Page 61 of The Godfather’s Christmas Twins
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Idrive away from the house feeling like I’ve got a hole in my chest. How many times did I nearly ask her to stay? In the kitchen when I could see the news of her going home impacted her. When the kids begged her to ask me to let them stay.
Having her and the kids here has filled a void in my life. Coming home to their chaos and warmth, sharing meals and moments, has felt so right. But the complications crowd in. I'm too old for her. I'm her godfather, for Christ's sake. And Nic… My best friend, the man who's been like a brother to me since we were teenagers. How would he look at me if he knew I was sleeping with his baby sister? That I'm fantasizing about keeping her here, about being a father to her children? That I've fallen for the woman he trusted me to protect?
The steering wheel creaks under my grip as I think of Gia’s mother. I can still hear her voice asking me to watch over her daughter. She made me Gia's godfather because she believed in my honor, my integrity.
Some fucking integrity. I was weak, unable to say no to Gia. But it's more than just sex. That's what terrifies me most. I findmyself planning things. Renovations to make the house more kid-friendly, ideas for Christmas presents, ways to expand my legitimate businesses so Gia could work with me here. Building a future I have no right to imagine.
These thoughts torment me because they could never come true. Even without the age gap, the godfather element is creepy. People would assume I groomed her, took advantage. Nic would likely kill me because my duty is to protect her, not to fuck her.
Even without these challenges in our way, Gia knows, as do I, in this life we live, our first duty is to the Family, to the Don, to Nic. She’s stuck in it, while I made the choice to be a part of it. Either way, we’re trapped by our obligations.
My jaw tightens as I try to push away memories of and feelings for Gia and the kids, but it’s useless. They’re seared into my mind.
I give my head a shake and try to focus on finding Benny. That's what matters right now, eliminating the threat to Gia's safety, not these impossible dreams of keeping her here with me.
I park in the lot of the upscale downtown restaurant the business owns. It used to launder money, but now it’s fully legit. Well, except for business meetings like this. I'm in the back office with Dominic and several of my most trusted men.
"Run it down again," I tell Dominic. "Every detail from when Benny showed up at the casino."
Dominic shifts in his chair. “He arrived a few days ago. Staying up the street… not one of ours. We’ve scanned the videos from the last few days. Today is the first time he came in.”
I sit back in my chair, steepling my fingers under my chin as I try to consider what that means. Is Benny here just to gamble and seeing Gia was a coincidence? Or was he biding time, enjoying a few games while he hunted her down?
“From the video footage, it appears he sees her by chance. I don’t think he was expecting her to walk in,” Dominic continues.
That was my thought too, but it doesn’t mean he wasn’t here to find her.
“He made a beeline to her. I talked to Marcus who said he moved fast. He was there quickly. He told Marcus he was family, but Marcus didn’t care. Benny then yammered about how she got his father killed and stole his inheritance. Even suggested the kids aren’t his father’s.”
“Fucker would do anything to get those kids’ money.” I shake my head. Benny is a parasite. I was always glad that Gino didn’t bring him into the family after Aldo died. Nor did he seem to believe or care about Benny’s accusations that Nico killed Aldo.
“How is that he was here at all and we didn’t know about it until he’s up in Gia’s face?” I ask. It’s what Nic is going to ask me, and I’ll take the blame, but right now, I’m pissed that my men missed it too.
My men exchange glances which tells me they don’t know. “Why isn’t he in our custody?”
“A fuck up,” Dominic says.
“A major one.”
“We’ve got everyone looking for him. He hadn’t gone to his room, but Las Vegas has a lot of places to hide. I imagine Benny is good at knowing those locations, the weasel.”
I drum my fingers on the desk, my frustration building.
“Does he have connections here? Anyone he might run to for cash or a place to hide? What about women? Is there a regular he likes to see when he’s here?”
“Not that we’ve found. Most people think like we do. He’s a fucking putz."
I think for a moment, feeling like something about this isn’t adding up. "If I'm Benny, I'm not sticking around Vegas after threatening a Nardone. Guy's a weasel, but he's not completely stupid. He's gotta know we're looking."
"Where would he go?" Dominic asks.
Tony shifts his weight against the wall. "Reno's the obvious choice. Close enough to drive, plenty of places to disappear into."
"I suppose we could consider Tahoe too," Dominic adds.
“I doubt he skis,” I say.