Chapter 8 - YOU DIDN’T BREAK ANYTHING
Vincent crossed the foyer before Mara could answer.
He stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
“Sophie.”
She wiped her face.
“What?”
“You did not cause this.”
“But Mom has a leaving paper.”
Mara closed her eyes.
Of course Sophie knew what an envelope meant.
Children who had lost one parent learned to notice signs of another departure.
Vincent understood that better than anyone.
He sat on the bottom stair.
“Come here.”
Sophie hesitated.
Then descended.
The green coat dragged behind her.
Vincent pointed beside him.
She sat.
Mara stayed several feet away.
Vincent looked at Sophie.
“You asked me for five minutes.”
She nodded.
“That did not break anything.”
“But everybody got mad.”
“Things were already broken.”
She frowned.
“Then why didn’t you know?”
The question went straight through him.
“Because grown-ups are sometimes very talented at hiding things from each other.”
“Why?”
“Usually because they think they’re helping.”
“Does it help?”
“Not often.”
Sophie considered that.
Then leaned against his shoulder.
“Mom says we might leave?”
Vincent looked at Mara.
“She has not decided.”
Mara crossed her arms.
“I actually had.”
Vincent ignored that.
Sophie looked at her mother.
“Do you want to leave?”
Mara’s expression softened.
“I don’t know what I want yet.”
“Can we stay until you know?”
Mara looked at Vincent.
“That’s the problem.”
“No,” he said. “It isn’t.”
He stood.
“Sophie, five minutes.”
She understood.
Vincent set the timer and handed her his phone.
“Sit here.”
“Are you going away?”
“To the other side of the foyer.”
“Okay.”
He and Mara walked beneath the archway.
Not far enough that Sophie could think they disappeared.
Far enough for privacy.
Mara held up the resignation.
“You cannot solve this by paying me more.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Or promoting me.”
“I wasn’t going to do that either.”
“That sounds suspicious.”
He almost smiled.
“Mara, I don’t want you staying because you need the salary.”
Her face tightened.
“I do need the salary.”
“I know.”
“And the health insurance.”
“I know.”
“And Sophie’s school is ten minutes from here.”
“I know.”
“Then don’t make dignity expensive.”
The sentence stopped him.
He understood immediately.
Powerful men often gave people choices that only looked free because the cost of saying no was impossible.
“All right.”
Vincent nodded.
“You keep your current salary and benefits for six months whether you stay or leave.”
Mara stared.
“I said no charity.”
“It isn’t charity.”
“What is it?”
“Compensation for three years of excellent work and for the fact my consigliere hired you under circumstances I should have known.”
She opened her mouth.
He continued.
“If you leave tomorrow, you still get it.”
That changed the choice.
Mara looked toward Sophie.
“Why?”
“Because if I ask you what you want while your daughter’s school and medical coverage depend on your answer, I’m not really asking.”
Mara’s eyes filled.
Vincent looked away to give her dignity.
She noticed that too.
“What if I stay?”
“Then you run Rowan House.”
“As before?”
“No.”
“What changes?”
“You stop being invisible.”
Mara frowned.
Vincent continued.
“You attend household security meetings when they affect staff. Peter does not move people into this house without your approval. Sebastian never instructs you privately again.”
A faint smile touched her mouth.
“He may hate that.”
“He will survive.”
“And Sophie?”
“What about her?”
“She does not belong to this world.”
Vincent looked toward the child sitting in Charlie’s coat.
“No.”
His voice softened.
“She belongs to you.”
“That is not what I meant.”
“I know.”
Vincent understood the fear.
His world contained capos, union fights, territory, rivals, men who interpreted kindness as weakness.
Mara wanted her daughter protected from all of it.
So had Daniel.
So had Charlie, probably.
“I will never ask Sophie to become part of the Rowan family business.”
“Good.”
“But she is allowed to be part of this house if you want her here.”
Mara’s eyes lifted.
“There is a difference.”
“I know.”
The timer beeped.
Sophie immediately called, “Five!”
Vincent walked back.
“How do you feel?”
“Sleepy.”
“Excellent.”
Mara laughed despite herself.
Sophie looked up.
“Are we leaving?”
Mara sat beside her.
“Not tonight.”
Sophie relaxed instantly.
“Tomorrow?”
“I don’t know.”
Sophie frowned.
Then Vincent said, “Your mom gets to decide.”
The girl thought about that.
“Okay.”
She rested her head against Mara.
Then reached one hand toward Vincent.
He stared at it.
Mara did too.
Sophie wiggled her fingers impatiently.
“You’re supposed to hold it.”
Vincent did.
Her hand was tiny.
Warm.
Trusting.
He felt something inside him crack open.
Not painfully.
Maybe painfully.
He could not tell anymore.
The next morning, Sebastian Rowan waited in the library.
No cane.
No consigliere ring.
He looked strangely ordinary without them.
“I heard Mara resigned.”
“She hasn’t.”
Sebastian nodded.
“Good.”
Vincent looked at him.
“You’re no longer consigliere.”
“I know.”
“Peter takes the position.”
“He should.”
“You will advise him for three months.”
Sebastian raised an eyebrow.
“I thought I was being punished.”
“You are.”
Vincent slid a folder toward him.
It was not legal revenge.
It contained plans for the Daniel Ellis Safety Initiative.
Training.
Independent inspections.
Union oversight.
Sebastian stared.
“Mara’s idea?”
“Yes.”
“She wants me to pay.”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
Vincent told him.
Sebastian winced.
“Good.”
The older man looked up.
“Good?”
“If the number hurts, you’ll remember it.”
Sebastian laughed quietly.
Then his expression turned serious.
“Vincent.”
“What?”
“I failed Daniel.”
“Yes.”
“I failed Charlie too.”
Vincent looked toward the green coat hanging over a chair.
“Yes.”
Sebastian swallowed.
“And you.”
Vincent did not answer immediately.
“Probably.”
“I thought if I kept enough ugliness away from you, you could become different from Patrick.”
“You did keep me from becoming him.”
Sebastian looked surprised.
“That does not mean you did it right.”
“No.”
“But I know why.”
That mattered.
Sebastian’s eyes became wet.
“You forgive me?”
“No.”
The answer came gently.
Sebastian nodded.
“Fair.”
Vincent continued.
“I’m giving you somewhere to start.”
The older man looked at the safety plans.
Repair.
Not absolution.
Exactly what Mara had asked for.
That afternoon, Vincent found Sophie in the breakfast room with crayons covering half the table.
She had returned from school.
The paper bracelet on her wrist was gone.
Now she was making a new one.
“What is that?”
“Homework.”
“Looks dangerous.”
“It’s paper.”
“I’ve had bad experiences with documents.”
She ignored him.
On the page were three figures.
One woman.
One little girl.
One tall man wearing a black shirt.
Vincent stopped.
“Who is that?”
Sophie looked at him as if he were slow.
“You.”
His throat tightened.
The teacher’s instruction was written at the top.
DRAW THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE YOU FEEL SAFE.
Mara stood in the doorway.
She saw it too.
Sophie colored another figure beside them.
A man in a green coat.
“My dad gets to be there too.”
Mara’s eyes filled.
Vincent sat across from Sophie.
“He absolutely does.”
She looked at him.
“Can dead people make you safe?”
Vincent thought about Charlie.
Daniel.
His mother.
The things they had taught after they were gone.
“Yes.”
He said it without hesitation.
“They can.”
Sophie smiled.
Then she pushed a blank crayon toward him.
“Okay.”
Vincent frowned.
“What?”
“You have to draw yours.”
He stared at the empty page.
May you like
For the first time in decades, Vincent Rowan had no idea who belonged on it.
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