Miles Away (Carrion #1)(70)
Miles smirked a little as he adjusted himself in his seat. “Well, that belongs to me now.”
“Andie looked out for her Miles, that’s for sure,” Letty said with a smile.
“It’s not registered under the Capadonno name, but M.J. Cormack,” Miles explained.
“Do you think she foresaw something like this happening?” Letty asked.
“My mother was not dumb. Not by any stretch of the imagination. She knew what my father was, and throughout the marriage, the man she fell in love with all but disappeared, transforming into the monster that he is now.”
“And with six children. Your mother was brave to leave him. She had to have been scared out of her mind,” Letty said, looking a tad horrified herself.
Miles nodded gently. “That’s a story for another day, Letty. Point is, the cabin is off the grid. After this is all over, we’re going to go up there. Away from my father, away from his associates, away from the madness of Carrion. You and G need a safe place to live.”
“So do you,” Letty said as she placed her hand softly on his arm.
Miles smirked. “Don’t you worry yourself over it. I can handle myself pretty darn well. I made it this far, right?”
As Letty was about to reply, the waiter came back with their wine and shortly after, dinner was served. Letty thought everything looked so delicious. It had been some time since she had dined out in this fashion. Typically a night out for Letty consisted of taking G and Juan to their favorite pizza joint or a coffee date with some girlfriends. Letty and Miles relished in the delicious meal and the warm comfort of each other’s company, eager to see what the night held for them.
As Miles finished off his glass of wine and placed his fork down on the table with a gentle click, he reached for Letty’s hand. A soulful tune began to play from the speakers as Norah Jones’s voice of velvet began to sing “Come Away With Me.”
“Dance with me,” Miles said. It wasn’t a demand, but it also wasn’t a question. Despite his rough exterior, Miles had a gentle way about him when it came to Letty.
Without a word, Miles helped Letty up from her seat as they walked, hand in hand, to the dance floor that was situated in the center of the dining room. Placing a hand on Miles’s shoulder, and letting him clasp her other hand, Letty let Miles take the lead for once. Swaying to the music, Letty and Miles relished in the intimacy of the moment, moving gently to the sensual rise and fall of the melody. Letty brushed a thumb over the back of Miles’s neck. Looking down at Letty, Miles’s dark as night eyes seemed to penetrate her very soul. As she lost herself in Miles’s gaze, Miles gripped Letty’s waist tighter as he skated her around the dance floor. Allowing his head to drop, Miles closed his eyes as he let the song and Letty’s touch guide him. As he looked up again, his lips grazed Letty’s ever so gently. Letty had forgotten that she was in a casino with thousands of other people as she was lost in Miles’s eyes, engaging in a dance that was as easy as breathing. She never wanted to leave this moment, but try as she might, the moment was fleeting.
Pop! Pop!
“Get down! Somebody’s got a gun!” a man shouted at the top of his lungs.
Letty couldn’t speak. She couldn’t breathe. Hell, Letty could barely move. As the screams and the sounds of running feet assaulted her ears, Letty tried to grasp what was going on. Miles hadn’t said anything. Miles stood perfectly still with Letty still in his grasp. After a moment, as Letty came to, she began to scream, “Miles!” Her hands reached up to his face because he appeared to be in some sort of shock. Quickly snapping out of it, Miles’s eyes were cold as he turned around to face Anthony Schiabetta. When Letty turned around, she shrieked in horror when she saw two bullet holes in the back of Miles’s shirt.
“Miles, you’ve been shot!” Letty screamed. “Blood. Why isn’t there any blood?!”
Cracking his neck as he looked at his father’s associate, Miles had murder in his eyes. Quickly tearing off his tie and his nice dress shirt, Miles dropped the torn fabric to the floor revealing the reason why there was no blood. Miles was wearing a bulletproof vest that protected his chest and back.
“You gotta shoot a man with his back turned? Fucking coward. You’ll be joining your * father soon in the can. Big ol’ family reunion!”
“Police! Hands up!”
Anthony’s eyes bugged as he heard the sound of the police arrive, but instead of raising his arms, he made a run for it. He didn’t get far though. As Anthony Schiabetta ran off with his gun still in his hands, Miles darted after him, tackling him and slamming him down face first onto a blackjack table with a crunch. It sounded like he had broken some bones in the process. Letty wouldn’t be at all surprised if he did.
“C’mere!” Miles yelled to the cops. “Come clean up this garbage!”
Two police officers came running over to the blackjack table. An Officer Collins said, “We can take it from here.”
Miles scoffed, “Are you sure? Fucker shot at me twice. Get him out of here, before I change my mind and shoot back.”
“Thanks, buddy,” another officer said.
“Yeah,” Miles said as he waved the officers off. “Fucking *,” Miles spat at Anthony. “C’mon, Letty. Let’s get out of here.”
Letty grabbed Miles’s shirt off of the floor as she ran to him. Her brain barely allowing her a chance to think, Letty stared at Anthony with wide eyes. As the officers cuffed Anthony and lifted him off the table, he snarled at Letty.