Face.’ He’d been badly burned a long time ago, when Alex was just an infant if he’d even been born yet, and half his face and head was a melted mess.
Alex had been full time, after high school, before he’d been close enough to Donnie Goretti to make actual eye contact with him. It had been some more time before he’d been able to make eye contact without needing an act of will not to stare at the Freddy Krueger side of his head. Sometimes it was still difficult not to focus there.
Today, as Donnie sat at the edge of his desk, his arms crossed, and regarded him without expression on either side of his face, Alex didn’t need to remind himself not to stare. He was too freaked out about the state of his future welfare to think about the welfare of Donnie’s past.
“Alex,” Donnie said. “Have a seat.” He gestured toward a leather armchair facing his desk.
“Thanks, boss.” Alex went to the chair, unbuttoned his suitcoat—God, his tie was about to garrote him—and sat.
The chair’s leather was smooth and rich. The office had the air of a wealthy executive, with good furniture and elegant accessories. It had a modern look to it without seeming cold. It was a tasteful, comfortable office.
Unless you were sitting before the underboss of the Pagano Brothers family, worried you had fucked up while protecting the don’s daughter.
Donnie studied him until Alex felt sweat popping up at the roots of his hair. Oh shit, something really was wrong.
Finally, just as Alex thought his heart might actually explode, Donnie said, “Talk to me about Friday night.”
Swallowing as much as the silk noose around his throat would let him, Alex said, “Okay. Where do you want me to start?”
“Where the story starts.” He stood straight and walked around to his desk chair. After he sat, he leaned back. The effect was of a bored royal.
More sure than ever that he’d bleed before the day was out, Alex tried to swallow again. He’d done everything right. He’d saved her. Right? Right?
“Lia’s friends wanted her to go to a party with them.”
“Her friends. This is Harriet Wellesley and who else?”
“Kayla Underwood.”
“Go on.”
“They wanted to go to a frat party. At Sigma Rho. They throw a lot of parties, and the girls on campus talk about those guys a lot. It’s not the first time Lia and her friends were at one of these parties.”
Donnie grunted softly. Alex tried to interpret the sound but came up empty, so he went on.
“Anyway, they went to the party. Harriet and Kayla hooked up with guys pretty quick, and then Lia was alone.”
“And you didn’t get her out of there then?”
A red light began to flash in Alex’s mind. Was that the mistake? Should he have pulled her right then?
He’d thought of that at the time, in fact. But he was supposed to stay out of her way as much as he could without putting her at risk. She was supposed to be allowed to have a college experience. Frat parties were obviously part of the college experience.
He gave Donnie the honest answer. “I try to give her room so she can live her life. When I saw she was in trouble, I got in its way.”
Again, Donnie studied him silently. Alex sat there and tried to be calm while memories of hanging from a hook stormed back and forth across his mind.
Then the boss nodded. “Go on.”
“What I told Jake and Tony. She was standing alone for a while, nursing a beer. Then the guy—”
“Jackson Crenville.”
“Right. Crenville. Then he came over. I homed in, watched carefully, because I don’t like these college guys. Especially at that frat. They all act like brats, thinking the world owes them. They talked for a few minutes, and Lia seemed to like it, so I held back.”
“What do you mean, she seemed to like it?”
There was an edge to Donnie’s voice. Alex choose his next words carefully. “I mean, Crenville was saying things that made her smile and play with her hair. When she talked, he smiled back. It looked like flirting, both sides. She seemed happy.”
Behind steepled fingers, Donnie asked, “What would you have done if that flirting had gone on and he’d taken Lia from the room?”
Alex’s head pounded, and his chest ached, but he kept his voice steady and his words careful. “I would have stayed close to be there if she needed me. But if what was happening was something she