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“Well? So obviously, you care!” I shouted. “So, how dare you get mad at me? It was a burner phone. Not just any phone but the one YOU gave me. I blocked the number, and I was safe,” I lowered my voice. “I just miss my mom.”
Warwick picked up the spatula, removed the burgers he cooked from the grill, and turned back to me. His handsome face was pale, and looked tired. “I understand,” he said. “I just worry that something is going to happen to them or us before I can figure out how to fix it. I’m working on it. But I’m just one guy. What if I can’t?”
I nodded and sat heavily on the patio chair. “I know,” I said, defeated.
I felt my eyes well with tears again. I had cried more this week than ever before, and I was getting tired of it.
“I feel trapped.” My shoulders hunched forward as I said it.
Warwick sat down next to me and clasped my hand in his. “I know. I should have something soon. I promise. Then you can go and live your life away from here. You deserve a good life away from the chaos our families bring, and so do I. Just give me a little more time. Something will come to light. It always does with families like ours. I promise,” Warwick leaned forward and kissed my head. I rested my cheek on his chest.
“I hope so,” I mumbled. “Before my parents get killed.”
Warwick sighed loudly. “Yeah, I don’t even want to think about that.”
I nodded but remained silent. What else was there to say?
Chapter Nine
Warwick
SarahandIateour dinner in silence. I longed to say something to make her feel better, but I wasn’t sure what that was. I couldn’t lie to her; she’d see through me immediately, and it's never been my nature to do that anyway. Now, my only option was to find something to set the motion of events again.
“That was good, thank you,” Sarah said as she cleared our plates. I watched her closely. She seemed to be trying to be upbeat, but how long would it be until she snapped under the pressure?
“I have to go out tomorrow. Will you be okay here alone?” I asked. “I mean. Not alone. Kevin will be with me, but I have others here to keep an eye on you and keep you safe,” I added hastily. Sarah looked at me, her blue eyes sad but determined.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” she said.
I wanted to believe her, but she looked so tired and discouraged I wasn’t sure.
She didn’t ask where I was going, and I didn’t offer anything. I planned to reach out to a few of my contacts and see if there was a way to get Pauly off the street once and for all. The idea of being a snitch made me feel terrible inside, even if it was to put someone as heinous as him in prison, but I didn’t see a lot of alternatives.
Sarah went into the gym after dinner to run on the treadmill. I used the time to make some calls to some of my contacts. The first person was Kevin. I asked him to meet me around the back for a chat. I didn’t want anyone to hear our conversation, not even Maria, who quietly puttered around the house cleaning and baking cookies.
“Have you been able to find anything out?” I asked him.
“Some. Your stepdad is getting a large shipment of weapons to sell in a couple of days, according to my inside guy. I just don’t know where or how yet,” he started. I tried not to smile too prematurely, but this seemed like a good start to devising a plan. I needed more information, though.
“Okay, do you know anything else?” I pressed.
“Only that my buddy is fed up with the erratic decisions Pauly has been making. He seems to think Pauly will get them all killed, and he doesn’t want to be a part of that,” Kevin said. “I have to be careful asking, though. You know how these guys are. One minute they’re your friend, and the next…” Kevin raised his fingers into the shape of a gun and mock-fired it.
“I know,” I said. “I hear that.”
“Between you and me, Alex has been distant from some of the family’s business, and Pauly is getting alarmed by it,” Kevin said. “Pauly’s equated it to the marriage falling through, but I’m not so sure that’s it,” Kevin finished.
I nodded. Maybe what Alex told me about being fed up was the truth. I didn’t trust him yet, though.
“Okay, can you find out when the drop is happening?”
“Yeah, as soon as I hear something so will you,” he assured.
I didn’t have to wait for Kevin to find out, though. My phone rang as I headed to the small house gym. Sarah finished her workout and was in the shower when the call came. It was Alex.
“Changed phones again, eh?” he snickered.
“Yeah,” I said. “What’s up?”
