“Part of the reason why I wanted to talk to him. See, I don’t give a fuck who the boss is… This holy war between the families will still rage on… and your father gave me some pertinent information.”
Knox smiled. He had Nunzio hook, line and sinker. Clearly Michael Capadonno was up to his old tricks and had pulled a fast one on Nunzio. Knowing that he wouldn’t get any information from Nunzio on what the favor was, Knox decided not to press matters.
“You know he’s playing you like a fiddle, right?” Knox said with a smirk.
“What do you mean?”
Wiggling his eyebrows at Nunzio as he buried his hands in his suit pockets, Knox smiled and said, “Oh, you’ll find out soon enough.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
MILES AND LETTY DROVE back to Juan’s house to pick up Corina. Her anxiety, still sky-high from the execution attempt on Miles’s life, Letty was reeling from what she had witnessed. Now, with a child involved, the stakes were higher than ever before. Letty’s father’s house was just minutes from the diner. Miles wasted no time driving a frantic Letty and an upset G to Juan’s house. Quickly, Miles loaded everyone into Corina, looking around cautiously to make sure they weren’t being watched. Although Dante was in police custody, there was no guarantee that there wasn’t another hit already being mapped out. In fact, Miles thought that it was a certainty that another plot was being hatched as he inserted his keys into the ignition. Hardly waiting for Letty’s seatbelt to click in the harness, Miles hit the gas pedal, ready to leave Carrion, New Jersey behind them, even if it was just for a few hours. Miles looked to Letty every few minutes or so, not saying a word, but just looking to make sure she was all right. Letty tended to be the type that put on a face. She was the type of woman who if you ask how she is, she’ll say fine, even if it’s not necessarily true. It’s not to deceive. Letty is used to taking care of other people, and part of that is keeping people from worrying about her, too. Miles knew that she tended to lock pieces of herself away from prying eyes. He knew all too well how tender her heart was. Letty hated to show this side of her, though. So she hid it, only allowing certain people in. She was an oyster. A hard, impenetrable exterior, but at the heart of her, Miles knew Letty was a rare pearl—a pearl that could be hurt, and could be broken. Clearing his throat as he nervously glanced back to the road, the sheer fact that Letty was nervous by the situation made Miles nervous. As Corina ripped across the county line, Miles heard Letty release a breath of relief.
Miles kept driving for about forty-five minutes until he hit the coast. Pulling into Wildwood, New Jersey, he parked the car at the boardwalk, and helped Letty out of the car. The salty sea air breezed across the beach, and the sound of the waves crashing against the sand caught G’s attention. The boardwalk was deserted, and there was not another soul in sight. They walked down the boardwalk and down the steps of the pier. As his feet met the beach, G kicked the sand, sending it flying over Miles’s boots.
“Aye, watch the boots, man!” Miles said with a faint smile, not even bothering to brush them off. Instead he scooped the child up, and walked towards a playground that was situated on the beach. The playground was comprised of a few swings, a seesaw, and a sliding board, and there were a few benches for parents to sit at while their children played. As they approached the swing set, Miles let G down. Laughing, Letty and Miles watched as the toddler ran off towards the sliding board. Slowly, the smile faded from Letty’s face as she placed her hand in Miles’s.
In a voice so full of inflection and worry, Letty questioned the situation at hand. “Miles, what are we going to do?”
“I’m going to need you to trust me, Letty. I need you and G to go about your lives like normal until the storm passes. Go to work. Take G to day care.”
Letty had an alarmed look on her face. Miles read the expression on her face like a book, and he quickly elaborated. “No, you don’t understand. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Jesus!” Letty said as she whacked Miles hard on the arm. “You were talking like you were going on the lam or something!”
Bringing a finger to his mouth, Miles whispered, “Sssh. Don’t talk so loud when we’re out. We need to be careful.”
Letty wasn’t sure what Miles was eluding to, but as Miles stared back up at the boardwalk, Letty saw that a man was looking out at the beach. She thought nothing of it until Miles whispered in her ear, “The man in the leather jacket is my distant cousin, Ray. He’s aligned with my father.”
Letty stood frozen in place as she stared up at the man. Miles, noticing how rigidly Letty was standing, nudged her in the arm.
“Relax, Letty. Stop looking at him. They’ll eventually get bored.”
“Miles, they want you dead, and with Dante and Fish coming after me, they might want me dead, too.”