Miles Away (Carrion #1)(23)
Welcome to Carrion, New Jersey
Population, 3,292 – Mayor Leon F. Capadonno
“The Happiest Place in New Jersey”
“You’ve got to be shitting me…” Miles said as he looked at the bright green sign.
There is so much wrong with the effing sign that I don’t even know where to start. What a joke.
“What?” Landon asked as he began to chuckle. He knew exactly what Miles was referring to.
“They ripped up the old piney sign for that? I don’t know what’s worse, the fact that they even bother to count the townspeople anymore with all the hits, the slogan or Uncle Leon’s name on the sign.”
“It was Uncle Leon’s idea,” Landon said with a laugh. “We tried to talk him out of it.”
Good ol’ Uncle Leon. Esteemed Mayor of Carrion, who is embroiled in a sex scandal and a federal corruption case all at once.
“Did you try to talk him out of sleeping with six members of his staff, too?” Miles asked in a facetious tone of voice.
Landon laughed until he was red in the face.
“Shit, have you seen Uncle Leon lately? I’d say he was lucky that any of them even looked his way, let alone give him rim jobs on paid time… Then he gave them each a twenty-five thousand dollar raise, and that money was supposed to go to the fallen firefighters’ fund.”
“That is messed up,” Miles replied. “I have to say, I think Uncle Leon would have gotten away with it if the county didn’t reject the raises.”
Landon laughed. “Bitches love their money.”
“Shit… Love of money isn’t a female thing. Who doesn’t want money?” Miles replied as he maneuvered yet another jug handle.
“Yeah, true… Some more than others though,” Landon said with a dark edge to his gaze. Quickly changing the subject, he continued, “I guess they need to fix that sign now.”
“You think?” Miles asked.
“I mean the population, dude. They need to factor you in.”
Miles laughed darkly as he glanced over at the sign. As they sped past the sign, Miles replied, “Don’t worry, kid, Carrion will definitely not forget about me.”
CHAPTER NINE
LETTY HAD A SICK FEELING in her stomach as Michael gazed at her. Letty knew Michael Capadonno well. For a long time, he had looked out for Letty like a daughter, but something in his eyes was different. There was a darkness lingering in his gaze, a hunger. The deadliest mobster in Carrion history had taken Letty’s kindness to mean something else entirely.
How do you tell a man like that that you don’t love him? The reality of the situation is that I am still very much in love with his son, Miles. There. I said it. It’s the truth. Oh, what a fine mess this is.
How do you say no to a man who has no comprehension of the word? Firmly. Confidently. But when you’re dealing with the Capadonno family, there’s no room for rash judgment.
I’ll cross that bridge when Michael brings me to it.
The metallic clink of a key meeting the lock in the front door of the Capadonno home launched Letty into an instant case of the cold sweats.
“What now?” Michael asked as he lowered Letty’s hand to his leg.
Quickly, Letty retracted her hands while Michael was distracted. Giving the foyer a scathing look, Michael looked downright murderous that anyone would dare interrupt his evening.
The first chance I get tomorrow, I’m calling his doctor and recommending another psych evaluation. The man is way off the reservation and I don’t want anyone else getting hurt… or worse. I have a responsibility to my son. I have to be smart about this and keep myself safe. One thing is sure, though… Quitting is no longer an option.
Letty rose from Michael’s bed and crossed the room to see who was entering the house. She was relieved to see that the foyer looked exactly as it had earlier today, before all the chaos began. Letty’s boots clicked loudly against the marble floor as she cut across the room towards the door. As she reached for the handle, the door swung open, damn near knocking her to the floor. As the door creaked open, and a tall man walked over the threshold, Letty’s mood suddenly changed.
Knox.
All fear and worry went out the window as Letty looked up at the man who she loved to hate, and hated to love. He was a dear friend of hers once. That all vanished the second Miles got arrested. Letty wished Knox would get lost and forget his way back to Carrion. She wished that his fate and the fate of Miles had been reversed.
With a raise of her right eyebrow, Letty greeted the most complicated of all the Capadonnos.
“Knox Capadonno… the proverbial thorn in my side,” Letty said, giving him a fiery look.
“Letty Alves… woman of my nightmares.”
His comment earned a chuckle from Letty. Although she could not stand the man, she was so happy that he arrived when he did. Despite Letty’s reservations about Knox, even she had to admit, Knox Capadonno was a sight to behold. His eyes were brooding and dark with a glint of mystery in his gaze. His dark brown hair was neatly coifed and appeared soft to the touch. He had a firm jaw and the stubborn Capadonno nose like his father. Standing at six foot one, Knox was tall (but not as tall as Miles), with broad shoulders, strong hands and a gorgeous smile. He wore a beautiful slate gray Italian suit from Armani’s signature rack and a pair of black leather Ferragamo shoes that looked like they had recently been polished. Knox Capadonno was the man of any woman’s dreams on paper. In reality, he was a bit more challenging than that.