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Chapter 36 (Lou-Lou)
Jackson can keep denying it all he wants, but I know it's happening today.
I thought it would be easier knowing, but now every second that passes all I can think about is Ricardo.
Is he safe? What's his plan? When is he coming back?
How is he going to do it? Is the council helping him do it? Why didn't he do it earlier? What was standing in his way?
Why didn't I insist on knowing the details?
And most importantly, why the hell is it taking him so long? It's just one man, and with the council helping him, it should have been over with already.
I glance at my watch and Jackson grunts. “Stop, Lou-Lou, you're only going to work yourself up over nothing. It's not happening today.” He squeezes my shoulder blade. “The situation was already taken care of, I'm not lying to you.”
He looks so earnest, so honest, I can feel myself folding. “He'll be back soon?”
“Yes.”
I pull on my bottom lip and think about this. “And he's meeting you and Tyrone soon?”
“Yes.”
I cross my arms. “Where?”
Alyssa stands by my side before we start making our way down the stairs.
“At the fight club,” Jackson says as we walk out the front door of the apartment complex.
Before I have a chance to inquire more about this alleged pre-bachelor party, Jackson walks over to the guards outside. “You are to drive them to the doctor and right back. Do not take your eyes off of them or I will remove them from your sockets permanently.”
I nudge Alyssa's shoulder. “You sure it's not your boyfriend who's the mob boss?”
She chuckles. “Suits aren't really his thing.” She stares at him longingly and I fight the urge to puke. “Kind of love when he gets all take charge though.”
We walk over to the SUV and Jackson helps her inside. “I'll have my phone on me at all times.” He looks at the driver and the bodyguards. “Anything happens to them you'll have to answer to me and Mr. DeLuca.”
“Yes, sir,” the driver replies. “To the doctor and back.”
“Make sure they're safe,” he barks as he slams the car door and they all sit up straight.
The driver starts pulling away and I look out the window. “Alyssa can I ask you a weird question?”
“Sure.”
“When you decided to take me hostage that day...what made you do it?”
She digs around inside her purse for a snack. “I knew you were Ricardo's weak spot and the leverage I needed.” She takes a bite of her granola bar. “But mostly, I knew he was what would lead me to DeLuca.”
“Yeah, I understand all that.” I drop my voice to a whisper. “What I mean is, what made you decide to do it? No offense, but your hostage technique wasn't exactly smooth. I can only assume it was a last-minute thing.”
She laughs. “Oh it totally was. I didn't know what I was going to do until it was already happening.”
“What gave you that push? What got the ball rolling?”
She shrugs. “Easy, my intuition. I knew something was going down and I wanted to be the one to do it. I knew that no matter what was happening, Jackson was putting himself in danger by being there. But mostly? I couldn't and wouldn't allow DeLuca to take another thing from me.”
“It's happening today,” I blurt, making sure the guards can't overhear me. “I know it's happening today.”
She studies my face. “Lou-Lou, I know you're worried. I get it. But the circumstances are completely different now. For one, Ricardo is the mob boss. He doesn't have to answer to anyone. He calls the shots—”
“That's not exactly true.” When she gives me a look I give her the quick run down about the council.
“Okay, I mean, I guess even mob bosses have mob bosses' but from the sounds of it, however messed up this council may be, they're still protective of Ricardo.”
“They are,” I say, debating whether or not I should tell her what has me so nervous.
“So what's the problem?”
“Why didn't Ricardo kill him earlier? Why did it take him so long?”
What was he being threatened with?
She goes back to eating her granola bar. “I don't know, Lou-Lou, probably because Ricardo isn't like other mafia members. Maybe he has to work up the nerve to murder someone.”
“He murdered Ford no problem.”
I slap my hand over my mouth when Alyssa's eyes become saucers.
“What?”
“I—um.” Shit. “You didn't know?”
“I had no idea. How do you know?”
“I watched it happen.”
“And you didn't do anything to stop it?” she screams and the men turn around in their seats.
I point ahead. “Eyes up front, gentlemen. This is a private conversation. Girl talk.”
When they finally turn around I look at her. “Look, I'm sorry for springing this on you, I honestly thought you knew.”
She digs through her purse again. “Why in the world would you think that?”
“Because when Ricardo did it, I thought he did it for you.”
She stills. “What?”
“Well technically for Graham,” I amend. “But I know he also did it so Ford wouldn't hurt you anymore. He—uh. He kind of had a moment after he did it.”
She drops her purse. “Even still, I wouldn't condone him killing Ford and I certainly wouldn't ask him to kill him for me.” She frowns. “God, I can't believe Ford's dead.”
“I would say I'm sorry...but I'm not.” Before she can protest I say, “Ford was a snake. A horrible human being. He did despicable things to you and others and he helped ruin people for his own personal gain.”
“Which is exactly why he deserved to spend the rest of his life in prison.”
“Did you think that about Jackson?” I ask and her jaw drops.
“Of course not. Different circumstances entirely. Ford never beat a sweet, i
When I give her a look she whispers, “Granted he pretty much did everything but that.” She shakes her head. “Fine, okay. What's the point of you telling me this? You want me to thank Ricardo for killing him or something?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
I have to control the way my hands are shaking. “I remember something Ford said to Ricardo right before he died. It didn't make any sense to me at the time, and it still doesn't; but I know it's part of the reason why Ricardo didn't kill my father sooner.”
“What did he say?”
I inhale in a ragged breath, hoping like hell I don't have a panic attack right now because I really need to get this out. “He said Ricardo would be paying for his sins soon.”
Alyssa's eyes look like they're about to pop out of her head, but I continue, “Ford also said some other things, horrible things, but he didn't get a chance to go into any actual details because Ricardo cut out his tongue. But now that I think about it, I think it might have been about me.”
I fidget nervously. “Or rather, I think it was about my father. So obviously Ford was on my father's side, which isn't really a surprise.”
“God, Lou-Lou—” she starts to say but I hold up a hand.
“I wasn't looking for your pity. That wasn't the point of me telling you this.”
“Okay, then at the risk of being rude, what was?”
My stomach flips and I swallow back bile. “I think I figured out why my father is going to become mayor again.” I grip the arm rest for support. “I think maybe this is payback for Ricardo letting me kill his father and for me losing the baby. I think the DeLuca council is on my father's side and they're going to hurt me and maybe even Ricardo. I don't think Ricardo is as protected as he thinks he is. The council had to have threatened him with something...most likely me and possibly everyone else he cares about. Because that's honestly the only thing I can think of that would make Ricardo not kill my father. And if Jackson keeps saying it's handled and we're not in any danger anymore...it's only because Ricardo's decided to go against the council. And if he's going against the council it's only because Ricardo's putting himself in direct danger and they will hurt him.”