Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 68058 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68058 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“Your father is worried about you.”
That seemed unlikely. “I was busy when he called earlier. I was going to get back to him.”
“Really?”
“Maybe.”
“That’s what I thought. You need to call him.”
“Van, I—”
“Listen to me and listen well. I’m about to tell you something I swore not to.”
Shit. What was she going to say? Was this when she was going to tell me my father was officially denouncing me?
“What’s going on?”
“Franco isn’t trying to get into your father’s good graces. He’s challenging your father. He believes his father would be alive if yours had done more to protect him, and he’s determined to take complete control. That’s why your father sent you away. He truly is protecting you.”
My head spun. I couldn’t believe it. “I wouldn’t have thought he cared.”
“He cares so much more than you know, but he doesn’t know how to show it. All he knows how to do is be as hard on you as his father was on him.”
“So you’re on his side now?”
“TJ, you know I love my brother, even though I hate what he’s done to you, and I think he’s gone astray in a lot of ways.”
I almost laughed because the idea of worrying about whether a mob boss had gone astray seemed ridiculous at best, but I knew what she meant. My family had always lived by a code, and for the most part, my father kept to it, but he had made some damn big mistakes.
“You don’t want your cousin taking over, no matter how much you hate your father.”
I didn’t hate my father. Not exactly. Honestly, things would have been so much simpler if I did. “You’re right. I may not like the way my father handles things, but I know damn well how much worse it would be with my cousin and his fucking minions in charge.”
“Then the stubborn son of a bitch is going to need your help.”
“You want me to come back?” I should be thinking about how much I dreaded the confrontation I was ultimately going to have with my father or about the hell of working around all the interfamily politics when all I wanted to do was mow down Franco and his allies. Instead, all I could think about was that I wouldn’t see Rhys again if I snuck away from the ranch.
“No,” Van said. “You shouldn’t leave yet.” I let out the breath I’d been holding. At least I had a little more time. “My brother would go ballistic. I’m trying to encourage him to see things my way. I want him to ask you directly.”
I nearly choked. “Ask me for my help? That would be a miracle.”
“It would. It’s far more likely he’ll demand you return and do your family duty.”
“You really think he sent me here because he wants to protect me from Franco?”
“I’m positive.”
I thought about that for a moment. What if it were true? What if my father really was worried about me rather than motivated to get rid of me? What if he didn’t actually think I’ve done a shit job? What if he didn’t believe my body count was too high and too sloppy? I knew I’d handled things as well as anyone could, but he judged everything I did like I was an incompetent child.
“How much do you know about Franco’s plans?” I asked.
“Not as much as I’d like, but my sources are keeping me fairly well informed. Your suspicions were dead on. Your cousin’s primary motivation in stirring up trouble with the Cafaros is to force your father into a war he’s not ready for, but as much as that is a setup to let Franco shine, it’s also one that will make your father appear weak.”
“Why does anyone trust fucking Franco? Why did my father trust him?”
“I don’t think he ever did.”
“Then why not eliminate him.”
“He needs to learn who else is involved. He believes the only way he can do that is to continue to play along, but I’m afraid he’s letting your cousin go too far. There’s going to be a point of no return where there are too many on Franco’s side for us to fight.”
“No. It doesn’t matter how many there are. I’ll take them all out.”
“So you’re willing to fight for your family, even though you’ve been treated like shit?”
“Wasn’t that what you were asking me to do?”
“I was presenting a situation to you. I wanted you to know what was really going on. It’s not safe for you to be in the dark anymore. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if Franco sent someone after you.”
“Does he know where I am?”
“Your father hasn’t told him, but I don’t know what Franco has discovered. I don’t have any contacts in his inner circle.”
“I take it I’m supposed to keep this to myself.”