“Saw a man in a car outside your offices. He didn’t look too good. Boys who took you probably took him out. Nothin’ I could see at Vi’s.”
“They still could have the girls,” Cal muttered then stated, “but that means Vi’s got at least two on her. What do you know about his house?”
Benny’s phone vibrated, he leaned forward and reached to his back pocket as he finished, “Tell you about the house in a second. Right now you need to know that Frankie followed me. When the cars separated, I took you, Crazy Frankie took Vi.”
Cal stared at his cousin’s profile and whispered, “You are shittin’ me.”
“Nope,” he answered and Cal knew even with that one word Benny was pissed and he was worried. Then Benny flipped his phone open and put it to his ear. “Sal, I got ‘im. He’s good. Did Frankie call you?”
Benny listened to Sal for approximately three seconds before he put his foot to the floor, the SUV shot forward, he flipped his phone shut and threw it on the dash.
Then he whispered, “Vi’s at Hart’s house and Hart’s got Frankie too.”
“Sal call the cops?” Cal asked.
“Don’t know, don’t care, didn’t ask, wasn’t gonna wait for an answer.”
Cal studied Benny and saw with clarity that his cousin was now on a mission.
In normal circumstances Cal would question this response considering Benny hated Francesca. All the Bianchis did except Carm, who lived in LA, and Cal, who hadn’t really lived anywhere for seventeen years.
He didn’t question this response however because he was just happy Benny finally got the lead out.
He leaned forward and nabbed Benny’s phone, sat back and dialed the house phone.
Feb answered with a cautious, “Hello?”
“Feb, Cal. You got the girls?”
“Cal,” she whispered, relief so stark in her tone it was a physical thing coming over the airwaves. Then he heard commotion behind her.
“Feb, the girls,” Cal prompted on an impatient growl.
No answer then Colt.
“Cal?”
“Colt, are the fuckin’ girls there?”
“They’re here. Safe. Scared. Though things perked up the minute Feb said your name. Where are you?”
“Chicago. On my way to pick up Vi.”
“She okay?”
“She will be.”
A pause then, “Talk to me.”
“Hart has her at his place. We’re headed there.”
“You know this for certain?”
“Intel from Sal.”
“Sal made a deal with Pryor. This mean Sal told the cops where Vi is?”
“Don’t know, we didn’t ask and don’t got a line to Pryor. They’re there, they’re not, they don’t have her, I’m goin’ in.”
“Cal, let me call Pryor.”
“She’s not out, I’m goin’ in.”
“Cal –”
“Make your calls,” Cal ordered and then shut the phone.
I stared out the window at Daniel Hart’s beautiful lawn and garden. He had a swimming pool that Keira would love.
“Violet,” I heard him say and I turned.
He was walking toward me, smiling and holding a glass of water and what looked like a pale green silk robe was slung over his forearm.
“I brought you aspirin and water for your hangover,” he told me when he made it to me.
“Thanks,” I whispered and took the glass and pills from him.
“A robe,” he offered the green silk to me, “you can get out of that shirt.”
My choice? I would wear Joe’s shirt until it fell off me.
But I didn’t have choices anymore.
Joe was dead and I was here. That was it. That was my life.
Joe was dead and I was here.
Joe was dead.
Joe was dead.
I turned back to the window and looked out.
“Violet,” he called.
“Yes?” I said to the window but he didn’t speak further for long moments.
Then he said, “I can see you need some time.”
Yes, you fucking lunatic! I need some fucking time! My mind screamed.
“That’d be good,” I whispered not looking at him. I knew what he looked like. Brown hair, not light, not dark. Hazel eyes. Fit and slim. Nice trousers, sharp crease pressed in. Khaki. A long-sleeved polo neck shirt. Burgundy. Also nice. Totally fucking crazy.
I’d have him, in that outfit, telling me calmly and with no emotion that he was sorry, Joe was dead burned on my brain for the rest of my life.
They’d told me on the phone, if I went with them, they’d let Joe go.
They’d lied.
“Change, I’ll be back in awhile and we’ll share a late lunch,” he murmured but I felt him there, he didn’t move and neither did I before he went on. “I’m glad you made this decision Violet.”
It was then I turned and met his eyes.
“You killed my husband, my brother and Joe. Did I have a choice?”
“Violet –”
I turned away, tossed the pills to the floor and took a long drink of the water.
“You should take the aspirin, Violet. It’ll help –”
I turned to him again. “Do you honestly think I’m going to consume pills you handed me?”
He looked shocked before he stated, “I’d never hurt you.”
At those stunning, crazy, unbelievable words, not thinking, losing it, I leaned into his face and screamed, “You killed Joe!”
I watched his face start to go hard but I stopped watching when we both turned to the door after we heard, “Danny.”
A man was standing there, one of the two who’d been in the car with me during the longest, most uncomfortable, most terrifying ride of my life. The whole time I felt like I was going to get sick not only because of my hangover but because of my fucking life and the fact that I knew they could never have Joe’s phone without having Joe. I didn’t know what they had to do to get to a man like Joe. I just knew it wasn’t good.
“I’m in the middle of something,” Hart said to his minion.
“We got a situation,” his minion replied and Hart stared at him looking unhappy then he turned to me.
“Change,” he ordered.
“You gonna kill me if I don’t?” I snapped.
He leaned forward and barked, “Change!”
I leaned forward too, too far gone to read the warning behind his quick shift in mood from Mr. Charm to Mr. Mean and shouted, “Fuck you!”
“Danny! For Christ’s sake, we got a situation,” the minion repeated.
Hart didn’t turn to him. Instead he said to me, “I recommend you get smart pretty fuckin’ soon.”
“And I recommend you go fuck yourself,” I shot back and then suddenly I was on my hands and knees. This was because he backhanded me hard.
I’d never been hit, not in my life, and it hurt. I stayed still, blinking away the pain and felt him lean over me.
“Change,” he whispered then I felt his presence move away.
I didn’t move while I waited for the pain to clear and then I decided I wasn’t going to change. Fuck him. Fuck him. Fuck him!
I got to my feet and sucked in a long breath. Then I looked at the pool and I looked at it for a long time.
Then I decided that my beautiful daughter Keira was never going to stick even her toe in that pool.
I didn’t know how I was going to get out of this but I knew I was going to have to get out of this. Then get to Barry. They might not take someone hanging out on your street and sending you gifts very seriously but they sure as fuck better take kidnapping seriously.
That asshole was going down.
And I was going to get on with my life. Again.
Without Joe.
I should have been like Theresa and taken pictures, loads of pictures. Pictures of him sleeping. Pictures of him with the girls. Pictures of him drinking coffee. Pictures of him mowing the lawn. Pictures of him watching TV. Pictures of him breathing.