Chapter 17
Alcee held Antero’s hand in hers. Her son was stoic, his chin jutting upwards as the morning after Don Lozano gave her an ultimatum, he accompanied his mother into the office building. The conversation she shared with her son was still echoing in her head. Antero’s only concern when she broached the topic of his father wanting to meet him was would he hurt his mama.
She didn’t miss the way the security, a collection of new men she didn’t recognize, were immediately chattering and touching their earpieces as if they were in a spy movie. She wanted to smack them.
Antero looked at the one closest to them and shook his head. “Stupid head.”
“Antero,” she shook his hand as they reached the elevator.
“Why do they touch their ears? It tells everyone they’re wearing something in their ear. I saw it when I watched Casino Royale with Amal.”
Alcee was going to need to talk to her friend about her obsession with James Bond as her son continued complaining.
“He told the man who was a spy to stop touching his ear. He was right. It looks dumb.” Antero griped as he pushed the button to the elevator.
J’Are
“Are you okay, Ant?”
He huffed, “why do I need a dad? I can protect you.”
Her five–year–old son, smarter than most, bigger as a kindergartner than most kids in third grade, was usually far too observant for everyone’s own good. Attending a specialized school for gifted children, the teachers encouraged bold thinking, innovative planning and even praised emotional outbursts because many of the kids attending this school were dry, quiet and rarely jumped into anything other than heated debates. Sometimes though, when Antero was looking up at her with his far too knowing eyes, she wished he was less inclined to understand the world they were from. She’d been his age the first time she watched her father and eldest brother murder someone, maybe a bit younger if she dared consider it. She too had always known.
She draped her hand over his shoulder and gave him a sideways hug easing him into the elevator. Crouching to her knees after the doors closed, she looked him in the eyes. “You don’t need a dad, but I think you’re going to find you really want one. Also, it’s not your job to keep me safe. It’s my job to keep you safe.” She tapped his nose, “and I think your dad will keep us both very well protected.”
He rolled his eyes. “Fine. What if I don’t like him?”
“How about we simply meet him first and go from there?”
She rose to her feet and took his hand in hers again, aware her own hands were feeling clammy. Antero said nothing about her dampness though and leaned his head against her forearm as they exited the elevator.
Genevra was sitting at her desk, and she noted Alcee and frowned, “what are you doing up here? IT specialists work downstairs. You are not needed up here.”
“Can you let Mr. Lozano know I am here with my son to see him?” she tried to be polite.
“I will not. He’s a busy man.”
It dawned on Alcee that Genevra was not a woman in the know. Bastiano’s sister might be the assistant, but she wasn’t privy to the private life of her boss. It made her internally giddy for reasons she didn’t want to evaluate in the moment.
“Genevra, I am telling you, if you let him know I am here, he’s going to make time for us.”
“You’re only an IT specialist.”
“This lady is rude.” Antero tugged her hand. “Let’s go home. We didn’t want to come anyway.”
In her dreams could they go home, Alcee thought and sighed. “We can’t. Mr. Lozano asked to see us.”
“He didn’t tell me to put anything in his calendar for you.” The woman pretended not to remember her name.
“Mariani.” She held the woman’s gaze. “My name is Mariani, and you will do well to remember. You were educated last evening on my name, and I swear I will make your life a living hell if you don’t learn to respect it. Now, pick up your phone and tell him I am here, or I will take my son and leave and when he questions me later as to why I disregarded his explicit directions to bring my child to see him, I will tell him it was you, the snot nosed stuck up bitch who did not announce our arrival.”
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Chapter 17
“How dare you!” the woman hopped out of her seat and smacked her palms at the top of the desk.
A door at the end of the hall opened and Alcee turned her head to see Bastiano and Tito both racing towards her.
“Security let us know you were here,” Tito huffed out. “The boss is downstairs in the IT
department.”
She frowned, “why?”
“He was rifling through your desk. You cleared it out. He was not impressed. He’ll be up in a moment.”
Tito crouched down and held his hand out to Antero who simply glared at him, his face impassive. “My name is Tito. It’s nice to meet you.” Tito let his hand fall to his side. “I work with your Dad.”
“For.” Antero said bluntly. “You don’t work with him. You work for him.”
“Ant, manners,” she whispered softly ruffling his dark hair.
“You are big like your Dad.”
“You’re rude. It’s impolite to comment on a person’s size.” Antero scolded Tito bluntly.
Tito looked up at Alcee with a smirk, “Christ, it’s like you cloned him, right down to the attitude.”
“Funny. I find him much like me. He’s right. You are rude. Can you stand up and stop speaking to him like he’s a puppy? He’s a child not a pet.”
Chapter Comments
Tanya Gordon
Hahaha that was hilarious e
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