"So what if this Santino is really Oz. He let Alejandro be the face of the gang, but in reality, it's Santino pulling the strings."
It was a good theory and all, but it still didn't make sense.
"So why would he come after you?"
"I'm guessing that without Alejandro, he has no ties to the gang. Didn't you say someone new is in charge?"
"Yes, and he's an idiot. Not nearly as powerful as Alejandro was. It won't take long for him to run the gang into the ground."
"Which means if I'm right, then Santino has lost everything."
It was a good theory. I wasn't sure how accurate it was, but it was certainly better than the nothing we had.
"I'll make sure Nolen looks into that possibility."
Jo leaned back in the hospital bed with a smile. "This is what I miss."
I cocked my head at her until she explained.
"The chase. The journalistic approach to finding out the deeper story. I haven't been able to do much of that since I came back to Willow Creek."
I gave her a sad smile. "So what you're telling me is you miss the city."
"God no." She laughed at me. "I'm a small-town girl through and through. The city life was never for me, but journalism is."
Maybe I could find a way to give her both.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Jo
Four days of being locked up in the house and I was going stir-crazy. Ever since I came home from the hospital, Maverick had wrapped me in a bubble and wasn't letting me out. It was damn frustrating to say the least.
I was tempted to tell him he could pound sand, but then I would look at the ultrasound picture and remember the reason it had to be taken so early in the pregnancy. That alone would calm me down for a little bit before the boredom took over again.
It was an endless and frustrating cycle.
I needed to do something before I acted irrationally and caused more harm to my life.
I decided calling my grandmother was my best bet.
"Crazy Fox. What can I getcha?" I chuckled at the way Grams answered the phone.
"Hey, Grams. It's me."
"Well, it's about damn time you called me. I was beginnin' to wonder if you forgot I existed."
Always the drama queen.
"I could never forget you. And I spoke to you when I came home from the hospital to let you know I wasn't coming back to work for a bit."
"Yeah, but that was four days ago. A lot can happen in four days. I could've fallen over dead, and you never would've known."
I rolled my eyes even though I knew she couldn't see me.
"I'm sure someone would've told me. Actually, I'm positive they would have, and it's not like the guys aren't coming in every day to check on you."
"Damn right, they are. They love me."
