Chapter 7 - The Man Behind the Gates
Three weeks later, Romano Estate felt different.
The armed guards remained.
The iron gates remained.
Vincent remained intimidating enough to make visitors straighten their backs.
But the east courtyard no longer belonged only to Diesel.
It belonged to Sofia too.
Every afternoon she sat beneath the oak tree reading aloud.
Diesel slept beside her.
Nobody understood why the dog enjoyed children's books.
Sofia insisted he did.
"He likes the voices."
Vincent watched from the terrace.
Elena approached.
"We're leaving tomorrow."
He already knew.
Still, hearing it hurt.
"Where?"
"Home."
"It's safe?"
"Federal protection says yes."
Vincent nodded.
Elena studied him.
"You could ask us to stay."
"I could."
"But you won't."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because then you'd wonder whether you stayed because you wanted to or because you felt you owed me."
Elena was quiet.
"And if I wanted to?"
Vincent finally looked at her.
"Then I'd ask you not to go."
Across the lawn, Sofia laughed as Diesel rolled onto his back.
Elena smiled.
"You know, she was terrified of dogs after Gabriel died."
Vincent frowned.
"She doesn't look terrified."
"She was too young to understand why. She'd cry whenever one barked."
"What changed?"
"Diesel."
Vincent looked at the dog.
Perhaps memory wasn't always something the mind carried.
Sometimes the body remembered safety.
Sometimes an animal did too.
That evening, Arturo joined Vincent in the library.
"I owe you an apology."
"Several."
Arturo laughed.
"You're difficult."
"So I've heard."
The old man became serious.
"Gabriel would've liked you."
"I doubt that."
"He didn't trust easily."
"Neither do I."
"He trusted you with Diesel."
"He trusted Dominic."
"No."
Arturo shook his head.
"He specifically told Dominic that if anything happened, the dog should go to Vincent Romano."
Vincent frowned.
"Why me?"
"Gabriel saw you once."
"Where?"
"Hospital."
Vincent remembered.
Years earlier, one of his employees had been injured in a construction accident. Vincent had paid for treatment and sat with the man's family until morning.
Gabriel had been there visiting Elena.
"He saw you stay," Arturo said. "Everyone else saw a dangerous Romano. Gabriel saw a man who didn't leave when someone depended on him."
Vincent looked away.
The next morning, Elena packed.
Sofia refused to cooperate.
"Dee will be sad."
"You can visit him."
"Every day?"
"We live forty minutes away."
"That's not far."
"For a seven-year-old who doesn't drive."
Sofia considered this.
"Vincent has cars."
Elena laughed.
"He does."
Sofia found Vincent outside.
"Mom says we're leaving."
"I heard."
"Can Dee come?"
Vincent looked at Diesel.
Then at Sofia.
Diesel had belonged to him for six years.
But ownership suddenly seemed like the wrong word.
Diesel had chosen.
"Yes."
Sofia's mouth fell open.
"Really?"
"If your mother agrees."
She ran toward Elena.
"MOM!"
Elena stared at Vincent.
"You can't give us your dog."
"Apparently he's your dog."
"Vincent."
"He hasn't slept outside Sofia's room since you arrived."
Diesel walked toward Sofia.
Then stopped.
He looked back at Vincent.
For one strange moment, Vincent felt like the animal was asking permission.
Vincent crouched.
"Go."
Diesel touched his scarred head against Vincent's chest.
Then followed Sofia.
Elena saw Vincent quickly look away.
She understood.
That afternoon, they left.
The mansion became quiet.
Too quiet.
Four days passed.
Vincent buried himself in work.
On the fifth afternoon, he heard barking outside his study.
He stood.
Diesel was running across the lawn.
Sofia followed.
And Elena walked behind them.
Vincent went downstairs.
"What happened?"
Elena smiled.
"Apparently your dog escaped."
"From forty minutes away?"
"No."
She stepped closer.
"He escaped from my car when we reached your driveway."
Vincent stared.
"You drove here?"
"I did."
"Why?"
Elena looked nervous for perhaps the first time since he had known her.
"Because Sofia misses this place."
Vincent waited.
"And?"
"Diesel misses you."
"And?"
Elena sighed.
"I miss you."
Silence.
Then Sofia shouted from across the lawn:
"Are you going to kiss or just stare at each other?"
Elena covered her face.
Vincent laughed.
Actually laughed.
And for the first time in years, Romano Estate sounded like a home.
But their story wasn't finished.
Because Vincent had spent his entire life believing loyalty was proven through fear.
May you like
Sofia was about to teach him that the strongest loyalty came from something completely different.
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