“Oh, Niccolo.”
“What?” I gritted out.
“A devil’s job is never over until the angel falls.”
Before I had a chance to process what he said and respond, the line went dead.
The restaurant was finally empty, the lingering scent of garlic and seared meat clinging to my clothes as I flipped the lock on the front door. The neon Closed sign buzzed softly against the window, casting a faint red glow onto the empty sidewalk. My shoulders ached, my muscles stiff from another long shift, but my mind was too wired to feel the exhaustion fully.
I stepped out into the cool night air, inhaling deep, letting thecrispness cut through the haze of grease and stress. The streets were quiet, except for the distant hum of traffic and the occasional flicker of a passing headlight.
Then, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
My breath hitched. My fingers fumbled to grab it, a tight knot forming in my gut as hope surged through me. Please let it be Melanie.
I swiped the screen open
It wasn’t.
Hey man, sorry, long day. You awake?
I glanced at the time—just past midnight. With a sigh, I pulled my phone from my pocket and leaned against my car, letting the cool night air settle the heat still clinging to my skin from the restaurant kitchen.
Yeah, just leaving the restaurant. What are you doing up?
Abigail can’t sleep. She’s tossing and turning, keeping me up. I swear, I’m ready for Chloe to get here already. She looks like she’s carrying twins with how big she’s gotten. I feel bad for her—she’s gotta be miserable.
I smirked as I unlocked my car and slid inside.
Me: LOL. Speaking of pregnancies… that’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.
Oh shit.
Before I could type out another response, my phone rang. Colt’s name lit up the screen, along with the old picture of us—the one where he was pulling a stupid face while I tried to lift him off the ground, proving I was stronger despite him being bigger. It was the year I was on leave and we both were in town at the same time.
I shook my head and answered, connecting the call to my car’s Bluetooth as I pulled out of the parking lot.
“Alright, man,” Colt said without preamble.
“What’s going on? I knew something was off the second you told us you and Melanie got married. I never bought it.”
I dragged a hand through my hair, gripping the wheel tighter with the other. “Yeah, well… you were right. I’m in some shit, dude.”
Colt let out a low exhale. “Shit. How bad?”
I hesitated, the weight of the last few months pressing down on me. “I don’t even know where to start.”
“Start at the beginning,” he said simply.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, my knuckles whitening as I exhaled a slow breath. “You remember when my sister overdosed?”
Colt didn’t hesitate. “Yeah.” His voice lost its usual easygoing tone, turning serious.
I stared at the empty road ahead, my car's headlights cutting through the darkness. “What I didn’t tell you guys back then… those pills weren’t mine.” I swallowed hard. “They were fronted to me by someone. A dealer.”
Silence stretched between us before Colt finally spoke. “You’re telling me you were dealing?”
“Not exactly,” I said, jaw clenching. “I was desperate. I needed money, and this guy—Diablo—he offered me a way out. Loaned me the pills to sell. But after what happened with my sister, I said fuck no. I was going to return them, pay him back for what she took… but then he got locked up.”
