Chapter 567: That Shouldn’t Surprise You

"Donna..." Marco called her the moment she stepped into his office.

Vee paused at the door. The title still did something strange to her. It did not feel like a name yet, not fully. It felt like armour she was still learning how to wear. Once, she had been Veronica Scalese, daughter of a useless man. Now men stood when she entered rooms and called her Donna.

Marco rose from behind the desk immediately. "I didn’t think you would be coming into work this soon."

"No," Vee replied. "I came to make sure Massimo’s men are settled in, but I wanted to talk to you first."

"Okay," he said. "Please sit." He rounded his desk and pulled out the chair for her.

Vee sat carefully. Her stomach rolled faintly with nausea. Marco returned to his side of the desk but did not sit immediately. "It’s about Vito. I need you to do a bit of digging for me."

Marco exhaled. "Luca doesn’t want me to..."

"I know."

"Donna—"

"I think because this concerns my family, he doesn’t want things handled the way they should be."

Marco finally sat. "That shouldn’t surprise you. It has always been that way since the moment he met you."

Luca had always made different rules for her. Luca loved like a man trying to outfight fate.

"My husband cannot go to jail," she said.

"He will not."

"I need you to understand me. He cannot go to jail. Not because of my father. Not ever. He isn’t looking as closely as he should. When I try to talk to him about it, he dismisses it like it is nothing to worry about. That’s why I am coming to you. Someone pointed Voss in Vito’s direction. I want you to look into it," she said. "Check on the men. Connect the dots. Find out who knew what, who moved where."

"If that is it, I can do that."

"It is."

"But I cannot be involved with Vito directly," he added quickly. "Luca will kill me."

"I’ll handle what the hell Luca is thinking about with Vito," Vee said. "You just focus on what I asked. And remember...Val is to know nothing about Vito."

"If this gets to trial, she will eventually find out," he said.

"It won’t get to trial," Vee said and rose carefully, one hand braced against the chair for balance. "Because by God...if Luca doesn’t pull that trigger, I will."

Marco believed her.

After a moment, he nodded. "I’ll come by later tonight to see Don."

"See you then. You can join us for dinner."

*****

Val chose that night to meet with Vito. Marco had told her Don Genovese was in town and that he would be having dinner at Vee’s house, which meant Luca would be occupied.

Which translated to Luca would not be following her. At least, she hoped so. The man had a way of appearing from shadows. Still, this was the best chance she had.

The meeting was arranged at a high-end restaurant. Crystal lights glowed above tables. A pianist played softly in the corner.

Val walked in with her chin lifted. She had dressed in a dark fitted dress, soft makeup, her hair falling around her shoulders. She wanted to look calm. Like a woman meeting her father. She scanned the room.

Vito was positioned in the corner of the restaurant, away from too many eyes. That alone told her Voss had arranged it. A public place, but not too public. Visible enough to discourage immediate violence, hidden enough for conversation. Vito looked older. His hair had thinned, his face had sagged in places, and the expensive jacket he wore did not quite sit right on him. The restaurant made him look like a borrowed man. His eyes, however, were the same. Always looking for advantage, or a drink.

Val walked up to him. After everything, after all the damage, after all the years of being disappointed by him, some small wounded girl inside her still recognised him. "Hello, Dad," she said without emotion.

Vito looked up. "Val," he said, rising slightly. "My dearest. I’m glad you came."

The words crawled over her skin.

My dearest.

He had no right to sound warm.

"You didn’t give me a choice, did you?" she said. "Either you see me, or you don’t do what they ask."

Vito spread his hands. "I had to be sure I wasn’t being lied to." His eyes moved over her face. "You know how people are."

"Yes, Dad. I know exactly how people are. Well," Val said. "You’re not being lied to."

"How is your sister?" he asked.

"She married Luca," she said.

"Yes, I heard. Does she know about this?" Vito asked.

"What does it matter, Dad?"

He frowned. "She is my daughter too."

"If you must know, her life is one hell after another. A few months ago, she got kidnapped. Before that, she lost a baby. Before that, she got shot. I have lost count of how many times I thought the next news I would get would be of her death."

"But I hear you married Luca’s capo," Vito pointed out.

Val sat back. "Marco is nothing like Luca. Nothing at all," she insisted. "He was forced into working with Luca. He had no choice."

Even as she said it, a small voice inside her whispered that this was not entirely true. Marco loved the famiglia. He had told her that himself. The famiglia had saved him. He did not serve Luca with a gun to his head. He served because loyalty had become part of his bones.

But Val could not afford that truth tonight.

"I have a son now, Dad," she said.

Matteo.

Her one pure thing. Her beautiful boy. She had walked into this meeting because of him as much as anyone. Because she wanted him to grow up away from Luca’s wars.

Vito swallowed. "What is his name?"

"Matteo."

"That is a good name."

"It is."