I took our new I.D. Cards the credit cards and the knot of cash that Victor had left us and shoved it into my suit jacket. I couldn’t wait to get this fucking thing off. I glanced down at the coffee table to make sure I had everything when I noticed the newspaper. I grabbed it and my eyebrows shot up in shock as I read the headline. Get the fuck out of here the little shit was dead?
I diverted my eyes towards the bathroom door picturing Nikki inside upset over Rico’s death. I didn’t like the idea of her crying or feeling the loss of that prick, but I couldn’t control her feelings. I understood grief I was the poster child for it and knowing that Nikki was suffering from it tugged at something inside of me.
“For fuck’s sake Victor.” I hissed to the empty room. Just when I was starting to feel sorry for the guy, he goes and whacks Nikki’s boyfriend. It wasn’t enough that she was coming down from the shootout and being told that she had to drop everything and hide out in Florida now she had to mourn the death of the guy she was with. I may not have liked Rico may have actually despised him and pegged him all wrong for my Nikki but still I knew that there was something there at one point something that made her fall for him. Nikki wasn’t the na?ve type she wasn’t the girl who believed in fairy tales and certainly didn’t think Rico was Prince Charming. She had the ability to see the flaws in people and I believed that she knew Rico’s that they were coming to light to her over the last few weeks. Still, it didn’t lessen the blow that the man she once had a solid relationship with was now dead. I was man enough to respect her grief for him whether I liked it or not was a different story.
I looked around the room mindlessly trying to decide how to console her. My eyes zeroed in on the wedding bands that were on the coffee table. I blew out a frustrated breath and placed the paper next to the bands of gold. I stared at them for a moment before picking them up dropping them in one hand and then the other. I heard the water shut, forcing me to look back at the closed door and close my hand around the rings.
I wrapped a towel tightly around me holding it against my chest with one hand and used my other to wipe the steam off the mirror. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, realizing I looked much older than mere twenty-one years old. A knock sounded on the door causing me to divert my eyes to the wooden door reflected in the mirror. Mikey opened the door peeking his head inside before he opened it entirely and stepped in.
“Hey…” He said his eyes did a quick sweep of me. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Yeah… I… I don’t know what the hell I am.” I said honestly. I looked at Mikey, his eyes looking just as lost as I’m sure mine did.
“Well, maybe I can help with that.” He said taking my hand and pulling me closer to him. “You’re my Nikki.” He bent his knees, making himself eye level with me. “Hey…”
Mikey’s tender voice unraveled me and I had to look away so that I wouldn’t succumb to the tears that threatened. He tilted my chin up and I looked at him through my blurred vision.
“I’m sorry about Rico.” He said softly, his thumb caressing my cheek as he did. “Nikki I know you’re hurting and I know your scared.” He paused, leaning his forehead against mine as he cupped my face in hands. “I promise I’ll keep you safe.”
I blinked, letting go of the tears I was holding on to as he dropped his hands from my face and wrapped them tightly around my body pulling me towards him. He pressed his lips to my hair as I wept. I cried for what we had been through last night. I cried for Rico mourning both the man I thought he was and the death of the man he truly was. I cried for my father and his crimes that I was sure caused many other families the pain it was not causing mine. I cried for my mother thinking of her alone in that house worried about her children. I cried for my sister picturing her in some placed locked away, holding onto her son as she tried to make things normal for him.
Mikey slowly pulled away from me placing a soft kiss to my forehead before reaching into his pocket. He opened his palm and centered in it was the wedding bands that would tie us to our fake identities. He sighed heavily, taking the larger band and hastily sliding it onto his left ring finger. I went to take the band meant for me out of his hand, but he jerked my left hand towards him before I could snatch the ring from him. His eyes locked with mine as he slid the ring onto my finger. There was a certain intensity between us in that single moment as we said goodbye to Nikki and Mikey becoming James and Sara Trunzo.
Chapter Eighteen