Page 134 of The Fractured

I tensed, half expecting fire or shrapnel to fly out of the box like Roxy’s car had done. Instead, nothing happened, and I sank back in my seat. “Fuck’s sake.”

“We have metal detectors at all entrances to the building for that kind of thing,” Mark explained, smiling knowingly.

“All this shit is makin’ me paranoid,” I huffed, combing my fingers through my hair.

Mark hummed, setting aside the box while he brought our conversation back into focus. “So my advice to you from here on out is to lay low. This next week is most likely going to get quite messy, and I don’t need you or Lily getting caught in the crossfire… The Gimello siblings don’t know about your mother, right?”

“No, I doubt they would. It’s Lily I’m worried about.”

Mark paused in thought, drumming a finger lightly on the desk. His face looked more drawn than usual. Or maybe I hadn’t noticed before how the stress of the situation was affecting him. Hell, we probably all looked like shit to anyone who didn’t know what we were dealing with.

“You still have that gun?” he asked.

“Yeah, but I’m keepin’ it in my car.”

“Not ideal, given you’d need quick access if—”

“She’s safe with me even if I don’t carry. If it came down to it, I would put myself between her and harm.”

“No, you won’t. As much as it comforts me that you have her back, I need you alive for her sake.” He smiled slightly. “If these were different circumstances—”

“You’d be happy I’m datin’ your daughter?” I raised a brow and folded my arms. “No offense, sarge, but if these were different circumstances — and I’m assuming you mean me not being involved with the mob — I’d still be someone you wouldn’t approve of.”

“Yet my daughter would love you anyway. She has a soft spot for the underdog, it seems.”

“Areyougoin’ soft on me?”

Mark chuckled, but he didn’t deny it. He went about gathering the paperwork on his desk. “We’re done for the night, so I will see you when, well… I’ll see you when I see you.”

I slowly stood, absentmindedly tracing a finger along a groove in the desk surface. “Do I still have to worry about what’ll happen to my mom?”

Mark’s frown was subtle as he stood too. “I think we can figure out something for her so she doesn’t have to leave.” He approached his office door, rubbing at his chin in thought. The frown remained. “I am sorry about the way I handled that. It wasn’t my finest moment.”

“No shit.” I stopped beside him as he opened the door. “But, I’ve seen Antonio make worse ultimatums for people.”

“I bet those people never punched him in the face for it,” he mused.

My lips twitched, and I rubbed the back of my head. “Yeah, not my finest moment either.”

“You were protecting your mother. I respect that.” He placed a hand on my shoulder, and this time I didn’t feel the need to ask him to remove it. Maybe I was going soft too. “It was nice getting to know you, Dean.”

Sappy moments with a father figure were something I wasn’t used to. Even without an immediate threat from Mark, the little voice in my head couldn’t help but ask why he was being genuine. My real father created a mindset in me that most fathers were assholes so I kept my guard up, expecting and preparing for violent outcomes. Because of that, I didn’t know how to respond.

I gave Mark a simple and subtle nod and then left.

Chapter 45

Dean

Lily flung herself from the bed so fast I thought someone had barged into her room and startled her.

I woke up ready to punch a stranger in the throat. Instead, I watched as she raced into the bathroom and shut the door.

Yawning, I glanced at the curtains. It was morning.

I got out of bed with a sense of déjà vu and made the half asleep walk to the bathroom door, blinking to wake myself up.

The sound of retching, muffled by the door, pulled my thoughts to focus.