Untraceable (52 page)

He turned back to Sharon. With one
hand on her throat, he pushed her head against the ground using the
barrel of the gun.

I felt Micah’s arms surrounding me,
turning my face toward him, and drawing me against his chest. I
don’t think he wanted me to see what was going to happen. I heard
the gun go off, and Vitale’s cry.

But then I heard something
else.

“
That is what you should
have received,” came my father’s voice. “You owe my daughter your
life. Get her out of my sight and out of my country!”

He had fired a shot into the
ground.

The nightmare was over.

chapter forty-one

The next several days were a mixture
of joy and sorrow. I had my husband, my son, and my best friend,
but I had lost a friend along the way. My father said he still had
some decisions to make about my family, but he would need to take
care of Jonathan’s arrangements. He said he wanted us all to return
with him to New York. Ryan politely asked if he could go home
instead—he’d been away from Candace for too long. My father agreed.
The rest of us went to New York.

Jonathan’s body would be sent home to
Italy. There wasn’t a service to be held here in the states, but we
spent an hour in quiet reflection and prayer beside his coffin
before they placed him on the plane. His family asked for privacy
for his burial, so this was as far as we could accompany
him.

We returned with my dad to his home on
Long Island. Once Kimmy was being entertained with a Disney movie,
and Joshua was sound asleep, my father called us into his den and
closed the door.

He began with David as he looked at
him with a steady, serious gaze. “I’m giving you an opportunity,”
he stated. “I’ll make you an underboss and eventually a boss if
you’ll give up Nadia.”

It was a surprising request, and I
could tell Mom wanted to voice her desires in this matter, but I
knew what she was doing. Sacrifice is a thing best done in love;
she loved David enough to let him go if this position was something
he wanted. It would be a position of great power, certain to make
his father extremely proud, but would he choose it over the woman
that he loved? I could see Mom was weak but willing, and even
though he was looking at her, she wouldn’t speak. She wouldn’t
impede his heart’s desire.

“
I’m honored that you
would select me for that type of position. I’ve never known any
other life than the mafia and being an underboss is something I’ve
wanted for a long time, but I’m in love with Nadia. She doesn’t
need a husband in the mob; she needs a husband who will always be
there for her. She needs someone who’ll always take care of her—and
I intend to be that man. So, with respect, I decline and ask that
you allow me to step out of the Family.”

The relief and love washed so
completely over her that she didn’t need words.

But, could my father accept David’s
decision?

“
Nadia, I didn’t want to
leave you,” he admitted. “Your father asked me if I was prepared to
make you a mob wife and sentence our child to a mob life. I
couldn’t do that to you, but I also couldn’t do what David is
willing to do for you now. I wasn’t prepared to give up the life I
was raised in to keep you, so I let you go—both of you,” he said,
looking to me.

“
Had I been able to see in
the future and know that you’d both end up with mafia soldiers, I
would have changed my mind—I still can’t believe that you
both
ended up tangled in
the mob!” He sighed, but continued, “I want to know right now, if
you love this man? Or, do you want to have another chance with me?
I come as a package deal—you get the mob, too. I’ve loved you for
twenty years, but I’ve never interfered with your life. Well,” he
corrected, “not too much. Make a choice, right now, between us.
I’ll respect whatever you decide.”

“
Lee, I’ve loved you for
those same twenty years—and I still love you,” she admitted. “I’ve
always wondered where you were and how you were, but I had a
beautiful reminder of you everyday—Annalisa. If you would have
reappeared in my life two years ago, I would have divorced Robert
like he was second-hand trash. But,” she said, turning to
David.

I could see just how much she loved
him by the way she looked at him. And, I think he could too,
because his eyes were getting misty and he looked very humble at
the moment.

“
I’m so deeply in love
with David that I don’t want anyone else in my life to take his
place. But, I also have to confess something to him and it might
change the way he feels about me.” She swallowed hard and
continued, “I did something several months ago that I didn’t tell
anyone about. I told myself that it was for David, but it was
actually for me. And now I’m afraid it might be something you don’t
want.”

David looked deeply concerned, but he
was also very confused.

I think everyone at that moment was
bewildered. What had she done?

“
You said you knew you’d
never have children and that Kimmy would be like a daughter to you.
I didn’t want you to be in a relationship that stopped you from
having your own family, so—I—I went in for corrective surgery. The
doctor wasn’t even sure if it would work, so he put me on a
fertility drug. I never told you what I was doing because I was
afraid of either getting your hopes up or finding out that you only
said you wanted children because you knew there was no danger of us
having any. When Joshua was born, I tried so hard to get you to say
something that would let me know how you really feel, but you
wouldn’t. David, I’m pregnant—the doctor thinks it’s twins. Do you
still want to be with me?”

I can’t believe that Micah didn’t
realize what was happening to David. I saw it immediately, but I
thought he would respond. It was too late by the time I told him to
spring to action.

David Gavarreen, one of the south’s
bloodiest hit men, tough guy, could rip you apart with his words,
6’2” of solid muscle, had turned completely white and started to
sway.

“
Catch him!” I
yelled.

This was one time Micah simply wasn’t
fast enough as David hit the floor, passed out cold.

Mom was on one side, Micah on the
other trying to bring him back to consciousness. He’d hit his head
pretty hard, but the boy was hard headed and I was surprised he
didn’t crack the floor.

David’s eyes rolled open and I could
tell he had no clue what had happened to him. “Nadia,” came his
unsteady voice. “Did you just tell me—did you just say we’re—we’re
going to have a baby?”

“
No, David. I told you
we’re having two babies.” She leaned over and kissed him tenderly.
“I’ll understand if you want to reconsider Lee’s offer—I know I did
this behind your back.”

“
How far along?” he
choked.

“
Eight weeks,” she said
with a little tremble to her voice.

“
This didn’t happen behind
my back,” he said as a slow smile began to spread across his face.
“I remember exactly where you were eight weeks ago and that was
right underneath me.”

“
Ah—excuse me—daughter in
the room!” I feigned disgust. “I don’t know if I want the sordid
details.”

Dad wasn’t too happy about the details
either, but I knew he would respect both their
decisions.

“
Then if both of you,” he
said looking to Micah, “are sure that this is what you want, I’m
letting you out of the mafia. I will make all of you untouchable.
No family or individual will be allowed to come against you, and if
anyone tries the offense will be unforgivable and reason for the
death penalty. Your mother and I will work together to make sure
everything is erased and your pasts will be
untraceable.”

“
No,” I said suddenly
realizing what this would mean. It meant a lifetime of hiding who
we were and raising our children with a different last name. It
meant our children would never know their grandparents or their
Aunt Gwen. “Dad, you can decree all of this without erasing
everything about us. The public knows us too well. Perhaps
you
can pull something
like this off, but we are Gavarreens,” I stated. “I don’t want to
be anything else.

I think Micah wanted to argue over the
last name that he said he never really wanted associated with his
son, but I was right; we were Gavarreens—hiding that fact was
wrong.

My Dad sighed. I think he was starting
to get used to giving into me, but it was still difficult for him.
“Fine, but these two,” he said pointing to Micah and the now
standing David, “need to know this is permanent. You’re off limits
to the mob or to do any work for the mob. And, other than your
parents, I don’t want you associating with anyone in the mafia.
Stay away, stay out, and be happy with the new life that you’ve
chosen. And last, if either of you hurt Nadia or Annalisa, I’ll
kill you—personally. Do we have an agreement?”

Micah and David nodded solemnly. Both
men were willing to sacrifice the life they once were committed to
in order to make a new devotion.

EPILOGUE

The boat floated lazily along the calm waters
of the lake. I had my eyes closed as I listened to the occasional
splash on the surface when Micah would cast. I’d talked him into
this recently, and even though he didn’t think he’d like a pontoon
boat, I could tell he loved it. He fished under the canopy in
comfort and shade, while I stretched out in the sunshine on the bow
on one of the long padded bench seats.

I rose and walked back to where he was, so I
could grab a bottle of water, and a kiss.

“
Mmm,” he moaned, “Coconut. Gotta
love that scent. Are you about ready to head back in?”

I picked up my cover-up and plopped down next
to him, “Yeah, you know I’ve got to quit doing this.”

“
Doing what?”

“
Sunning like this; it’s bad for
my skin.”

He leaned toward me and took another slow
kiss, “Your skin is beautiful, and you don’t do it very
often.”

“
I know, but my dermatologist said
at my age, I really need to—”

“
You are still the sexiest woman
I’ve ever known—and thirty-nine isn’t that old.”

I gathered my courage and blurted that I
wanted to have some cosmetic work done. I’d told him this before
and he vehemently opposed me doing anything to change my face. But,
to me, my face was changing anyway. It seemed every time I looked
in the mirror I had a new line, a new wrinkle, or another gray hair
showing.

“
Leese,” he began.

“
Micah,” I whined, “just look at
these lines.” I traced around the outer edges of my
mouth.

“
Those are smile lines, Leese. Do
you know how hard I’ve worked to make
sure
you have smile
lines?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “What about these?”
I said raking my fingers across my forehead and between my eyes.
“These are worry lines.”

“
I don’t see any lines,” he
protested.

I started to open my mouth when he
conceded.

“
I think it’s a mistake to do
something when you are as young as you are, but you can talk to the
dermatologist.”

“
Nasal folds and crow’s feet,
too,” I threw out while he was receptive.

“
Leave the smile lines alone and
I’ll keep my mouth shut over whatever you want to do, but just
remember one important thing,” he said, trying unsuccessfully to
hide his grin.

“
What’s that?”

“
You roll that clock back too far
and I’m going to want to get you pregnant again.”

I laughed. We’d stopped at three children and
we had recently discussed what were we going to do when they were
grown and gone.

Joshua was now a stunningly handsome man at
twenty years old. He was home for a few weeks before returning to
FSU for his fall classes. He was in the house sleeping-in after a
late night catching up with some of his old high school
buddies.

He was so much like his father, intelligent,
guarded with his emotions, and very analytical. Yet, under that
immobile façade, muscled exterior, and turbulent green stare, beat
the heart of a truly good man. He tested the relational waters, but
I knew he was still looking for ‘the one’ who would steal his heart
forever.

He’d garnered accolades through his high
school career and became a national merit finalist, an honor which
his dad had refused to pursue. He didn’t need the scholarship so he
backed out to allow another student to receive the monetary reward,
but was at least able to claim the title of finalist; that was a
bonus for his college resume.

Joshua didn’t know anything about his father’s
past until his sophomore year of high school when he announced that
he decided on a career in criminology—with a particular interest in
forensics and criminal psychology. Unbeknownst to us, he had
secretly admired his Aunt Gwen; she was his inspiration. She had
retired from the force, but worked with the department on a
consultant basis from time to time.