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“That really happened?” I asked.
Phoenix kept his mouth shut even while I stared at him. I turned my attention to Angelo.
He sighed and his shoulders came down. “Yeah, it did. Phoenix is right. She’s dated nothing but losers who burned her—bad. I’m not calling you a loser, Mr. Big, but again, I’m no fool. I know what this life means for a woman. Our dad was in it. Leonora doesn’t deserve it. And now it’s my fault she’s…trapped.”
Leonora had never outright told me these things, but I knew she’d been burned to the point where she built a fireproof guard around what was left of her heart. She still had it up, and full entry was something I was going to have to earn over the years. She wasn’t like the rest—she was a hard win. And she was fucking worth it. Just like she thought these kids were.
“I take care of what I love, understand?”
Angelo used his good arm to swipe his dark hair to the side. “You really love her?”
“I do. She’s home to me too.”
Angelo thought about that for a second. “Yeah. All right. But I’m just warning you—I’ll buy your words for now, but all promises come with a return policy. One day I’ll be older, and I’ll be just as dangerous as you are. If you hurt her…I won’t forget it.”
This fucking kid. I liked him already. Both of them. “Noted.”
“Is Jerry Rispoli going to try to kill Angelo?”
The turn in conversation made me whip my attention to Phoenix. “You’ve been worried about it?”
“Yeah. He’s the only brother I have. And Rispoli left him with the broken arm as a warning. He might have even killed him that night if it wasn’t for someone else showing up.”
“You’re under my protection. No one touches either of you.”
They visibly relaxed, and I took a seat next to Phoenix, questioning Angelo about what he knew about the operation Jerry Rispoli had going. He was reticent, at first, like he was ratting. I knew what I had on my hands for the future—a man who’d find himself in similar shoes to my own. It was already apparent in him. But maybe I could turn his direction some. Keep him on a path to success, but without the bloodshed.
He didn’t know that much, only what he’d put together. He knew he was delivering drugs, but he said he purposely didn’t ask questions, just did what he was told for the money he got in return. If he was late to the meet-up point—
He motioned to his arm. “Lesser of the punishments. I figured it was because it threw everything off, and it made the people Rispoli was delivering to nervous.”
Yeah, that either I or the cops would find out. Either way, a death sentence.
My phone went off. Aphrodite. She was breathless on the other end. “Big? I’m going to kill you! You shut my alarm off and now I’m late—you have no idea—”
I put the phone on speaker. Phoenix told her to chill out and she grew quiet, though I could still hear her breathing.
“Phoenix?”
“It’s me! Angelo’s here too, but he’s being Angelo. Say something as proof of life so she’ll chill.”
“What up, Leonora?”
“Big, take me off speaker.” She exhaled loudly when I did. “You’re at the hospital?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“It was time I met your brothers. Thought they might need a ride too. Seems like one of them has been released from this joint.”
Phoenix laughed.
“You were on time?”
“Early.”
She grew quiet, but I could tell she was pacing. “Okay. Okay.” I’d never heard her repeat herself before, but I could hear the immense relief in those two words. “Lidia said I should meet you there?”
