We both know this is a bad idea, and I hate every second of it as the three of us walk toward Clark Park, but I won’t stop it. I don’t think she’d let me even if I tried.

I understand what she’s doing. At the end of the day, what’d best for Ryan long term is what we need to be doing. Maybe on the face of it, going into a meeting with the boy where his violent psychopathic uncle is going to be in attendance isn’t the best idea, but at least we’ll be in a popular public park. Mario can’t do anything to us here, he just can’t risk it. There’s no way he’s that powerful.

We turn into the park off third street and head toward the basketball court. There’s a fountain near there at the intersection of two paths, and that’s where we’re going. I glace at Leah again and squeeze Ryan’s hand, feeling nervous.

Leah’s chatting nervously with Ryan, basically saying nothing while saying everything all at once. “Look, big trees,” she says. “And a little doggy, and oh look, another little boy just like you.” She goes on and on like that, probably trying to keep him calm, but I suspect it’s just putting him in a bad mood.

Meanwhile, I’m scanning all around us for anything that looks dangerous. There’s a young couple sitting on a bench, sharing a cigarette. There’s an old man, dressed like he’s going to church, reading the paper. Three teenagers walk huddled close together, watching something on a phone. I feel like any of these people oculd be a mobster, and I know I’m losing it a little bit.

I’m sweating and nervous and I want to get the fuck out of here. Leah catches my eye and frowns at me a little bit. I take a deep breath, trying to keep calm.

We move through the crowds until we get to the fountain. I spot Mario right away, sitting alone on a bench. I don’t see Enzo or Piero anywhere nearby, which is good. I think I’d get the fuck out of here as fast as I could if I did, and I’d bring Ryan with me.

We head over to Mario’s bench. He looks over and then smiles. For a second, I think he’s just another harmless old man, happy to see his grandson.

“There he is,” Mario says, standing. “Hello, Ryan.”

The three of us stop a few feet away from Mario. This is the first time the boy’s meeting his grandfather. We told Ryan that we’d be coming here to see him, but I don’t think the boy understood completely.

“Hi,” Ryan says, and Mario lights up.

“He talks,” Mario says to Leah.

She nods. “And walks. And poops.”

Ryan giggles at that, which makes Mario smile. I actually start to believe the doddering old man act for a second, and maybe it isn’t an act. Maybe he really is happy to see his grandson, even if it’s the son of the daughter he probably never wanted.

“Come here, sit down with your grandfather,” he says, patting the bench. Leah nods at Ryan and he climbs up onto the bench next to Mario as the old man sits back down. Leah and I hover close by, and I’m constantly looking around, waiting for something to go wrong.

“How old are you?” Mario asks Ryan.

Ryan holds up two fingers, hesitates, puts up a third, hesitates, and puts down two fingers. Mario laughs and Leah smiles.

“He’s two,” she says.

“Two.” Mario sounds like it’s the most wonderful number in the world. “And you’re so tall.”

Ryan smiles at that.

“I’m your mommy’s father, did you now that?” Mario asks him.

He just shrugs a little bit, looking away, already getting distracted.

“I loved her very much and I’m very sad she’s gone, but I’m happy I’m seeing you. Do you want to see me again?”

Ryan shrugs again, playing with the bench. He’s digesting and I know he’s going to ask Leah for something to do in a second, but I don’t care if it insults the old bastard.

Mario stands up and faces Leah. “You’re doing a good job with the boy,” he says. “He’s. very healthy. Very happy.’

“You’ll leave us alone then?”

Mario grins. “I didn’t say that.’ He reaches into his back pocket and takes out a cap, sliding it onto his head. “I didn’t say that at all.”

Leah looks confused. “Why are we here then?”

“Because I wanted to see the boy. Confirm he is what I think he is.”

“What’s that?” I ask him roughly.

“A member of our family.”

I get a bad feeling all of a sudden and I’m scanning the park. Leah says something but I don’t hear her. She’s talking with Mario, pleading with him I think, and Ryan tugs on my shirt. He looks up at me. And tugs again, and I take his hand in mine but I’m not paying any attention. That bad feeling is growing, getting worse.

I suddenly spot it. Down by the basketball court, three big black SUVs pull up and park. Guys get out of them, a bunch of them, and they start walking fast. I look back the way we came and I spot more guys coming, almost at a jog.

“We have to go,” I say, interrupting whatever Mario was saying. I scoop Ryan into my arms as Leah turns to me and sees the expression on my face. “It’s a trap.’

Mario cackles and I’m already running. I take off across the fountain, Leah just behind me, Ryan in my arms. I’m running as hard as I can and people are staring, but I don’t care.

Ahead, three guys are coming toward me. I veer off the path and cut through the grass, dodging the trees. The guys shout and Leah yells something, but I’m blinded by my pure animalistic need to keep my son safe.

I cut through the grass, burst out onto another path, and keep going straight across it. Two guys veer close to me, snatching at my arms, but I shrug them off. Leah slams into them, throwing one to the ground and tripping the other before she continues on after me. The two guys shout from the ground and get up to chase.

We move into the bowl, which is a big grassy depression in the middle of the park. I’m gasping for breath and Ryan is laughing as I make it to the center and cut to the left. I can see Chester Avenue through the trees, and I think we might be relatively safe if we get there.

Leah’s just behind me. More guys come running from the trees, trying to catch up, but I’m not slowing. I trample over a blanket and nearly trip over some guys playing Frisbee. Someone shouts at me but I don’t hear them. All I can think about is how I have to save my son.

I burst through the trees against and cut onto the sidewalk. Chester is relatively busy, so we head up toward Third again. Leah’s just behind me, and the crowd’s thicker here. People get out of our way as we sprint past them, running hard.

“Wait, stop,” Leah says, gasping. “I think they stopped.”

Her voice cuts through the fog. I’m gasping for breath, my chest burning, my arms heavy. Ryan’s like a weight around my chest, but he’s having a great time, laughing and smiling. He has no clue what’s happening.

I turn and look around. The guys aren’t following anymore. I spot a cop car nearby and we start walking again, catching our breath.

A cab turns up ahead and I hail it. We climb into the back and I give him my address. We head back home, hearts hammering, sweat dripping down my back.

I don’t say anything to Leah when we get home. I just take Ryan up to his room and play with him a little bit, terrified, angry, and more. I don’t know what I feel. I can sense Leah hovering nearby. I know she wants to talk, but I’m not ready.

It was a trap. A fucking trap. They were going to steal this child away from us in broad daylight. It’s the most horrible thig I can imagine… and now I know how serous they are. We can’t beat them. I don’t know how we possibly can. I keep waiting for them to break down our door and just take Ryan away.

But they don’t. It’s almost worse. We get Ryan to bed and we still don’t talk about what happened. Leah disappears to her room and I drink whisky down in the kitchen, trying to figure out what the fuck we’re going to do.