Mr. and Mrs. Rossi

“You’ve got two seconds to explain,” Julio’s fingers gripped the wood framing the window, “before I have you hauled off to jail myself.”

Dante hadn’t had time to process this morning’s revelation. Julio was Hannah’s father. Hannah, the miniature reflection of Harley… his new niece. Harley’s daughter. Though his rationale may be off, Dante believed Julio, who just discovered Hannah was his daughter, had no right getting as upset as he was. If anyone should be throwing furniture around, he should. Julio and Hannah never had a conversation. Julio wouldn’t have been able to pick Hannah out of a line-up.

Cole, the man of calm and reason, placed a hand on Dante’s shoulder. “Let me talk to you for a second.”

They stepped a few feet away while Julio badgered Gertie. Outside where the palm trees blew in the morning wind, the sun made its appearance. Tito sat in the car waiting. Roman went to scout out Javier while Jerraud went to put eyes on the older Marchette. Unlike his son, Bobby did not hide in the shadows. Knowing him, he’d be somewhere on the beach under an umbrella and sipping on a fruity drink.

Getting close to Bobby Marchette would be harder than finding Leonardo. No matter where the man was, a guaranteed sniper was somewhere nearby. If you didn’t have an appointment with the man you risked getting shot. After almost losing Harley, Dante’s options became slimmer. This case needed to end one way or another and he needed to ride off into the sunset with his wife.

“We’ve got a problem,” said Cole.

The words came out of his friend’s mouth so calmly Dante wasn’t sure what the problem was other than the fact Hannah was now missing. “Yeah, I know it.”

“Not just this,” he inclined his reddish head toward the doors leading to the visitor’s area. “but I want you to promise me not to kill anyone.”

Dante glared at Julio, “I’m not sure I can promise that, I haven’t had to kill anyone in a few days and my trigger finger is getting itchy.”

“Yeah, well you killing this person will change the dynamics of our group.”

“How so?”

“TJ sent a text, Harley disappeared on him,” Cole took a dragged sigh, “My guess is she overheard him talking to Tito.”

The only thing Dante could do at first was laugh with relief. So he wasn’t the only person she always gave the slip. The corners of his eyes crinkled trying to contain a laugh. “What’d she do? Wait for him to go to the bathroom?”

“No, he wouldn’t have been so stupid to leave her alone in the room,” Cole chuckled and Dante felt the dig, however when he left Harley alone in the room he had no idea she was an agent. “He was on the phone with me an

d she went to the bathroom in the hallway and got out through the roof.”

“At this point, nothing surprises me.”

“You talking about the surprise father?”

“Surprise everything,” Dante admitted. “She never told me about him or being an agent.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong but you two did meet like yesterday, right?”

“Funny,” Dante focused outside at the string of people being released from the drunk tank. He’d been in those holding cells a few times. The cops did it to keep intoxicated idiots from hurting themselves more. “We’re going on four days.”

“A whole eternity, you’ve almost caught up with me and Rosalind.”

“Don’t forget you guys divorced what was it, three months after marrying?”

Cole elbowed Dante in the ribs, “We’re not talking about me, we’re talking about your messed up situation. The father’s back in her life, what are you going to do about it?”

“Not a damn thing,” Dante folded his arms across his chest, “she married me, not him. Through thick and thin, at least I think that’s what Chet said.”

“Your cousin?” Cole rolled his eyes the same way others did with his mentioned name. “Yeah okay. Well, it’s good to know you want to work things out. I like Harley.”

“Me too,” Dante responded, watching the next batch of hung over kids. “Look, this asshole can be back in Hannah’s life. He has every right to be.”

“Good to know.”

He probably said that because when Cole left Rosalind, she’d just found out she was pregnant. Ten years out of their lives and Rosalind still made sure Jane knew about her father. Now-a-days you’d never know there was a time lapse. Of course, Cole and Rosalind worked things out between them. Dante did not believe for one instant Julio and Harley would want to work things out. But hell, he’d been wrong before.

The next group of coming out of the drunk-tank was all males. Tattered clothes, bruises from brawls, and some with puke stains on their shirts. Everyone squinted their eyes from the blinding morning sun as they were released from the dungeons. “Son of a bitch,” Dante said pointing toward the glass, “There’s Javier right there!”

“Who is Javier?”