“They sawyou.”
“But I thought you wanted to—shit!Capo!” He swerved, barely missing a biker. “I thought you wanted to make a grand entrance. Like,‘Boo, motherfuckers, I’m back!’Then you’d serve them what they deserve.”
“You’re not far off the mark, but this isn’t about me anymore. Your face has been seen too many times. Too many coincidences have happened for them not to mean something. The only thing they’re not sure of is how Cash Kelly is involved in this. They’re trying to connect you to me or figure out if you’re one of his.”
“Italy,” I said.
“Yeah. My grandfather’s funeral. If I’d be anywhere, I’d be there. That one stands out to them.”
“You were.” I closed my eyes, suddenly feeling motion sickness. “You knew…were you trying to get yourself killed?”
“I was ready to end it. They died. I died—again. We were all going to die.” He quickly took a right and my shoulder hit the side of the car. “They didn’t see me just now, though. Bobby blocked my face, and the guys in those cars are young. They wouldn’t know me. Not by body alone. They were after you.”
“All those men for me? Why couldn’t Bobby deal with me alone?”
“What would scare you more, Mariposa? One man or a few?”
“One or a few—my scare meter would be up to here.” I lifted my hand above my head.
“Bobby came in through the back, so he didn’t know whether you were alone. That’s another reason he called. Once he saw you, he called for backup. That was the end of his scope of knowledge before I stepped out in the open. If they find out who you really are,Marietta, things are going to get more dangerous. Right now, there’s only a connection. Nothing else. But it’s enough.”
He swerved at the last second, stopping at the entrance of a garage, but it took less than an inhale of breath. As soon as he pulled in, the arm lifted and then barely missed the tail end of the car when it came down as we sped up the incline. At the very top floor—seven or eight?—he parked in the uncovered area, right in direct sunlight.
He told me to stay put until he came and got me. When he opened my door, I tried to wipe away a tear that slid down my cheek, but he noticed.
“Mariposa.” He yanked me from the car, using his empty hand to slip a baseball hat over his head. My leather backpack was on his back. I had left it in the car when we’d gone into the pizzeria. He handed me a pair of sunglasses before he set a pair on. “I’m going to end this. It’s time.”
“The baby’s picture.” I barely got out. We had left it behind on the counter.
We rushed to get down the incline to the elevators. When we reached them, he handed me something from his pocket.
My tears collected inside of the glasses, almost fogging them up, but the treasure in my hand was as clear as the day. “You took it.”
“I paid the bill, too.”
“You did?”
“You love it there, and they have a better memory than the Scarpones when customers skip out. So I took the picture, left them two hundred bucks, and then followed you to the bathroom. Unforeseen circumstances. Make it a rule to consider all scenarios ahead of time, Mariposa.”
“Was Bobby following us?”
“No. He likes to eat there, but I’m sure he called them when he saw you. He was screwing one of the waitresses. She’s very quiet. He caught a glimpse of you right before you went into the bathroom. I stood hidden until right before you stepped out.”
There seemed to be nothing else to say. We made the rest of the trip in silence. Once outside, in front, he opened another car and held the door for me. Before I got in, a massive explosion went off on the highest floor of the parking garage we had just left.
“They’ll know we…I mean, that’s yourcar, Capo.”
“Nah.” He took out a computer from the backseat and fiddled with a few things. “The paperwork states that it belongs to a guy who was killed about…” He looked at his old watch. “An hour ago. The Scarpones had a hit out on him.”
“How soon?” I asked, my voice quiet. I stared at the picture of the baby in my hands. “How soon will you end this?”
“They’re going to be hunting for you.” He put the car in drive and pulled off. We were on a scenic ride through town, as though the last hour hadn’t happened.
“Because they know you’ll come for me.”
“Or hoping so—if I’m still alive.” He checked his rearview. “If they’re hunting you, they’re going after me. They already took my voice. I’ll meet them in hell before they take my heart.”
27
