Miles Away (Carrion #1)(41)

“He’s not the mistake…”

“I get that, but kids can easily misunderstand and that shit carries. You got G out of it. Shit happens… okay, go on.”

“Anyway, I know that you and Richie were tight. I f*cked up,” Letty said as she turned her face away. There was pain in her eyes and it caused Miles’s stomach to wrench tightly.

“Letty…” Miles said as he turned her face back towards him. “I don’t care who you’ve been with. You’re human. We all have needs, and let’s face it, I was in no condition where I could help you. The thing that does bother me is that the bastard didn’t own up to his responsibility. You did.”

Letty was surprised at how understanding Miles was.

“I was in jail, Letty. I didn’t expect you to wait around. I just wanted to hear from you,” Miles explained. “And don’t you worry. Rizzolli will get his.”

“We’ve gotten three checks in two years.”

“Dirt bag… Nothing I hate more than a father who doesn’t do right by his kid. Good thing for G here, Miles don’t like letting anybody down. C’mon. Your momma’s gonna make us dinner.”

With a look of amazement on her face, Letty watched as Miles slung G’s diaper bag over his shoulder, picked up his car seat, and headed towards the front door. Turning around, Miles and G looked out at Letty with smiles.

“Are you comin’ or what?”





CHAPTER NINETEEN




“ANY CLUE WHAT THE FUCK that was about?” Knox asked Dustin as they walked into the parlor.

Knox’s nose had finally stopped bleeding, his red-stained handkerchief hanging from his hand. Dustin followed close behind Knox, shaking his head as he glared at the back of Knox’s head.

“Yeah, I got a pretty good idea,” Dustin said cryptically as a conflicted look stormed in his dark brown eyes.

The pair passed through the long corridors of the Capadonno compound. Not a sound could be heard except for the echoes of their foot falls and the rough sounds of their voices.

“We need to have a discussion…” Dustin said as Knox turned on his heels to face his brother.

“Not here…” Knox whispered through gritted teeth, darting his eyes around to make sure no one was within ear shot.

“Tia Marie’s. The Velvet Room.”

“When?”

“Now. It’s important.”

“I have a f*ckin’ broken nose… and you want me to go to Tia Marie’s wit’ you.”

Dustin threw his head back as he rolled his eyes at Knox. Dustin griped, “Can you not act like such a * all your f*cking life?”

“What’s going on?” Landon asked as he slinked around the corner of the hallway, emerging from his father’s office.

“Playin’ doctor,” Dustin said with a wicked smile growing on his face.

“Oh, no you ain’t!” Knox said as he backed up a few steps.

Dustin rolled his eyes as he closed the gap between himself and Knox. “Chicken shit. Now hold still,” Dustin said as he prepared to place his hands on Knox’s face.

“What the hell are you doing?” Knox begged to know as his younger brother grabbed his nose. “OWWW!”

“Shut up and hold still. I’m gonna set your nose,” Dustin said calmly.

“No! I’ll go to the ER,” Knox exclaimed, his eyes glaring at Dustin with a look of warning.

Dustin glanced back at Landon and laughed as he pointed a finger towards Knox.

“You believe this joker? The ER. Ha!” Dustin laughed facetiously, not backing off of Knox despite his protests.

Landon lifted his eyebrows and smirked. He knew what was coming next.

“Now hold still!” Dustin barked at Knox as he placed his hands on either side of Knox’s crooked nose.

“Count of three…” Landon said as he cringed. “One…two…”

Snap!

“Owwww! You mother humping son of a bitch!” Knox screamed, his tirade echoing through the house.

“There! Looks better, right?” Dustin asked happily to Landon.

Landon laughed. “Yeah… like a hundred bucks. Nothing his plastic surgeon can’t fix.”

“Shut up… I don’t have a plastic surgeon.”

“Might want to get one now,” Landon said with a smirk.

“Can we go now?” Dustin asked impatiently as he glanced at his watch.

“Go where?” Landon asked with a raised eyebrow.

“For a drink. Tia Marie’s,” Dustin explained. “You comin’?”

Knox sniffed, realizing that his nose felt a lot better since Dustin had reset it. Too bad it was as crooked as the best of Carrion’s politicians.

“Yup, I’m coming,” Landon said firmly as he grabbed his black leather jacket off a hook in the hallway. “Hey, where’d Miles go in such a hurry?”

“Somebody was messin’ with Letty,” Dustin explained.

“They’re just trying to bait him,” Landon said as he shook his head.

“They know that the way to get to Miles is to mess with his girl,” Knox explained.

“He’s nothing if not loyal,” Dustin said. “He can keep a secret close to his chest, but when it comes to Letty, he comes undone.”