Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 70320 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70320 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Yiannis Calimeris, my old man, my father, the man that raised me and turned me into what I am today, says nothing. He only stares.
Like I’m not his boy anymore.
The silence stretches until I can’t take it anymore. “I told you I had work,” I say, meeting his gaze.
“I thought you took on something minor for one of the families.” His mask cracks slightly and the pain that slips through threatens to kill me. I didn’t think my father would care, but knowing this is hard for him makes it so much worse. “Peter, why would you do this? What were you thinking?”
I’m quiet for a moment. Should I try to deny it? Try to downplay it? But in the end, I’m not going to pretend I’m something I’m not. I spin the ouzo glass between my fingers for a moment, considering what I’m about to say.
I look at Adrienne and I hope she can understand.
“I wanted more,” I say quietly and lean forward against the table. “I want to be more. More than a son and a captain. More than a bodyguard and a babysitter. More than just another member of a family that doesn’t care about me beyond the money I can earn. Adrienne here has been tagging along like a good little puppy dog, but I wanted more.”
“And you thought the Balaskas could provide it?” Father shakes his head. “Peter, you know our policy. Stay out of politics. Don’t take sides.”
Rastus gestures at me. “That’s what I told the boy!”
“And yet here you are, taking sides.” Father rubs his face. “What am I supposed to do with you now?”
“I don’t know. But whatever you do, Adrienne’s not a part of it.”
Father glances at her. “The girl will be fine, if that’s something you’re worried about. God, imagine letting her get killed and pissing off Luca and Kacia right now, at the worst possible moment. With everything so damn fraught.” Father clenches his jaw. “And this is when you choose to disobey me? You foolish fucking boy.”
“Mr. Calimeris—” Adrienne starts, but my hand grabs her leg under the table and squeezes. She stops talking and looks at me with surprise, but I’m staring at my father, unwilling to break away.
She has to keep her mouth shut. If she says the wrong thing and Father realizes that she’s much more deeply involved than it seems on the surface then he might not care if he makes Luca and Kacia angry. He might be willing to sacrifice that relationship if it means sending a message to the world.
Don’t fuck with the Calimeris.
It’s not a risk I’m willing to take. I need Adrienne to be quiet and to survive, no matter what.
“You know what I keep thinking about?” I tilt my head and pause, making sure I have his attention. Rastus puffs away, looking amused. “I keep thinking about all my dead friends.”
“Peter,” Father says warningly.
“I think about how they died in a war against the Italians, a war which you and Uncle Andro started and none of us wanted, but a war fought in the streets by me and all my guys. I think of Carlos and Dymek and Christopher and Kal. I think of a dozen more and all their families and their girls and their children, all the people left behind, dead in a meaningless war. A fight you abandoned when it suited you.”
“We take care of them,” Father says sharply. “I don’t need you to remind me. You think I don’t mourn them?”
“I think you were perfectly willing to send them to die and just as willing to turn your back on their sacrifice the moment it was easy and politically smart.” I slam the ouzo glass down with a loud clack.
“Peter,” Adrienne whispers in alarm.
But I’ve come too far to stop now. I push my chair back and stand. The Filo thugs nearby come closer, but Rastus waves them back.
Keep their attention on me. Keep them hating me.
Make sure Adrienne’s tiny and invisible.
I stare down my father as my rage runs rampant.
“You started the war and you let my friends die. I did what you asked without question because that’s what a good son and soldier does. But then you decided the war was over, even though nothing had been gained from all the fighting. You decided it was time to give in, and where does that leave everyone else? Where does that leave me? I’m done blindly obeying your orders. You can tell Uncle Andro that I’m a traitor if that’s what you want. You can hang me here and now. But I’m done.”
Father stares at me with sorrow deep in his eyes and he doesn’t have to speak his decision out loud. I’ve dug my grave and thrown myself into it already, and now it’s his turn to start filling in the dirt.