Page 17 of Bulletproof Baby

"So what are we looking at, realistically?"

She raises her shoulders, stopping her pacing in front of the window to stare at the view. "I can get the dad community service, get it down as self-defense. Maybe a suspended sentence. There's a problem, Val."

"It doesn't sound like there's a problem."

"I can give you all of the hypothetical scenarios in the world. Realistically, it depends on Mr. and Mrs. Bonetti cooperating with the district attorney. They were okay repeating the story to me, but if they gotta do it under oath? I'm not sure they're going to do the right thing."

"That's crazy. Why not? Isn't getting rid of Saul worth exposing themselves?"

Cecilia walks closer to the window, fluffing her bangs and moving hairs out of her face in the limited reflection. "That's what they're concerned about. Exposing themselves to get rid of Saul doesn't exactly get rid of him. They're worried about Saul retaliating."

"I'll put a team on them until Saul's behind bars."

"How charitable of you, Valley, but you're not Secret Service. Eventually, your employees are going to take paying gigs."

"My guys would be paid to watch the Bonetti family."

She folds her arms across her chest. "Great, so the security detail gets their wages, but I have to work for free?"

"Cecilia," I sigh. "Need I remind you who's footing the bill for a six-week European vacation?"

"That I earned, thank you very much. I'm going to need the break if I'm stepping into criminal law. Are there going to be more cases like this?" she asks.

"I have no idea. I'm trying to move the entirety of our family business into the daily operations of this business."

Cecilia laughs heartily. "Yeah right. Dad's not gonna quit being a loan shark, and I doubt you're going to stop throwing your weight around in dollar bills. Persuading local businesses to sell you their properties to spite Saul Caputo. How long do you think you're going to get away with that?"

That makes me grin. "I didn't think anyone was paying attention to my real estate investment portfolio."

"Me, lawyer, remember?" She imitates a caveman, making me laugh. She continues, "I look at every contract and document that requires your signature. Curiosity got the better of me and well, I see a pattern. It's not obvious to anyone, you have to look to see it, but the trail leads to you."

"So I'm using a few shell companies to buy up Saul's potential property interests."

"Is this girl you're seeing an interest of Saul's as well?" she asks me.

"She was."

"No." Cecilia points a finger at me. "She is. Currently, Saul is still interested in her. And the fact that you spent the weekend with her as Saul actively extorts her family, means you're letting your dick dictate your business moves. Don't get sloppy now, Valley."

"Only you and Armande get away with calling me that," I huff, wanting to change the subject. I can't stand the fact that she's right. This morning's blowup at Lia's cousin's apartment is evidence of that.

"If you actually like her, Val, then do it right. Don't string her along just to piss Saul off. You'll egg Saul on to get him to act out and do something that warrants you starting a war."

"I don't want a war. I want Saul dead, out of the way, or buried in solitary confinement in some prison cell."

"That's not what you're going to get if you keep letting your emotions dick-tate what you do. Again, if you like the girl, fine. I won't call her a skank and you should actually date her. Treat her like a woman, not some pawn to piss off Saul. We know who behaves that way and you don't want to be like her, right?"

"I'm nothing like my mother," I tell her adamantly.

"I know that. Everyone who knows you knows that. Doing shit to piss off Caputo is one thing. Stringing along some girl and helping her family to piss him off is dangerous, Val. They'll be collateral damage in a war they are ill-equipped to fight in. Don't make them soldiers or casualties in this fight. I gotta go. I just wanted to stop by and bitch about you dumping this case in my lap."

"As long as you help Lia and her family, you can bitch and moan as much as you want to me. Tell Mom and Dad I'll try to swing by for Sunday dinner."

"Bring your girlfriend." Cecilia chuckles as she walks out of my office. I want to shout at her that Lia isn't my girlfriend or anything serious, but I'd be lying to myself.

Cecilia's one of the few people who know the depths of lies and treachery dealt to our family at the hands of Hera Fasano, the woman who gave birth to me. The woman who decided that raising a family with a gangster wasn't the best choice, so she left. It doesn't matter that she lied to my father, to me, to her other family for years. She grew tired of splitting time and decided my father and I were better off without her. In a way, Hera was right.

My father's a happy man with his wife, the woman I call Mom. It hurt like hell when our family imploded, but Cecilia and her mother, Shayla, were the best gifts the Barrone family ever received. Being married forced my father into retirement and put me as head of our other family.