The man frightened me. There was no doubt about it. But I was tired. I was tired, and scared, and losing my mind.
I straightened my back and stared the demon in the eye. “I’m not letting you in my house, Ciro. So, you might as well-” I yelped as she grabbed me by my arms, lifted me as if I weighed nothing, and deposited me to the side. He walked in like he owned the place, and left me standing there, dumbstruck.
He shut the door behind him and turned to face me. “What’s going on?” he asked, and I couldn’t believe I was still surprised by this man’s nerve. He has probably never heard the word ‘no’ in all his life.
“None of your business,” I repeated. “How many times do I have to tell you that?”
Ciro stepped towards me until my ass hit the edge of the entry table that was place to the right of my doorway. I used it to throw my keys and purse on when I got home from work. However, right now, it was supporting my wide ass.
He planted each hand on the wall on either side of my head. “I’m going to ask you one more time, Robbie,” he said menacingly. “My advice to you is that you re-think your bravery, because I’m known to get people to talk when they don’t want to.”
I wanted to claw the man’s gorgeous eyes out.
I wanted to kick him in his junk and keep kicking.
I hated how he made me feel weak and scared.
I knew I shouldn’t take it personally because most of the state feared this man, but I was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. And it was causing me to lose my grip on reality.
“Go back and tell Frankie you tried,” I replied. “We both know she’s the only reason you’re here.” I kept my eyes glued to his. I wanted him to hear me. “We both know you couldn’t care less about what might happen to me.”
Ciro ignored my comments. “What. Is. Going. On?”
In this moment, I knew I had two choices. I could piss him off and hope he kills me and puts me out of my misery, or I could tell him and see if there was some advice in that dark soul of his that could help me.
I chose to live.
“A couple of guys-”
“Who?” he snapped.
My brows drew down. “I don’t know,” I snapped. “I’d never seen them before yesterday.”
He gave me a measured nod. “Okay. Continue.”
“How gracious of you,” I deadpanned.
He pushed off, so he was no longer caging me in. “Woman, I will strangle you,” he threatened. But with everything that was going on, I hardly considered it a threat anymore. It felt more like a reprieve.
“When I got off work last night, two guys approached me in the back of Brighton Steak House,” I said, starting the story. “I’d never seen them before, but they knew who I was.”
“From Randy, I take it.”
“Yeah, from Randy.” Now that Ciro had given me some room, I sat on the table thinking that it gave me more of an advantage in height. I didn’t like how Ciro’s presence dominated my little house. Sitting on the table make me feel taller.
Stupid, I know.
“They said they knew who I was and that I dated Randy. They went on to let me know they believed he was dead and by…unlawful means.” Ciro’s brow went up but that’s the only reaction I got. “They told me Randy had a box of theirs, and they wanted me to find it for them.”
“Robbie, I need you to listen carefully, okay?” I nodded. “I need you to tell me, word for word, everything they said. I also need exact, detailed descriptions of both men. Every word and every detail, Robbie.”
I let out a tired sigh but did as he asked. I even mentioned how polite they were. I told him how we planned to meet up on Tuesday. And I told him how I search every nook and cranny of my house, which led me to that conversation with Phoenix. “I was hoping…I don’t know, that maybe in a haze of pain, or something, he might have blurted it out.” Hearing me say the words out loud made me realize how stupid the idea had been. Desperation really does lead to stupidity. “I…d…don’t know. I was…grasping at straws when I called earlier.”
“And you’ve never seen this box?” he asked and, for once, I knew he wasn’t trying to be insulting.
“No,” I answered honestly. “But…Randy didn’t include me much in his…extracurricular activities.” Shame coated my next words, but they were the truth. “Towards the end, he only really came around when he wanted money, a place to pass out, or…to see me.”
Ciro smirked, and it reeked of revulsion. “You mean he only came around when he wanted to fuck you, right?”
“Whether he was a jerk or not, he was my boyfriend,” I replied through clenched teeth. “It wasn’t unreasonable for him to expect sex from me.”
“Was it unreasonable for you to expect more from your boyfriend that to be an ATM, a motel, and a warm hole?”
Had he been standing closer to me, I would have slapped him again.
“Screw you, Ciro,” I hissed. “My relationship with Randy is none of your business.”
“Then why am I here?” he argued. “If it’s not my business, then why the fuck am I here?”
I jumped off the table, incensed that he would suggest that I’m the reason he’s here. “You’re here because of Frankie,” I shot back. “Now, just go home and tell her you did her bidding, like a good little boy, and leave me the hell alone!”
Ciro’s hand was wrapped around my throat, and I was on the table again, my back pressed up against the wall. The man looked spitting mad, and his eyes were like golden flames dressed in rage and dancing in violence.
The Son.
That’s who was before
