Chapter 2
Xander
The two carriedme out back. When the night air hit me, it hurt all over.
It was night again so a whole day had gone by. I forgot to look at the clock.
Was it the same day?
They put me in the back of Frankie’s truck but Vinny didn’t get in.
Frankie got into the driver’s seat and Vinny came up to the window.
“You asshole,” he said to Frankie. “You better know what you’re doing. He’ll kill you when he finds out.”
“I’d like to see him try,” Frankie answered with a daring smirk, cocking his head to the side so the light from the lamp post beamed down on his black spiky hair.
Vinny sighed with an uneasy expression, tensing his square jaw. His hawk-like eyes switched from Frankie to me, then back to Frankie. “I’ll hold the fort here.”
“Hey,” Frankie shook his head and held up his finger. “You know nothing, and you never helped me. I’m serious. This is on me. My sister won’t be without a husband.”
Vinny dipped his head understanding and backed away into the shadows of the night.
I barely managed to keep my eyes opened as I looked at him. Frankie drove off, leaving him standing there.
I bid him a silent thanks.
I struggled to keep myself up. It was so hard. All I could manage to do was slump against the seat.
“There’s a sweatshirt in the back next to you. Put it on,” Frankie instructed. “There’s also a bottle of water. Drink some.”
I swallowed hard against my dry throat. The lump there was so big it actually felt like I’d shoved a ball inside and was trying to move past it. Very similar to having a sore throat, or when I’d had tonsillitis. It was so bad, I’d needed my tonsils removed. Thank God I’d had Jack in my life then, because it crippled me for weeks.
I was thanking God and his heavenly host now that I had Frankie. And Vinny? Fuck…
What the hell?
Frankie had watched my back over the last few weeks, giving me a pass to see Jia. If not for him I would never have had the chance. I never expected this though. Not from him and definitely not from Vinny.
Pulling in a deep breath I gathered strength to straighten up. The hooded sweatshirt was folded next to me, the bottle of water under it.
My arms were like lead pillars as I lifted them up to shrug into the shirt. Then I downed the water, my throat thanking me in abundance.
Jesus, it actually made me feel a little better. I must have been severely dehydrated.
Frankie’s eyes alternated between watching me and the road ahead.
I stared at the back of his head and he glanced around at me.
He was definitely help that had come in the most unexpected form.
“Thank you,” I told him. “Thank you and Vinny. But Jesus, why? Why did you do it? Giovanni will know someone had to have helped me.”
Giovanni would have known that straight off the bat when he discovered I was missing. He knew I had skill but there was no way I was that good.
Frankie was silent for a few seconds.
“I helped because we’re in over our heads in something that I never signed up for. Vinny helped because we’ve always watched each other’s backs and he gets married to my little sister next spring. He’s family. It’s what we do.” He gave me a little smile.
