Sunset had long passed in Philadelphia as I watched from the car. People milled about the Varela property talking and drinking, hugging and air-kissing. I hated this aspect of high society. It seemed like there were new faces coming and going for hours. Not just at the Varela estate but up and down the street, apparently everyone’s social lives were in full swing… on a Wednesday night. There was no doubt that I was in the posh end of Philly.
Every now and then, I caught a glimpse through the window of Ana in a ridiculously girly dress. It was beautiful, but I almost laughed out loud at the soft pink ruffles. I knew without a second thought that Ana, my Ana, hadn’t chosen that outfit. It hugged her chest but let out at the waist. Whilst it wasn’t my taste I still wanted to stride in there and rip it off her.
But I would’ve wanted to do that regardless. She could’ve been wearing a brown sack for all I cared and I still would’ve found her irresistible.
Fuck. And there I was sitting alone in my car, in the dark, rocking a semi.
The front door opened and I sank just a little bit lower in my seat. I watched as she made small talk with a blond guy on the porch steps. Jealousy rose up inside of me. Was this the guy? Her ‘betrothed’? The word felt sour on my tongue.
The guy had no idea that I was prepared to kill him in an instant. Especially if she planned to go through with this bogus wedding. I almost snorted with laughter at the thought. I would have no problem taking the life of anyone who tried taking away my Ana.
No one else was getting my angel!
The blonde guy hopped in the red convertible parked on the drive. It roared to life, she made her way back inside and he drove off. I stayed low in the car, my baseball cap pulled down low over my face so, in the darkness, no one would be able to tell who I was. For tonight I was just another rich pricks’ chauffeur, paid to park here and wait on them.
I longed to get out of the car to stretch my legs a number of times, but I resisted temptation. I didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention to myself, or to the big black SUV I was sitting in. I wished I was able to get closer to her. What if something happened to her? I would never be able to forgive myself. I wanted to swoop in and whisk her away. Away from that house, away from the family, and more importantly, away from that fucker…
Out of the corner of my vision, I saw something glinting in the low light. Just for a second and then it was gone, so when I turned and looked, there didn’t seem to be anything there. Squinting in the darkness, I made out a shape in the front seat of another car, parked on the quiet street a few yards back.
As I watched, it became apparent that there was another man, sitting and watching the property. I supposed he could’ve been eyeing any property on the street, but my gut said otherwise. Every now and again, he lifted a small pair of binoculars to his eyes.Way to be obvious, buddy...
If I wasn’t very much mistaken, there was someone else staking out the Varela mansion. As I sat there, torn between watching for signs of Ana and watching the other stakeout, I contemplated who it could be. The Varelas didn’t have many enemies, to my knowledge. Despite playing a big role in Philadelphia's organized crime syndicate, they weren’t at war with any of the other families at the minute.
Perhaps they were on the lookout for a guest? I strained my neck and looked at the reg, not an out of state car. Maybe hewasthere for the Varelas…
Surely, he couldn’t have been there for Ana. Either way, I didn’t like it.
I made a mental note of the make, model and plate number of the car and filed it away for later. But it’s presence weighed heavy on my mind. I couldn’t stop wondering if they were there for Ana. Call it paranoia, call it being cautious - I didn’t care. I just knew what my gut told me, and it was telling me to keep a close eye on the fucker.
If the car was there again tomorrow, I’d have to do something about it. And I’d have to try and find a way to let Ana know. She’d go nuts if she knew I was still in Philly, but if I got caught in the crossfire of Ana’s safety and Ana’s fury. I’d always choose to protect her, and I hoped that she knew that. If there was a potential threat unknown to her, I wanted her to be prepared for anything.
Nevertheless, I would be here when she needed me, whether she knew it or not. I couldn’t leave her here alone.
Before it grew too late, I dialled Drex’s mobile. It had been a couple of days since I’d last talked to him and I needed to check in on them back in Boston. In the past decade, we’d barely ever had the opportunity to take time away from work. In the past two weeks, Finch had left and I’d taken a brief hiatus. That only left Zedd and Drex…
Safe to say, I’d been worried about what I’d eventually be going back to.
While Finch had been pulling a disappearing act, my younger brothers had looked to me for guidance. I knew the business better than Finch, that was for sure. I could talk circles around him, and all this had really made me realize that maybe Zedd and Drex were right.
Maybe it should’ve been me in charge.
Maybe I wasn’t supposed to be the man behind the curtain any longer.
Of course, nothing official had been decided. After all this, there needed to be some serious discussion. But now there were too many unknown factors. So, instead of giving an answer, I preferred to just call and check in every few days - make sure they hadn’t fired everyone or had the office burned down.
