Little Russo: I’m sorry I haven’t responded. Are you and my brother still in jail?
Her text is simple, straight to the point, and it shouldn’t raise a red flag, yet it does. Her previous texts were filled with thoughts while this one is short.
“Did you just have the text read to you?” Lorenzo laughs. “You’re so fucking lazy, man.”
I chuckle and shrug, but don’t answer his question. Nobody but my brother and Lucian know about my dyslexia. I know Lorenzo wouldn’t make fun of me for it, but it’s always been a secret I’ve harbored. A weakness I’ve never wanted anyone to see. Not even my best friend.
Me: Yeah, we’re still here. Dominick is working on getting us a new lawyer. How are you doing? Any info that can help us find you?
Little Russo: No, sorry.
What the hell? If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was mad at me. Instead of talking, women always do shit like this. But she has no reason to be mad at me. Which leads me to believe something is wrong.
And then I remember the last time we spoke, she made sure her brother wasn’t around before she got real with me.
“Hey, I gotta take a piss. Don’t leave this area.”
On my way to the bathroom, I nod to the guard, silently asking him to watch Lorenzo, and he nods back.
Once I’m alone in the library, I send a text to Daniella.
Me:I’m alone. Nowhere near your brother. Now, answer the question. How are you doing?
Bubbles pop up and then disappear several times before three words appear.
Little Russo: He raped me.
I click play, hoping like hell what I’m seeing is wrong, that the letters are jumbled and I completely misread the message, but when Siri repeats the same words I read, I lose it. I grab the big-ass book closest to me and chuck it across the room, trying to take my anger out on something, anything.
He fucking raped her.
Little Russo.
Sweet fucking Daniella.
I don’t know her well because of her being sent to boarding school and then going to college out of town, but every time I was at their house while she was home or video-chatting with her family, she was always so fucking sweet.
The entire reason her dad kept her away was to ensure she was safe. She’s not even in North Harbor Point for forty-eight fucking hours, and she’s already been kidnapped and raped by a man she thought loved her, but who was only using her to get to her family.
I throw book after book, but when that’s not enough, I slam my fist into the wall.
“Yo,” the guard says. “I can’t have you doing shit like that in here.”
I release a deep breath and leave the library to go to the gym, needing to do something to release this aggression. I know from experience that if I don’t do something to get ahold of my anger, bad shit will happen.
I’m halfway there when I remember I never responded to Daniella.
I consider what to text, but what the fuck do you say to someone who just admitted their husband had raped them?
Sorry?
Fuck that.
I stare at my phone for several seconds before I start typing out a response.
Me:He’s going to wish he was never born. I promise.
I send a text to Dominick, asking for his status on getting us out, and he replies, saying he’s found a new attorney, and if all goes well, we should be out soon.
