Chapter 26

Chapter 26

　　"As a bodyguard? Less than a year. But I've been working other jobs for him for close to ten years."

　　"Did you guard Giya too?"

　　Elia's face closed off at once. He nodded toward the garden. "Is the dog supposed to dig a hole?"

　　My head twisted around. "What?" Loulou was indeed digging a hole, half of her small body disappearing in the ground already.

　　I rushed outside. "No! Loulou, don't."

　　She peered up then continued as if nothing had happened. I snatched her up, grimacing when I saw how dirty she was, and now I was too.

　　I moved back into the house. Dirt rained down on the floor and me. Loulou's fur was beyond saving, that much was clear. "It's bath time."

　　To my surprise, Loulou didn't fight me when I put her in the tub. She just stood there and let it happen. After the bath and towel-drying her, I grabbed the trimming scissors I'd bought and settled on the floor of the entrance hall with Loulou in my lap. It was the room that seemed the easiest to clean. There weren't any rugs. At first, when I brought the scissors near her body, she squirmed, but eventually when she realized I was trying to help her, she relaxed and let me cut her fur. The matted fur had to make her skin itchy. When I was done, she was half her previous size and looked impossibly adorable. "Done," I said and released her.

　　For a moment, she didn't move. Then she sprinted toward the new basket that I'd set up in the living room and threw herself inside before she began to wiggle happily, her tiny legs in the air as she enjoyed the feeling of air on her skin. Only an inch of fur remained, but I had a feeling it would grow soon. Looking down at my clothes, covered in fur and dirt, I decided to clean up too.

　　I rushed up the stairs and changed into more comfortable clothes. Black over-the-knee socks, pleated skirt, and a yellow sweater. At once, I felt more like myself.

LEO----------------------------------------------------------------------------

　　After checking on our newest drug lab and one of our underground casinos, I headed to my parents' house because Father had asked me for a meeting. Of course, I knew what it was about.

　　Amelia

　　Before I got out of the car, I sent Elia a text. He called me shortly after. "How's it going?"

　　"She's insecure around me. She seems to notice that something is off, but I don't think she knows what to make of me just yet. She's good with the kids and dog."

　　"She is?"

　　"Very patient. Just really lovely."

　　Everyone used that word for my wife, and damn it, she was indeed lovely. "Hmm. Don't come on to her too fast. It might make her suspicious."

　　"All right, Boss."

　　I hung up and left the car. The door to my parents' house opened before I got the chance to ring the bell. I gave my mother a look. "Have you been looking out of the window?"

　　She shrugged. "I was just wondering what you were doing in the car."

　　"Working, mother. I'm always working."

　　"Even so shortly after marrying that girl?"

　　"That girl's name is Amelia and stop calling her girl. It makes me feel old."

　　Mother touched my cheek. "You're not old."

　　I stepped out of her reach. "Where's Father?"

　　"In the cigar lounge. He won't listen to me. Can't you tell him to drop this awful habit? He's already had three heart attacks. The smoking doesn't help."

　　"Father won't listen to me either." The cigar lounge was filled with the thickly sweet aroma of Cuban cigars. Father sat in the armchair in front of the fireplace, a glass with whisky in one and a cigar in the other hand.

　　He smiled, the wrinkles in his face deepening. "Good to see you, Leo. Take a seat."

　　I sank down in the armchair beside his and shook my head when he offered me a cigar. I'd never liked the taste very much. "What is it you wanted to discuss?"

　　"How are things back home with Amelia?"

　　I gave him an exasperated look. "Is that what this meeting is about? Marriage counseling?"

　　Father leaned forward, putting his cigar down in the tray. "Our men admire you. They fear you too. Some might even hate you. If your second marriage ends as unfortunately as your first, then hate and fear might become too dominant."

　　I pushed out of the chair, but Father put a wrinkled hand on my arm. "Stay. I'm an old man. I'm allowed to tell my son the truth."

　　"It's the truth as you see it, Father."

　　He waited.

　　Sighing, I sank back down and leaned back. "Things are as well as they can be, considering Amelia's age and the situation as a whole. Nothing about this is ideal. I'm trying to exercise damage control."

　　"Damage control," Father scoffed. "Marriage is a matter of emotion. If you expect the worst, the worst is what you'll get."

　　"If you expect the worst, you're prepared for the worst. I won't be caught off-guard ever again."

　　"Maybe you should give Amelia the benefit of the doubt. She's a lovely girl. She's nothing like Giya."

　　"I don't know what kind of woman Amelia is."

　　"And whose fault is that?" Father inquired.

　　I shook my head. "Does this conversation serve another purpose than to criticize the way I handle my marriage?"

　　"I'm worried about you, Leo," Father said quietly, his eyes filled with sorrow. "You are everything I wanted in a son. You are strong, you are just, you never shy away from the hard decisions. I never doubted your ability to rule Philadelphia."

　　"But now you do?"

　　Father's shoulders sagged. Even though his parlor was pale, he reached for the cigar again. "A temple needs more than one pillar to stand. There's more to life than work."

　　I stared off into the flames of the fireplace. "Work is the only constant in my life right now." It was a confession I regretted the moment I said it.

　　Father leaned forward and patted my leg. "Then change it."

　　I glanced at my watch. "I need to go now. I'm meeting Christian to discuss his findings of that new chapter of the Tartarus MC. They're popping up like weeds."

　　I stood and this time, Father didn't try to stop me.

　　Mother followed me to the door, trying to convince me to stay for lunch, but I wasn't in the mood for their meddling anymore. I kissed her cheek then hurried to my car.

　　Christian and I met in a small Italian place that served the best risotto in town. Christian already sat in our usual booth when I walked in. I gave him a curt nod when I slid into the seat across from him. "Any news on the chapter?"

　　Christian didn't say anything for a while. "How's Amelia?" I didn't like the undercurrent of warning in his voice one bit.

　　"She's well. She's my wife now, Christian. She isn't your concern. She's mine."

　　"I can accept that as long as you promise that she won't end up like Giya."

　　I jerked up and bent over the table, grasping him by the throat and shoving him back against the bench. His face turned red, but he held my gaze. "Careful, Christian. In this city, my word is the law. The protection of your father and even that is limited, ends at the borders of Baltimore.