“Please for the love of God tell me you guys are decent,” Frankie said from the other side of the door. “As in clothes on.”
“Yes,” I called back. I glanced at the door and lowered the gun. “Come … in.”
As the door clicked open I hid the gun behind my back.
Frankie stepped in and looked from me to Xander, then back to me.
We’d had our run ins a few times. A week ago there’d been one big blow up when Pa took my car.
Frankie had always been this hard man who I thought lacked emotion but sympathy and concern filled his eyes when he saw my tear-streaked face.
“I’m sorry guys. I just wanted to tell you Armand is on his way over, be here in about twenty minutes give or take,” Frankie said.
Fucking Armand.
What an asshole. It was just after four in the damn morning, but he’d clearly wanted to come here and made his stupid presence known. I hated that fucking prick so much.
Hated him, and couldn’t believe he was who Pa had chosen for me to marry.
“Thank you.” I managed a little smile despite my inner turmoil. Frankie could, however, see through me and knew while I was smiling, I wasn’t okay. I was far from it.
“I’m staying, Princess.” Frankie nodded with assurance. “I’ll be outside even though he’ll want me gone. I’ll stay in the truck, so if you need me you call okay?”
“Thanks so much.” I did appreciate him, more than I could show right now.
“No worries.” He looked to Xander and hardened his stare. “Kid?”
Xander held up his hand and nodded. “I know. I won’t be here long.”
Frankie left us.
When the door clicked shut I continued to stare at Xander.
“What now? What do I do now? What do we do?” I asked.
I thought the question was damn well called for. It was the right thing to be asking. I just wasn’t so sure I’d like the answer.
“It wouldn’t be right … it wouldn’t be fair for me to keep seeing you. It’s safer given what you know.” He gave me a curt nod. His answer completely dissolved all that I hoped for. Foolish as it was to imagine him saving me,saving me again. This time though it would probably have packed the most punch. “It would be safer Jia… if you kept quiet about everything. Safe, not from me… but as you know I’m not alone. Please, please, don’t say anything.”
Don’t say anything…
I think I was already there, at that conclusion. To keep my mouth shut. I was good at it anyway, it came second nature.
I knew the importance of keeping quiet and that you didn’t just get allowed to walk free with knowledge that could destroy a plan. People got killed for seeing and saying too much.
There was stuff I wasn’t supposed to talk about. Ever.
This was just one more thing. One more thing to add to the list.
And he couldn’t see me anymore.
Back to the job.
I nodded. “Sure. Job comes first right?”
“I mean it Jia. I need your word that you won’t say anything to your father or anybody. You can’t talk to anybody about what you heard or saw. There’s enough danger in the mix without adding to it.” His eyes pleaded with me making me see the gravity of the situation. “If it’srealbetween us, please promise me you won’t say anything.”
It was the pleading in his eyes that reached the part of me that fell for him.
