For the first time in my life, I wasn’t looking at my father, but at the detective he was. As if it had finally sunken in after years of growing used to his job title and career.
Everything I had witnessed could crack his case wide open.
Much like myself, Kira was also masking what she knew as she listened to my father with intrigue. And I suddenly felt guilty for telling her.
“I thought underground fighting was something they did back in the 90s,” Mom said. “Like that film.”
“Brad Pitt is hot in that,” Jane murmured as she tossed a choc chip in her mouth.
Mom snapped her attention to my sister until Dad said seriously, “The movies glorify it.” He ran a hand through his graying dark brown hair. “Most cases, they’re connected to organized crime. Side hustles for gang members to make quick money. The fighters are usually ex-cons or gang members themselves...”
And it was all happening right beneath my feet at The Den while I gathered glasses and wiped tables, pretending like nothing was happening downstairs.
Mom shook her head, muttering something about low-lives and criminals, and then changed the subject to how we were going to celebrate Dad’s new role.
“There’s a promotion ceremony happening this Tuesday and we’re all to be there,” she said pointedly to Jane, who rolled her eyes. “Except for you, Kira. Family only.” The last words had a little more bite than needed but Kira just smiled politely. “We’ll also be celebrating the promotion with extended family and your father’s colleagues next Saturday. Seeing as it’s the Fourth of July long weekend too. You’ll be there, won’t you Lily?”
I nodded, still wiping the stickiness of lemonade from my thighs.
If I had managed to keep Dean’s visit to our apartment a secret from Kira for a week, then I could keep everything else I knew hidden too. It was just two events. Where I would be surrounded by people who all had some type of career in law enforcement and had a knack for picking out criminals and liars. What could go wrong?
Chapter 18
Lily
Kira and I had just sat down to a late dinner, numerous Chinese takeaway boxes set out on the table before us. We decided to binge some of our favorite series for the rest of Saturday afternoon until we saw the time and realized how late it was. With neither of us bothered to scrounge up something in the kitchen, we ordered in.
Just as we opened all the boxes and breathed in the mouth-watering smell of honey chicken, fried rice, and Mongolian lamb, I received a text.
From Roxy.
My stomach immediately twisted and so did my face as Kira asked, “Is it them? The Mafia?”
“Not entirely... I’m needed at The Den.”
“It’s a little late to start your shift, isn’t it?”
My shifts started at 9:20 PM, The Den opened at 9:30 PM, but that was an hour ago.
I wasn’t rostered on for weekends, but Roxy had said I could be called in. She meant for when weekends got busy behind the bar, but the non-existent explanation behind this suddenly late text made me realize I probably wasn’t being called in for waitressing.
“I should go,” I murmured as I slowly got to my feet.
“Are you going to be okay?” Kira pivoted on her spot on the floor beside the coffee table, watching me head to my room. Her legs crossed beneath her and red curls in a loose bun on her head. “Did you want me to come by and wait or something?”
“No, stay. I’ll call you if anything happens.” That’s if I would be able to call. What if they took my phone and broke it to pieces while I was interrogated about Dad being a detective?
Stop overthinking.
I changed quickly into what was my Den uniform; a black pair of shorts with a matching T-shirt and a pair of sneakers, and then shot Roxy a message letting her know I was on my way. She didn’t respond or even read it.
“Good luck,” Kira said with more of a grimace than a smile as I left the apartment. The appetite I had worked up for dinner was long gone.
It wasn’t long after arriving at The Den that I found myself being directed to the basement by Jen. She had explained that Roxy had said I was needed downstairs tonight. Antonio wanted me there from start to finish to patch up his fighters through the night. Apparently, the work I had done on Levi had impressed him enough for him to keep me closer to the action. Which made my stomach drop and every worried thought in my head burst at the seams.
The basement was already filling up with eager punters, ready to place their bets as I made my way off the stairs and along the back of the gathering crowd. Passing into the next room unnoticed and aiming for the lounge area in the back. All the while keeping my nerves in check and my bag strap gripped tightly in my hands.
I was completely out of my depth and couldn’t shake the feeling of dread slowly creeping up my spine. Dread because of what Antonio was and because my father would disown me if he ever found out I was keeping this from him.
