Page 114 of Cara

Focus on your friend.

Whatever you do, don’t look at that building…

“Well, this feels like old times,” I remark, gently closing the living room door.

The terrace is luxurious. One of those additions to a home that you find plastered on the cover of an interior design magazine for everyone to see. It has it all. Lush greenery, terracotta molding, wild rose bushes nestled around a cobblestone deck. It even has a cherub fountain that robins can’t resist.

This kind of beauty hides many sins.

“Let me tell you, Ifeelgood,” Dante says, grabbing a coffee cup and extending it to me. “I wasn’t made to chit-chat with pensioners all day. These old bastards are never satisfied.”

“I can’t even imagine you doing that.”

“Yeah, well, X hasn’t let us anywhere near this place since you. It’s been a full-time job finding time to see the guy and keep him somewhat in check. We’ve made good money in the cushion job, but I like it better here with you guys.”

I smile, removing the lid on the cup. “I like it, too.”

“You look better today,” he says, leaning back to get a good look at me. “Rested.”

“It’s been a rough couple of days… Months.” I let out a chuckle. “Years.”

He fails to hide a wince. “I can… only imagine.”

Rather than get into the deep, dark stuff, I gesture towards the greasy bags, raising my eyebrows in question.

“Donuts in one bag,” he divulges. “Bagels in the other.”

“Cream cheese?”

“What am I? An amateur?”

While I slather the bread with it, Dante sets down his cup. “X called a few minutes ago. They located Vito. He wanted me to tell you.”

“Already?” He nods. “Where is he?”

“Chicago. Strata’s playground.”

“Maybe he knows about Victoria.”

“Possibly. Mimi told me a little bit of what she overheard last night.”

If she heard it, Xavier did, too. I was rambling so much that I'm not even sure what I said. “I'm not hiding anything.”

“Good. I think it’ll only help you to lean on others right now. You know a storm is coming with your return, right?” Dante tilts his head at my silence. “Your family alone will be stunned to learn you’re alive. Vito has been running for years. X merely wanted revenge then. Now he’ll want to protect you. Hewillcatch your father.”

“I'm counting on it.”

He smirks. “You sound a bit like us, you know.”

“That man ruined my life. I plan to make him pay for it.”

“I’ll be more than glad to watch you do it.” He dips into the bag for a powdered donut. “Bo’s coming over later. I wanna see where your skills are. He doesn’t believe you can beat him.”

“I'm not sure if I can either.”

“Well, I've bet my hard-earned money,” he says with a grin, “so you knock himflat.”

“Holyshit.”