Destiny watched from the doorway. “You’re moving out?”
“I’m going to stay with Tana for a little while. She needs help taking care of Mark.”
“Brooklyn or Shelby couldn’t do it?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask. I offered. Do me a favor and pack my shaving stuff.”
“Okay.”
When she didn’t leave, I stopped moving around the room and looked at her. “What’s wrong?”
“That brick through my window. Do you think that meant anything?”
“Just some dumbass kid, probably. Why? Are you worried?”
She looked over her shoulder when Roman let out a particularly loud snore. “With the fearless Roman around? Why would I be worried?” She smiled at me and left.
When I was alone, I raced to the dresser and yanked open the top drawer. I rooted around the socks until I found what I was looking for. A necklace with the patron saint of healing on a small silver pendant. It had belonged to my mother and was the only thing of hers I owned. My bastard father had destroyed everything else. I folded it into my hand when Destiny came back to hand me the shaving stuff.
“Thanks.” I shoved the necklace into my pocket and then took the bag from her to stuff it into the duffel bag. I walked into the living room and Roman sat up with a jerk. He blinked sleepily at me, then swung his feet off the sofa. He grunted a greeting and then wandered into the kitchen scratching himself.
Destiny shook her head and rolled her eyes.
“Lock up.” I waited on the porch until she did and then stood there a few minutes longer just listening to the sounds in the neighborhood. When I was satisfied that nothing was going on, I threw the duffel bag into the Charger and took off for the hospital.
It didn’t take long to get there and since I was good at sneaking into places, getting to Ms. Shaw’s room undetected was easy. I hated seeing her lying in the bed so still and pale, knowing that I might as well have been the one to put her there.
I eased down into the chair beside her bed and leaned close. “Uh...Ms. Shaw. It’s Ryan.” I exhaled. “I don’t know if you can hear me.” An image of my mother flashed into my mind and I bowed my head. Would she have been ashamed of the man I’d become? Of the damage that I’d left in my wake?
“I uh...I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry.” I eased up on one hip and pulled the necklace from my pocket, resting the weight of it in the center of my palm. I had vague memories of my mother wearing the necklace. Distorted images of her smiling face, her kind eyes.
I swallowed. “I should have saved you.” I looked at the bed. “I should have saved both of you and it’s my fault. I was trying to be a good man and steer clear of Chanos. He struck first and that’s on me.” I took a deep breath. “But I wanted you to know that I’m going to make it right. I swear. I’ll also make sure Tana has her college money and I’ll take care of her and Mark for you. And I hope that you can forgive me for this. Um...I guess that’s all.” I slipped the pendant into her hand and draped the necklace around her wrist.
My cell phone buzzed and I snatched it up to silence it before a nurse busted me. The text was from Chanos. You were supposed to be here. You want to visit Tana in there next?
Chapter Nineteen
TANA
I fell asleep at some point after talking to Juvante who never did tell me why he’d shown up at my house so late. He’d kept changing the subject. I yawned and rose on one elbow to check the alarm clock. Not quite seven. I flopped back down in the bed and then the odor of coffee and bacon hit me.
For the briefest of seconds, sadness washed over me. The smell was synonymous with my mom. Every morning. Coffee and bacon. I combed my fingers through my bed hair and went to investigate.
Ryan was setting plates at the table. He looked handsome and relaxed. Probably took a trip to Skanksville last night and Juvante just hadn’t wanted to tell me. “You cooked.”
“Figured I’d better take that over if I didn’t want to starve while I’m here.”
I sat at the table and brought my knees up in the chair with me. Reaching for a piece of bacon, I said, “Did you already wake Mark?”
“I let him sleep.”
“You look relaxed.”
His eyebrows rose. “I slept pretty hard.”
“I’ll bet.” I couldn’t hide the jealousy in my tone and I called myself all kinds of a fool. I had no right to be jealous. Ryan wasn’t mine to feel that way about. I took a bite of the bacon. Ryan and the faceless skank could screw happily ever after for all I cared. Oh, bullshit. “Who was she?”
“Does it matter?”
I nearly choked on the bacon. So I was right and Juvante had lied to me. Ryan had been with another girl. “No, I guess not.” I put my hand on my stomach. The bacon wanted to do an encore. “Juvante was here last night. He wouldn’t tell me why, but I guess I know now.” My cell phone buzzed and I checked the text. I didn’t recognize the number. Maybe one of Mom’s friends. Tell your Mom I said hi.
“What is it?” Ryan walked around the table and looked over my shoulder.
After he read the text, he stepped back and said, “Fuck!”
“What? Is it the text?”
“No...I remembered I have to do something before I go to work. I’ll be back before you need to leave and you can take the Charger.” He was out the front door before I had time to say a word.
*
RYAN
I knew where Chanos would be and I drove straight there. I shoved through the front door of the pool hall and waited a second to let my eyes adjust to the dim light. Chanos was in the corner of the bar with a couple of guys I didn’t recognize.
He waved me over and then tapped his palm on the bar. “One for my friend.” With a wide smile, he rose from the stool. “The prodigal son is coming back into the fold.”
“I told you I was in, but you’re way off trying to rattle me about Tana. She was just a fuck.”
Chanos’ dark eyes searched my face and he nodded. “Then you won’t mind if I have a go at that?”
I took a step toward him and his muscle sprang up to flank him.
Laughing, Chanos said, “You can’t bullshit me. You never could.” The laughter faded and his eyes grew stony. “You needed reminding where your loyalties are. It’s the brotherhood over pussy. You feel me?” He moved into my space, a guy move for measuring dicks. I’d once done whatever Chanos had asked of me, but I wasn’t a kid anymore.
“I’m not the same guy you knew,” I said.
“Not the same?” Chanos laughed. “That’s like saying you can take the devil out of hell, stick him in a business suit and he’s suddenly a decent fucking guy.” He slapped my chest. “You’re still who you’ve always been. You’ve just taken a hiatus from the things you used to do.” He snapped his fingers over his shoulder. “Give me the phone.” The guy to his right passed him a phone and Chanos swiped his finger across it. “Here. Take a look at this.”
The first picture was of Mama Leena getting into her car after work. The second one of Destiny at a fast food restaurant. The third was of Ms. Shaw in the hospital. The fourth of Tana waiting tables at her job. I stopped looking and returned the phone. I didn’t need to see any more.
He smirked. “It would be a shame if something happened to one of them because you forgot who you belonged to.”
“And it’d be a shame if something happened to you because you forgot who you were dealing with.”
Chanos smiled. “I don’t forget things, brother.”
“Good, then make sure you remember I’ll beat your ass until there’s nothing left but your goddamn teeth if you touch any of them.”
“See? You are the same guy I knew. Now, let’s have a drink to celebrate our family reunion.” He snapped his fingers at a guy behind the bar.