mental note about nutrition, and decided that if I ever met Sindhu’s parents, I’d make a point to thank them for raising a kind child. "She gave you a chocolate chip cookie?"
Katie nodded. "She had two of them, so she gave me one."
"And what did you give her in return?"
My niece cocked her head to the side looked at me with round eyes. "What do you mean?"
"It's nice," I explained patiently, "that when somebody does something nice for you, you do something nice for them back."
Katie considered that for a long moment. "Tomorrow can I bring an extra orange for Sindhu?"
I smiled, feeling that for once I wasn't failing at this parenting thing. "Of course you can."
Katie napped in the car as we drove across town to the hospital. She was still sleepy when I picked her up out of the car seat. I strode across the parking lot, marveling at how much stronger I got over the last few months carrying her around.
We headed straight for Dominic's room. I hoped that Delveccio had given his steroid-fueled bodyguard Vinny a heads-up that we were expected. While the hired muscle was never particularly pleasant to deal with, things always were worse when he didn't know we were coming.
My worries about Vinny were unfounded since he wasn't even there. In his place, sitting in a chair outside the door of Dominic's room, was the mobster's other bodyguard. I didn't know the man's name, but I had dealt with him a few times and he'd appeared to be reasonable.
He greeted me with a half smile, and was even polite enough to stand up and open the door for me since my arms were full with Katie.
"Thank you," I murmured.
"My pleasure, ma'am." As mobsters' bodyguards go, he was my favorite.
Dominic and his grandfather were playing checkers when we walked in. Both waved a greeting.
"Can I play?" Katie asked, suddenly wide awake.
"Still have to wait your turn," I told her. "When they're done with their game, you can see if Dominic wants to play with you."
Katie made a pouty face as I put her down in an empty chair.
"We're almost done," the mobster assured her with a wink.
"It won't kill her to learn to be patient," I said sternly.
Delveccio glanced at me as though surprised that anyone would dare to correct him, and then shrugged at the little girl. "She's the boss."
Katie giggled at that.
They finished their game while Katie and I watched. I was impressed with how close Delveccio kept the match without letting Dominic win.
Instead of being upset or frustrated by the loss, the little boy was eager to play again. He pointed at Katie, indicating she was his next chosen opponent.
Delveccio climbed out of his chair and held it steady while Katie wobbled over to it and plunked herself down.
“Let’s leave the kids to play,” the mobster said, catching my eye.
I nodded and followed him from the room.
“Gino,” he said to the bodyguard, “go inside and keep an eye on them.”
“Sure, boss.” With a respectful nod to me, he ducked inside the room.
I hesitated, unsure of whether leaving Katie in his care was the best idea.
“He’s a good guy,” Delveccio assured me. “He’s got two little ones of his own. They’ll be perfectly safe.”
I bit my lower lip, still unconvinced.
“Besides,” the mob boss said, “you can keep an eye on her the whole time.” He pulled out his cell phone, pushed the screen a couple of times and handed it to me.
One look at the screen showed Katie and Dominic playing their game.
“You’ve got cameras in there?”
The mobster shrugged. “You can never be too careful. Besides,” he cleared his throat gruffly, “I watch him sleep sometimes.”
Keeping one eye on the phone, I started toward the cafeteria and he fell into step beside me.
“I do that sometimes too,” I confessed. “I’ll go into her room and watch her, just making sure she’s
Katie nodded. "She had two of them, so she gave me one."
"And what did you give her in return?"
My niece cocked her head to the side looked at me with round eyes. "What do you mean?"
"It's nice," I explained patiently, "that when somebody does something nice for you, you do something nice for them back."
Katie considered that for a long moment. "Tomorrow can I bring an extra orange for Sindhu?"
I smiled, feeling that for once I wasn't failing at this parenting thing. "Of course you can."
Katie napped in the car as we drove across town to the hospital. She was still sleepy when I picked her up out of the car seat. I strode across the parking lot, marveling at how much stronger I got over the last few months carrying her around.
We headed straight for Dominic's room. I hoped that Delveccio had given his steroid-fueled bodyguard Vinny a heads-up that we were expected. While the hired muscle was never particularly pleasant to deal with, things always were worse when he didn't know we were coming.
My worries about Vinny were unfounded since he wasn't even there. In his place, sitting in a chair outside the door of Dominic's room, was the mobster's other bodyguard. I didn't know the man's name, but I had dealt with him a few times and he'd appeared to be reasonable.
He greeted me with a half smile, and was even polite enough to stand up and open the door for me since my arms were full with Katie.
"Thank you," I murmured.
"My pleasure, ma'am." As mobsters' bodyguards go, he was my favorite.
Dominic and his grandfather were playing checkers when we walked in. Both waved a greeting.
"Can I play?" Katie asked, suddenly wide awake.
"Still have to wait your turn," I told her. "When they're done with their game, you can see if Dominic wants to play with you."
Katie made a pouty face as I put her down in an empty chair.
"We're almost done," the mobster assured her with a wink.
"It won't kill her to learn to be patient," I said sternly.
Delveccio glanced at me as though surprised that anyone would dare to correct him, and then shrugged at the little girl. "She's the boss."
Katie giggled at that.
They finished their game while Katie and I watched. I was impressed with how close Delveccio kept the match without letting Dominic win.
Instead of being upset or frustrated by the loss, the little boy was eager to play again. He pointed at Katie, indicating she was his next chosen opponent.
Delveccio climbed out of his chair and held it steady while Katie wobbled over to it and plunked herself down.
“Let’s leave the kids to play,” the mobster said, catching my eye.
I nodded and followed him from the room.
“Gino,” he said to the bodyguard, “go inside and keep an eye on them.”
“Sure, boss.” With a respectful nod to me, he ducked inside the room.
I hesitated, unsure of whether leaving Katie in his care was the best idea.
“He’s a good guy,” Delveccio assured me. “He’s got two little ones of his own. They’ll be perfectly safe.”
I bit my lower lip, still unconvinced.
“Besides,” the mob boss said, “you can keep an eye on her the whole time.” He pulled out his cell phone, pushed the screen a couple of times and handed it to me.
One look at the screen showed Katie and Dominic playing their game.
“You’ve got cameras in there?”
The mobster shrugged. “You can never be too careful. Besides,” he cleared his throat gruffly, “I watch him sleep sometimes.”
Keeping one eye on the phone, I started toward the cafeteria and he fell into step beside me.
“I do that sometimes too,” I confessed. “I’ll go into her room and watch her, just making sure she’s
Similar Books
Waking Eden (The Eden Series Book 3)
Rhenna Morgan
The Body Reader
Anne Frasier
MacKenzie's Lady
Dallas Schulze
Just Add Salt (2)
Jinx Schwartz
The Double Silence
Mari Jungstedt
The Death Dealers
Mickey Spillane
Bzrk
Michael Grant
Twilight Children
Torey Hayden
Whispers of a New Dawn
Murray Pura