Free Mob Boss Eleven- The Wrong One (The Mob Boss Series Book 11) by Mallory Monroe

it.   “I don’t know what I
want at this point.   But I think it may
be what the children need.”
    “What
do the children need?” a voice asked, and both Reno and Trina turned to the
sound.   Jimmy Mack had entered the code
only area, and was heading their way.
    When
Dommi saw him, he abandoned his sister and ran to him.   “Jimmy!” he said with a grin as he ran.  
    “What
about Lexie?” Reno asked Dommi, but Dom was gone.   He and Trina laughed.
    “Hey,
buddy,” Jimmy said, as he hoisted his baby brother into his arms.   Trina went over to the stroller and lifted
Sophia into her arms.   Jimmy, with Dom,
walked over to their father.
    “So
what do the children need?” he asked him.
    “A
home,” Reno replied.
    “They
have a home.”
    “They
have a hotel.   They need a home.”
    “You
own homes everywhere, Pop.   Move to one
of those places.”
    “He
won’t be moving my children to any of those places,” Trina said as she, with
Sophia in her arms, came back over to Reno.   “They’re called safe houses, but there’s nothing safe about them.”
    Reno
laughed and took Sophia from her.   “They’re decent places,” he said, as Trina sat down.
    “They’re
safe houses for bad men,” Trina replied.   “No thank-you.”
    Reno
looked at Jimmy.   “Everything okay in the
casino?”
    “Everything’s
okay.   I’m not here about the
casino.   It’s personal.”
    “Yeah?”
    Jimmy
sat Dommi down.
    “Go
play, Dom,” Trina told him.
    “Can
I get on the carousel?” Dommi asked.
    “Just
be careful,” replied Trina, and Dommi excitedly headed in that direction.
    “So what’s
wrong?” Reno asked his son.
    “It’s
Val.”
    “Still
Val?” Reno asked.
    “Still
Val,” Jimmy replied.   Then he looked at
his stepmother.   “She hasn’t gotten any
better, Ma.   No matter what I try, she
won’t respond.”
    “We’ll
sorry to hear that,” Reno said.   “But
what can we do about it?”
    “Could
you and Ma come over tomorrow night and have dinner with us?   Maybe if we can talk about it, it’ll help her
more.”
    “She
and Trina talked yesterday.   That didn’t
help?”
    “But
you don’t know Val the way I do,” Jimmy said.   “She’ll tell everybody she’s fine, she’s still getting over it.   But there’s more going on with her.   A lot more.”
    “She’s
still seeing that therapist?” Reno asked.
    “She
stopped going, and even the therapist claimed she was fine and didn’t really
need any more counseling.    But I know my
wife.   She’s not fine, Pop.   I try to get her to talk about it to me, but
she dismisses me as if I can’t possibly know what she’s going through.   ‘What do you know about it, Jimmy,’ is all
she’ll say.   But you and Ma have been
through it.   You guys had a miscarriage
before.   She won’t dismiss both of you
together.   Nobody would.”
    Reno
knew that was right.
    “You
want us to come over tomorrow night?” Trina asked.
    “Yes,
ma’am.   If you guys can come over, then
maybe we can get her to finally open up and start healing again.”
    “You
know I’ll come,” Trina said.   And then
both she and Jimmy looked at Reno.
    It
wasn’t Reno’s thing at all, but he loved Val as surely as he loved his own
daughter.   He nodded.   “Of course we’ll come,” he said.
    Jimmy
smiled.   “Thanks, Dad.   I really appreciate it.   Val looks up to you so much.”   Jimmy wanted to add, and she has a thing for you , but he let that slide.   All the women Jimmy used to date would always
have a thing for his father.   That was
just the way it was.   And although he
thought Val was different, and wouldn’t be so easily taken in by his father’s
sensual charm, she turned out to be just as taken by Reno as the rest of them.

 
    “Reno!”
Buddy Wellstone said as Reno entered his office.   He stood up from his desk and extended his
hand.   “Nice to see you again!”
    They
enthusiastically shook hands.