“I think so,” I mused. “I haven’t been in ages.”
“How about we go this afternoon? After that, we can grab some dinner. What do you say?”
“Sounds perfect. Incidentally, I have never been to the cinema with anyone else. That’s another first for you.”
Jordan grinned. “I told you. This…” He pointed at the space between us. “This is destiny.”
I was still smiling when my phone rang, and it made my smile drop.
“Who is it?” Jordan said, sounding as anxious as I felt.
“Biancchi.”
“Fuck. That can’t be good.”
“No,” I agreed before answering my phone. “Marcello. What’s up?”
“I have some bad news.”
I rubbed my forehead in frustration. Well, of course. With my damn luck, why was I even surprised?
“Tell me.”
I listened to him in silence. When he finished talking, I didn’t have much to say other than, “Okay. I’ll meet you there.”
“Where is there?” Jordan said after I hung up.
“Grangetown.”
“What happened?”
“Long story short, Santiago escaped from prison. Skull Crusher, too, because apparently, they’re now besties. One of Crusher’s guys faked a heart attack, so they called the paramedics. After the ambulance left, the guards realized that Santiago, Crusher, and Mendoza were missing.”
“So, no day off? When are we leaving?”
I shook my head. “I’m going alone. You will stay here.”
“The hell I will!” Jordan exclaimed.
“They could come here, Jordan.” I tried to reason with him. “You need to keep your eyes on the street and your ears to the ground.”
“Why the fuck would they come here? Bull is here, and he wants Santiago dead.”
“Because they’re criminally insane?” I offered. “Because Santiago is a narcissistic psycho, and Crusher is just a psycho? I need you to hold the fort, Jordan. Please. I’ll be back before dinner.”
He made a face. “There’s no way you can make it back by then.”
“I’ll try, okay? Now help me pack.”
Half an hour later, we left my apartment together. When we reached Jordan’s car, I pulled a set of keys out of my pocket.
“These are the spare keys to my apartment. If there’s any kind of heat, go there.”
It was a lie. I didn’t have spare keys because I had no one to give them to, so I gave Jordan my own set, which was bonkers. What the hell happened to me in that prison? Who did I turn into? A happy person, which was another first.
After that, I kissed his pouty mouth and made him leave, feeling pissed. What the fuck, universe? Was a day off too much to ask? Jordan and I could have spent it fucking and eating unhealthy food, but instead, we were back to chasing slime. Instead of the good stuff, I was on my way to Grangetown, ignoring a bad feeling in my gut that just wouldn’t leave.
When my phone rang, and I saw the caller ID, I smiled for the first time since I left Smitsville.
