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“How’s everything” I asked.
“Same,” he answered, “I feel fucking helpless right now. Sitting around waiting is not something I do well.”
“Tommy.”
“What?”
“Can you please hold me?”
He grabbed me and held me tight. He took me to the bed and we got under the covers and just held each other for a long time. His phone rang after a while and I saw it had Dario’s name on the screen as he lifted it to his ear, swiping the screen with his thumb.
I got up and filled the kettle and turned it on to make tea.
“Fuck. Okay,” I heard him say, “Fuck! Yep.”
He got to his feet, “Do you drive?”
“Drive?”
“Do you know how to drive a car?”
I nodded, “I only have my learner’s permit, but I can drive, yeah.”
“Okay, I’m taking the Harley. I’m leaving you the jeep keys and I’m leaving you a gun.”
“No.”
“Yes. Here.”
He showed me how to take the safety off and lifted the screen on the back wall of the loft and then pointed the gun out the back doors and taught me how to shoot.
Afterwards, he put the gun down on the table and took me by the shoulders.
“Jimmy didn’t make it,” He said.
My hand covered my mouth.
“I have to go deal. I want you to stay here. Here’s a phone, it’s a burner. Don’t turn your iPhone phone on.” He reached into the knapsack from the storage garage, “I’ll program burner numbers for me, my brother, and Nino.” He looked at the flip phone in his hand and started hitting buttons on the new flip phone. If you need them cuz you can’t get me, call one of them. I should be back tonight. If I’m not back by tomorrow morning, I want you to call my brother for instructions and he’ll get you with the other girls. Don’t turn on your regular phone until I tell you it’s okay. It’s over there with the card pulled.” He motioned to the counter, “And don’t use your computer online with either phone as a hot spot or anything. I don’t know if anyone is tracking your social media accounts to try to figure out where you’re logging in from.”
I started to cry. Poor Tessa. Those poor baby boys.
“Athena, don’t, don’t fall apart. My girl is tough enough to handle this, okay?”
I nodded, “I’m just thinking about your poor
sister, your nephews. Your whole family. You. Don’t get hurt, Tommy. Please. ”
“Baby. I’ll be fine,” he said, with conviction, “You’re safe here. No one knows where this place is; not even my family. I’ll be back as soon as possible, okay? Sleep with the gun under your pillow. Do not hesitate to use it. It’s not scary.” I squeezed my eyes shut tight. He took my face into his hands, “It’s not. Look at me. It’s not scary; it’ll protect you.”
I nodded, “I won’t sleep until you’re back. Don’t get hurt.”
“Don’t be afraid to sleep. This is a safe house, baby. I’ll hurry back to you. I’ll call when I’m on my way back.” he said and then he kissed me hard and I sank against his body and wanted to memorize the feel of it. He gave me two keys. One to the jeep and the other to the padlocks downstairs. He backed away, grabbed the knapsack, and went down the stairs. I followed him. He pulled the motorcycle out, kissed me again, and told me to lock the door. I did. I watched him drive away from the window and then went back upstairs. I wanted him to be okay with every fiber of my being.
Tommy
Jimmy was shot three times and didn’t survive. But the thing was, I still didn’t know what side he was on when he died. He acted like he’d forgotten she’d given the guns to him and he’d been all sketchy when I’d asked him. He’d put them in the gun safe in my office, he’d said. They were there when I’d looked but I’d still thought it was strange that he’d acted that way and that he hadn’t mentioned them. Now, knowing I was supposed to be taken out in my sleep, I wondered if he’d neglected to tell me about it on purpose. Was he in on it? He was a friend of mine and Dare’s, had been good to my sister, was dad to my two nephews, for fuck sakes, but he was ambitious. Was he so ambitious that he wanted to take me out? I didn’t wanna believe it.
Pop was just out of surgery, he had serious injuries and the prognosis wasn’t great. We were getting news from Sarah because if a Ferrano stepped foot on hospital property they’d likely get shot. We were worried they’d target her because of her association with us but she insisted on being at the hospital. Pop’s room was under guard by a security company we’d hired through Zack, my PI. I was meeting my brother and we were going to end this.
