The Don's One Night Mistake

earing h

Dant

o'

her ever work

slipped out before he could pull them back. But the way he

w some

ing I

wasn't suppo

uldn't stop thi

did h

e know tha

was I in the midd

s. And yet somehow, I was already drowning in questions I couldn't

ed Mom,

eyes. The one that told me she was holding back mo

asked

ably be dead. Or

ft me with

out m

oping. Even if it me

n my body was scream

hat question. Tha

ce a room with a stare-it

as a st

d to know w

ti didn't l

qu

em

de him thin

ings he'

n't have time

eir way up when the c

always got up

k. While everyone el

asn't in meetings.

shirts. Open at t

se was

Sharp

place. Nothing

one of the most violent mafi

exactly how

. Predicta

k with two phones

ar. One e

surface-le

or... every

r mixed

hones

e usual-emails, contra

had three missed c

ing bold. Mee

cigarette, leaned back in his

the real

es. No dramatic g

wer was in

ar your stillness m

he ones pointing guns-they were the o

tr

't e

ith f

ith f

with yo

aid her nam

bel

ass in hand, laughing like the world couldn't touch her. She hated olive

oftness he ever all

ve him

she bet

ir that shattered

n't jus

ried

oing to t

er Pilates instructor lover and start o

orgiven the b

attempt to s

d what mo

t them

him. T

a never

ircle dared spe

part of him that believed

e was on

busi

bl

the mansion, I was wrestling wi

Sit through your lesson, then we can make t

. Powell talks

d you talk lik

at down. Dramati

be engaged in the lesson. But my

hal

with t

with t

ain. Maybe I imagined it. Maybe it wasn't my dad after al

own, I alr

t breath and

ive mi

wly. Soft st

corner. Hea

were alre

hed th

o

oto wa

here the frame had been was sti

disbelief. M

ne mo

knew I

checked t

y watchi

uickly, pa

jumped out

e

there. Wa

le. No smirk. No jo

pposed to be h

ce wasn

. Almost...

at exact second,