Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 65054 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65054 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Sofia pops her head in then. Either she’d been listening, or her timing is impeccable. I’d bet she was listening.
“Are you telling me you can’t even trust the people closest to you?” she asks, her face pale. “Is my father in danger?”
Rafe sighs and looks at me to answer.
“I can’t guarantee anything,” I tell her honestly. “We’ll do whatever it takes to keep him safe. That’s the best I can offer.”
She shakes her head. “Please, Dominic. I have no idea what’s going on with him now, so I have to at least know he’s not going to get hurt.”
I stand and walk over to her, resting my hand on her arm. Rafe coughs uncomfortably, but I ignore him.
“You have my word that our security around him is as tight as it can possibly be. Without his cooperation, we’re doing the best we can do.”
She nods and looks down at her shoes.
“He’s going to come around, Sofia,” I remind her. “He has to.”
“I hope you’re right.”
I squeeze her arm gently, and she surprises me by stretching up to press a quick kiss to my cheek. Then she turns abruptly and heads back to her desk.
Rafe whistles lowly. “Seems like things between you two have gotten better.”
I smile wryly. “Seems like they have.”
23
SOFIA
“What’s going on, Sof?” Maya asks quietly as tears pour down my face.
I’m sure when she asked me to meet for lunch, she didn’t expect me to start blubbering at the table.
I shake my head. “It’s just my dad,” I tell her as I drop my hands. “He’s pissed at me about everything. He’s so angry with Dominic, and he’s angry at me, and he says as long as Dominic is in my life, he won’t be.”
She frowns. “There’s no way he means that,” she says kindly. “I know Marco, he wouldn’t just cut you out of his life. You or the baby.”
I pull out my phone and hand it to her. I’ve called him at least twenty times in the last two days, and he hasn’t answered a single one. My texts have gone unread too. My only solace is that he hasn’t blocked my number, but he’s clearly screening everything I send.
“What if I try?” she offers.
I sigh. “It’s worth a shot,” I say. “Honestly, I’m up for anything at this point.”
She smiles and pulls out her phone, scrolling until she finds his contact.
“Okay, Marco,” she says aloud. “Let’s see if you can resist the Maya charm.”
I can’t help but laugh. It feels nice after so many days feeling unbelievably sad.
She puts the phone on speaker, and we listen as the line rings. Just when I think he’s not going to answer, it picks up.
“Hey, Maya Papaya,” he answers in a cheerful voice.
The sound of it shatters my heart into a million pieces. Then I have to remind myself that he made this choice.
“Marco,” she says, holding out the “o” in her standard greeting for him. “I heard about the garage. I just wanted to check in.”
“I think I’m just going to call it a wash,” he says, which is obviously news to me. “I’m not sure if it’s worth saving.”
She looks at me with wide eyes, and I just shake my head. I have no idea what’s going through his mind right now, but he’s clearly not thinking straight.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she says sympathetically. “Is there anything I can do to help, maybe Sofia and I could—”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” he cuts her off coldly. “Sofia and I are no longer speaking. As far as I’m concerned, she’s dead to me.”
Tears fill my eyes again, and I motion for her to hang it up.
“Well, that sucks, Marco, because you’re missing out on an incredible daughter,” she says before she presses the end button. “Jesus, the gall of that man. I’ll burn his garage down for you, I really will.”
I snort with laughter, because coming from Maya it’s a ludicrous thought. Now if Dominic had offered, I’d worry he might actually do it.
“It’s fine,” I say, swiping at my eyes. “I mean, obviously it isn’t fine, but I can’t do anything about it, can I?”
She reaches her hand across the table and I grab it. Maya is as close as a sister to me, so if I’m not going to have my dad around, at least I’ll have her. It doesn’t lessen the heartbreak, but it certainly makes me feel less alone.
I go back to work and finish out the day. Dominic and I leave together around seven and get into his town car. We don’t talk much, but before we’ve pulled up to his building, he turns to me.
“Is everything okay with you?” he asks, his eyes trained on my face.
“Yes, everything is great,” I say sarcastically. “I can’t stay at my apartment because some lunatic trashed it and left no evidence of breaking in. My dad isn’t talking to me, and his business was also trashed. I’m two months pregnant and it’s throwing my hormones all out of whack, and half the time I just want to cry, and the other half I want to punch every person I know in the face!”