Pulling up to her school, I look over at her. She looks at me and smiles a bit crookedly. Like she does not want to smile, but she knows she should, at least, for the ride. I understand it is simply awkwardness and have no need to push, so I nod, and she hops out. Closing the door in a flash.
I realize there is only so much I have control over, and part of me was going to have to get used to that, though I want to do recon on every person in the school and stand guard outside her classrooms. That is a bit ridiculous, but she is my only mission. Her safety is my only concern. I look at the time on the dash. I have a little time before I have to be at work, but I might as well head over now. The drive is peaceful, serene, and it gives me time to reflect on my thoughts. By the time I arrive, I’m feeling a little lighter.
Heading inside, I see Roman talking to Luke. Nobody knows what Luke does, it is a mystery.
Luke is a huge, barrel-chested man’s man, at least as tall as me, and a paunchy face that pinches his eyes into perpetual squints, with a black mop of hair over his forehead, buzzed tight on the sides. The kind of guy you know that has been in more scrapes and brawls than almost any other person, always coming out on the winning side. Though you know, he is likely to cheat to ensure he always gets there.
I head over to the two of them. I need to know about what happened to that kid.
“Roman, you got a few minutes?”
“Shoot.” He nods. “You know anything you need to say can be said in front of Luke.”
“No, not this. I need a few minutes alone.”
Roman looks at Luke, and Luke moves away, but not too far. Just out of earshot.
“What’s up?” Roman looks at me kindly, although, for the first time, I sense the permanent menace behind his eyes.
“I want to know what happened to that guy.”
“You don’t need to know what happened to that guy. Some things are need to know. You are a Marine, you know that.”
I shake my head. “No, Roman, I need to know what happened to that guy.”
“Don’t you worry about it. He’s taken care of. You just make sure that little missy of yours doesn’t talk. Then everything will be fine.”
The hair on my entire body stands on end.
“Is she in danger?”
“Not if she doesn’t talk.” His eyes flit away as if I’m boring him. He lifts his shoulders and drops them before glancing at Luke, who shares something secret and unspoken between them. “We have our eye on her.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means that she better not talk.” Roman swings his gaze back to me, and his eyes lock with mine. We have known each other a long time, at least at work. I don’t usually get in any of his business outside the job, but this I need to know.
“Roman, are you involved with the Rossi family?” I am treading on dangerous ground, but his implied threats about Jude force my hand. I need to know how far this ran. I have never been one to run from danger, and I will not start now.
Roman looks away, sets his bottle of water on the floor, and stands up. He walks a couple of feet out, rolls and stretches his shoulders as if readying for the starting bell, and turns back around to me–eyes dead on mine.
“I got connections. I got what I need. When I need it. You just keep the girl quiet, and everything will be fine.” There is an edge of danger to his voice. A warning.
I know he is saying something without saying anything, all at the same time. I know that is probably the way of it, but I still wonder if he is an associate or if he is a subordinate or simply an extended arm in their labyrinth of connections. Does he work for them? Does he owe them? Or does he resist knowing them? If I have to guess, he works with them, moving products for them, laundering money, or something equally heinous.
I had seen money exchange hands a couple of times, but it was cash or a duffel bag that looked heavy enough to have cash in it. Maybe they took a cut at the gym. Maybe…who knows.
All I know is that he is making a clear and direct threat. I am going to have to keep Jude close if I am going to have any shot at protecting her.
The Rossi family is huge and powerful. From what I learned online, there are two brothers, and together they run everything. The biggest crime family I have ever heard of. They seem to be part of everything in this town and all of the surrounding suburbs and townships. Hell, across the entire state for that matter, at least to some degree.
Drugs, racetracks, murder, gentlemen’s clubs, laundromats, payday loans, pubs. You name it, they have their hands in it. Lots of folks believe the police are on their dime. There are just too many of them, more even than any department of the police.
They have a family compound outside of town. Hundreds of acres. Rumor has it, every inch of those grounds are under surveillance, and they have labyrinths of tunnels underground between each building to move between them, and to escape if they need.
No, Jude is not safe. Not if he is connected to them. Not at all. Hell, maybe I’m not safe, either.
12
Jude
I have not felt good all morning. Maybe it’s from the spaghetti last night, followed by all the tears. Maybe it’s from the rough sleep I had and the tortured dreams. Maybe it is just all the stress. I don’t know, but I try to shake it off so I can get on with my day.
When I get out of the truck after Lex drops me off, I pretend to walk in the building until I know he is out of sight. Then I make my way left to go meet Blair for breakfast.
I walk in the cafeteria and look around. It takes me a minute to spot her. I motion with my head in a greeting and make my way over.
“Hey, roomie!” She is friendly, chipper, eager to connect with me. I do not know what to do with that. I have never been one much for friends, so it is odd that she likes me before she knows me. I don’t trust that.
“Hey,” I offer back, a little less enthusiastically. I set my bag down on the floor near my legs and look over at the long line. I decide to skip the hot food and go straight for the bakery section, which is faster. “I’m going to get a muffin. Do you want anything?” I look at her.
“No, I ate before you got here since I got here early.”
“Cool. I’ll be right back.”
I come back with a muffin and juice in hand and take a seat.
“How are things with your boyfriend?” She is eager to get to know me, it seems, but it comes across as nosy and callous. Why does she think I have a boyfriend?
“I don’t have a boyfriend,” I correct her, flatly, but her enthusiasm is not easily suppressed.
“Yeah, but I meant, you know, the guy you’re staying with.” She leans forward and whispers the last half of her sentence as if we are besties, and she is in on the big secret.
“He is just helping me out while I go through something. That’s all.”
I take a bite of my muffin, and it tastes off. Instantly, I want to throw it up, which is a pretty strong reaction to just one bite. It must be food poisoning.
Blair looks at me questioningly and sees that I am turning green.
“You’re not preggers, are you?” She grins from ear to ear. The big secret just got cataclysmically juicy in her mind.
The word preggers hits me like a speeding train. Now, I really think I am going to be sick. Because it dawns on me that having sex with Lex two months ago, without protection, means I could be. That is all I need.