Miles Away (Carrion #1)(54)
Letty’s lips grew into a smile as laughter ripped from her mouth. She could just imagine the scene that Miles had just painted for her. What if she had married one of the random guys that had come and gone? In Letty’s heart, it wouldn’t have mattered. Her life was divided into halves: Before Miles and after. Folding up the letter, Letty began clearing off the bed, stuffing letters back into their envelopes for safe keeping. She felt like she had a much better understanding of the man Miles had become. He wasn’t so different from the boy she loved. The same heart still beat in his chest. The same eyes still sought out hers all these years later. Despite her silence for seventeen years, Miles still loved Letty. The thought took Letty’s breath away.
I guess there are some loves that can transcend time and distance, hardship and travesty, Letty thought. What a fortunate woman I am.
They both had felt forgotten about. Letty didn’t know where to mail letters. Miles hadn’t received a single reply to his. Now they could make up for lost time.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
LANDON PRESSED THE REMOTE access button in the roof of Dustin’s car as the security gate of the Capadonno compound clanged open loudly. Winding down the driveway, Landon approached the massive house, keeping his eyes locked on the road ahead. Parking his car in the gravel by the tree line, Landon cut the engine and sat in the darkness for a moment. He was about to get out of the car when the front door of the house opened up. Vincenzo Rigatti, high-ranking member of the Rigatti crime family of Brooklyn stepped out with Nunzio Rigatti, boss of the Rigatti crime family of New York, and Antonio Pena, boss of the Atlantic City based Pena crime family, flanking his sides. With his eyes on the rearview mirror and his hand still on the door handle, Landon Capadonno watched the men carefully, knowing damn well who they were.
“Shit...” Landon said under his breath.
A grey Mercedes Benz pulled up around front. The men, who were chatting amongst themselves, looked around at their surroundings, and quietly lowered themselves into the car. As the car wound down the driveway, disappearing amongst the trees, Landon started the car again.
“Why not. I don’t have shit else to do...” Landon said as he depressed the gas pedal.
The engine quietly purred as Landon trailed the car swiftly down the driveway and into the main artery of Carrion.
“Let’s see if I understand this, Pop...” Knox began as he paced the floorboards. “Fish was trying to protect you... and you kill him because you have some little crush on your son’s whatever-the-hell-she-is. Do I have this straight?”
“Letty is special. She’s taken care of me, and as far as Miles goes, she was warned to stay away from him.”
“Well, guess what, Pops... If it wasn’t for Miles, Fish would’ve killed her,” Dustin said as he lowered himself into an armchair.
“Letty knows better than to get in too deep with him,” Michael insisted as his hand slapped against his mattress. “He’s an ex-con. He’s scum. She gave me her word.”
“Is this how you talk about all of us when we turn around, or just Miles?” Dustin demanded to know. “You are a f*cking snake.”
Michael shrugged his shoulders. “I am what I am, and I make no apologies.”
Knox buried his hands in his pockets as he continued to pace.
“So your spiel is that Fish disobeyed you. What about Letty? She disobeyed you, too. Do you plan to whack her, too?” Knox asked, his face turning red as his eyes measured up his father.
“If you were anyone else, I’d slap the shit outta you.”
“I’d pay to see that one,” Dustin said with a laugh as he propped his feet up on his father’s bed.
“You’re a bigger fool than I thought if you think Miles isn’t in Letty’s bed right this second,” Knox said with a laugh. “So again, I ask… What are you gonna do?”
Michael’s jaw jutted out defiantly. “That’s my business.”
“And as your consigliere, it also happens to be mine! Now you’re drawing f*cking media attention. That is a big problem for me…”
“Don’t get your panties all up in a twist. I’ll reveal my plan soon enough.”
“Where do you get your f*cking energy from? Doctors claim you’re dying, meanwhile your crazy mind is running circles around Carrion,” Dustin griped. “Sit your old ass down, watch some f*cking TV.”
“So when are you gonna tell Miles you made him king?” Knox asked in a petulant tone of voice.
Brushing his fingernails against his shirt, Michael looked up at Knox with a shrewd look upon his face. “I’m not. He’ll find out soon enough.”
Landon followed the grey car through the streets of Carrion, keeping a careful distance, but not daring to let the car out of his sight. He trailed the car clear across town and as it wound around the corner, Landon halted, not daring to follow, as the car came to a stop. Sitting in the dark of the car, Landon watched as the three men climbed out of the car and approached the curb. Gravitating towards the pulsing music of Destiny Nightclub, the three men vanished through the red front door, a sly smile creasing the face of Nunzio.
Pulling the car around the curve, Landon slowly maneuvered up the street, slowing as he approached the club. He couldn’t see inside the windows, the club was dark except for the strobe lights and the dim lighting above the bar. As he was about to pull off, the club door opened again as a group of excited people poured out onto the sidewalk. Landon rolled his eyes as he quickly recognized them. His cousin, Sonora, shot her arm up into the air, waving excitedly as she called out his name. Raine, his sister, looked decidedly more chipper than she had earlier that day as she wrapped her hands around a new guy. Landon watched, not saying a word as his relatives rushed towards the car. Rumor and Ruin trotted hand in hand. As they approached the car, Ruin pulled Rumor close to give her a sly peck on her lips.