Page 6

His voice is the same as when he spoke on the phone. Has to be him.

I bite my lip while tip-toeing near the blinds, then peek through as my dad barrels into the room.

He stumbles to the door and slides it open, begging in the man with a grey beard and upside-down tear-drop tattoos crawling up his neck – whatever that means.

I shut my eyes tight when I realize how silly the two of us are.Of coursea hitman would know we’re being watched from the front.

“You really think we would’ve waltzed into your front door?” Stanzo cackles, giving my dad a big hug when he sees him.

We?

“Hi, Capri, didn’t mean to scare you.”

Your voice alone makes me want to hide beneath my bed.

“Hi, Stanzo. I’ll let you boys hash it out.” I wiggle my fingers at him, hoping that’s enough so I don’t have to touch him.

“No.No.You stay,” Stanzo orders, and I freeze in my tracks.

Dad furrows his brow. “Stanz, there’s no reason—”

“Humor me, old friend.” Stanzo pulls out two cigars, offering one to my dad, which he doesn’t accept.

Yuck. Is he really going to light up in my room?

“The door’s open, sweetie. You don’t mind, do you?” He eyes me, flicking on his torch lighter and puffs until a curl of white smoke lingers between his eyes. My neck stiffens. You’d think by now I’d be used to this kind of trouble in my house, but I’m not. Wish I was in the J. Witt basement right now with Jacky and friends. Even another awful scuba lesson with Gil would do. Suddenly, lesser Michael Phelps doesn’t seem so bad.

“Still smoking those things, huh?” Dad asks.

“No point to stop now,” Stanzo says grimly. “You didn’t call the don, I take it? Nah, you’re too clever for that.”

Dad huffs.

“Yeah, yeah. Pulling out the ace… The one who was man enough to shed tears on your dining room table.”

“Said you wanted to see your son grow, and were terrified that you’d miss all that,” Dad says.

“But because of you, I didn’t.” Stanzo points two fingers at Dad.

It’s like I’m not even in the room. Why am I here, again?

“Well, now it’s my turn – I want to live long enough to see my daughter taken care of. I’m scared, Stanz, that I might not get to. I’m scared they’re going to come afterher. Help me like I helped you.”

My belly swells with a sad sense of warmth. I’m still in shock that this is actually happening, but it is, and I better get used to it fast.

“Well if Ididhelp you, Rocco, and they found out it was me… It’d start a war even Donny Valentino couldn’t handle.”

“I know what I’m asking,” Dad says firmly. “It’s like I said, I have no other options.”

Stanzo nods. “Turns out, timing is on your side once again.”

“I don’t follow.”

Neither do I.

Stanzo points slowly to his own throat, and my eyes widen.

Oh God…