Total pages in book: 206
Estimated words: 192184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 961(@200wpm)___ 769(@250wpm)___ 641(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 961(@200wpm)___ 769(@250wpm)___ 641(@300wpm)
She’d stopped crying, but was making shuddering noises and had the hiccups. Sarah brought her a glass of water and put two glasses and a decanter of scotch on the coffee table, left the room and then came back with a first aid kit. I took it from her and waved her away. I put antiseptic and then Band-Aids on Tia’s knees and then I poured a drink for Pop and for myself. He sat a few cushions away from Tia on the sofa, watching me bandage her up with a weird expression on his face. I was sitting on the coffee table, my legs between the two of them.
“Pop, it’s time for the truth.”
He downed his scotch and looked at her.
I said, “I know some of it, I know you know that I know some, but we need you to fill in the blanks.”
“I’m sorry if that upset you,” he said to Tia. “That necklace you’re wearing; I gave that to your mother for her eighteenth birthday. Caused quite an uproar at the time.”
She put her hand to her throat.
“We were crazy about each other but her brother, my best friend and business partner, wanted no part of it. He didn’t want one of his buddies dating his little sister. Died when he was 28. Tragic loss. I was there for her and she was there for me. We started to date. It was at the end of my marriage to Annette. But Lita and I had a fight one night and split up. Stupid fight. She decided she wanted no part of the life I lead. We went our separate ways. She married your father. She married fast so I’d know we were really over. You were born. Then we reconnected again; she wasn’t happy with him, talked about leaving him. She got pregnant with my baby.”
Tia gasped.
“She had all this guilt. She decided to give things another go with him. Your father made her get rid of my kid. I’ve always hated him for that. I’m Catholic, you know; we don’t believe in that. When he made her have that abortion, I believe it destroyed her. He was the reason she died.” Pop poured another glass of scotch.
“I saw you a few months ago,” Pop said. “Saw you all grown up one day on the street with your friends and it was like looking at her all young and happy again and I, I … I decided to give my son what I should’ve had. I’ve been married a lot. But if I’d married Lita, that would’ve been forever. I won’t deny I wanted to take Gregory’s child the way he took my child from me, the child I never got to know.” He shrugged and downed the drink. “So I hate your father. Sorry but that’s how it is. Tommy cleared his debt and it’s done. I’ve wanted to knock him out for years and saw his smug face when he left here today and so I just closed the chapter with my fists, that’s all. I’m done.” Pop looked at me and raised his hands defensively. “I’m done, my boy. I know what you said when you cleared the debt, but I just needed to knock the smug look off his face. I’m done now.”
Tia had stopped shuddering and hiccupping. She was dabbing her eyes.
Pop got to his feet. “You wanna have him at your wedding, I’ll keep my mouth shut and I’ll be nice. As nice as I can be under the circumstances. You two have kids and he has to come to the baptism and so forth, I’ll be on my best behavior. But don’t expect me to be friends with him and unless it’s important don’t expect me to be under the same roof.”
“C’mon Pop,” I said and signaled for him to follow me. I leaned over and kissed her on the forehead and whispered, “Back in a few.”
Pop and I stepped outside. His driver was standing by the gate talking to Nino and Jimmy and they halted conversation when they saw us come out. I shot a dirty look their way. They looked like a couple of gossiping old ladies.
“What brought you by today?” I asked.
“Just wanted to say hello,” he answered and shrugged but he was looking me right in the eye, the way he always did when he was feeding me bullshit.
It was obvious that he knew O’Connor was here. Someone told him that my guys were picking the guy up. Who?
“Come by the office tomorrow morning, we gotta talk more about the Fete plan. Unfortunately, Denarda’s back in. People flying in tomorrow. I’ll fill you in later.”
“Right,” I said, jaw tight. Leo Denarda. Great.
“When ya getting married?” Pop asked.
I shook my head. “Not sure.”
“What’s the problem? You not sure about her now?”