Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Gideon
The man Mila had cut with her nails wasn’t dropping his charges, so with Charles’s guidance, we pressed charges of our own.
Once words like stalking and endangering a minor got tossed around, the man let it go.
Mila and Alex spent a couple of days at my house.
She and Olivia had some girl time, and by the time they went home the incident in front of the diner was all but forgotten from my little girl’s mind… but not mine.
I was well aware of why my children and Penn were being targeted. I’d always known that in this line of work, those I loved were always my weaknesses and prey for the monsters who’d try to unseat me.
Benito wanted it to look like I was a bad man turning this town into a cesspool that would eventually infect the whole state.
Those were his words. As predicted, he held a media conference and addressed crime—namely me and my affiliation—and even tossed in the little nugget that Solange and I were good friends.
It was a mess. She dropped a little in the polls and was doing damage control while I was plotting Benito Calvern’s demise.
“Ready?” Penn smacked my ass as he passed me on the way out of the bedroom.
“Don’t start something you can’t finish.”
He stopped and turned. “You want to ditch Matteo’s birthday party for sexy times, I will abide.”
I chuckled. “Right. You’re as big of a kid as he and his friends are; you’d pout.”
He thought about it for a second. “Maybe. Now, come on!”
I slipped on my shoes and met Penn, Owen, and Olivia at the door. All three were vibrating with excitement.
“Come on, Daddy!” Olivia grabbed my hand and tugged.
“Okay, okay.”
Dean and Rita’s backyard was an eleven-year-old’s dream come true.
They had a lot of land, and it was covered.
There was a go-kart track set up, some sort of build your own plasma spider section where afterward you’d race them.
I saw an area with a large screen to play a movie when it got dark.
There were also cotton candy machines, popcorn makers, and an ice cream stand.
As I looked around I saw Spiderman, Wolverine, Batman…I laughed.
“Hey.” I nudged Penn. “Check it out. It’s Batman, want to go tell him he’s wearing your suit?”
He rolled his eyes. After Penn had saved Matteo and the twins from the fire a couple of years ago, the kids had called him Batman for a long time. It wore down, but I never missed a chance to remind him.
“You’re here, great!” Rita sauntered over a large, iced tea in her hand which she gave to Penn. It was his favorite drink, and Rita made it the best he’d said.
“Thanks.” He smiled and hummed as he drank it.
“What about me?”
Rita huffed. “Dean is pouring some bourbon in the grown-up tent. Go bother him. Matteo’s friends are arriving; I have no time for this.”
I stared at Penn wide-eyed, then at his drink, then at Rita. “But you had time to get him a drink?”
She patted my cheek and walked away. Penn was laughing and I was going to steal his drink, but he quickly moved and was heading toward Matteo. Soon this yard would be filled with kids, so I decided the adult tent and bourbon were on the top of my to-do list.
Dean was inside talking to Mila. Alex was around. He, Danny, and Toni were my top three guys, so they were making sure everything went smoothly today.
“I’ve never been a bourbon girl. Dean, what else you got?”
“Hmm…wine?”
She pulled a face. “Nah, what about a margarita?”
“Oh, um…”
“I got this.” I snorted. “Rita always has stuff for margaritas, and this is the adult tent so let’s get you one at the bar where there’s a professional working.” I pointed to where most of the adults were congregating.
“I was offering her bourbon and wine from my special collection.”
“Pour me one. Come on, Mila, let’s get you that drink.”
After I ordered her a margarita, she smiled at me. “Thanks. How’s Livy?”
“Great. I think she’s hounding Penn to let her sit on his lap on the go-karts.” I squinted and could see the two of them by the track.
Mila turned to look and giggled. “Sounds like her. She’ll get her way; she’s a smart girl.”
“That she is.”
“Is she a lot like Ella was?” I liked that Mila wasn’t afraid to talk about my wife. Many people didn’t like to bring her up, thinking it would upset me or that since I met Penn I’d be offended, but Ella would always be important.
“She has some qualities. Owen got her love of books, Livy got her attitude.”
Mila snickered. “That’s great. I hope when Alex and I have kids that we have a boy just like him and then a little girl. I’ll be happy with however it all turns out, but if I could choose.”
“Alex is one of the best men I know.”
Her eyes softened. “He thinks the world of you, Gideon.”
“That’s nice of you to say.”
“I’m serious. He talks about you a lot. If I didn’t know how much he loved me, I’d be suspicious.” She giggled.
“Well, I never thought he’d find someone to tame him or match his fire. He’s lucky to have you.”
“We’re both blessed.”
“Here’s your margarita.” The bartender placed the drink in front of her.
“Yum.” She grabbed it and took a sip. “Perfection.”
“Casey!” Matteo shouted from across the lawn.
“Looks like the kids are arriving,” I said. “I need to go get that bourbon.”
Mila went with me to where Dean was talking with whom I assumed was Casey’s dad, since he was holding a gift, and beside him was a blond boy wrestling with Matteo.
Dean handed me a drink and introduced me. Gerald seemed like a nice guy, banker, boring. Boring was good.
For the next half hour, kids descended upon us. Matteo had a lot of friends…either that, or they’d heard about the amazing birthday party and wanted to get invited.
“Is that everyone?” I asked Rita as she stood akimbo, keeping a keen eye on everything.
“No, one more kid. He’s twelve, Matteo befriended him at school.”
“Oh, yeah! I heard about that. Matteo’s a good person.”
She nodded at the same time Matteo shouted, “Bri!”
The two of us turned and saw this Bri…and the person walking in with him flanked by two of my guys.
“You’ve got to be kidding me?” I whispered.
“Is that?” Rita huffed.
“Bri is Briar Calvern, you didn’t know?”
Rita shook her head. “I hadn’t met the kid yet. I don’t think Matteo knows who his parents are.”
Monica Calvern seemed nervous as she shuffled up to us. Briar was a scrawny kid with glasses, awkward and innocent. I wasn’t going to ruin Matteo’s birthday.
Once Briar and Matteo were away from us, Monica opened her mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know who Matteo was. Briar only said his first name, and I was just so happy he’d made a friend I…please, just let him have some time, and then we’ll leave.”
I observed Monica Calvern. She was gorgeous, but there was something different about her than the last time I saw her.
She wore huge sunglasses, long sleeves, which normally wouldn’t be odd in October, but we were getting unusually warmer weather currently.
Her makeup, well, her foundation was thick, discolored slightly by her left cheekbone and her lips were naked, dry. I knew exactly what I was looking at.
“It’s fine, Monica. He can stay, as can you.”
I couldn’t see her eyes from here, but there was no hiding the shock. “Oh, well, thank you, Mr. Hendrix.”
“There’s an adult tent over there.” Rita pointed.
Monica thanked Rita and walked, somewhat awkwardly, to it. I nodded at my guys and they went back to their posts.
“You were nice,” Rita said.
“I’m not a detective, Rita, but it didn’t take a badge to deduce that Monica Calvern has felt her husband’s anger.”
“He hits her?”
I nodded. “I believe so. Watch how she walks, gingerly. Her makeup, huge glasses, long sleeves in warm weather.”
Rita’s eyes widened. “Carajo.”
“Fuck indeed.” I watched her in the tent; Mila was talking with her. I wasn’t sure she knew who she was, but that was Mila for you.
“What are you going to do?”
I hated where my mind was going, but this was huge. “I think maybe, just maybe, we might find an ally in Mrs. Calvern.”