He picks up on the first ring.
“Yes,” he answers gruffly.
“I want to meet that guy with the women,” I tell him.
“Why?”
“I shouldn’t have let the last one go, having a woman for myself would be the perfect setup. Plus, I was thinking we could buy one or two to help package some of our lower-end drugs, then we don’t have to pay men to do it,” I go further, trying to get him to trust me and agree.
“That’s what I was thinking when I met him until you went fucking cowboy,” he says aggressively.
I have to bite my tongue to keep from telling him off. Telling him what I really think of the man he is.
“I’m booked with meetings and my hands are full with your mother. I can’t meet him for a while,” Father informs.
That won’t do.
“I can handle it. Set it up for me,” I tell him.
The line goes quiet as he mulls it over. “Okay, I will. But if you blow this deal, you’re out on your ass. This is your last chance!” he informs with a sharp tongue. “Your absence the last few days has had me look like a fool as it is.”
“Yep. Just text me the time,” I say through gritted teeth. I hang up, needing off the line before I blow this whole fucking thing.
I hate that man. I hate him more than anything in the world. He’s a disgusting pig, and for him to be alive and representing the DeAngelo family is a fucking mockery.
16
Luna
Dressed in some jeans and my hoodie, I walk out of the room finding Romeo standing next to his chair, his hands leaning behind him. His face is pulled tightly as if something is bothering him.
“What?” I ask him, coming into the room farther.
“So, I got some news on your foster parents.”
My heart slows as if its beat will drown out his words and I won’t be able to hear. Pulling my hair out from inside the back of the sweater I wait and listen.
“They moved to Texas and can’t be found. They’re probably dead somewhere, unclaimed in a morgue,” he informs. My brows furrow at the news, my hands turning into fists. They were at the top of my hit list, they were the ones who acted like a family only to get me to my eighteenth birthday and sell me into a back of a van. If anyone deserves to die, it’s them.
“How about we go out for dinner tonight? Grab a bite to eat and I’ll show you Central Park?” Romeo suggests, walking this way.
I’ve seen Central Park, but it’s been a long time. I could use some fresh air right now because I’m feeling a little defeated not being able to take the souls of the people that sold me into slavery.
Putting on my new tennis shoes, I meet Romeo by the front door and we head to the elevator, and back to the main lobby. Jannet is behind the desk reading a book, but she looks up and gives me a wink as we walk by, not going toward the garage this time but out the front double doors. Outside, the fresh smell I was looking for is replaced by exhaust fumes, cigarettes, and a slight scent of food.
“Don’t let this bring you down, I have a meeting in the works with the boss that runs the trafficking ring you were in,” Romeo informs and this catches my attention.
Putting my hands in the pocket of my hoodie, I look at him for more information.
“I’m hoping to meet the same people tomorrow. You, me, Kieran and Gideon will meet them, take the boss hostage until he takes us to the place he kept you, and we will kill them all,” he says matter-of-factly, shrugging as if it’s no big deal.
Looking forward as we come to the middle of Central Park, I think about all the men who hurt me, grabbed me by the arm and threw me around like a ragdoll, refused me water when I thought I was going to die. Tomorrow is my payback.
“So, what are you going to do when this is all over?” Romeo asks, taking me away from the imaginary blood bath inside my head.
“Um, I dunno. Maybe get a crummy job with a boss I hate. Find a shitty place to live.” I look at him and see wrinkles on his forehead. “I know it doesn’t sound like high end goals but it is to me.”
“Well, finding a place to live is going to be hard and costly. You could—"
“Find a roommate, that’s a good idea,” I interrupt him. He closes his mouth and gives a small smile. Wait, was he going to suggest something else? Surely he wasn’t inviting me to stay. I mean, I’ve never lived on my own, found out who I am by myself. If I move in with him and fall in love like that, we’ll just resent each other six months down the road. Right?
The bowing of trees creates a canopy over us as we continue to walk and talk. The smell of air becoming cleaner, and fresh. I still can’t help but stare at every passing person, and watch my surroundings. I wonder if I’ll ever blindly stroll through the park without having to look over my shoulder.
“What will you do?” I question, wanting the attention off me. I know him and I have gotten close and I want us to stay close but I don’t know if that will be an option for Romeo. He’s a hard man to figure out. He’s hot and cold, and unreadable at times. When I walked into his life, he was alone and happy that way. Going back to his old ways, he might decide being done with me is for the best.
“I still gotta figure that out. I’ll know soon though,” he informs quietly. He lifts his arm and points in front
