bathroom.
“What’s next?” he asks. I shake my head at him in a give-me-a-few gesture.
Facing the hard reality of the Prazzo’s disloyalty to the family prickles at my skin, no matter how much I tell myself that this is their choice, it doesn’t make it sting any less. But I have to live by my father’s motto — Don’t think, just do. What I have to do, right now, is figure out a plan, keep everybody out of the line of fire, and wait it out.
I decide to slip out of the room to go have a cigarette outside. I need to clear my head. The murkiness of being sick and the cold truth need to puff out of me in smoky circles.
It’s chilly. The fall air is awesome though, crisp and clean. I’m not alone long. Troy comes out too.
We’re quiet, not looking at each other.
“You got something to say to me?” I ask him, a stream of smoke caressing my words.
“What have you gotten her into?” he asks.
“Dude, I am going to say this once. This isn’t all me. You don’t know everything,” I challenge.
“Then tell me.” Troy says irritated.
“You know everything you need to know.” I crush my cigarette with my fingers and toss it into the dewy grass. “Thanks for taking Erin last night. I’ve gotta move the girls. I’ll keep you informed.”
I move to go back into the hotel. Troy stops me with a hand on my arm. I look down at it. Why the fuck is he touching me? I could easily break his hand in about two seconds. But I don’t.
“Do you love her?” he asks.
I lower my head, and I give Troy the honor of my confession. “Yes... I think I always have.”
“Keep her safe,” he says, and drops his hand. We walk back to the rooms in silence.
“Everyone, get your stuff together, we’re leaving,” I command when I enter the room. Erin is sitting up on the bed. Vito is sprawled on the other bed watching T.V. Megan is on her phone.
“We need to get the SUV and return it to the rental place. I want to find a new location to hold up. Vito, go downstairs and get another map.”
Vito leaves. “Troy we need to borrow your car for a little while longer. Better yet, let me have the car you borrowed. We will take it back to the campus later.”
Troy nods, and we switch keys. I notice that Megan is still on the phone. I walk over to her.
“Yeah,” she says into the phone. “Okay, bye.” She hangs up.
I don’t have to ask because she tells me.
“That was my dad. I called him back...” Her expression is sad. “I just... I just...wanted to know why he and my mother haven’t bothered to call.”
“I’m sure she wants to, honey, but your dad probably told her not to,” I say comfortingly.
“Dad said that, but I don’t think it’s true,” she says.
“Come on, let’s go. We have a lot to do today.”
I take her hand and lead her towards the door.
Chapter 13
Feekanaz (Fee-ca-na-zz): sneaky or nosy person
Megan:
Antonio appears to be better this morning. Thank God! I don’t like seeing him sick.
We go to pick up the Porsche from where Vito parked it a couple of blocks away from the bar. It appears fine. Antonio pulls up on the opposite side of the street from it. No one touched it. I find that very lucky considering the neighborhood.
Antonio is driving Troy’s borrowed car. Vito gets out with the rental keys in hand.
“We’ll meet you back at the campus,” Antonio says to Vito. “Then we’ll clean out the suites. I want to be at a new location before dinner.”
“Got it,” Vito says and gets out. He walks by the front of the car, and heads to the SUV. He gets the door open.
“I’m gonna go with him,” Erin says, quietly from the backseat, as she opens her door.
Antonio takes a breath to speak, when we hear a small squeak. Erin falls out of the car onto the pavement.
“Ouch!” she says.
“Erin you okay?!” I call out to her.
“Yeah. I missed the curb and twisted my leg,” she says, slumped on the sidewalk. Antonio opens his door to help
“What’s next?” he asks. I shake my head at him in a give-me-a-few gesture.
Facing the hard reality of the Prazzo’s disloyalty to the family prickles at my skin, no matter how much I tell myself that this is their choice, it doesn’t make it sting any less. But I have to live by my father’s motto — Don’t think, just do. What I have to do, right now, is figure out a plan, keep everybody out of the line of fire, and wait it out.
I decide to slip out of the room to go have a cigarette outside. I need to clear my head. The murkiness of being sick and the cold truth need to puff out of me in smoky circles.
It’s chilly. The fall air is awesome though, crisp and clean. I’m not alone long. Troy comes out too.
We’re quiet, not looking at each other.
“You got something to say to me?” I ask him, a stream of smoke caressing my words.
“What have you gotten her into?” he asks.
“Dude, I am going to say this once. This isn’t all me. You don’t know everything,” I challenge.
“Then tell me.” Troy says irritated.
“You know everything you need to know.” I crush my cigarette with my fingers and toss it into the dewy grass. “Thanks for taking Erin last night. I’ve gotta move the girls. I’ll keep you informed.”
I move to go back into the hotel. Troy stops me with a hand on my arm. I look down at it. Why the fuck is he touching me? I could easily break his hand in about two seconds. But I don’t.
“Do you love her?” he asks.
I lower my head, and I give Troy the honor of my confession. “Yes... I think I always have.”
“Keep her safe,” he says, and drops his hand. We walk back to the rooms in silence.
“Everyone, get your stuff together, we’re leaving,” I command when I enter the room. Erin is sitting up on the bed. Vito is sprawled on the other bed watching T.V. Megan is on her phone.
“We need to get the SUV and return it to the rental place. I want to find a new location to hold up. Vito, go downstairs and get another map.”
Vito leaves. “Troy we need to borrow your car for a little while longer. Better yet, let me have the car you borrowed. We will take it back to the campus later.”
Troy nods, and we switch keys. I notice that Megan is still on the phone. I walk over to her.
“Yeah,” she says into the phone. “Okay, bye.” She hangs up.
I don’t have to ask because she tells me.
“That was my dad. I called him back...” Her expression is sad. “I just... I just...wanted to know why he and my mother haven’t bothered to call.”
“I’m sure she wants to, honey, but your dad probably told her not to,” I say comfortingly.
“Dad said that, but I don’t think it’s true,” she says.
“Come on, let’s go. We have a lot to do today.”
I take her hand and lead her towards the door.
Chapter 13
Feekanaz (Fee-ca-na-zz): sneaky or nosy person
Megan:
Antonio appears to be better this morning. Thank God! I don’t like seeing him sick.
We go to pick up the Porsche from where Vito parked it a couple of blocks away from the bar. It appears fine. Antonio pulls up on the opposite side of the street from it. No one touched it. I find that very lucky considering the neighborhood.
Antonio is driving Troy’s borrowed car. Vito gets out with the rental keys in hand.
“We’ll meet you back at the campus,” Antonio says to Vito. “Then we’ll clean out the suites. I want to be at a new location before dinner.”
“Got it,” Vito says and gets out. He walks by the front of the car, and heads to the SUV. He gets the door open.
“I’m gonna go with him,” Erin says, quietly from the backseat, as she opens her door.
Antonio takes a breath to speak, when we hear a small squeak. Erin falls out of the car onto the pavement.
“Ouch!” she says.
“Erin you okay?!” I call out to her.
“Yeah. I missed the curb and twisted my leg,” she says, slumped on the sidewalk. Antonio opens his door to help
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