Page 10 of Bulletproof Baby
"Why aren't either of you worried about the break-in last night?" I ask them, desperate to shift the conversation away from their plan to use me for Mafia espionage.
"Because there's nothing important enough to steal out of the office. Worker files and personal information, banking and finance stuff, it's all here in my office. What are they going to take? Bills?" Pop tells me, raising his shoulders with indifference.
I'm already tired of this conversation and this day needs to start. "Are either of you heading to the site this morning? I left my car there over the weekend and Valentino insisted on dropping me here last night after we ran into the burglar."
"Why don't you call him to take you to work, Lia?" Ma asks with a smirk. "This will be a great chance for you to make another date with him and get some information we can give to Don Caputo."
"What was the point of putting me through this weekend if we still have to give him money and my time? I'd rather pay the money than risk getting close to Don Barrone, stealing information from him and delivering it to Saul. If Valentino catches me…do you have any idea what he'll do to me?" I ask them.
They look at each other briefly, as if it's only now crossing their minds that Valentino can be a dangerous adversary. If Val believes I'm using him to benefit Saul, who knows how that will end for me?
No.
I know how that ends. Death, destruction, and chaos. Besides, the idea of betraying Valentino doesn't feel right. Still, I can't just tell my parents I won't do what they need.
"Don Caputo will protect you from Don Barrone, Lia." Pop is adamant in his tone, but he has no clue what they're asking me to do.
I won't do that to Valentino. I’m not going to jeopardize my life.
I have to convince them to get away from Saul. "We should go to the police. Surely, the extortion, intimidation, threats of violence, everything that Saul's done to us will be worth something to them."
"No," Ma says. "Not only will your father get locked up, but you might get into trouble too. They'll consider you an accomplice or something like that because you've helped us keep this secret. It's best if we keep our mouths shut. Let's just do what Don Caputo is asking us to do. We don't have to pay him every week anymore because getting him valuable information about Valentino should be enough."
"Enough to what? Do either of you see an end to this in sight? You know what? Forget I asked. You're just happy with not having to pay Saul every week and getting to keep the money Valentino paid for me. I gotta get out of here. I'll be at the site at some point today to get my car," I tell them as I push myself away from the table.
It's the first Monday morning that I can think of where I'm not going to a construction site. My phone is buzzing with notifications as soon as 8:00 a.m. rolls around and I'm nowhere near Saint Bartholomew's. They can run it without me for a day. Still, I don't want to leave our workers in a lurch.
After letting Pattie, our foreman, know that I won't be in, I decide to call the only person I know who doesn't work a typical nine-to-five. When my cousin Frankie picks up the phone, the sleep in his voice comes through loud and clear.
"Someone had better be dead or something had better be on fire for you to be callin' me at the ass crack of dawn, Lia." He grumbles into the line.
"Dawn? It's damn near nine in the morning, Frankie."
He groans as I hear him moving around. "I just went to bed two hours ago. Girl, what is going on? You never call me this early. Wait a minute. What did your folks do? Is Get Sweaty Eddie making you take a Zumba class with her again? Do I need to fake an emergency?”
Frankie drastically changes the tone of his voice, sarcastic and monotone, saying, “Oh no, come get me. Please rescue me from my monstrous bed and demon pillows. Bring food when you get here."
Laughter is inevitable any time I talk to my flamboyant cousin. Even in his sleep, he's liable to make light of any situation.
"Thanks, Frankie. I'll be over in a few." I tell him with a smile.
"You got it, girlie. I'll leave the door open for you."
"Open or unlocked?" I ask him.
He snarls into the phone. "Girl! Bring your ass and stop messing with my sleep. Food, coffee, you, hurry."
Frankie hangs up the phone before I can say anything else to keep him awake. He knows it's going to take me a while to get from Brooklyn to Manhattan, and I do want to make a few stops along the way.
My first stop is my apartment. It's a cozy little one-bedroom a few blocks away from my parents' house. It's on the first floor of a row home, similar to the home I grew up in, but split into three apartments. I can walk there to change my clothes before heading out for the rest of my day. However, there's an eerie feeling washing over me that someone's following me.
Every time I peer over my shoulder, nothing looks out of the ordinary. It's the regular sights of people moving around the city. Each and every pedestrian is minding their business, ignoring me, and making me feel like I'm overreacting from last night. What if Saul has someone watching me?
I'd give anything to feel as safe as I do with Valentino around. I can't believe my parents want me to spy on him. Still, I make my way home, shower, change, and get myself to the construction site where my car is still in pristine condition, thankfully.
Well, pristine is a stretch for the nine-year-old used Chevy my dad gifted me four years ago when I graduated high school. It gets me around without relying on public transportation. I appreciate the convenience as I zip across several side streets to one of my favorite bakeries.
Desta’s Crumble has the best pastries I’ve ever had in my life. I grab a few of my favorites from the shop. Croissants, iced caramel coffees, and a few other treats sit in my passenger seat after leaving the bakery. Next, I make my way to the Lower East Side, where my cousin Frankie Mirante is waiting for my arrival. Thankfully enough, our family business securing construction contracts for the city earned me a parking permit that lets me park practically anywhere. It comes in handy as I arrive at my cousin's apartment building above a florist shop.