Chapter 16: Nine Kitchens

Allegra's POV

My uncle opened my father's front door himself, in his shirtsleeves, with a dish towel over his shoulder.

"Piccola. You're early."

"Where is he?"

"Resting. The doctors in that place were killing him with noise." He kissed my forehead. "I hired a nurse. He's better here."

"I want to see him."

"Of course you do."

He stepped aside with a sweep of his arm.

My father lay in the big bed upstairs with the blinds drawn.

His mouth hung open.

A small brown bottle stood on the nightstand beside a glass of water.

"Morphine," my uncle said softly, behind me. "For the pain. He asked me to keep the visitors short."

"He asked you."

"Before he slept. Why would I lie?"

I put my palm on my father's forehead.

It was damp and hot.

His eyelids twitched, and I thought he might wake, but he only sighed, and the bed seemed to swallow him.

When I turned around, Corrado was smiling at me from the doorway.

"Ten minutes a day, cara," he said gently. "Come after lunch. I'll make you a coffee."

I walked out of that house with my knees shaking.

Teo was waiting in the truck at the curb.

I got in and slammed the door.

"He's drugging him."

"I know."

"We need the capos. Nine of them kissed his ring, and every one of them is afraid of him."

"You can't walk into nine houses."

"I can walk into nine kitchens with a cake."

By four o'clock I had been in three.

The first capo took the box, said thank you, and shut his door in my face.

The second let me into his front hall, listened to a single sentence about my uncle, and told me to go home and mourn my father like a daughter.

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