I forced down another bite of my pancakes, proving that I was okay. Even if it was almost painful to choke down the food.
I managed a small smile and changed the subject, my voice an octave too high as I attempted a breezy tone. “Mr. Callahan and I had a good talk yesterday. You gave me great advice.” The muscles around my mouth stretched into a strained grin. “I took responsibility for being late, and he was totally understanding. He actually praised me for my work ethic. It went way better than I ever could’ve hoped.”
Dad returned my smile, the corners of his lips twitching with the effort. “Mike’s a great guy. I’m glad that you’re on good terms. I know how hard you work, sweetheart. I don’t say it enough, but I’m proud of you.”
The lump in my throat swelled, and my eyes burned. Daddy never told me he was proud of me. Well, I could count the times he’d said it on one hand. I modeled my life choices in pursuit of making him proud; my father was a great man, and his pride meant everything to me.
“Thanks, Daddy.” My voice hitched on his name, and I quickly swiped at my eyes.
He let out a watery laugh and raked a hand through his silver-tinged copper hair, leaving the neat style uncharacteristically mussed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for this brunch to be so emotional. Why don’t you tell me about your internship. Are you working on any good cases?”
I leapt on the change of subject, eager to talk about something normal and safe. “Well, you know I’m mostly copying files and carrying coffee, but it’s amazing being in the office, surrounded by all those brilliant legal minds. I’m so happy that I got my placement. I really hope I can work there after law school.”
His smile broadened with genuine delight. “I’m sure you will, sweetheart.”
“But I don’t want you to pull any strings,” I hastened to add. “I’m going to get there on my own merit.”
“I know that too.” His grin turned a bit wry. “You’ve always been so stubborn about being independent.”
I nodded, letting that stinging comment roll off my back. He didn’t realize it stung. I might’ve been advocating for my independence for my entire life, but he’d barely allowed me any personal freedoms. Before college, leaving the house to socialize without a chaperone of his choosing had been out of the question. Not that I had many invitations to socialize. But sometimes I wondered if I would’ve been less of a freak if I’d been allowed to integrate with my peers a bit more.
“You okay, princess?”
Damn it, I hadn’t managed to keep my expression pleasantly neutral. All this stuff with Max and the sleepless nights were chipping away at my usual composure.
Max. He thought Daddy was involved in some sort of conspiracy with the Bratva. If I could only prove to him that it wasn’t true, then he’d leave my dad alone. His family was guilty, and the Bratva had nothing to do with that fact. Neither did my father.
Who better to ask for details about the Ferrara case than the man who’d brought them down?
“Yeah,” I replied. “I’m okay. I, um, part of why I’ve been so exhausted is because I’m trying to learn more about the Five Families case.”
His brows rose. “You’ve been studying my Mafia case? Why?”
“Well, Mr. Callahan was involved, wasn’t he? You know I cited his work on the Kassel case in my law school admissions essay. I was thinking about expanding my study of his career.”
Daddy gave me an affected frown, but his eyes danced with a teasing light. “You’re more impressed with Mike Callahan than your old man?”
I ducked my head, my cheeks heating from the lies I was spinning while staying as close to the truth as possible. “I don’t want to go into politics. You know that. I’d rather stay in Law. Mr. Callahan has had a long and successful career at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“I’m just giving you a hard time,” he assured me with a soft smile. “I don’t want you to go into politics, either. It’s not a life I would want for you.”
I nodded again, not questioning the familiar statement. Daddy had never pressured me to follow in his footsteps. He was pleased with my choice to pursue Law, but he’d been candid that politics wasn’t always pleasant. Above all, he wanted to protect me from any potential pain or suffering.
What he wanted wasn’t reality, but in this aspect, he didn’t have to worry. I’d much rather work pro bono cases and barely scrape by than be a famous, beloved politician like my dad.
And I had plenty of time to work as a lawyer and save up before switching primarily to pro bono. Daddy might even help support me once I made the change. He remembered how passionate Mom had been about helping abused women find stability and empowerment. He would definitely approve of my choice to pursue prosecution to get justice for victimized women.
Max’s dark eyes flashed across my mind. I don’t hurt innocent women.
He’d told me he was a monster, but he’d been careful not to hurt me while he was interrogating me. Then, he’d saved my life last night.
I remembered the gentleness of his thick fingers on my legs as he’d checked me for injuries. My skin still tingled at the thought of those big hands wrapped around my calves, holding me with aching care.
Max wasn’t pure evil. Not like the men who abused the women I’d helped while volunteering at the shelter. He didn’t find sadistic pleasure in scaring me. Kidnapping me had been a desperate means to an end: seeing through his deranged vendetta against my dad.
I had to reason with him. If I just understood his family’s crimes better, I could prove to him that the Bratva had nothing to do with the case that had sent them to prison. Even if the Russians were tangentially involved, that didn’t absolve his family. All Daddy had done was bring them to justice. If I could make Max see that, I could protect my father from his misguided retribution.
“So, what about the Mafia case?” I prompted, keeping my dad focused on what I needed to know. “Who were the five crime families you took down, again? Gambino, Lucchese, and Ferrara, right?”
“That’s right. And the Colombo and Maranzano crime families. I’m not surprised if you don’t remember the details. You were only eleven when we won that case, and I tried to keep work life and home life separate.”
“Do you think I could access the old case files?” I pressed. Usually, I never wanted him to pull strings for me, but to protect him from Max’s vengeance, I would allow it. “Maybe Mr. Callahan could point me in the right direction.”
“You seem to have a good relationship with Mike already,” he approved. “I’m sure he’ll give you access to anything you want to look at. Especially if it’s to further your career aspirations. It sounds like he values your work, and if he’s smart, he’ll want to hire you as soon as your get your Law degree. If he throws up any roadblocks, let me know, and I’ll make a call.”
For once, I didn’t vehemently refuse his offer of assistance. “Thanks, Daddy.”
I would get evidence of the Ferrara family’s crimes, no matter what it took. Then, I could show Max the cold hard proof that his family deserved to be sent to jail and prove that my dad hadn’t been working with the Bratva.