Michael held Miles’s hardened gaze for a moment. A beat later, Michael said, “Leave us. I need to have a word with Leticia.”
Miles didn’t take his eyes off of his father’s face. Letty watched the exchange with bated breath. There seemed to be a conversation going on, an interaction that she tried to understand but failed.
“Make it quick. We have things to do,” Miles said as he gave a final look of scrutiny towards his father. “Letty, if you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen.”
Nodding in understanding, Letty put a thermometer in Michael’s mouth as she continued to record his vitals.
“Yo,” Landon said as Miles walked into the kitchen. “Fancy seein’ you here.”
Miles nodded at his brother as he took a seat at the counter.
“Can I get you something to eat?” Sasha asked as she gave Miles a look of concern.
“No. Actually we’re just coming from brunch. Funny story…”
“Are you sure? I’m making paninis…”
“Really. I’m good. Y’all don’t watch the news, do yas?” Miles asked.
“Not lately,” Sasha admitted. “Why?”
Not wasting any time, Landon grabbed the remote control and turned on the thirteen inch TV set that sat on the counter. Flicking the TV to channel six, Landon and Sasha quickly saw what Miles was talking about. The noon broadcast had footage of Dante Sabotino being hauled out of Violet’s Diner. There was footage of Miles and Letty running to the car, and an interview of the police officers who foiled the execution attempt.
“Are you fucking kidding me!” Sasha spat. “That bastard! We trusted him!”
Landon was suspiciously quiet on the subject. As Sasha ducked into the pantry, Landon slid a scrap of paper across the counter to Miles.
Be careful what you say around the girls. They can’t be trusted. Rip this up.
Miles ripped up the paper as he was advised and shoved it in his pocket. Leaning in closer to his kid brother Miles whispered, “Elaborate. Which girls. Letty, too?”
“No,” Landon whispered back. “The Capadonno girls. Sasha, Rainey, Sonora and Rumor. They are just as shady as the guys.”
“Yeah? Sasha?”
With just a nod, Landon confirmed Miles’s question just before Sasha reappeared from the pantry with a loaf of bread in her left hand, and a fresh tomato in her right.
“Landon, can I make you a sandwich?”
“No, I’m good. I’m about to go out.”
“Yeah, I won’t be staying long either,” Miles said as he sheepishly tapped his fingers on the countertop.
“Hey,” Sasha said. “You and Letty should come to Sunday dinner tomorrow!”
“I don’t know, Sash…” Miles said reluctantly.
“No, no. I insist! Dinner is at three,” Sasha said with a happy smile on her face.
“She cooks for an army,” Landon said with a laugh.
“Taking notes from Mom’s book, huh?” Miles said with a wink.
“I can only hope. That woman was a saint,” Sasha replied.
“Yes,” Miles said coolly. “She was.”
As the conversation fizzled out, Sasha began singing along to a commercial jingle as she prepared lunch for her daughter and Michael.
“Your vitals look good, Michael,” Letty said as she scribbled down his blood pressure and temperature on his chart. “Now you know I can’t be here all the time, so you should go easier on the next part-time nurse Sasha hires.”
Michael didn’t seem interested at all in discussing his health or the prospect of a new weekend nurse. Placing his hand firmly upon Letty’s own, Michael squeezed Letty’s hand tightly. Immediately, Letty stopped talking and was silenced by Michael’s cool gaze.
“You disrespected me, Leticia. You know I don’t stand for that.”
“Excuse me?” Letty asked, not having any idea what Michael was talking about.
“When you started working for me, you promised me that you would never get romantically involved with any of my enemies.”
Letty looked taken aback by Michael’s words and his stern tone of voice.
“I’m sorry? Michael, I’m not romantically involved with any of your associates, and quite frankly I’ve lost track of who all your enemies are. I am here as your nurse, nothing else.”
Michael’s grip tightened upon her wrist, his nails digging hard into her skin.
“Don’t play coy with me, girl,” Michael spat in nothing more than a whisper.
Letty tried to pull her arm away, but this only served to agitate Michael further.
“You know damn well where I stand with him. You were there. You know what went down…” Michael spat.
“Me being here as your nurse has nothing to do with loyalties. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re not a man that takes no for an answer. You pursued me relentlessly for this position. I am here because you need a nurse. I am leaving with your son because I love him,” Letty said, her voice quaking as she spoke. “Let go of me, Michael.”
“You made a promise to me to not engage with my enemies… He IS the enemy!”