So, fun fact: CJ is technically a canon character! I've yet to find the comic the character is mentioned in, but CJ is referenced as one of Maroni's sons. I'm almost certain that this was retconned, as in The Long Halloween we're shown that Don Maroni has only two sons, but nonetheless if you do some research on Maroni, you'll find a 'CJ' referenced on certain pages. This also makes CJ's brothers that I'll mention in this story canon as well!
On another note, I'd like to thank those who followed, fav'ed, and reviewed the prologue! It's always so encouraging to hear back from readers, and I look forward to what everyone will have to say regarding this and future chapters!
~three years ago~
A sixteen year old CJ sat alone at a round, over embellished banquet table, staring out at the crowd of partygoers with a reluctant, disinterested expressionㅡattending a wedding for a couple she didn't even know was definitely not how she wanted to spend her Saturday night. Especially not a mob wedding that had invited both the Maroni crime family and the Falcone crime family. Though most in attendance, of course, knew how to behave civilly, there were always those like her older brother and cousins who had to be kept an eye onㅡno one wanted a couple of hot-headed Maronis to start up something vile at such a nice affair (though, CJ was almost certain at least one fight would break out by the end of the night, and maybe that would make this party a little more interesting).
From her seat, CJ watched her parents making their rounds through the crowd, moving from group to group to say their hellos and make conversation. The girl sighed heavily; she was one of the only teenagers here, everyone else either a young child or a seasoned adult. And of the few teenagers she had spotted around, none seemed worth engaging with. CJ undeniably felt more than a little out of place among the crowd of unfamiliar faces, and a subtle loneliness had started to settle over her.
As if sensing her disinterest from across the room, Sal looked away from his acquaintances to scan the crowd for his family, quickly spotting Pino and Umberto making conversation near the open bar. He continued looking over every face until his gaze finally settled on CJ, who was sat at the opposite end of the banquet hall from him. Sal stared for a long moment, the look of disapproval obvious in his face as he inattentively excused himself from the discussion and began toward the girl.
As he approached, CJ's eyes had settled on a small group of men that all wore serious expression, hardly looking like casual partygoers, and she suspected that they may well be some of Don Falcone's men. Amidst her focused state, she didn't take notice of her father until he was practically stepping on her toes.
"Camila, what're you doing over here?" Sal questioned as he grabbed hold of her small upper arm and tugged her out of the chair without warning. CJ winced in discomfort, glaring slightly.
"Waiting to leave." She replied, words defiant though her tone was nearly meek. CJ tugged her arm away from her father's hold, causing his eyes to narrow and jaw to clench.
"None of your damn attitude tonight, kid." Sal pointed a finger just inches from her nose with a serious look, and for an instant CJ went cross-eyed as her gaze followed the motion. Again, he reached for her arm, this time taking hold of her wrist, and CJ's eyes darted away from his, a slightly pained look to her gaze as she eyeballed the crowd. To her surprise, she met the keen, watchful eyes of a man among the crowd of Falcone's people she spotted earlier, but she quickly looked away with a slight gasp; he was watching as if he could somehow hear what they were saying, and briefly CJ wondered how much he'd seen between she and her father so far, "Now, come on, socialize and at least pretend you're not a brat for a night."
"Who am I gonna socialize with, the kiddie table?" She allowed herself to be pulled from the dining area, and again she met the eyes of her glaring father.
"Camila, I'm serious, if you don't get your act togetherㅡ" Sal cut himself off, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as his jaw still ticked. After a couple of moments, he looked at her again, "There are more than enough people here, there's gotta be someone you can talk to."
"I doubt it…" CJ muttered as her father turned and continued leading the way through the crowd, his much larger hand still secure on her wrist.
"There are kids your age right over there." Sal's free hand splayed in the direction of a couple of boys laughing largely at something, and CJ simply sneered as she eyed them. Sal rolled his eyes at her expression, shaking his head while muttering about her insistence on being difficult.
Soon, they were stood back alongside her mother, and Sal easily slipped back into the conversation as if he never disappeared to begin with, finally releasing the hold he had on CJ.
The teenager stood by his side awkwardly, briefly rubbing her sore wrist while hardly listening to the discussion going on around her. Her eyes bounced from the faces in the crowd to her parents, and upon meeting the gaze of her mother, the older woman gave a reassuring smile, though something about it seemed insistent, encouraging her daughter to mirror the expression. In response, CJ smiled weakly, eyes falling down to her feet, and she idly began smoothing down her rose-colored dress.
After another few minutes of chatting, the Maronis excused themselves, finally making their way to the newlyweds currently taking a break from the dance floor to sit at the wedding party table. As her mother spoke with the husband and wife, Sal gave CJ a nudge, as if to insist she speak up as well. So, she gave them a small smile and a simple "congratulations" before she once more became silent and disinterested, and she was tempted to leave the group to go back to the comfort of her table in the corner.
"Evan, Roberta," A familiar, warm voice spoke from somewhere to CJ's left, and the group all turned their eyes to settle on Don Carmine Falcone. The corner of CJ's mouth tugged up slightly at the older man, glad to see a familiar face, even if it was the man many had deemed as her father's rival, "My congratulations to you both."
The mobster, as well as the tall, bald man just a step behind him (whom CJ realized was one of the men she spotted earlier), entered the small group, the prior taking a brief minute for affable small talk with the newlyweds before they left to mingle with other guests. Once they were alone, Falcone turned his attention onto the Maronis, "Sal, it's good to see you again."
"Likewise." Maroni gave a cordial smile as the men hugged with false warmth, "You remember my wife, Josephine."
"How could I ever forget?" As Falone set his hands on Josephine's arm to lightly kiss her on either cheek, CJ caught her eyes drifting to the man stood beside himㅡnot only was he bald, she realized, but he didn't have any brows or lashes either, which made the dark bags under his eyes and the sharpness of his gaze more apparent. CJ couldn't help the confused, studious look in her eyes as she stared, feeling as if she'd seen him somewhere before.
Now, her interest becoming piqued, her gaze dragged slowly up his form from foot to head with a furrowed browㅡsure she'd seen her fair share of flashy clothing, but his attire was… different. Not at all necessarily bad in her opinion, but certainly attention grabbing among the wedding crowd of black suits that all looked the same. CJ's gaze looked from his thick boots to his harshly patterned shirt to his bold blue gloves (and what kind of person wore gloves inside, anyway, she thought), her expression remaining slightly knotted in question the entire time.
CJ gasped slightly when her eyes finally fell back on his face, realizing that he was staring right back at her with an unblinking gaze. She couldn't help the slight pink tinge that colored her cheeks as she noticed the shadow of an amused smirk on his lips; who knows how long she'd been staring, she realized, and who knows how long he'd been staring back.
Upon meeting his dark eyes, CJ briefly froze, became slightly unsettled by the depth of his gazeㅡhe had the capacity to be dangerous, that much she could tell. Something in his eyes was akin to her father's and his associates, a certain edge only a mobster could carry; he wasn't someone to mess with, and yet he was an undeniable curiosity, that distant sense of familiarity still lingering in the back of her mind.
"And my daughter, Camila." Hearing her name snapped CJ's attention back to the rest of the group, and she quickly gave a practiced smile as Falcone offered his hands to her.
"Must have been nearly four years now since we last met." Falcone's gaze was fatherly as CJ rested her hands atop his, the older man giving them a kind squeezed, "Forgive my memory, are you still in school?"
"One more year before college." CJ answered almost hesitantly, knowing the topic of college was tense between her and her parents. She could practically feel the tension radiating from her father, and she knew he was almost surely side-eying her with a glare, but Falcone continued on.
"A bright girl like you will be a success in whatever major you choose, I'm sure." Though it was a simple statement, Falcone's words nonetheless caused a warmth to rise in CJ's chest, easing some of the nerves that she had been feeling throughout the whole evening.
With a smile, Falcone held eye contact with CJ while motioning to the bald man in his company, only letting his eyes turn back to Sal at the last moment, "You remember Victor."
"Zsasz." Maroni said in a dull greeting, his eyes showing a certain disdain for the young man, who in turn gave an expressionless nod. When her father's eyes turned away, however, CJ was sure she caught this Victor Zsasz raise a brow muscle in Sal's direction, and the girl couldn't help the slight smirk that crossed her lips at the judgmental expression.
Falcone looked back to CJ, "Victor is one of my associates, he's…" he paused for the briefest of moments as his eyes briefly flicked away from her to observe Victor for a moment, knowing full well Maroni didn't talk mob discussion anywhere near his daughter (though CJ already knew more about her father's work than he cared for), "my head of security."
"It's been a while, Victor." Josephine spoke with a warm smile and genial gaze while offering her hands out to the young man. The friendliness in her mother's eyes caused CJ to quirk a browㅡwould her mother's familiarity with this man explain why CJ felt as if she once knew him, though she was almost sure she'd never seen his face before?
Victor mirrored the older woman's movement, reaching out with his gloved hand to meet hers and give an acknowledging nod. His dark eyes shone with an unexpected warmth for just an instant before it disappeared, and for a short moment he looked as if he were perhaps about to speak before CI almost snorted.
"So, can he talk or does he only know how to stare and nod?"
She realized her mistake as soon as she said it; CJ may have meant it as a joke, but she knew the adults wouldn't take it as one. Everyone in the group looked at her with varying degrees of surprise, from Victor actually looking amused to her father looking about ready to slap her.
"Camilaㅡ" Sal once again made a grab for her arm.
"Sal, it's fine." Falcone quickly and calmly intervened.
"I appreciate someone who's honest about what they're thinking." Victor finally spoke up, his deep yet cool tone of voice managing to take CJ by surprise. Though there was still a small grin on his lips, his eyes read as something nearly menacing while his gaze drifted slowly from CJ, to her father's hand around her arm, up to Sal's face.
"We'll have to talk about being honest in public later." Sal hissed dismissively, releasing his grip and sending CJ a final warning glance.
Falcone gave her a comforting stare before looking between Sal and Josephine, "Well, it's best we let you three go, I'm sure there are more familiar faces you'd like to see." He offered his hand a final time to Maroni, "You all have a good rest of the evening."
"You too, Carmine." And as Falcone and Victor walked away, CJ's eyes were trained on them for just a moment before her father's large hand suddenly grabbed her around the chin, fingers digging threateningly into her cheeks as he turned her to face him again, causing the girl to release a small, surprised yelp.
"You're really asking for it tonight, aren't you?" Sal's tone was hard as he glared at his daughter, and, if she wasn't so used to her father always handling her so roughly (and if they weren't in the middle of a crowd), CJ knew she would have been more afraid right now. But instead she sighed with a defeated look in her eyes; she was finally at a loss for words, simply staring back at him as if fearing what he might do next, "You're a real pain in the ass sometimes, Camila."
"I'm sure she's sorry, Sal." Josephine spoke softly, resting a hand onto her husband's arm and giving him a light tug in hopes that he'd release his grip on the teenager's face.
"Oh, she keeps it up tonight and she's gonna be sorry…" He nearly shoved her head back as he looked away, taking a deep breath, "Go find your brothers and bother them for a while."
Sal turned away as Josephine gave her daughter a sympathetic look, though there was also warning in her gaze, a silent, worried plea that she get her act together. The couple began walking through the crowd, and as CJ watched them go, her jaw quivered slightly, feeling tears well in her eyes. For a long few moments, she stayed rooted to her spot, watching until her parents disappeared from sight before closing her eyes to stop any tears from falling. She released a shuddering sigh as she opened her eyes slowlyㅡshe may have been pushing her luck earlier, but, if CJ were to search for an upside, at least now she was finally left alone.
CJ kept her head turned down as she began maneuvering through the crowd, feeling emotionally depleted while lightly rubbing at her jawㅡshe so hoped there'd be no bruising this time. She made a beeline for the bar, taking a few deep breaths to compose herself again, shaking her head as if it would somehow rid her of the last few minutes.
Soon, she was leaning against the countertop, giving the bartender a small, false smile before requesting a soda and turning around to face the party. As she observed the crowd, a pair of men wandered toward the bar, settling just to her right. CJ hardly took any notice of them until the blonde one closest to her began to speak, having been hungrily eying her for a few moments.
"Looks like you'd rather be anywhere but here, doll." His rough voice caused CJ to glance over with hesitant disinterest, and he gave a grin when they met eyes.
" No, this is my happy face." CJ responded dully, yet the man looked amused by her tone.
"Wanna do something after this party?" CJ began to feel a little anxious about the man's insistent tone, but tried to maintain a calm exterior.
"No, I'm good." She attempted to shut him down, but the man still pursued.
"You sure?"
"Yes." As she spoke more firmly, though her tone still laced with wary, the bartender handed her a soda, to which the blonde's friend gave her a scrutinizing look.
"You aren't legal, are you?"
CJ's anxiety relaxed just a little as she finally pushed away from the bar, eyes narrowing slightly, "Nope."
As she began walking away, CJ looked back at them with a dark look in her eyes, turning into the crowd. But she abruptly collided with a hard chest, gasping as she lost grip of her glass and spilled its contents onto the man's front before it clattered to the ground. CJ looked up with wide eyes, meeting the gaze of none other than Victor Zsasz once more, who, after a moment, looked down at the wet spot in the center of his shirt.
"Shit." She hissed, eyes flicking between his face and his chest.
"And we meet again…" Victor spoke simply, fixing his gaze on her eyes intensely, before he suddenly cracked a grin, "At least it wasn't red wine, right?"
Slightly surprised by his change in tone and demeanor, CJ nodded quickly, again looking down at his chest for a brief instant.
"Right…" She spoke slowly, "I, uh… I'm sorry about that." She paused, looking away as she recalled her comment about him from earlierㅡfor the sake of her family image, she knew it would be best if she apologize for that as well, "I'm sorry for earlier, too, what I said."
"No you're not." His tone was by no means harsh, but he took CJ aback with his frankness, causing her to furrow her brow, "Don't start apologizing when you don't mean itㅡyou start lying like that and you'll turn out like your father."
CJ couldn't help the small, amused scoff that escaped her as she shook her head, "Well, that's a scary thought."
That little smirk still sat on Victor's lips until his eyes drifted down to her jawline, and he made an indicating nod with his chin, "You alright?"
CJ's eyes widened before she quickly turned her head down, unsettled to know that Victor had seen what happened between her and her father, "I'm fine."
Victor frowned as he studied her face with a serious gaze, "What did we just say about lying?"
CJ's eyes turned back up to his sharply, "I can handle it." Her tone, too, was a little harsher, defensive as she spoke, "That's not a lie."
For a moment longer she glared up at Victor as if to make her point, taking in a deep breath before turning and walking away without another word, eyes dropping with dejection as she went.
~present day~
CJ stared absently at the wall in front of her, brows turned down and eyes shining with unshed tears. Around her, she could hear guests mingling, the soft sounds of their movements and voices, and yet everyone sounded a thousand miles away. The daze that had settled over her the moment they buried her father began to give way to the sinking realization that Salvatore Maroni was truly dead and gone. Never again would she see his disapproving stare or hear his raised voice; never again would she see his happy smile or hear the sound of him telling stories to put her to sleep. Sal Maroni was goneㅡher father was gone.
Finally, CJ blinked, bloodshot eyes turning slowly to look among the crowd of guests in her family home; most faces she didn't recognize, but then she reasoned many of them had to be mob connections. She spotted her mother across the large living room, her cheeks tear-stained and a company of close relatives staying glued to her side since their arrival. CJ felt her chest tighten in sympathy for her grief-stricken mother, but the sight of such unrestrained sorrow on Josephine's face was more than she could bare and CJ quickly averted her gaze, tightly closing her eyes in attempt to keep her emotions in check.
People approached her every few minutes throughout the reception, offering their condolences, making brief discussion about how great a man her father was. CJ met each of them with a hard expression, obligingly reminiscing along with them, though of course the last thing she wanted right now was to stir up anymore memories of her father. But CJ knew the formalities, knew the expectation her father would have had in this scenario, and so she kept her chin high and gaze as strong as it could be.
CJ, having progressively gotten more and more overwhelmed as the day went on, finally managed to excuse herself from a conversation with a distant cousin, stating smally that she needed to step outside for air. Even if only for a few minutes, she needed some distance and some silence, and quickly she was sat on a large stone bench on the front patio, staring blankly ahead of herself once again.
Per typical Gotham weather, the sky was cloudy and the air crisp; CJ could see her breath frosting in front of her, though she hardly took notice of the chill that created goosebumps up her arms. In fact, the cold was almost a welcome change from the stiff heat of the atmosphere inside the houseㅡat least the cold made her feel numb. For even just a short while, her mind wouldn't dwell on her father; instead, it could be silent.
"You're sure to catch cold out in this weather without a coat, my dear." A kind, approaching voice startled CJ from her daze. Her hazel eyes quickly spotted Carmine Falcone walking up the front path through her mother's small garden, followed closely by Victor Zsasz. They came to a halt some few feet ahead of her on the front steps, a soft, almost paternal gleam in Falcone's eyes as he gazed at CJ, "You must be freezing."
CJ gave a small, sad smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "Don Falcone…"
Falcone made a move to remove his coat to offer it up to CJ, but Victor was faster and hastened to remove his coat first, concerned at the idea that the older man, still recovering from a cold himself, should be exposed to the frigid air. Falcone gave a nod of thanks as Victor held out his coat in CJ's direction.
"No, no, don't worㅡ" but he didn't give her a chance to finish, quickly stepping around her to set the jacket on her shoulders himself. As he moved back again to stand near Falcone's side, CJ slowly reached her hands up to grab the collar of the new layer and pull it tighter around her, its weight providing her with an unexpected sense of comfort.
"Of course, you remember Victor?" Falcone asked as simply a formality, knowing that over the last few years the two always became reacquainted whenever at the same gatherings. CJ gave a nod, meeting the dark eyes of the man in question for a few moments, briefly recalling the last time they saw each other and how different that was from today, "My apologies for missing the funeralㅡI'm not as young as I used to be, best I don't overexert myself after everything that's happened this last week."
"No need to apologize, I understand." Another wave of sadness tugged at CJ's heart, knowing what 'everything that's happened this last week' referred toㅡFalcone was there when Fish Mooney shot her father in a mob face off, was there for the madness that broke out between Fish and Oswald Cobblepot and everyone in-between. Though CJ was hardly, if at all, familiar with the names involved in the day her father died, she'd heard enough talk since being back to paint some semblance of a picture of the events in her head.
Falcone could see the young woman's eyes beginning to water, could see that her mind was drifting into speculation about the events of that fateful day.
"How are you holding up, Camila?" He asked gently, and she gave him another sad smile.
"Honestly, not at all how I expected…" Her gaze dropped down to the worn bricks under their feet, looking between the men's shoes as she began to consider how exactly she was feeling. Though she was by no means close to Falcone, he was always welcoming and comfortable with her, and CJ knew she didn't have to lie to himㅡback inside the house, she nearly feared telling everyone how she really felt today, but with Falcone she knew her honesty wouldn't be judged. He was aware of the way the newly deceased Don was with his family, and he especially knew about the strained relationship Maroni had with his daughter.
CJ was the only member of the Maroni family to leave Gotham in decades, and Falcone clearly remembered the many occasions he'd met the young woman as she grew up, how he'd always seen her butting heads with her father and brother. Don Falcone not only knew of but also acknowledged that the Maroni family had far more problems going on than they cared to admit.
"I thought..." CJ trailed off quietly, eyes cast down for fear of breaking out in tears if she met Falcone's candid gaze, "I didn't think it'd be this hard. That I wouldn'tㅡ" She cut herself off, taking a shallow, jagged breath.
"Losing family is hard no matter how hard it was to be their family." Falcone answered while stepping forward to rest a gentle hand on her shoulder, "For all his faults, your father nonetheless was respected by the city, and he was still there to raise and provide for you."
"Yeah... some provider, he was." CJ's tone was cold, eyes glazed over as she stared ahead of herself for a few long moments. But her expression faltered, reminiscent of a dejected child as she looked back up at the men, gaze quickly drifting past Victor's unreadable expression to meet Falcone's, "...Yet, I think I miss him."
"How could you not," The man's expression was comforting, a slight, kind smile in place. Before he could continue, though, the front door was wrenched open, and out marched Pino with an anger ablaze in his flushed face. CJ's eyes immediately widened as he approached Don Falcone.
"The hell you doing here, Falcone!?" Pino practically shouted, "You come here looking for trouble?"
Stood just outside of the open doorway was Umbertoㅡwho looked as if he was already exhausted by Pino's insistence on a confrontationㅡand a couple of cousins, their arms crossed and eyes glaring like the blind followers they were; CJ was sure that beyond them within the front hall, she could see other curious guests trying to peek at the conflict outside.
Falcone nearly sighed at this newfound inconvenience, but maintained a calm composure as he met the eldest Maroni's eyes with authority, "I simply came to offer my condolencesㅡ"
"Condolences!?" Pino took another menacing step forward, and CJ saw Victor make a quick reach to hover his hand over the gun hidden under his suit jacket. As if Falcone could sense the movement behind him, he simply raised a hand, not quite touching Victor's forearm to halt him, "It was your bitch Fish Mooney that killed my old man, and you think you're welcome here?"
"Pinoㅡ"
"Shut it, CJ!" Her brother's gaze quickly turned on her as he reached out forcefully, grabbing a hold of her arm and pulling her to her feet. CJ yelped in pain as Victor's coat fell from her shoulders, and she quickly tried to pry herself from Pino's hold, catching the thick scent of alcohol on his breath, "The hell you doing out here with them, anyway?"
"Pino, let go of me." CJ's tone was surprisingly harsh as she shoved at her brother's arm until he finally let go, leaving a visible mark of his hand in its place. Pino's eyes glared daggers into her as he bit the inside of his cheek, CJ's dumbstruck eyes darting back and forth between his.
But, quite suddenly and unexpectedly, CJ's eyes began to water, her expression knotting into one of pure heartache as she desperately grabbed at the lapels on her brother's jacket. Her breaths came out short and shaky as she frowned.
"I can't believe you right now," tears began streaming down her face, "We just buried our father and I know it hurts, but you're head of the family now, you have to be stronger for the rest of us. We're all trying to mourn dad, you don't need to do this right now."
Pino's expression immediately turned to one of surprised alarm as he watched his sister cry, her small hands clinging to him desperately. The siblings had never been close, and on any normal day CJ wouldn't have dared to reach out for him this way; but the sheer distraught look on her face triggered the realization in Pino of how serious this really was. The anger slowly dissolved from his face as he glanced between his nearby family, a degree of his own sadness and confusion crossing his eyes. It didn't matter how much he loathed Don Falcone, not right nowㅡtoday he would mourn his father and take care of his mother, own up to the new title as head of the Maroni family.
"Shit, CJ… stop crying, will ya," He pulled her into an awkward, forced hug that was almost too tight.
"Just go back inside, go find momㅡshe needs you more than I do." Pino released her so to meet CJ's pain filled eyes again, "You're head of the family now, Pino, we need you."
Briefly, he looked past CJ's shoulder at Falcone and Victor, "Are you sure you want to be left alone with them?"
"It's fine, they just want to see mom and then they'll leave if that's what you want." At the hesitation in her brother's gaze, more tears shed from CJ's eyes, "Please just keep today civil."
Pino began nodding, collecting himself, "Alright…" he stepped back from his sister, jaw clenched as he took a deep breath, "But come back inside, CJ."
"Give me a minute, I don't want to be seen like this," she sniffed as she gestured vaguely to her running makeup. Pino's stormy gaze fell back on Falcone briefly but, catching his sister's pleading gaze once more, he shot Carmine one final look of disdain before heading back inside; Pino's troop followed suit and left the terrace, and Umberto shared a long knowing look with his sister, then meeting Falcone's eyes and giving a respectful nod before heading inside and closing the door behind himself.
"Sorry about that." CJ's said flatly a few moments after the door was closed. Her voice, though now a little raw, had lost its trembling sadness and returned to normal, her energy once again calm, if not mildly annoyed, when she turned back to Don Falcone and Victor. Her tears had already nearly run dry and, had it not been for the faint streaks of mascara on her cheeks, one wouldn't even have known she was just crying a minute earlier.
Victor couldn't help the impressed half smirk that slowly curled his lips as he realized her tears were a ploy. (Though, it was just as much therapeutic as it was a ployㅡsince returning to the city, CJ had held back all of her tears, and it was a welcome relief to finally let them fall.) Falcone shared in Victor's astonishment with a look that might be described as approval on his face. CJ quickly dabbed under her eyes to clean her make-up, sighing slightly.
"Pino suddenly thinks that as head of the family he has to be an even bigger dick than he was before." CJ gave a slight look of apology for her word choice, but it appeared that the older man wasn't even phased by it.
Falcone offered his handkerchief over to CJ, who gladly took it and continued mopping up the dampness under her eyes, "And I'm sure that trick works every time."
"So long as there's other people watching." CJ couldn't help her ironic smile as she looked between the men, "He shouldn't cause you anymore trouble today, but I can't guarantee what he may try starting tomorrow."
"Well, thank you." Falcone gave a small smile in return, meeting her eyes, "If he ever lays a hand on you againㅡ" at that he motioned to the faint red handprint that was sure to become a faint bruise on her arm, "ㅡknow that you can come to me if you need. You may not have a place at the table, Camila, but you deserve to be respected."
CJ smiled fully, not expecting such words from the Don's mouth. In fact, it managed to tug at her heartstringsㅡthose were words her father had never said to her, and that realization set in instantly.
"Thank you…" Her voice was smaller as he gave one more reassuring smile.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, my dear, I'm going to pay my respects to your mother before Pino's hospitality runs out."
"Of course." CJ sidestepped slightly to make a clear path for the front door, and after he gave her hand a brief, reassuring squeeze, Falcone walked past her with Victor following closely behind. As he passed by, CJ held Victor's dark gaze until he was out of her peripheral vision, and she turned back to stare ahead of her quietly. She released a heavy sigh once she was sure the men were gone, walking out into the garden until coming to a stop to rest her hands on the back of a patio chair, leaning her weight onto it and casting her head down.
Unknown to CJ, Victor had halted in the doorway, eying his coat that had been thoughtlessly dropped to the ground a few minutes prior. He quietly turned and picked it back up, staring at the young woman for a few moments before he began to approach.
"You know," Victor's low voice caused CJ to gasp slightly and turn around quickly, his approach having been so quiet that she hadn't heard him behind her. He stepped forward and lightly dropped the coat back over her shoulders, pausing as he held her gaze, "you don't have to forgive your dad just because he's dead."
Before CJ even had the chance to speak again, though, Victor gave her the briefest of smiles and quickly moved to disappear into the house.
For a short moment, CJ stared at the front door with large eyes as she processed his words before a faint, sad smile crossed her lips, tugging Victor's jacket a little tighter around her and burying herself comfortingly into the lapel.