Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
I sighed, glancing at the window as I realized that maybe I truly was just being overprotective. Sal had done nothing but give the right answers all night. He seemed like a man truly trying to connect with his long-lost daughter.
But I still couldn’t shake the feeling in my gut that something was wrong. I’d gone against my instincts with Elena and I’d nearly torn my family apart. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again.
Something was up, and I had to get to the bottom of it.
“Sal.” Olivia spoke up, her hesitance catching my attention. “Can I ask you about what happened when you left? Why did you run? Why didn’t you at least leave a letter or contact us once you were somewhere safe? Why’d you abandon us?”
He sighed, and I could just imagine the pitiful look on his face, just like when he’d crashed Elio’s birthday party.
“I can’t even begin to apologize to you, Olivia,” he said quietly. “All I can try to give you is an answer to why it happened.”
I pursed my lips in annoyance at how genuine he sounded. His answers seemed almost too perfect to hear, but I listened in closely for whatever damn excuse he was going to shoot out of his mouth.
“I was young and stupid, Olivia, and I got into some big trouble. They were a powerful family, people who weren’t afraid of doing atrocious things, and they’d get away with it too. They’d bought off the police in our city and practically ruled it at the time.”
“Mafia.”
Her voice was sharp and carrying all the heavy weight of what that word contained. I tensed, and Gabriele sent me a concerned glance.
“Yeah,” Sal confirmed. “I got recruited because I saw a chance to make money, to do whatever I wanted without consequences. But came back to bite me. I was just a low level and I saw something I shouldn’t have seen, something that would’ve gotten the organization into a lot of trouble. They figured it would be easier to silence me than pay me off.”
“So you ran,” Olivia said bluntly.
“I’m not proud of it.” Sal sighed. “But I was young and didn’t know what else to do. I wasn’t going to testify or go to the police, not when I knew they’d all just bury it with a bit of cash. But what I’d seen, the knowledge I had, it was enough to put me in danger but not just me, all of us. I ran, hoping they’d follow after me and leave you and Amanda alone. I was right, but I’ve been on the run ever since.”
Olivia took in a deep breath, sounding a bit rattled.
“So why did you come back? If what you know is so dangerous, why’d you put us in danger again?” Olivia asked, steely.
“Because the boss was killed,” Sal answered easily. “With him dead, the information I had was useless now. After twenty long years, I could finally be free and go home. But when I did, I found out you had moved. I spent weeks trying to find you and Amanda, just hoping that now that I wasn’t putting you in danger, I could be in your life.”
There was a long pause of silence, only broken by the waitress as she came over to settle the bill. Olivia didn’t speak for a long time and I was beginning to get worried until finally, she spoke.
“Okay,” she said softly. “I believe you. I’ll trust you for now, Sal, but that doesn’t mean I’ll forgive you. You still abandoned me for twenty years, and we can’t just act like that time never happened. It hurt. I grew up believing that it was my fault that you left, that mom was so heartbroken all the time.”
“No, Olivia.” Sal rushed to assure her. “None of this was your fault, and I wish I could’ve been a better father to you. I never should’ve gotten involved with the boss like I did, and you and Amanda had to pay for my mistakes. I’m so, so sorry, Livi.”
“Thanks.” Olivia’s voice was soft but relaxed, and I knew from her tone that she had believed him and that she had finally let part of her guard down.
I clenched my jaw, hearing the two discuss the wood-fired pizza and future plans and as dinner ended, I finally shut off the bug, leaving the car in silence.
“Well, this was a useless waste of time.” Gabriele sent me an annoyed glance. “The only thing we learned was that he had been part of a mafia family for a time.”
“Which mafia family, though?” I sent him a meaningful look.
Gabriele opened his mouth and then paused, realization dawning on him. He’d finally caught what I did.
There was no family that ruled over southern Florida where Olivia grew up. James had made sure of that. It meant that either they’d lived somewhere else, there was a mafia family in Florida we’d never heard about, or, what was more likely, he was lying.
“Look into it,” I told him firmly as I started the car. Elio was still fast asleep in the backseat and if we wanted to make it home before Olvia, I knew we’d better start now.
As I pulled out of the driveway, I glanced at the recorded conversations on my phone. Something about Sal did not feel right, and if he was going to put my family in danger, I had to handle him quickly, even if it meant breaking my wife’s heart.
*Olivia*
After our rich, heavy meal, Salvatore walked me to the door of the restaurant like a proper gentleman. I’d been so nervous about tonight, but something about the faraway look he got in his eyes every time I mentioned Mom or one of my achievements put me at ease.
I knew that look. I used to have it in my eyes when I dreamed about who my father might be.
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “So, how’d I do? Did I pass?”
I laughed. “I don’t know if this was a pass/fail dinner, but I’d say you passed.”
A wide, ebullient grin split his face, so clearly delighted that he actually averted his eyes as if embarrassed.
“I’ll save your number and everything,” I joked.
He peeked up at me, a strange gesture given how much taller he was. “Yeah? You wanna see me again?”
“Of course.” I grinned. “We’ll find a time to get together soon.”
He kicked at a rock. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to meet that Elio of yours. Never expected to get a grandson into the bargain.”
I smiled, but part of me instantly worried about what Gio would say. I’d seen his iron grip on the banister when I left, restraining himself from bolting after me.
“I can come over to your place if that’ll make it easier,” Sal offered quickly.
I swallowed. “I will… talk to Gio and see what makes the most sense.”
“Ah.” He nodded. “No, that makes sense. A man needs to know who’s in his house. Just let me know one way or the other.
“I will,” I said.
The limo pulled up to the curb, and I hesitated a moment. Should I hug him? Shake his hand? Nothing felt quite right.
I settled for an awkward wave and departed. The whole drive home, I ran that final moment over and over in my mind, trying to figure out a way I could have not ruined our nice night. How was I supposed to behave around my estranged father?
Far too late, one of Gio’s many speeches about safety clicked into my brain, and I wondered how Sal left the restaurant. I should’ve gotten his license plate, or at least the make and model.
I shook my head. I’d given him a chance, and he’d passed with flying colors. I trusted my father.
When I got home, I found Gio stretched out on one of the couches in our sitting room, wearing a T-shirt and pajama bottoms, with the baby monitor at his side. He put down the book in his hand and sat up as I entered.
“How was it?” he asked.
All the nice parts of the night rushed back to me, and I found myself gushing about what a good listener was and how he really seemed to care about my mom.
“That all sounds good.” Gio nodded slowly. “Is that all you talked about?”
I bit my lip. I had to tell him about Sal’s past mafia ties, but I knew how he would get.
“He explained why he left,” I said slowly. “He got caught up in organized crime in New York, learned something he shouldn’t have, and had to disappear.”
Gio’s face went very still.
