Page 69 of Mafioso's Muse

She followed him. ‘Vaughn?—’

He spun around so fast that she reeled back. Pointing to the floor, he repeated slowly, ‘Don’t leave this room.’

He left her and headed downstairs, where he found his father calmly speaking to two officers at the front door. They looked in Vaughn’s direction as he reached the bottom step. Their faces said it all. Vaughn’s footsteps sounded unusually loud as he made his way towards them.

‘Everything all right?’ he asked, looking from the officers to his father’s defeated face. ‘What’s going on?’

‘Vaughn Gallo?’ asked one of the men.

They knew exactly who he was. ‘Yes.’

‘Step outside, please.’

Antonio and Angelo emerged from the living room to see what was going on, and Salvatore held up his hand to stop them.

When Vaughn didn’t move, the officer repeated the instruction. ‘Step outside, please.’

The last thing Vaughn wanted was a scene inside his family’s home, in front of his mother and within earshot of Willow, so he stepped out onto the portico and put his hands behind his back before he was asked. He had done this dance before.

When the handcuffs came out, Antonio moved to the door. ‘What the fuck?’

The other officer stepped up to him. ‘Antonio Gallo?’

Antonio straightened. ‘What? You gonna arrest me too?’

It turned out that was exactly what he intended to do.

When Vaughn glanced at the police cars in the driveway, he saw that there were other officers waiting by the vehicles in case they were needed. They had come prepared.

The officer cuffing him began his little speech. ‘You’re under arrest for suspicion of murder.’

Vaughn looked over his shoulder. ‘You’d want to have some solid proof.’

‘You’re not obliged to say anything, but anything you do say may be taken down and used as evidence.’

‘I’ll call the lawyer,’ Salvatore said. ‘You’ll be out in a few hours.’

Antonio cooperated but didn’t shut up the whole time they were cuffing him.

Vaughn looked past him to where his mother stood, hugging herself. No mother got used to the sight of her sons being taken away in handcuffs.

Movement on the staircase drew his attention. And there was Willow, gripping the handrail as though it were the only thing holding her up. It probably was. Her eyes were wide with shock and shiny with unshed tears. He hated that she had to see him like that, had tofeelit. There was no comfort he could offer her in that moment, so he looked to his mother and gestured towards the stairs with his head.

Paula looked over her shoulder and, seeing Willow, immediately went to her.

People continued to talk around him, but he didn’t register any words until the officer holding his arm said, ‘Let’s go.’

The last thing Vaughn saw before he was led away was Willow’s legs give out before his mother could reach her.

21

April 2024

Willow arrived at the studio just as the morning sun reached the windows, painting bold patterns over the hardwood floors. She leaned against the barre, her thoughts consumed by Vaughn and all that had happened, and watched the patterns change as she waited for the other dancers to arrive. She hadn’t heard from him since his arrest the night prior, and all she got from Paula before Finn collected her that morning was vague reassurance that everything was being handled, and he would be out before she knew it.

Lili was first to arrive, which was hardly surprising considering Willow’s teary phone call to her the night prior.

‘I see you got a new guard dog,’ she said, tossing her bag down before coming to hug Willow.