Chapter 27 #3
“Most of the houses in this neighborhood have all been bought and renovated over the years. You and I were the trendsetters when we found these properties.” He motioned for me to enter his study. “I even bought a few, had them renovated, and then resold them.”
“You always knew where the money would be.” I sat in the chair across from his desk. “I guess you saw opportunity when you bought that hotel in the Hamptons with it being so close to the water and everything.”
“You’ve done your research.” He leaned on the edge of his desk. “I didn’t realize I lived rent-free in your head.”
“You didn’t,” I said. “I had no interest in your business dealings until it involved Capri.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Look, Leo, I appreciate everything you did to help me last night, but my relationship with Capri is not up for discussion. It’s between me and her. You can hate me all you want, but you don’t get a say in what happens between me and your daughter.”
That was my mess to fix, and I would do it as soon as I saw her beautiful face. I would tell her the truth about my feelings for her.
“Are you finished?” He ran his hand along his jaw, and as the sunlight shone in through the windows, I saw the dark circles under his eyes. He hadn’t slept last night either. “I fucked up when I joined forces with Benny.”
“You’re just now realizing that? Because if I were advising you, I would have told you to tell that fucker to hit the road when he first approached you.”
“Well, you weren’t here to advise me.”
“Why is that?” I stretched out my legs. “Sorry, but it’s been a long time coming.”
“I know.” He always looked down at the floor when he was deep in thought and wanted to choose his words wisely. “I have to get my daughter out of this, and I need your help.”
“That’s the first sensible thing you’ve said since I arrived in New York.” The fact that he realized he needed my help concerned me. It was worse than I thought. “Did Benny send that hit last night?”
“I think so.”
“With Capri in gunshot of such a botched attempt?” I clenched my fists. “What were you thinking when you put her in the middle of this? These are not the kind of people you should have exposed her to.”
“It was a solid opportunity for my family, and Capri would have been set for life between the hotel and an association with such a powerful cartel.” He shook his head. “I fucked up. That’s not easy for me to admit. It’s also not easy for me to ask for your help.”
“I would do anything for her.” Even if it meant I had to join forces with Leo to keep her safe. “I’ll take her back to Greece and keep her safe there. I have influential connections. Men who owe me big favors.”
“I figured that, because you have stayed untouchable all these years.”
“I have to ask, why are you trusting me with her?” He had gotten himself into quite the predicament with Benny, and if there was anyone who could protect Capri, it would be me, but I didn’t expect him to admit that. “What makes you trust me all of a sudden? Are you that desperate?”
“It’s difficult for me to ask for your help, and when you resurfaced, I had serious concerns. I was convinced you were using Capri to get back at me. Now I know that’s not the case.”
“What changed your mind?”
“Yesterday in your suite, you had the upper-hand, and I’ve never known you to give up the advantage. I’ve seen you deliver a fatal blow with your hands without an ounce of remorse.”
“I didn’t get to this point by being sensitive.”
“When my daughter begged you not to kill me, you didn’t hesitate to stop.
You gave her what she wanted and you let me go.
” He moved away from the desk and went to the window that overlooked a small alleyway.
“Only a man who had serious feelings for a woman would have done that. I may not like what’s going on between you and Capri, but I can’t deny it’s something far stronger than I’ll ever be able to fight. ”
“We have a common goal,” I said.
“Her.”
“Who would have thought the one thing that would bring us back together would be her?” Maybe Capri was right with all that talk about fate.
“I’m not happy about the situation.” Leo shrugged.
“It’s not your happiness I’m concerned with,” I said. “I’ll always put her first.”
“That’s all I can ask of you.”
“Leo!” Gia burst into the study. “There was a man outside. He gave me this.” She waved a folded piece of paper in the air. “He said to give it to you if I wanted to see Capri again. He said they have her.”
“Who has her?” I leapt out of the chair and snatched the paper from Gia and unfolded it, quickly trying to decipher the meaning of the handwritten note.
“What does it say?” Leo held out his hand for the paper. “Let me see it.”
“It’s addressed to both of us.” Fuck!
“Hades, what do they want?” Leo raised his voice.
I read the cryptic words out loud. “Come back to where it all went wrong for the two of you. Do you remember the beginning of the end?”
“What the hell does that mean?” Leo took the paper from me and reread it. “Do they mean…”
“The church!” I shouted. “Lazaro is playing fucking games with us at Capri’s expense.”
“What are we going to do about it?” Leo asked.
“I’m going to show no remorse when I blow his fucking head off.”