Asking in a nonchalant tone, Knox begged the question, “What’s goin’ on?” in the most casual tone possible.
Shaking her head in disbelief as a smirk creased her face, Letty peered up at Knox with a pair of arched eyebrows.
Knox, the big shot DA from New York City, is making small talk. I wonder what tricks he has up his sleeve for this evening. Whatever it is, I don’t plan to stick around long enough to find out.
“Ask him,” Letty whispered as she pointed over her right shoulder. Michael was still in the parlor, climbing into his bed for the evening. Letty hoped he stayed there.
“How’s he been?” Knox asked in a seemingly sincere tone of voice.
You could never be too sure with Knox.
Rolling her eyes, Letty replied, “Full of hell. I just calmed him down. Don’t get him started again.”
Flashing his most dazzling smile at Letty, Knox said, “Would I do that?”
Yes.
“No. Of course not. Not Mr. Perfect…”
Pointing a finger at Letty, Knox winked just before he departed the foyer. If any other guy pulled that maneuver, it would be cheesy, but somehow Knox makes his sly gesture look cool.
He makes me sick, Letty thought as she sized him up from head to toe.
Knox’s shoes tapped against the cool marble as he cut into the parlor, leaving Letty standing alone in the foyer. Rolling her eyes behind Knox’s head, she walked to the door and slammed it shut.
“Hey Pops! I brought you some cannolis!” Knox said in an excited tone of voice. He held up a white paper bag for his father to see.
“Did someone die?” Michael asked.
Letty’s eyes went wide as she glared at Michael.
That was inappropriate!
Knox caught her gaze and asked, “What?” with a perplexed look upon his face.
Letty’s lips were still though, and she had no intentions upon telling Knox what had happened.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Knox laughed charmingly as he waved off his father.
Yup. Because Michael Capadonno is such the kidder.
“Can’t a guy just stop by to see his father?” Knox asked innocently as he leaned in and kissed his father once on each of his cheeks.
“Okay, big time… and lemme guess! You just happened to be in the neighborhood, right?” Michael asked with a look of total disbelief on his face.
“As a matter of fact…” Knox began with a smile on his handsome face. “I just had dinner with an old friend at Tia Marie’s,” Knox said, referring to an Italian restaurant on the other side of town. Knox lowered himself into a leather wingback chair that sat beside Michael’s bed. Bending his knee to rest his foot on his left leg, Knox made himself comfortable as he pulled the box of cannoli from the white paper bag.
“Want one?” Knox asked his father as he popped open the box. “They’re from Marguerite’s in Manhattan.”
Michael appeared unimpressed as he shrugged his shoulders. “Doubt it’ll be as good as my mother’s, but it couldn’t hurt.”
“Jeez, Pop… Don’t act so excited,” Knox said sarcastically as he gave Letty a sly wink.
“Well. Don’t just stand there. Pour me a drink!” Knox demanded of Letty as he shoveled his cannoli in his mouth.
Raising an eyebrow at the man, Letty asked him with a serious tone, “Are your legs broken?”
“You’re the maid, right?” Knox asked with a sly wink.
“Why, because I’m Latina?” Letty asked, ready to beat Knox over the head with his box of cannoli.
“Your words, not mine,” Knox said with his mouth full of his pastry.
“That’s racist. Don’t be an ass.”
“Too much talking,” Knox said as he reached for Letty’s mouth. Holding her lips sealed with his fingers, he looked at Letty with a pair of amused eyes.
“Sassy mouth! I’ll take a shot of Patrón. Make one for yourself, too, you look a little…” he said as he peered Letty up and down from the high bun that sat atop her head to the brown riding boots that she wore on her feet. “Stressed.”
Batting away Knox’s hand with a hard swat of her arm, Letty gave him her best resting bitch face.
“Knock your shit off!” Michael yelled at Knox, tossing his newspaper at his son. Rather than walloping his leg, he sent the daily headlines raining down upon his lap.
“Jeez, Pop! You are full of hell.”
“Oh, please. You haven’t seen anything!” Letty blurted out, losing her tongue for a moment. She caught a hot glare from Michael and a perplexed look from Knox.
“What?” Knox asked, clearing hoping that Letty would elaborate.
“Nothing…” Letty replied as she walked away towards the kitchen.
“Don’t forget my shot! Get one for Pops too!” Knox insisted.
“Trust me, Knoxxy, you don’t want me to make you a drink. You probably won’t wake up in the morning.”
Knox raised an eyebrow as a cocky simper creased his face.
“For years, I never knew what my brother saw in you… but I’m getting a glimpse. You’re a little firecracker!”