Page 87 of Play With Me
“And you’re all sure you want to do this?” I ask, taking the time to look each of them in the eye.
“Of course, we’re sure,” Ginny coos in a baby voice, nuzzling Benjamin’s nose. “We’re all a family.Areyousure you want to share this place with us? It is, after all, your legacy.”
“I would just like to point out that while we all may be a family, Jackson and Ginny didn’t visit you in the hospital, and we did,” Tripp, ever the joker, jests as he raises his hand in the air.
“Are you really going to bring that up again?” Jackson deadpans. “Hospitals are a breeding ground for germs.”
“So are cats,” Tripp argues. “And since when are you a germaphobe? You’ve been in more pussy than—” he cuts himself off on a gasp of air as Lenni smacks the back of her hand against his crotch.
Jackson pats Tripp’s back as he doubles over. “There, there, buddy. Walk it off.”
The girls and I share an unamused look. Anders watches the two men like he wants to join in the ribbing, but he’s also still a little unsure about whether he’s welcomed.
“I think it makes sense.” I shrug, my chest only aching a little at the movement. I still have a few weeks before I make a full recovery, but if I have to sit at home any longer with Anders and Maya doing every little thing for me, I’m going to pull my hair out. “Since I’ll be spending a lot more time in California now, I like knowing there are people I can trust to take care of things if something goes wrong. I’m lucky that Paul is even letting us reopen.”
“Well, as much as I hate to admit it, we have Mickto thank for that. His continued support, even if he’s not financially involved, is what convinced Paul,” Anders speaks with an acid-laced tone.
He’s still pissed that Mick caught Kate before she fled the club, and that he knew about her and Luca. Instead of handing them over to the authorities, Mick made a deal with Kate in exchange for a clean break, and let her go. Anders didn’t give a shit about the deal and still went after her. She’s lucky, though, and got away with everything after coming up with an airtight alibi thanks to Vinny’s wife, Francesca. They even faked video footage at Romenesco’s toproveshe was there the night of the shooting.
Anders says all it does is further prove they wiped the footage at Désirer, and because of it, she’s gotten off scot-free.
And as for Luca?
He’s disappeared into thin air.
The police were never able to pin the murders on Vinny. The kills were all clean—meticulous in the way they were carried out. Not a trace of evidence left behind. The only proof of Vinny’s involvement is through Luca’s confession, and since he’s nowhere to be found, there’s nothing authorities can do about his father.
Vinny asked to meet with Jackson, Tripp, and me to discuss a new type of partnership, but the guys and I firmly agree that we want Vinny Morroni as faraway from our business as possible. I hardly think this is the last time we’ll hear from him, but I don’t think there will be any more dead bodies in the future.
At least not inourfuture.
And that’s the way the underworld of politics is played. I was just unlucky enough to get caught in the tangled web.
“Like it or not, we’re stuck with him. Has he reached out about Maya?” Lenni asks.
“She doesn’t want anything to do with him, and she’s old enough to make her own decisions,” Anders answers before I can. My heart swells at the protective role of father he’s fallen into over these last four weeks. He and Maya act like he’s been in her life far longer than he has been. From talking about boy problems to dealing with her moody attitude, Anders has really stepped up.
Lenni side-eyes him through squinted lids, clearly unsure how to receive him speaking for me about my child. Even Ginny seems slightly surprised at his abruptness.
But that’s Anders. Rough and tumble with no fucks given.
“He’s right,” I agree. “Mick knows we’ll be taking her to San Diego for the summers, but during the school year, we’ll remain here. Apparently, she’s had a hunch about him for a while”—Anders takes my hand in his—“and she knows that I know she knows.But she’s made it clear she isn’t ready to talk about it.”
“Andwe’vemade it clear that we’ll be here whenever she is,” Anders finishes for me. We share a smile, already so in tune that it’s a wonder there was ever a time we disliked each other.
Tripp wraps his arm around Lenni’s shoulder. “And we’ve made itourmission to embarrass the little firecracker whenever she’s around Jackson,” he jokes.
Lenni rolls her eyes. “You have made thatyourmission. You’re going to go down in history as the world’s worst uncle.”
Jackson’s face remains passive, but I swear his cheeks redden as he glances at his wife. He finds my daughter’s infatuation with him extremely awkward and always makes an excuse to leave the room whenever she enters.
But, one by one, the pictures of him are starting to disappear from her walls.
Baby Benji wakes from his slumber and immediately launches into a full-blown meltdown. “And that’s our cue to go.” Jackson takes the baby from Ginny.
She carefully embraces me before Lenni takes her turn. I’ve been friends with Valentina for years, but Ginny and I have a newly formed bond that was strengthened by motherhood. I admit I kept my distance from her initially, not exactly sure how she’dfare at Désirer, but the redhead and I have grown close over the last year and a half.
It feels good to have friends who know all my secrets.