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I was almost asleep when another thought popped into my head. Was Sarah on any sort of protection? She’d alluded to the fact that she’d never been with another man before me. Was it possible we were barebacking without any other protection every time?
I chewed on this thought until the wee hours of the morning. Would Sarah have unprotected sex with me? Surely, she knew what a roulette game that was? I groaned inwardly. That was all I needed, one more reason not to leave her, and yet the thought of her having my child excited me—it made me dream.
I finally fell asleep just as the sun peeked its way into the sky.
Sarah was out of bed when I got up. I slept later than I meant to and berated myself for it.
I have stuff to do. It was important stuff, too, and yet, all I could think about was the fact that I had been with Sarah many times, and I’d never thought to ask her about her birth control status. I was supposed to be the responsible one!
I padded down to the kitchen. Sarah sat at the table with a coffee. Her eyes looked brighter than they had the last two days, and I wondered if she was feeling better. If I had my way, my stepdad would be out of the picture sooner than later, and we could all get on with our lives. Her new identification was in my pocket, which meant we were one step closer. I debated whether I should give it to her now since she seemed in better spirits. I didn’t want to be the one to ruin that.
“Uh, Sarah,” I said cautiously.
“Yeah?” She looked up with a smile that made my heart leap.
“I have your new identification. You know, just in case.”
I dug into my pocket and handed her the new passport, driver's license, birth certificate, and bank card with the name Carly Smith on it. She stared at the name.
“Carly?”
“I had to come up with something.” I felt like an idiot. Why didn’t I ask her what name she wanted before I ordered it? “The bank card has a max of five hundred dollars. It’s only for emergencies.”
“I like it,” she said and grinned. “It’s like having an alter ego.”
“Okay, good,” I breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s only for emergencies, though. For now, we stay here, hidden.”
Sarah pocketed the documents and nodded. “Got it, boss. I’ll be here. Maria wants to teach me how to make scones today.”
I could tell Sarah was trying to be optimistic. I admired her resolve even if we both knew it was fake.
I scarfed down a quick breakfast and went to the gym. I’d get Kevin to leave with me after my workout. I wanted to pick his brain on my plan anyway.
Kevin and I left as planned right after lunch. We took a car that I had for emergencies only. It was a proper Town Car, complete with bulletproof glass and untraceable plates. It was the sort of car that would make Pauly proud.
First, I headed to the secure drop-off location behind the warehouse. It was vacant, as Alex had said. That was a good start. Next, Kevin and I headed to Sarah’s parents’ home. We parked down the street, out of view. I watched the house for what felt like an eternity and waited. Kevin’s .38 rested in his lap and in mine was a rifle, complete with scope and silencer. If someone was going to show up and wreak havoc, the least I could do was try and stop them before the tragedy occurred.
“I just got confirmation that the drop is happening at the warehouse,” Kevin said, staring down at his phone. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, still maintaining my focus on the house.
“Great,” I said. “Tomorrow? 10 a.m.?”
“Yes.”
“And your guy is trustworthy?” I asked again. I already knew the answer. I’d asked him enough times.
“Yes,” Kevin said firmly. “He wants out. Says Pauly is getting too erratic and is going to get everyone killed.
I nodded. Kevin gave me the same answer he’d given me the day before, which sounded legit. Pauly had grown more erratic. It was apparent even before the wedding was set up in the first place. There had been a time when, although a gangster with very few morals, he would have never put an innocent girl at risk for a family merger. The older he got, the less I trusted him or his judgment. Pauly thought he was invincible, and I would do everything in my power to show him otherwise.
“I’ve told my police friend Dave that an anonymous call would be coming shortly about a firearm drop tomorrow. He knows it's legit and will make sure that they’re there before it happens,” Kevin said. “You’re sure you want to do this? It could cause backlash for years to come for you.”
“Yeah, I know, and yes. Make the call now,” I said firmly.
Kevin pulled a new disposable phone out and dialed.
At eight in the evening, just when I thought that maybe Pauly didn’t have something planned for Sarah’s family, a black Cadillac slowly made its way up the street. Kevin and I watched in silence, alert, and waited. It sped up, zoomed past the house, and turned onto another street. I breathed a sigh of relief. The relief was short-lived, though, because the car went by again five minutes later, this time faster. As it passed Sarah’s place, a barrage of shots rang out like something out of a movie. Kevin raised his weapon and shot, his bullet landing in the car's back window. I aimed my rifle and took out the back left tire. I fired a second time at the right one and missed. The car kept moving and sped haphazardly around the corner. We waited, our hearts thumping, to see if they would return on foot. They didn’t. When we thought it was safe, we sped off in the opposite direction. The police would be there any second. With so many rounds shot, the last thing I wanted was to confront them or explain our reason for being in the area.
Kevin drove us ten miles out of the city before he stopped and looked at me.
