by Zoey Parker
Or dead, I couldn’t help but think. I might be dead and cut up into pieces on the side of the road. If Zane hadn’t saved me…
“Stop it,” I said out loud. My voice echoed off the glass walls of the shower. “There’s no use thinking like that, and you know it.”
Finally, I got out of the shower and toweled off. There was still no sign of Zane. The more time went by, the more relieved I felt. Maybe he’d never come back, maybe I’d never have to fight with him again. But deep down I knew that wasn’t true. He couldn’t stay away forever. I was angry with him, and I knew he was angry with me. We probably just needed a lot of space from each other.
Gathering my stuff, I cautiously opened the bedroom door and padded downstairs. There was no sign of Zane, but I heard a television on low towards the back of the house. Carefully, I crept along the floors, trying not to make any noise. I heard the snoring before I saw Zane camped out in a chair with his head thrown back and his mouth open. He was wearing the same clothes as he had last night. Suddenly, I knew he must have come back and found me asleep.
“Ahem,” I coughed. Zane didn’t stir. I coughed more loudly and finally his eyes flew open.
“Jesus Christ, Isabella, you about gave me a heart attack,” Zane grumbled. He rubbed his chest and then yawned, covering his mouth with his other hand. “What’s up?” He eyed me up and down. When he saw my bag hanging at my side, he started shaking his head. “Oh, no,” Zane began. “You’re not leaving, Isabella. Ain’t no way you’re leaving here.”
“I already called a cab,” I lied. “I want to be alone for a while.” I swallowed hard. There was a lump in my throat that had been there since our fight yesterday. For a moment, I thought I was going to cry again but the urge thankfully passed.
“No fuckin’ way am I letting you leave,” Zane grumbled. He got to his feet and I was again shocked at the sheer size and bulk of his body. “Get back upstairs, Isabella. You ain’t safe out there.”
“It’s Morris,” I snapped. “I’ve lived here my whole life and nothing bad has happened. You know that, asshole.”
“Come on,” Zane said. “Don’t be stupid, Isabella. What if those guys come back to look for you? It would only take a few seconds and then poof, you’re gone. You can’t be an idiot like this.”
I shook my head. “I’m not being an idiot,” I snapped. “But I can’t stay here. We’re just going to keep fighting and I don’t want to deal with that.” I crossed my arms over my chest and hugged my body protectively. “It’s bad for me and it’s bad for the baby, and you know it, Zane.”
Zane blinked at me. He let out a long sigh. “You need to listen to me, Isabella. I’m not always gonna be there to get you out of trouble. You know that, deep down, but I’m asking you to really internalize it. If you get in trouble, it’s not like I have fucking radar that can tell me what’s happening. We both got lucky the other day. The next time, I don’t think you’re gonna be so fucking lucky.”
The words stung, but I didn’t want to listen to him. I was sick of Zane, and the way he acted like he always knew better than me. He didn’t know shit! It was because of him that I was in this mess in the first place. He wanted to get his dick wet and now I was up shit creek without a paddle.
“This is all your fault,” I snapped as I turned on my heel and walked out of the room.
Zane didn’t make a move to follow me. When I got outside, I regretted my decision for a moment. The weather was cold and blustery and goose bumps immediately broke out all over my body. I called for a cab on my phone and sat on the front stoop until one pulled up in front of the house. I groaned when I realized it was the same cabbie who had picked me up before.
“You look familiar,” he commented with a wry grin as I slid into the backseat of his car. “Trouble again?”
“Just take me home,” I snapped.
The lump in my throat was getting bigger with each passing second and I was afraid I was going to start crying. It felt totally different leaving Zane’s house this time. Before, I’d been filled with the hope that he’d call me again, that he’d take me out on a real date, that we could have some kind of relationship together. But now, I never wanted to see him and his smug fucking grin ever again. I didn’t care about what he thought; there was no way anyone could be out to get me. I was just Isabella Bianchi, single waitress and failed singer. The thought made me want to cry all over again, and I bit the inside of my cheeks and stared out the window at the mindless, passing road.
When we got home, I realized I couldn’t pay the cab driver. I didn’t have any cash on me, and I barely had any money in my checking account.
“I’m sorry,” I said, showing him the inside of my empty purse. “I don’t have anything. I can’t pay you.”
The cabbie rolled his eyes. “Well that wasn’t a free fuckin’ ride,” he shot back. “Where am I supposed to get paid?”
Tears welled up in my eyes again and I turned away, running towards the apartment building. I was ashamed of how I was acting, but I honestly couldn’t help it. I had no idea being pregnant was going to make me so emotional. I didn’t know how I was possibly going to get through the next nine months.
I was breathless as I ran up the stairs. When I saw my apartment, my blood ran cold. The door was slightly ajar, like someone was inside. Swallowing hard, I pushed the door open.
“Hello?” I called out loudly. “Who’s there?”
No one responded as I let myself inside. It was dark — none of the lights were on and the blinds were drawn shut — but after my eyes adjusted, I jumped a foot in the air. The apartment had been burgled; everything was a complete mess. Drawers had been yanked out of furniture and dumped upside down. The contents of my pantry and fridge had been ripped to shreds and dumped all over the kitchen floor. The fridge door was open and I could hear the power humming. Inside, melted ice cream dripped down from the open freezer door. The air smelled like stale food and pickle brine; when I stepped closer, my foot made contact with a broken jar. There was glass everywhere. Someone had left the oven open; when I peered inside, I saw loose feathers.
My sense of horror was growing by the second. I closed my eyes before pushing open my bedroom door, fearing the worst. Inside, the mess was worse than the kitchen had been. My bed had been ripped apart and someone had slashed the mattress all over. Chunks of stuffing and springs showed through my bed, and the pillows were ripped open. Feathers led a trail from the bedroom to the hall.
I was horrified. The damage was atrocious. Who had done this? And why? Tears dripped down my face as I shoved a pile of ripped blankets to the side and sat gingerly on the edge of the mattress. The more I looked around, the weirder things looked to me. I could tell nothing had been taken. My computer featured a giant crack in the monitor, but it was intact. Same with my television and the few appliances I had in the kitchen. It was a disaster zone. Almost everything I saw was ruined. When I went into the bathroom, I cried out. The water had been turned on in the shower and everything from the counter, including my makeup, was soaking in a greasy pool in the tub. The tears came harder and I sat down on the cracked toilet seat with my head in my hands. I had no idea why someone ever would have done this, but I knew there was no way I’d be able to afford the necessary repairs. The apartment was trashed; it wasn’t even habitable. I’d have to call maintenance and get them to cover over and fix the appliances before I could start cleaning up.
It was obvious someone had wanted to tell me something. But what?
“Why couldn’t you assholes have left a note?” I muttered, standing up and kicking an empty roll of toilet paper to the side. “Instead of just ruining all my stuff.”
There was a rustling noise from the other room and I practically jumped out of my skin. The fear came rushing back tenfold as I realized I hadn’t checked all of the closets. Whoever had done this could possibly still be in the apartment, which would make it really easy for him to grab me. I shuddered and forced my legs to walk outside.
&n
bsp; With trembling fingers, I dialed Zane’s number. Please pick up, please, please!
“What?” He answered on the first ring but his voice was snappish.
“Someone broke into my apartment,” I said in a shaky voice. “Someone got in and ruined everything inside. They wanted to hurt me!”
“Hold on,” Zane said. “I’m coming over. Don’t fucking move, you understand me? Stay outside of your apartment, where the neighbors can see you. Don’t go inside, and don’t go into the parking lot. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
He hung up. I held the phone to my face for a long time, listening to the empty dial tone. I didn’t want to admit it, but Zane had been right. Something very, very bad was going on. I had a feeling this was just the beginning of it. And to make matters worse, I had no idea why I was being targeted. Had someone seen me with Zane? Those guys who had a plan to take him down?
I shivered, hugging my arms across my body and holding onto my torso. Come on, Zane, hurry up, I urged. Please hurry.
Chapter 16
Zane
“Fuck!” I yelled, slamming my foot into the wall and kicking hard. I couldn’t believe it; Isabella had barely been gone for half an hour before I got a hysterical phone call. I couldn’t keep dealing with this shit; it was going to make me old before my time. If only she’d listened to me, if only she hadn’t fucking left when I told her to stay! God damn it, Isabella, I thought in frustration. You’re gonna be the fuckin’ death of me, woman.
As quickly as I could, I dressed in a button-down shirt and grabbed a jacket from the hooks by the front door. It was cold outside, and Isabella had only been wearing a thin shirt when she’d left. I couldn’t reconcile the strange blend of emotions I felt towards her; it was a weird mix of anger and the urge to protect her. I was still furious at her for not telling me about the baby, but that was rapidly getting swept under the rug. Together, we had bigger fish to fry. And I would have bet anything those fish hadn’t even started to bite on the line yet.
Isabella lived in a rundown complex outside of the Morris town limits. I’d been there before and I didn’t think too much of the area; it was probably fine for a single woman, but a woman as fine as Isabella should have been watching her back. Driving over there now, I wondered when the attack had occurred. She’d been with me for over twenty-four hours, and I knew how much time she spent working. It could have been days ago, right after she was grabbed at Maison Bridges. That frightened me, made me believe those guys were out to get her from the beginning. Someone was obviously trying to fuck with her, and they were doing a hell of a job.
A few years back, I’d had a girlfriend, Maria. I’d cheated on her and fucked around a lot, and she got pretty fucking sick of it eventually. I caught her hooking up with a guy from another local family business one night. I was angry, but I’d known the relationship was over anyway. She’d been pushing me for marriage and kids and I just wasn’t at that point in my life. Hell, I was at the point in my life where I thought I’d never be ready for that domestic shit. But Maria hadn’t listened; she’d always been pushing me for more. And when I said no, she started getting dick from some greasy Italian asshole who wore a thick gold chain around his neck and had more chest hair than a gorilla.
When I’d first found out, I’d slashed the guy’s tires. Maria found out it was me, and after she kept threatening to call the cops, I knew I had to do something about it. So, I waited until she was at work and then I broke into her apartment, stealing all of her jewelry and making it look like one of the rival family’s jobs. Maria had bought the story hook, line, and sinker. I hadn’t even done that much damage, but it was enough to make her confess everything. Then I dumped her like the cheating bitch she was. I rarely thought about that anymore, but I was starting to wonder just how common my actions would have been. Maybe it really was one of those assholes from the other night, the guy with the gold watch or his friend in the scarf. Morris was small, but not that small. The family and I normally had a pretty good nose for crime, but I was feeling overwhelmed.
My phone rang just as I was backing out of the driveway. Thinking it was Isabella, I answered immediately.
“I’ll be right there,” I said through gritted teeth. “I can’t fuckin’ stay on the phone with you when I’m driving.”
There was a rich masculine laugh and all too quickly I realized my mistake. “You talking to a girl, son?”
I forced myself to laugh. “No, Lionel. What’s up?”
“Don’t ask me what’s up like I’m one of your peers, boy. You know damn well why I’m calling. You’d better tell me that coke deal is secure.”
Shit. The coke deal. I actually almost forgot about it for a second. “Uh, yeah, Dad, it’s coming along,” I lied. “Jake and I talked the other day about it, and we should have a date in place for next week.”
“That’s funny,” Lionel wheezed into the phone. “Did you know Jake is actually over here with me right now?”
Shit. “No, I didn’t. Dad, I have to go. I have to take care of something, I’ll call you back later, okay?”
“Don’t lie to me, boy,” Lionel sneered. “You need to straighten this out. You’re too much of a slacker, boy. You spend too much time drinking and chasing pussy. You ain’t eighteen anymore; you need to nut up and take over this fucking business. I’m not letting some degenerate ruin my family business.”
Lionel’s words burned me like a brand. The only man in the world I was afraid of was my father, and I knew I had good reason to be. If I didn’t make the deal to Lionel’s perfect standards, I’d be an outcast. Goodbye, secure job and lifestyle. Without my father’s help, I’d be mopping the fucking floor at an elementary school for the rest of my life.
“I’ll get it worked out,” I said through gritted teeth. “Something else happened and I’m trying to deal with that right now. But I promise, the coke deal is first and foremost on my mind. I know it’s going to work out, Pops, okay?”
Lionel grunted. The line was silent, and for a moment, I actually thought he had hung up. When his gruff voice came through the line, it shocked me. “Son, I’m disappointed in you,” he said slowly. “All this time, I thought you understood the importance of the family business. And now, I don’t think you do. I don’t think you understand just how hard I’ve worked to provide for you.” He paused and started coughing, a wet, retching sound that made me want to vomit. “I’ve given everything for you, son, and you can’t even find the time to repay me?” He made a little noise of disgust and I burned with shame.
“Pops, you know I’m trying to get this deal straightened out,” I said through gritted teeth. “But Jake hasn’t had any intel for me. If you’re desperate to get this done with the Russians, I don’t know how to proceed.”
There was another long silence. “You better figure it out,” Lionel snapped. “And soon.” He hung up before I could protest.
The anger from before came rushing back tenfold and I balled my hand into a fist, wound back, and then punched the steering wheel. I couldn’t fucking believe it; everything was falling to shit around me.
When I got to Isabella’s apartment, she was standing out front. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were stained with fresh tears. When she saw me, she gave a start and started sniffling again.
“Zane,” she mumbled, throwing herself at me.
I caught her in my arms and held her awkwardly for a minute, stroking her soft blonde hair. “What happened?” I pulled away and glanced over her shoulder. “Did they leave a note? Anything?”
Isabella shook her head. She pulled a crinkled tissue from her pocket and blew her nose loudly. “Just go inside,” she said miserably. “You’ll see what they did.”
I hadn’t believed Isabella on the phone but in person, I was astounded at the damage done. It looked like a human tornado had gone through the entire apartment. Dishes were broken on the kitchen floor and scattered everywhere. Isabella’s DVDs had been ripped from their cases, snapped into pieces, then droppe
d onto the floor. Someone had brought boxes of cereal over to the living room, dumped them out, the ground the food into the carpet until it was multicolored dust. I was in disbelief as I picked my way around, carefully looking in all of the closets and corners big enough for a man to hide.
“This is a fuckin’ disaster area,” I joked. “Someone better call FEMA.”
Isabella frowned. She hadn’t come inside again, but was lingering by the door and pressing herself against the frame. Even now, tired and cranky, she was gorgeous. Her tits looked amazing under that thin shirt and I could see the slightest hint of a curve on her lower belly.
“Thanks for coming over.” Isabella sniffled. She made eye contact with me. I tried to crack a smile at her but she didn’t respond. “I’m really scared, Zane.”
