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

  Buddy was
Val’s father, and he and Reno had an excellent, respectful in-law
relationship.    “Good seeing you too,
Buddy,” Reno replied.
    “Have
a seat.   Take a load off.   I’d been meaning to call you all week.”
    “Yeah?”
Reno asked as he sat down in front of the desk.   “What about?”
    “All
of that high-end work you’ve been throwing our way.   I appreciate it. I’ve never closed more
million dollar real estate deals in my life than I have since you became my
daughter’s father-in-law.   Thank-you,
Reno.”
    “Ah,
don’t mention it!” Reno said.   “You’re
family now.   Besides, I saw that Porsche
out front.   You’re one of us now.”
    Buddy
laughed.   “Yeah, it was high time I
started living in my life, not just working in it.”
    “That’s
what I’m talking,” Reno agreed.
    “So
what’s going on?” Buddy leaned back in his chair.   “You’re a busy man. I know you didn’t come
over here for your health.   So what’s
up?”
    “I thought
you could tell me that yourself,” Reno replied.
    Buddy
nodded a knowing nod.   “James and
Valerie?” he asked.
    “More
like Valerie, yes.”   Reno frowned.   “I’m a little worried about her.”
    Buddy
exhaled, and suddenly that grand smile was gone.   “Yeah, me too.   I’ve seen a big change in her after that
miscarriage.”
    “Did
you talk to her?”
    “Did
I?   Every chance I could.   But she denies having any problems
whatsoever.   I even got my pastor to talk
to her, but she walked out on the man.   ‘I’m not crazy,’ was all she would say.”
    Reno
leaned forward.   “She’s a smart
girl.   She has a great head on her
shoulder, thanks to the way you raised her.   And she’s hot, let’s just be honest.   She has it all.   And I understand
the pain she’s experiencing, I really do.   But what I don’t understand,” he added, as he looked at her father, “is
why she refuses help.”
    But
that was no mystery to Buddy.   “Because
she’s stubborn!” he said pointedly.   “She
believes she can figure this out for herself and she doesn’t need anybody interfering.   But she’s not figuring it out and she can’t
understand why.   Yet she’s too stubborn
to say so.”   Then Buddy smiled.   “Given your superstar wife, I would have
thought you’d know a little something about stubbornness yourself.”
    Reno
snorted.   “A little something my
ass.   My wife wrote the book on it.”
    Then
Buddy exhaled.   “She’ll be okay,” he
said.   “I know my daughter.   She’ll be okay.”
    “I
hope so,” Reno said.   “It’s eating my son
alive.   That’s why I’m concerned.   He’s had a lot of bumps in his life.   He met Val and everything seemed to iron
itself out.   Then that damn miscarriage.”
    Buddy
nodded.   “Yeah.   That darn miscarriage.”
    “That
changed everything.   Now I’m worried
again.   But anyway,” Reno said as he
stood.   Buddy stood too.   “I just wanted to see if I could talk with
that daughter of yours before we hooked up tonight.   Is she in her office?”
    “No,
I’m sorry, Reno.   She’s home.   She left early today.   She said she wanted to make sure she had
everything ready by the time you and Trina arrived for dinner tonight.”
    “Really?   We’re just going over there for dinner.   It’s no big deal.”
    “Reno
and Trina Gabrini are coming to her house tonight.   That’s a big deal to her.”
    Reno
nodded.   He understood.   “I’ve got a couple stops to make,” he said,
“and then I’ll probably go on over there ahead of Jimmy and Tree.   I’ll see if I can talk to her, and knock some
sense into her,” Reno added with a smile.
    “I
know my daughter,” Buddy responded skeptically.   “Good luck with that.”
    Reno
laughed.   And then left.

 
 
    CHAPTER NINE

 
    Val
stepped out of the shower just as her cell phone began ringing.   She removed her shower cap and allowed her
hair to