Mafia's Redemption: Terzo - Chapter 23: Chapter 23

DANI
The briefing was simple and short. I followed what they told me to do, not to provoke my father, sit where they told me to, and never admit that I met Terzo.
Honestly, I wasn’t good at lying, especially when I would intentionally lie because I hated liars who unhingedly lie to my face.
I stepped out of the cab and fixed my blazer. God, the drivers here drove like lunatics. I thought I wouldn’t make it alive. I felt my stomach flip, and I wanted to throw up, but I took a deep breath and fixed my blazer again before I walked into the restaurant.
Yes, I took a cab from the hotel, but the guys from Osmium were tailing me from the black SUV.
My heart started pumping so hard that I clutched my bag tightly to balance. I was nervous and terrified that this plan might not work. One of the guys told me that I should wear a bug so that they could listen to our conversation, but Terzo and Lynx disagreed, and I felt like they had a plan inside this plan.
Terzo knew how my father worked. He didn’t trust him, but trusted me to give a signal if things didn’t go the way he planned. He kissed me hard one more time before letting me go. He promised me that he had my back, so I hung on to that promise.
I scanned the classic and deluxe restaurant. I noticed only a few patrons inside. A man in a black shirt and suit jacket came from nowhere that I didn’t recognize, walked closer to me, and addressed me by my name.
“Are you one of my father’s men?” I asked hesitantly and carefully.
“Yes. I’ll take you to him,” he said in English in a strong Italian accent.
He ushered me to the end corner secluded booth, my guess, so that my father and I would have some privacy. Terzo had expected that, too, which was why they bugged the restaurant instead of me.
I licked my dry lips the moment I entered the booth. My father saw me first, stood up, buttoned his cream suit, and smiled at me.
“Hi.” I was so nervous that was the only word I could say.
“My darling, Danielle. I’m glad you could make it.” He came closer and we did a cheek-to-cheek kiss. Then we immediately started a conversation. No awkward silence whatsoever. Things were good so far.
“Thank you. I arrived yesterday. I was supposed to stroll around, but I was exhausted from a long fight.”
“You’re here now. Have a seat.” He gestured and went back to his seat.
“Thanks.” I turned to his man who assisted me.
“How have you been?” He seemed genuinely curious about my life.
If what Terzo said was true, then my father was truly cunning. When I went to my brother’s funeral, he went right to the business. He didn’t even allow us to mourn. I didn’t even see my brother. The casket was closed for the entire funeral service.
“Not really good. I’d been away, left my job. When I came back, I didn’t have a job, I lost my apartment, I drained my savings, and my mother didn’t want me in her house. So I’m literally homeless, jobless, and penniless.” I breathed out a sigh of relief as this meeting might just go as planned. “The money I bought for the ticket was the last one I had in my savings.”
“Don’t worry, Danielle. You still have a father, that is, if you’ll accept my help, unlike the last time we talked, you didn’t want to be a charity case.”
“I’m sorry if it didn’t end well the last time,” I apologized because I wanted to gain his trust. I wanted to know what he was up to.
My father was in his late sixties. He was tall and stocky with salt and pepper hair, but he knew how to dress properly. The only gene I got from him was my nose until I had it done under the knife.
“It’s all in the past. Let’s order some food. Are you hungry?” He gestured at the waiter.
“Starving.” I took the menu from the waiter and barely scanned the list. “What can you recommend, Francesco? I want pasta.”
“You’re more American than your Italian blood. There are a lot of choices than pasta and pizza, Danielle.”
“I know that’s why I am here now. I want to make it up to you.” I watched his eyes glitter, and his smile widened.
“Good. Good.” After he ordered something for us, he then spoke, “You should practice your Italian.”
“I don’t have Italian if you won’t consider what I learned from Google Translate. I need to learn from the basics.” I chuckled.
He nodded lightly, his gaze remained on me. “Have you met someone?”
“You mean if I’m dating someone? No. I broke up with my boyfriend.” Thank God my bruises started to heal. It was barely visible, and I covered it with enough foundation. “Don’t tell me you’re still pushing that arranged marriage you talked about. Did he not find among millions of single Italian women?”
“I want you to marry a good man, Dani. I don’t like the idea of you dating a lot of men.”
“Excuse me? I only had two boyfriends,” I said half-jokingly not to piss him off. “But I know what you’re trying to say. You want me to settle down with an Italian and live permanently in Italy.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. I just want to marry someone of my choosing.” I suddenly remembered Terzo and the ring I had to take off and give to him. “If you want me to marry an Italian, then I should go out and meet people.”
“You didn’t meet anyone while you were away?” Ah-huh. There you go, father.
“No. Russian men aren’t that bad. I just didn’t meet the right person. We talked a lot about me. How about you? How are you, anyway? How’s business? How are you holding up?”
The food arrived. He ordered Agnolotti del Plin, a rolled stuffed meat on the side for me, while he had fish Sicilian style and Osso Buco with Citrus Gremolata.
My questions remained unanswered as we began enjoying our dinner.
“I asked someone to look for you. Seeing you here, I’m relieved he didn’t get to you.”
“Really?” I hesitated to ask but nodded. I didn’t want to make it sound like I was so interested.
“Yes.”
“Wait.” I put my fork down. “What do you mean by get to you?”
“I ordered him to bring you home to me. I knew you were in Russia, entangled with dangerous people. I’m glad you got out alive, Danielle. If you want to defy me, go burn some houses.”
“I wasn’t trying to be rebellious. I’m not just ready to settle down with a stranger. Who am I supposed to marry, Francesco?” I continued eating. The food was excellent, tasty, and delicious.
“I’m fine with you not calling me Papa, but let me make it up to you for all the years that I wasn’t there. Let’s start fresh. I want to be your father, Dani. I lost a son, I don’t wanna lose you, too.” Again, he ignored my questions, diverting the topic to something I wasn’t ready to accept. “I know I broke your trust, but give me a chance, darling.”
“Why did you want me back home? If you know where I was, why didn’t you just send me a message or call me so we could meet somewhere safe?” Easy now, Dani. Don’t provoke. Don’t push him too hard. Don’t poke the bear.
“Would you meet me?”
“Of course, I would. You’re the only family that wants me. Mom would rather laugh with fake friends than welcome me home.”
“Did you meet Terzo?”
“No.” I swallowed hard. The fork shook in my grip.
My instant reaction didn’t miss his hawkish eye. I felt like someone just threw a bucket of hot water into my face the moment his expression changed.
“You met him, didn’t you?”
Shit. Shit. Shit. “No. I didn’t.”
“You didn’t even ask who he was.”
“I suppose he’s the same person you asked to take me to you.” Good. Good.
He nodded. “Yes. He’s the one. He’s also the same person who killed your brother.”
“What?” I almost choked on my saliva. I stared at him in shock, rendered mute in horror for seconds until I found my words. “That’s impossible.”
“Did he miss telling you, Danielle?” He put down his fork. Anger instantly flashed in his eyes. “You fell for his charm, didn’t you?”
I froze. My blood thickened in my veins. Terror instantly coursed through me. I shivered as a hard knot of fear settled in my stomach when the realization hit me. He knew. He knew all along. He agreed to meet me to trap me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Both fear and betrayal simmered beneath the surface as my wedding flared in my memory. I smiled and stood up. “Dinner is delicious, Francesco. Thank you for meeting me.”