Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 55860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry,” she says softly, barely above a breath. “I can’t. And I don’t think I can talk to you, just say hi like this, check in like we’re friends. It hurts too much.”
She hangs up on me. Serena just hit the end button without saying goodbye. The wrench of emotions twisting in my chest, the roiling thoughts competing in my brain are overwhelming.
I lean back in my chair, hands clasped behind my head as I stared up at the ceiling without seeing it. She’s hurting. She misses me, too. I can’t tell if I’m devastated and want to protect her or if I’m elated, victorious that she misses me and couldn’t just walk away from us and what we shared as easily as she seemed to.
I stand up and pace the room a few times, take in my million-dollar view and remind myself I’m not a teenager who’s going to call Lynette in her office crowing that my ex-girlfriend misses me. There will be no bragging even though I feel like a Roman candle is lit up behind my rib cage. She cares for me enough that there’s still a chance. If it’s too painful to talk to me and she wants to cut all ties, then I’m not going to crowd her.
I’m just not going to give her enough time and space to forget me. I’ll have one of my guys look into it, find out where she works. Maybe I have some business to do with the place, whatever it is.
When I wrap up my next meeting, I check in with my assistant, but there’s still no word from Vinny Carbini. I don’t want to call again, knowing it looks desperate. He’s probably enjoying himself watching me squirm on the hook and knowing I’ll owe him a favor in return.
I talk to my logistics supervisor about relations with the buyer. He can’t give me a confident response about whether they’re going to pull out of the very lucrative deal if we can’t move tonight. They’re new to the game stateside and a little nervous about being caught. If they get fingered in anything that smells of racketeering or moving illegal goods, their permit to do business in the US is in the garbage.
I’m restless and increasingly pissed off at Carbini over not returning my call. It’s disrespectful and makes me want to flick his crappy 90s toupee.
When the business day ends and I’ve heard nothing from Carbini’s office, I give the grim go-ahead to Louie and the boys. We’ll have to brazen it out, try to move across rival territory in the most silent and circumspect manner we can. We’ll avoid drawing attention to ourselves, make sure to evade surveillance cameras or hack them if necessary. Leave no trace, get to the drop point, do the deed and then scatter.
“No one steps a foot over the Carbini border on the way back. I don’t care if you have to call an Uber and go through fuckin’ Delaware to get home. We minimize the incursion to their property and get out as quick as we can. If anybody so much as drops a gum wrapper I’m gonna personally see to it that they’re living on soup through a straw for six months, you understand?” I tell one of my lieutenants.
“Understood,” he says. “We’ll do the thing and beat ass out of there, no delay, no change of plans.”
“Correct,” I say. “Keep Lynette in the loop on your timing, and IT will scrub you if you stray into camera range.”
“Thanks. We won’t let you down,” he says.
As he shuffles away, head down and determined, I wonder if it’s worth the risk. The stakes are high in the long term, and I’m a big-picture guy. Sure, it’s the first step in what will be an immensely profitable international expansion for the family business. We’ll have access to new markets and a ton of opportunities. This job has to be seamless to build the trust they need to have in our organization.
I’ll just grit my teeth and ride it out. There’s no alternative. They’ve just made a splash in their first foray into East Coast banking and finance. No hint of wrongdoing can get back to their brand. I understand why they’re nervous, but this is a business for the bold. I’m moving ahead with the delivery, permission or no permission to cross rival territory on the way.
I didn’t get where I am today by sitting around biting my nails and worrying what can go wrong. My dad, bastard that he was, always claimed it was easier to apologize than wait for permission. I’m taking that advice tonight and damn the consequences.
21
SERENA
“The lab sims are my favorite,” I tell my dad a little shyly.
We’re having lunch together, which is pretty rare. He came home on his lunch break to see me. I had just gotten up and was shuffling around in my robe eating some toast. He asks how I’m doing. I tell him I’m great, but I’m thrown by this question. He doesn’t ask stuff like that, or much of anything usually. But here he is, and he’s got to have a reason. So, I talk about my online classes, how much I love them and how midterms were easy and I’m starting my clinical experience in two weeks.