Page 64 of Forgetting the Enemy
When I get back to the house, I immediately look for Zaira. I find her with her brother on the back veranda.Oh fuck, I hope he didn’t tell her about Carmine.
When I approach, she is talking about a wedding and Vegas and is begging him to be there and give her away. The smile on her face is infectious, and the sparkle in her eyes tells me she is truly happy.
“Can Mia come too?” she asks Vince.
“Of course, love. Of course.” He is trying so hard to put on a happy face, but I know he is ripped to shreds inside.
After walking up to Zaira and kissing her on the cheek, I say, “Hello, beautiful.”
She smiles at me, and that smile alone makes all the bad I just experienced melt away. I need to get lost in her.
“Can I steal your brother away?” I ask.
“Of course. He’s been quite a trooper, allowing me to ramble on about our Vegas wedding.” She gets up from the table. “I’ll leave you two to have some privacy.” She goes to her brother and kisses him on the cheek. “It was good seeing you.” Then she looks up at me and asks, “Will I see you later?”
“Count on it,” I say and wink at her.
She smiles again. After giving Vince a quick hug, she turns and walks away.
“She really is happy, isn’t she?” Vince asks.
“It would appear so,” I say. “Sorry for not giving you a warning about the Vegas shit. I wanted to, but then all this shit happened, and I didn’t get a chance. But now that the threat is over, and Carmine and Armino have been dealt with, it’s safe for us to move on with our lives.”
“It’s all right. Michael, I’ve always known my sister loved you. You were always her choice, even after my mother was murdered. She went along with my father because if she didn’t, she’d suffer the consequences. I don’t think she ever really believed your family was involved. And now, we know the truth.”
“Are you okay?” I ask. “That was a lot of shit down there.”
“Yeah, I’m okay. It’s a lot to take in. At least I am sure of one thing,” he says.
“What’s that?”
“I no longer feel any guilt in having that sick bastard killed.”
“Amen to that,” I reply.
“So you took care of them?” he asks.
“Yeah, they’re dead. When I asked if they had more to confess, they fingered Leo and Vinnie. Ricco is taking care of them as well.
“What about the two bodies they found on your property?”
“He didn’t say anything about them. I assume they were expendable, considering coming here would have been a suicide mission. They weren’t gonna risk themselves getting caught.”
“Yeah, you’re right about that.” He pauses. “Thank you,” he says. “You know, Pop was right about one thing. I don’t have it in me to run my family. I’m not like him and so fucking thankful for it.”
“I always knew you weren’t. We’ve been friends a long time, Vince. I know I can be a dick, but you’ve always remained my friend. I’ll always take care of your family, and you know I’ll love and cherish your sister until the day I die.”
“I know you will. You’re a good man. So when are we going to Vegas?” he asks.
I laugh. “That is entirely up to your sister.”
