Free Untraceable by Lindsay Delagair Page A

way about a guy before we met? I know what you told me after
we left Skopelos, but I had a hard time believing it.”
    “ You’re
special.”
    “ I was
horrible.”
    “ Not the person I saw—even
after I realized you weren’t Evan.”
    “ That’s what we should
name the baby—Evan!”
    “ NO! His name is Micah.
Why do you have such a problem with your son having your
name?”
    “ Because.”
    “ Because why?”
    “ Because—because people in
the Family have learned to be afraid of that name. You saw the
files, Annalisa, you know how many there were. All you have to do
is hint to someone in the mafia that Micah Gavarreen has been given
their name and they lose it. I actually had three people—” He
stopped and gripped the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles
lost color.
    I could tell these old memories were
things better to be left in the dark, but the conversation was
already engaged, and I didn’t know if I should ask him to finish
his sentence or not.
    “ Three of my marks
committed suicide when they heard I’d been given their names,” he
finished. “That, Annalisa, is why I don’t want my son to have my
name.”
    “ Your name is beautiful,”
I rebutted. “It means ‘who resembles God,’” I added
softly.
    That seemed to catch him off guard. He
loosened his grip on the wheel as he made the turn into the airport
and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Leese. I know you want this
baby to have my name, but it just feels like it would be like
keeping a part of the mafia on my son—I don’t want him to ever be
involved in that world. Nothing good can come out of the mob. It’s
bad enough he’s going to have my last name.”
    “ Ah—Micah!”
    “ I know, I know—Dad would
have a heart attack if he heard me say that.”
    “ Well, no matter what you
think about your name—something good did come out of the mob, and
it’s you—and I love you, name and all. But,” I paused because I had
stood my ground concerning the name up until this point—I couldn’t
hurt him over this decision. “If you honestly don’t want him to
have your first name, then I’m going to leave our son’s name up to
you.”
    His head wobbled as tears filled his
eyes, “I’m not trying to take naming him away from you.”
    “ I know that, but I want
you to do it. Just promise me it won’t be something off the wall
like the celebrities do when they name their kids.”
    He parked the rental car and wrapped
me in his strong arms, “Are you sure you want me to do this? I’ve
never named someone; who knows what I’ll pick.”
    “ I trust you. And by the
way, I’ve never named anyone either—I’m calling dibs on baby number
two.”
    “ So you’re actually going
to let me do this to you again?” he grinned.
    “ I’m starting to think
Italian—you may have to do this to me quite a few times before I’ve
had enough.”
    “ That idea is incredibly
appealing to me, but—and I’m almost afraid to say this out loud—I’d
like to wait a few years, before the next baby—just to give you
some time to be yourself.”
    “ I’m still me, Micah—baby
and all.”
    “ I know, but I feel like
I’m stealing away your youth if I tie you down with—”
    I put my fingers to his mouth to stop
him from finishing the sentence. “If you only realize one thing
from all of this, I hope it’s that you know I am happier right
now—with your baby inside me— than I have been my whole
life.”
    “ How did I ever deserve
someone like you?”
    “ I guess you’ll just have
to discuss that with your Maker. Let’s go home so you can sing that song to
me.” I opened the car door and headed toward the small jet waiting
by the hanger.
    “ I didn’t say I’d do it
tonight, Leese. If I’m going to sing to the top female singer from
Remake, I’m gonna have to practice a little,” he laughed as he
grabbed our bags.
    I was getting ready to tease him about
how many days he would be allowed to practice, but at the moment