“Thanks so much for coming,” she said. “I didn’t know who else to call.”
“Is he okay?”
Mona nodded. “Shot in the leg and the shoulder. Barely missed an artery, the doctor says. He’s lucky.”
“Lucky,” Amber echoed. “Doesn’t seem too lucky.”
“How’d this happen?” I asked.
Mona looked over at me and shook her head. “I don’t know the details. His guys wouldn’t talk.”
“You’ve got to know something.”
“Ren,” Amber said, her tone hard. “Save it.”
“No, it’s okay.” Mona walked over and slumped down into a chair. “Vincent’s recovering right now so he hasn’t told me anything yet. You’ll have to deal with Dante if you want to know the whole scoop.”
I nodded and tapped my foot. Dante was a decent guy, better than Vincent at least, though neither of them were great. They were mafia bastards, after all.
“What can we do for you?” Amber asked, sitting down next to Mona.
“Nothing, really. I shouldn’t have asked you to come all the way out here, I just didn’t know what else to do.”
“We can bring clothes, get you food—” Amber put a hand on top of Mona’s and held it. “Whatever you need.”
“Really, we’re okay. Vincent’s out of the woods and needs rest right now. I’m probably going to go to the cafeteria and grab some coffee.”
“I can do that for you,” Amber offered.
“I need the exercise.” Mona laughed a little. “I know this is crazy. It’s strange though, I’ve been with Vincent for a while, and I’m technically a part of the Leone family, but I don’t feel like a part of it.”
“You’re a journalist,” I said. “I can’t imagine they’d let you get too close.”
“You know, that was never an issue.” She chewed on her hair for a second, nervously bouncing her knee. “I think it was me, you know? I think they held me at arm’s length because they knew—” She stopped herself.
“Knew what?” Amber prompted.
“That I wasn’t like them.” She glanced at me, as if I should be offended.
“They don’t like being reminded that they’re a bunch of scumbags,” I said. “And you’re that reminder, whether you mean to be or not.”
“I guess that’s it, more or less.” Mona shook her head and spit out her hair. “I’m sorry, guys. I feel bad for making you come all the way out here for nothing.”
“Really, it’s fine.” Amber glanced at me, frowning, and shook her head. “We’ll stay, if you want.”
“No, please, go back to the mansion. I’ll be there in a few hours and I’ll check in then.” Mona squeezed Amber’s hand then stood up. “You’re a good friend.”
“I’m trying to be, at least.”
I could see the concern in Amber’s eye and it was obvious she didn’t want to end this conversation, but Mona walked to the door and held the handle in her hand for a moment, looking back over her shoulder.
“I know it’s hard, being in this place with all this crap happening. But you’re doing great.”
“Thanks.” Amber looked down at the floor.
Mona glanced at me, smiled, then opened the door and left.
The room was quiet for a long moment. I watched Amber carefully, trying to figure out what was going through her mind. I could only guess at the edges of her thought process, but I wanted to know more, wanted to understand why she seemed both energized and ashamed all at once.
“What are you going to do about the Dusters?”
I’d been waiting for that question, but it felt abrupt in the otherwise empty waiting room. I tilted my head slightly and leaned toward her. “What do you want me to do?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
“I’ll be honest with you. I’m not particularly married to any course of action, if you know what I mean.”
She laughed softly. “I get it. You’d gladly rip them off if it meant getting out of this alive.”
“If it meant getting you out of this,” I corrected.
“It would be dangerous, stealing from the family.” She spoke quietly, staring at her shoes, then looking up into my eyes. “Dangerous, and a lot of people might die.”
“You’re right,” I said. “If we give the Dusters the advantage, some Leone men might not survive what happens next.”
“Vincent won’t. We can be sure of that.”
I held her gaze as the unspoken thought passed between us: Vincent, and Mona.
“Like I said, I haven’t made up my mind.”
“I hate the Leone family.” The words came out drenched in bitterness and anger. “I really hate them.”
I moved closer to her, switching to the seat Mona had been in a moment before. I sat closer and took her hand in mine, holding it between my palms and running my thumb along her knuckles. Her skin was smooth and soft, and her palms were warm and slightly sweaty from nerves.
“I know you do.”
“No, you don’t. I don’t think you can understand just how deep my loathing goes.”