I swallowed hard against the lump in my throat and looked down at my hands. “What if I go to jail?” I asked lifting my head to see confusion flood his eyes. “Don’t look so surprised Anthony. My father might elude the law but I’m not him. Don’t you think we should face that?”
“You’re not going to jail,” he said, reaching up to cup my face in the palms of his hand. “Listen to me, what you did? It was self-defense. Rico shot up that club, held a gun to you and to me.”
“What if that’s not good enough?” I asked.
“I’m only going to say this once, so pay close attention. No one is going to press charges against you, you won’t be convicted of any crime, and you sure as hell won’t be doing time.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“If it came down to anyone doing time for Rico’s death it will be me, you understand? You confess to nothing. Adrianna, I’m not fucking kidding. You can talk about this shit with me but that’s where it ends.”
I pushed his hands away, held onto his wrists and stared at him. “No way. I’m not letting you take the fall for what I did. There is no way I will let you leave me again.”
“Stop,” he shouted his voice changing, full of aggression. “Neither one of us are going anywhere okay? It’s not going to happen but if by some chance it did, you would not leave that little boy without a mother. I promise you it’s not going to happen.”
I let go of his hands and laid down beside him, rolling onto my side, my back facing him. I hated the fact that he was so quick to throw away his freedom, even if it was for me. I was starting to believe Anthony’s acts of selflessness held no bounds.
He lifted off the mattress and moved around the room before appearing at my side of the bed. He knelt down taking one hand in mine and caressing my cheek with the other.
“I love you Reese’s. I finally have you right where I want you and I’m not letting go. I got big plans for us, plans that won’t work without the both of us participating in them.”
“Swear you won’t leave me,” I pleaded.
“I swear,” he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine before taking my hand and placing something hard inside of it. I glanced down at the cell phone he had placed in my hand and lifted my eyes to his.
“I meant to give it to you before but I got distracted. It’s a prepaid phone,” he explained. “The last number dialed is the phone number to Mike’s prepaid. Call your sister.”
“Really?” I questioned my voice catching.
He winked at me and I threw my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.
“Mommy?” Luca called out from the room next to the one we were sharing. “Mommy?”
“I’ll get him,” he said, rising to his full height. He grabbed a pair of sweats from the floor and stepped into them before calling out to Luca. “Hey bud, I’m coming.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“You can thank me later,” he grunted, pulling away from me pressing a quick kiss against my lips before slapping my ass playfully. “Go ahead and call,” he said, walking out of the bedroom.
I took a breath and dialed my sister. As the phone rang, my heart raced. I didn’t even know if she was aware what had happened or if she would even want to speak to me. Mike’s voice boomed over the phone.
“Vic, I swear to Christ you better be calling me to say you found a way to rescue us from Shady Fucking Pines.”
“Mike its Adrianna.”
“Oh, hey…you’re not calling on behalf of your old man are you?” He asked hopefully.
“No, I’m sorry,” I said softly, chewing on my lip. “Are Aunt Gina and Nana giving you hell?”
“Your Aunt keeps trying to seduce me and your grandma has me smuggling cigarettes for her. What do you think?”
I muffled a laugh, picturing Mike with my aunt and grandma was comical. “How’s Nikki?”
“She’s good. She’s teaching all the old broads Zumba and shit.”
“Are you with her? Can I speak to her?”
“Yeah, she’s downstairs. Give me a second I was hiding in the bathroom from your aunt. Did you know they make lingerie for the elderly? It’s so foul but I suppose when I’m seventy I’d appreciate a garter belt on my woman. Hold on,” he said, and I heard the phone rustle about as he called out for Nikki.
“A!” She exclaimed into the phone.
I closed my eyes and relished in her voice for just a moment.
“Hi Nik,” I whispered into the phone.
“It’s so good to hear your voice. I was so worried about you and Luca. After the shoot-out, some bikers took me and Mikey to a safe house in Pennsylvania, dad came and said you were with Anthony. I knew you would be okay. He’s taking care of you isn’t he?”
“He’s been amazing,” I said, standing up and sliding my arms through one of his shirts, buttoning a few of the buttons so I was decent. There was a pause on both ends of the phone call before she spoke again.
“You sound happy A,” she said, my heart tightening at her genuine words.
“Nikki…” I started, hoarsely.
“Stop,” she whispered. “It’s okay to be happy you know? Don’t look for some reason not to be. I know you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop but maybe it won’t this time.”