Miles Away (Carrion #1)(64)
“Landon, this is more than I can handle.”
“What can we do, though? You can’t apply any force. You know what happens.”
Letty sighed deeply as her right hand covered her eyes.
“I know. I know. I’m going to have to think of a way to handle this.”
“Well, let me know. You know I’ll back you up as best as I can.”
“All right, Landon.”
“Hey Letty?”
“Yeah, hun.”
“Is the big guy all right?”
Letty laughed as the gears in her head began to churn.
Landon always was different from the other Capadonno men. Sweet, vulnerable, and very observant, Letty thought.
“I’m taking good care of him.”
“Okay, because I’m worried about him, Letty.”
Without hesitation, Letty replied, “I am, too, hun. I am, too.”
Not a moment later, Letty ended the call. Giving Miles a nervous look, she smiled, and opened the passenger door.
“Ready?” Letty asked, with a faint smile to Miles.
“As ready as it gets,” Miles replied. “Let’s go.”
Miles scrunched up his face as he tried not to laugh.
“Sorry, but it’s true!” Letty said as a laugh ripped from her mouth.
“Not in the car, please,” Miles said as he winked at Letty.
“The things we do in this car... And you’re worried?”
Pulling on Letty’s jacket, Miles pulled her closer. “The things we do in this car.” Corina tore up the driveway of the Capadonno residence as Letty tapped her fingers nervously on her pant leg.
“Gotta relax, Letty. It’s all going to be fine. You’ll see,” Miles said, trying to reassure his longtime love. Jerking on the steering wheel, Miles pulled Corina into a parking spot and quickly cut the engine.
“Miles, I’m trying to relax, but in reality I feel like puking.”
“Letty, you are beautiful. I do not classify you losing your lunch as beautiful. You need to calm your nerves. Everything is going to work out just fine.”
“I know. Just take it a step at a time, right?”
“Wrong. I’m planning three steps ahead of these whack jobs. You leave the worrying to me. I’ve got this. I promise.”
Miles had a look of compete self-assuredness on his face. It eased Letty’s own worries a bit.
How can he look so sure of himself when all the odds are stacked against us? Letty wondered.
“Now c’mon. Let’s go visit Mr. Happy and then we can go enjoy ourselves.”
Not waiting for Letty to reply, Miles opened the car door and quickly banged it shut.
“I’m coming,” Letty replied as she unfolded herself from the passenger seat of the car.
Miles waited for Letty to rise from the car. He closed her car door for her and placed a hand on her shoulder as he led her across the courtyard, all while keeping a keen eye on his surroundings. As a black Mercedes began the crawl up the long tree-lined driveway, Miles rushed Letty inside.
The heavy oak door slammed behind Miles, as he and Letty stepped into the foyer. The house seemed quiet at first. They stood there silently for a moment as they listened. Apparently they had arrived in the calm of the storm, because just as they were beginning to think everything had calmed down, a barrage of shouting voices came from the parlor.
“What the frig is going on now?” Miles asked loudly as he stormed from the foyer, pulling Letty along beside him by her hand.
“Aye! Look who’s here!” Michael Capadonno called out from his hospital bed, looking much more cheerful than anyone expected him to.
A small child sat on Michael’s lap, happily chattering to the grieving mobster as if he was Santa Clause himself asking her what she wanted for Christmas.
“Miles and Letty are here!” Michael called out to someone in the kitchen. The glare that permeated from Michael’s eyes did not match the jovial tone to his voice. The look that Michael was giving Miles and Letty was nothing short of lethal. Letty squirmed a little under the weight of Michael’s stare, not Miles, though.
“Aye, old man!” Miles said, in a just as cheerful voice. “How’s it hanging?”
“Shriveled and wrinkled,” Dustin said with a growl as he walked into the room. “That’s how, *.”
“Dust! Mouth!” Sasha yelled as she tried to cover her daughter’s ears. “I know it’s hard for you, but can you not curse around Gia? She repeats everything!”
Michael eyed his daughter as she spoke. Diverting his eyes to his granddaughter, Gia, Michael shook his finger at her.
“Oh, no no, bella dolce. The mark of a true Capadonno is to only reveal what we must. You never repeat what you hear. You keep that to yourself. Keep secrets for yourself to enjoy.”
“Dad, seriously?” Sasha asked as she glared back at her father.
“Sasha, you start them young! It’s how they learn. Gia, you just tell Mommy your secrets, okay? Don’t pay Poppa no mind.”
Sasha lifted Gia off of Michael’s bed, and let the child toddle about the living room, her light brown ringlets hanging loosely around her cheeks.
Sasha seemed to be desperate for a change in conversation. As she led her daughter away from Michael, Sasha kissed Miles on his cheek and smiled warmly at Letty. As Sasha’s eyes met Letty’s, she patted Miles’s arm gently and slowly released him from her hold. Leaning in to Letty, Sasha whispered in Letty’s ear, just loud enough for Michael and Miles to hear.