Enforce(88)

My stomach clenched into a tight ball as her face went from fear to absolute betrayal. I’d done that. I’d stolen that smile, that innocence, but just standing there, I had taken away a part of her I would never be able to give back.

“Ready?” Nixon asked, his voice gruff as he eyed Frank up and down like he was Satan.

“Yes,” Frank snapped, ushering Tracey into the living room, just out of our reach. There really was no going back. At all.

Nixon and I sat on the couch opposite Trace. Her face was pale, her lips drawn back into a tight expression. Her normally sunny disposition was replaced with something so heartbreaking it hurt to look directly at her.

Our men circled around us, guns trained on Frank’s men, while they kept their guns firmly pointed at us. It really was like a horrible Mafia movie and not realistic at all, but there was so much bad blood between us that the trust that should exist? The healthy respect between bosses? Was long gone, severed, and destroyed by needless death and sacrifice.

“You broke the rules,” Frank said, leaning back against the black leather couch.

Nixon smirked. “What? You think I actually knew right away?”

“You grew up with her!” Frank yelled.

Wow. Three seconds in, and he was already needing anger management.

“She was six!” Nixon all but shouted.

“You may as well have pulled that trigger. Your father…”

“Is dead.” Nixon smirked. “Cold and lifeless, lying right next to my mother.”

“What?” Trace shrieked. Ah hell, really, Nixon? Great timing, no really, epic. “You said that—”

“Monroe doesn’t know, Trace.” Nixon’s eyes softened for a brief second. “He’d been sick a while. It’s…”

“None of her damn business.” My father spat, glaring at Trace like she was already tainted beyond redemption. I’d never seen such hatred in my father’s eyes, and then as soon as it appeared, it disappeared, covered with a mask of indifference.

“Gentleman.” I cleared my throat. “Back to the reason for meeting.”

Frank bristled. “As I was saying…” He wrapped his arm around Trace and squeezed. “The poor girl lost her parents at six. That’s still old enough to recognize people. You should have known Nixon.”

“I told you the minute I did,” Nixon defended himself. “And it wasn’t like I could have done anything!”

“You took her outside school property.”

Oh, for the love of God, of course he did! What was he supposed to do?

“Before I knew.” Nixon sighed heavily. “I didn’t even guess until I saw the damn necklace with Alfero on it.”

“Then you should have stayed away.”

It was like playing ping pong. Nixon would say something then Frank, then Nixon, both of them right in their own ways, yet still wrong in the way that mattered most, which was Trace’s safety.

“Careful,” My father spoke up. “You may be within your rights to call him out, but he’s still the boss. Has been for some time. So tread carefully, old man.”

Frank cleared his throat. “Excuse me, Mr. Abandonato.” He spat out the words like they were venom. “But the minute her cover was blown — the very second — you should have locked her in her damn room.”

Nixon tensed next to me, his fingers flexing against his thigh. “She’s just a teenager, Frank. What did you want me to do? Blow everyone’s cover? Ruin everything? And for what? Precaution? We’ve been in this for four damn years.” His eyes fell to my father. “Some of us longer. How was I supposed to know you’d drop her directly into the fight? Your own granddaughter? We were doing just fine until you did this to us!”

“And you still have no proof!” Frank shouted.

“We’re close!” Nixon fired back. “We just need more time.”

“Time doesn’t give Trace her parents back,” Frank said softly. “Time doesn’t heal a broken heart, and time will not fix the fact that you have successfully helped expose my innocent granddaughter to our world. I only meant to appease my dying wife, while at the same time allowing Trace to be used as bait, only if necessary, and what do you do? You claim her for your own! An Abandonato!”

And there it was. The elephant in the room. Nixon had taken something that wasn’t his to take — her alliance, her allegiance, her love. Something only Frank could be familiar with, considering his son and daughter–in-law’s story.

“All I can say is I’m sorry. I didn’t know. But would you rather have me leave her helpless? Admit it. She would have known something was up if I’d locked her in her room, and honestly, we weren’t even sure she was exposed until last night when we almost…” Nixon swallowed. “…got killed.”