28 Seconds: A House of Valentine Novella (16 page)

My father smiled at me. “My daughter is brilliant. Why did no one tell me how brilliant she is? Make it happen.”

The majority of the men filed out, leaving only a handful remaining. His closest associates, I assumed. I glanced around to try and memorize their faces for future reference.

“Ariana, I know we’ve had no time alone and this isn’t the proper setting for the very long conversation that you and I need to have.”

I could sense the “but” coming on. I’d long since realized that my father had no intention of spending much time alone with me. I wasn’t sure if it was because I reminded him of my mother, lagging guilt, or just because he was an asshole.

“But, I need to ask your help with something that has just fallen into my hands. Actually, that’s not an accurate description. This is something that many men have died for, something that we, as a family, have worked toward for decades.”

He opened his desk drawer and placed a small box on his desk. Then, one by one, he put a series of six bottles in a line. They were dark amber, their contents hidden from view, and he touched them as if they were some type of holy object.

Cole’s body turned to stone around me. I knew better than to move, to draw any attention to his reaction, but my stomach plummeted with no way to try and see what he was thinking.

“These are, Ariana, the holy grail. Six vials, six families. Inside these vials are samples of each family’s drug. The ones passed down, the ones men defend with their lives on a daily basis. The ones many have spent generations searching for. Ariana, these are the key to everything. Do you understand?”

I knew better than to issue the sarcastic comment that was on my tongue. Instead, I gave a slow nod and stepped forward, touching one of the bottles as if it meant something to me. It didn’t. I couldn’t have possibly given a damn less about his family vials, but the atmosphere in the room was so charged that I wasn’t sure what else to do. “What do you want from me?”

“I…no. We, the house of Valentine, need you to tell us how to recreate these recipes. Tell us what’s in each bottle and we can change the world, Ariana. I don’t ask an easy task of you. These have been known to kill people. It will be a slow process, a dangerous one, and one I can not entrust to anyone else. I believe that you alone are safe, that you have your mother’s protection and blessing to save our family.”

“And if not?” Cole interjected. “Would you dare risk her life for those?”

“You, even more than I,” Franco hissed, “know exactly how safe she is.”

Cole, Tony and Al didn’t move but I could feel the unease washing over them. But my eyes never left my father, watching him as he shuffled around his desk before standing up and going to Cole’s side. He handed the vials to one of his men and then clapped Cole on the shoulder. “I love her, too, don’t forget. Come, we all need to get ready. Show off beautiful Ariana to the world tonight, right?”

He was halfway out the door with not a glance my direction.

“Wait,” I stumbled forward, “wait. There’s something I need to talk to you about first.”

My father raised his eyes to Cole rather than me and I had to bite back my fury. Cole motioned the other men out the door, leaving the three of us alone. I glanced to Cole, biting my lip, because I really had no idea how to even start a conversation about being carved on by a madman while sitting in a pew at church.

“At the church...I mean earlier…”

But Cole was beside me again, his hand at my waist. “During the commotion at the church, someone came after Ariana.”

“And I’m just hearing about this now? Cole-”

“Her safety was more important than reporting to you, Franco. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Of course, but-”

Cole extended my arm for me, putting it front of Franco to cut him off. My father was gentle, almost hesitant, and tipped the gauze away from my skin. When he got it fully removed, I could feel the fury rush through him. Cole snapped my arm back, pushing me a step behind him.

“My daughter? They dared mark my daughter?”

“Franco-”

“Don’t you try and be reasonable with me!”

“As was recently pointed out to me, when,” Cole hissed, “am I ever reasonable?”

I was backing away from the two of them without even realizing it, when Franco grabbed me and pulled me toward him. “Ariana, my darling, I know this has been hard. I know you are carrying more than you could have ever imagined possible. I know you feel your mother’s absence at every breath and that I am more a stranger than a father to you. But I promise you, I will get them. No one will ever harm my daughter and live to tell about it. Do you understand me? I will tear their flesh-”

I tried to break free of his grasp as it continued to tighten with his threats. Cole placed a heavy hand on Franco’s shoulder which finally seemed to break his tirade.

“We’ll find them, Franco. Together like always, right?”

“Yes, Cole, my boy-” he trailed off, glancing at the two of us and then stumbled out the door.

One of the men hovering at the door glared at Cole. “Get that shit under control before we all end up dead.”

I returned a smile he gave me, waiting until he’d left, and then turned a curious gaze to Cole. He waved to Al and Tony, motioning them to come in and shut the door.

“It’s the emotions...he appears weak and distracted,” Cole explained, sinking to the corner of the desk. He touched my arm lightly, frowning at the marks Franco had left behind. “It makes us look vulnerable which, of course, makes us
actually
vulnerable to attack and puts all the men on edge.”

“Well, I can assure you he’s not weak
or
distracted but, for whatever reason, he wants everyone to think he is.”

“Your mother’s death-” my scathing look stopped Cole short and caused Tony to chuckle. “Point taken. You’re aware of that consideration. So, what makes you so certain it’s an act?”

I tapped his leg so I could open the center drawer of the desk. I pulled out a set of vials, one by one. “Sleight of hand.”

Al and Tony moved closer, folding us into a tight circle.

“Do you know how your father got his start?” Al asked, quiet, solemn. “Pickpocketing. He was a legend.”

“You are well aware that I don’t know that, but I do know he sent the men out with substitutes. They were in his right jacket pocket. These are the original family vials.”

“We’ve been waiting for someone like you a hell of a long time, kid.”

I frowned at him. “That’s not very heartening.”

Cole swept the vials off the desk and passed them to Tony. “He won’t come back for them until Ariana and I have left the office. Tony, you’ve got five minutes to get samples of these and get the originals back in place. Al, I need you to watch Franco and make sure he doesn’t do something surprisingly ethical like change his fucking mind.”

I had never seen them hesitate at an order before but they both stood still, their eyes intent on me. I pursed my lips, my eyes traveling the three of them, as I tried to figure out what was going on between them.

“Cole, you can’t ask-”

“We no longer have a choice.”

Al, the quiet one, the not an ounce of temper one, let out a low hiss. “Then you damn well make it 100% clear because I am not fucking her over after everything she’s been through.”

They both stormed out and I scooted to sit on the desk beside Cole. “That was quite the dramatic exit. Al actually cursed.”

“They have grown exceptionally fond of you,” he said with a half grin.

“You are aware you invoked a five minute time limit?”

“For them,” he clarified. “You and I have all the time we need.”

“Once again, not heartening.”

“Come here,” Cole slipped me off the desk and moved me to stand between his legs. Resting his hands on my hips, he gave me a tender kiss.

“Cole, you’re scaring me.”

“I need you to listen to me, okay? I’m going to ask you to do something and before you agree or disagree, Al is right. You deserve clarity. So just breath and listen for a minute, all right? And, after, if you have questions I will do my damnedest to answer them as honestly as I can.”

I moved my hand to his waist, tucking my fingers into the band of his jeans. “Okay.”

“You know that your father and the house of Valentine has my allegiance. I have risked my life for him, for Teresa and for you. That will never change. Despite that, Franco is a damned difficult man to love. He has made his own alliances and backhanded deals and has, on too many occasions, risked the lives of Valentine men for his own personal agenda. I would do nothing to purposefully harm your father, but I can’t stand by and continue to watch good men, loyal men, be treated like pawns in his latest game. These families...they’ve operated above the law for so long that they think they answer to no one. And there are many of us who want to see that change - to make sure accountability is brought back for everyone in equal measure.” He stopped, taking a moment to rub my arms and let everything sink in. When I nodded, he continued.

“Your father didn’t lie about the family vials. Many men have lost their lives to obtain them. But they didn’t obtain them for him.”

“They got them for you.”

“No, not me. For anyone willing to try and use them to end their god complex. Frankly, no one believed it was possible...it requires too much trust. To have them all in one place, in the hands of one man-”

“A god among gods,” I whispered.

“Yes, exactly. And the timing...it’s so fucking suspect.”

“That I don’t understand.”

“We didn’t tell him you could identify the drugs, Ariana, but he somehow knew. He’s asked you to determine the component drugs for every family recipe. Knowing those things, he could control the supply and demand, formulate stronger doses or ones that counteract, build up tolerance levels with the other side not knowing, kill off one family with another’s to keep his own hands clean. If has the recipe for every family and can accurately recreate it, Ariana, in our world, he
is
god.”

“Still not-”

“Ariana, I told you. No one has ever been able to distinguish the component drugs. In decades of manufacture, no person could accomplish what you have been taught to do, and make no mistake, you were
taught
to do it. And yet, the moment they appear all together in one house-”

“I’m conveniently available to test and provide the recipes, after being missing for over fifteen years.” I staggered away from him, the weight of the implications almost too much to handle. Had my mother planned this? My father? Both of them? Did the other families somehow play a part and that’s how the drugs ended up in one basket at the right time? Was it the other families that came after my mom and me and tried to prevent this? Or to get it for themselves? I tried to wipe away the tears but it was pointless. Had anything, my whole entire life, ever been my own choice? Or was I nothing, to everyone, but a pawn to use and dispose of at their will?

“We didn’t think you a commodity to be locked away, Ariana. We realized your ability was invaluable and wanted to take every precaution to keep you safe. People have killed, and will continue to kill, for these recipes.”

Cole’s arms engulfed me, pulling me deep into his chest and resting his head on mine. I gulped several breaths, trying to calm myself, but he stopped me. “I told you, we have as much time as you need.”

It took several minutes but I finally wiped my face with my sleeve and straightened to look at him. I wasn’t surprised to see Al and Tony a pace behind him and I shrugged away my embarrassment. “So what are you asking? You want me to give him the wrong recipes? He’s given me fake vials so that’s not really an issue.”

“He would never trust his men with them,” Al explained. “Have no doubt he’ll approach you himself and ask you privately to help with the real recipes.”

“What an awesome father-daughter bonding moment it will be,” I huffed.

Tony chuckled. “That’s probably the exact spin he’ll put on it actually.”

“So you want me to lie?”

“Nothing so simple, I’m afraid,” Al said.

“This is where we really need you to be clear. Franco will be giving you a direct order and you will be defying him. It’s a betrayal of your own father, Ariana. And that is a choice that none of us has a right to make for you. It’s bad enough we have to ask it in the first place.”

“Betrayal assumes loyalty,” I said, shaking my head. “And, unlike all of you and your precious house of Valentine blind loyalty, mine has to be earned. He has done nothing to earn it. Apparently, neither did my mother.”

“That’s semantics.”

“No, it’s not. It’s the same distinction you made to me about your allegiance and loyalty, if you remember. It’s me believing that finding out the truth is more important than your house rules, or your street pharm business or whatever else. As selfish as it sounds, it’s me wanting to find out if I have ever been more than a pawn to anybody.”

“Okay, then.” Al nodded which I suppose meant he believed my sincerity.