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“You need to tell me exactly why you’re here and what you were doing with those men. How did you find me?” I growl, kneeling down to her level to intimidate her.
“I have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about! I slipped and hit my head on the sidewalk, at least that’s what I think happened, and then I woke up tied to a chair surrounded by men who kept threatening to kill me. They thought I knew where you were,” she replies, her anxiety beginning to show through.
I scoff, trying not to roll my eyes. “So, why didn’t you tell them? It looked like they were ready to fuck you up when I got there. Wouldn’t have been that hard to just give up my location and be spared. You know those guys would have skinned you alive for fun if they were bored enough.”
“I’m trying to tell you, and I’ll say it again, but I have no idea who the fuck those guys are, and I had no idea where you were! I don’t even know what you’re asking me! Why would I already know where you are? I’ve been looking for you for five years with no fucking luck!” she shouts.
I scan her face more closely. Five years? What’s the significance of five years?
“Where do I know your face from?” I ask as I continue examining her features. She’s so familiar, but I can’t place why.
Her eyes fall a bit, and the fury in her face dissipates as confusion takes over. “You really don’t remember me at all?”
I grab her face, turning it from one side to the next to get a better idea of the angles of her features. “You’re not a cop, are you?”
She shakes her head, and I can see how much pain she’s in now that the gash on her forehead is more evident in the light of my office.
“No, I’m June. We hooked up five years ago when I was here on vacation, don’t you remember?” she asks, her words laced with betrayal.
I think back as hard as I can, and now that she says so, my memory of her begins to take shape after so many years of forgetting. I do feel a little guilty, mostly because I never expected to have to justify myself to any of my hookups. I can sense that there’s some real hurt in her eyes.
Now that I remember hooking up with her, I have the distinct suspicion that she’s been hunting me down for years. She was lucky enough that she caught me the first time, but the fact that she was able to track me down again after I’d dedicated so much of my effort to being untraceable concerns me.
“Explain to me why you were here then and now. Why would you come back to the same exact place twice? Are you going to try and convince me that you have family here? Because that isn’t going to work on me,” I warn, hoping that I’m able to dissuade any attempts to claim her innocence.
“I was just on vacation with some friends the first time, and this time I was assigned here for work! Why is that so unbelievable? Why does everything have to revolve around... whatever it is you’re trying to hide here?” she responds, growing somewhat hysterical now that I’m questioning her integrity.
I light a cigarette, taking a drag and blowing the smoke into her face. “Maybe if you had as much to lose as I do, you’d get it. To be honest, I’m still not convinced that you don’t know what’s at stake for me, so your alibi isn’t strong enough unless you’re able to back it up.”
She’s insulted that I don’t believe her, and I can’t say I blame her. Even still, I don’t owe her the decency of my trust. Even if she isn’t a cop, the fact that I found her with my biggest rival speaks volumes. Something weird is going on with this girl.
“What do I need to do for you to believe me? Please don’t hurt me. I’ll do whatever you need me to do in order to prove that I’m not after you,” she begs, growing less composed as I wear her down.
I pause, taking a long drag of my cigarette to suspend her anticipation and keep her nervous. “I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to figure that out. You don’t seem like you’re capable of being a cop, but the fact that we’ve crossed paths twice now is suspicious. Do you understand that?”
She nods. “I know, it’s really crazy, and I’m sure that it seems really unusual, but I promise you that it’s nothing but an insane coincidence.”
I stop for a moment to consider the possibility that she’s telling the whole truth. Now that I’ve been pressing her for more information, her façade is beginning to crumble. However, she could just be really shitty at her job. I can’t afford to take any chances, especially not with my brother’s freedom on the line. If this woman picks up on the fact that I’m going to kill the person who had my brother imprisoned, I’m as good as dead.
“Why should I believe you, exactly?” I ask, lowering myself to her level again and looking straight into her eyes.
She stammers, her mind and voice arrested by fear.
ChapterTwelve
JUNE
There has to be some way to get through to him. I wouldn’t have fucked him if I thought he was insane, so there needs to be something I can do to convince him that I’m not lying to him.
I mentally visualize my hotel room, attempting to locate my passport and work ID. The passport is in the bag I left at the hotel, but my work ID is on the dresser across from the bed. If Marcello or one of his men could get into my hotel room, they’d see the ID, and I would be absolved.
But then what?
When is a good time for me to tell Marcello that he has two kids?
I’ve pictured this scenario a thousand times by now, and these particular circumstances never even crossed my mind once. In my head, we were always running into each other at cafes or bars late at night after we’d given up on finding someone else to take home with us. The reunions were always warm and sensual, always leading up to a kiss before I’d tell him that he was the father of my children.
“You’d better come up with something because the fact that you can’t defend yourself speaks volumes,” Marcello warns, smoking his cigarette as if he’s bored and waiting for his shift at a restaurant to end. He’s so casual and cool about everything, and I can hardly keep myself together. I fucking hate that about him right now.
