Kon (Trassato Crime Family Book 2)(27)
His blew out a heavy breath. “Fine. I’ll give you a week and not one day more. If she doesn’t bend to our will, I’ll need time to prepare our next move.”
He disconnected the phone before I could respond, and music boomed through my speakers instead of his voice. I powered off my phone, not wanting to hear from anyone else tonight. I had all of the bad news I could take. Everything else would have to wait until my I got my head screwed on right.
Hour after hour passed, and I drove through the streets trying to come up with a plan. While my gut told me Carmela wouldn’t intentionally screw me over, I didn’t know much about her. My father and I had used her good intentions to our advantage, cornering her until she didn’t have any choice but to accept a shitty deal. Unfortunately for us, cornered prey eventually lashed out.
She didn’t want to marry Nico, that much was evident. However, given an option between the two of us, she clearly decided he was the better choice. That was fine. I didn’t want to marry her either.
Without question, I liked the way her curves felt under my hands and the sensation of her lips gliding against mine. None of those things changed the way I felt about getting involved with a woman for more than a night or two, though. My relationships with Laney and my mom left a sour taste in my mouth and taught me women weren’t worth the trouble. They always betrayed you in the end.
For all that, I couldn’t explain why I ended my journey two blocks away from the Trassatos’ family home. I got out of my car and ambled down the street, my eyes taking in the spaced out homes and big trees complete with tire swings and yard art. If there was something I missed about Nebraska, it was the wide-open spaces where you could breathe clean air and be alone somewhere other than inside your apartment.
My father’s years of indoctrination echoed in my ears.
Negotiate from a position of strength, not weakness. Never show anyone you care. Be the first to walk away.
None of those sentiments jived with a trip to the Trassatos’ house to confront Carmela in the middle of the fucking night, yet there I was standing on the sidewalk in front of their home like a stalker. If Dominick or Gian heard about this, I’d be as good as dead.
Fuck, my dad would probably kill me himself if he found out. He wanted this union , or more accurately, he wanted to get something out of the threat of a union between Carmela and me. He didn’t care if we ever tied the knot. More importantly, though, he didn’t want me to alert the Trassatos to a possible counterpunch, which was reason enough to march back to the car and get my ass home. Only I knew I wouldn’t stop myself now. I wouldn’t be able to sleep until I heard her explanation.
I hopped over the wrought iron fence lining the perimeter of their property. My back pressed to the brick exterior of their home, my breathing ragged. My eyes darted around the manicured lawn, and I listened. Crickets chirped with annoying frequency. The moon looked like a white smudge in the otherwise black sky. A hot, muggy breeze ruffled through my hair and clung to my suit, making me feel damp and sticky.
I scanned the windows above the garage. Based on my research, Carmela inhabited the studio apartment above the three-car garage. I spotted the cracked balcony door, and I knew I had a way into her room. While it would have been better for me if the apartment were isolated, a window-lined hallway connected it to the second story of the house.
A quick examination of the home told me I’d have to scale the nearby tree and dangle like a fucking monkey from the branch until I reached the Romeo and Juliet balcony on the side of the garage. Not my idea of a fun weekend night by any stretch of the imagination. Good thing I spent most of my childhood roaming a farm and doing shit that paled in comparison.
“Go big or go home,” I mumbled, scaling the trunk.
The bark dug into the pads of my fingers, making crackling noises that sounded much louder in my head than in reality. When I grasped the branch that nearly brushed against the railing of the balcony, I propelled my legs, swinging one hand in front of the other. I swayed back and forth to gain momentum and launched my body over the top of the black iron railing.
I paused there, catching my breath and checking for any signs Carmela was still awake. I wasn’t deluded enough to believe she’d welcome my visit. She didn’t show up tonight for a reason. Either she planned to keep on avoiding me, or her brother had forbidden her from seeing me again. Maybe she was sick of the whole thing and ran away. I didn’t care about her reasoning. We made a deal, and I felt a little more than irritated that she didn’t bother keeping me in the loop.
With one hand on the gun in my suit jacket, I pushed open the door. Listening. Calculating. Darkness greeted me. The minute I stepped over the threshold, a light flashed, blinding me for a second and I squinted. An object whooshed through the air. When I opened my eyes, it was already too late.