanded to know.
“Ask him!” Miles suggested.
“Letty? Where are you going?”
“I’m sorry, Sasha. I will not tolerate being threatened. Miles is right,” Letty said as she reached out to touch Sasha’s arm gently. “I have a son. As a mother, I’m sure you’ll understand.”
Sasha nodded gently before setting her sights back on her father.
“You can’t just attack people, Dad!”
“I can do whatever the fuck I want!” Michael spouted, his face turning red with rage. “I’m Michael fucking Capadonno, Butcher of Carrion, and these sorry assholes are going to see just how much power I have. You’ll rue the day you ever crossed me!”
Miles led Letty out of the room, and just before departing himself, Miles turned around and glared at his father. “I’ll pray for your eternally damned soul.”
Shaking his head, Miles walked out the front door with no intentions of ever returning.
Miles Away (Carrion #1) Page 20