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Lisa looks at me, her eyes wide and afraid, as she takes in the scene unfolding before us. “What are we going to do, Frank?” she asks, her voice trembling with anxiety.
I swallow hard, my mind racing as I search for a solution to our predicament. And then, in a flash of inspiration, I remember the place I set up earlier as a hiding spot for moments like this.
“We need to lay low for a while,” I say, my voice steady despite the fear gripping my heart. “I know a place where we can hide until things cool down.”
I veer off the main road, the tires screeching as I navigate down a narrow alleyway, the heat of the day enveloping us like a shroud. And then, just as the sounds of pursuit fade into the distance behind us, I pull into a secluded spot hidden from view by a thick stand of trees.
I cut the engine and turn to look at Lisa. “We’ll be safe here,” I reassure her, my voice soft but filled with conviction. “No one will ever find us.”
She looks at me, her eyes filled with gratitude and relief as she leans in to kiss my cheek tenderly. “Thank you, Frank,” she whispers, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”
I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close as I bury my face in her hair, breathing in the sweet scent of her perfume. “I told you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you,” I say, my voice hoarse with emotion. “You’re my girl, Lisa, and no one will ever harm a hair on your pretty little head as long as my heart beats.”
Lisa smiles, her hand in mine. We will wait out the storm.
Chapter 19
Lisa
As we sit in the vehicle, the day’s events weigh heavily on my mind. The sound of the explosion still echoes in my ears, and I can’t shake the image of the mansion engulfed in flames. A dark cloud of guilt and fear swirls in my chest. Were people hurt? Were lives lost because of what I did?
The thought sends me spiraling into panic, my breaths coming in short, shallow gasps as my heart pounds furiously in my chest. I feel Frank’s arm wrap around my shoulders, pulling me close to him, his voice calming in the chaos of my mind.
“Hey, Lisa, look at me,” he says softly, his eyes filled with concern as he meets my gaze. “You need to breathe, okay? Just take deep breaths—in and out.”
I try to follow his instructions, but my chest feels tight, constricted by the weight of my guilt. “I-I can’t,” I manage to choke out, my voice trembling with fear. “Frank, what if . . . what if people were hurt because of me?”
Frank’s grip tightens, and his voice is firm but gentle as he speaks. “Listen to me, Lisa,” he says, his tone unwavering. “The Mafia world is a dangerous place. Those people? They’re all criminals. They’re not innocent—not a single one of them.”
His words send chills down my spine, but I can’t deny the truth in them. The world I’ve been thrust into is dark and unforgiving, a far cry from the idyllic life I once knew. But even as the realization sinks in, Frank’s next words offer me a sliver of comfort.
“If anyone’s gonna bear the weight of those deaths, it’s gonna be me,” he says firmly, his eyes locking with mine. “You’ve done nothing wrong. You were following orders. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
His words pierce through the fog of my fear, grounding me in the present moment. I cling to him, burying my face in his chest as tears stream down my cheeks, my sobs echoing in the confined space of the vehicle. Frank’s hand strokes my hair, his touch soothing and a balm to my wounded soul.
“It’s okay,” he murmurs. “I’ve got you. I’ll always protect you, no matter what.”
Although the tension of our narrow escape still lingers, I steal a moment to gather my thoughts. Frank’s presence beside me is no doubt a comforting anchor, but something else weighs heavily on my mind, something I haven’t had the chance to tell him yet.
“Frank,” I begin, my voice wavering with uncertainty, “there’s something I need to tell you.”
His curious gaze meets mine as he waits for me to continue. I take a deep breath, the words caught in my throat like a knot of tangled emotions.
“I saw something on the news earlier,” I confess, my heart pounding. “That day in the hearse, it was captured. I’m not sure how, but it’s viral.”
A ripple of amusement crosses Frank’s features, and his laughter rings out in the darkness of the alleyway. “Well, I always knew we were destined for fame,” he says.
“Come on, Frank. There’s a reporter who’s been following me everywhere, first at the hotel and then at the funeral. I think she’s up to something and might even be the one who leaked the video.”
“Just relax. Ordinarily, we should sit this out for a couple more minutes, but I can see how unsettled this place makes you. So let’s leave Roxbury all-together and find a safer place, okay?” Frank suggests.
I smile at his thoughtfulness and nod approvingly.
As the car pulls out of the alleyway hideout, a sense of relief washes over me. But just as I start to relax, a swarm of reporters descends upon us, cameras flashing and microphones thrusting through the car’s open windows.
Panic rises in my chest as I realize we’re surrounded, trapped in a sea of flashing lights and probing questions. My fingers tighten against my seatbelt, my knuckles white with tension as I struggle to maintain my composure in the face of the onslaught.
“What do you have to say about the explosion at Danny the Donut King’s mansion?” one reporter shouts, her voice loud and demanding.
