“Google him? You really think that one of the most powerful mafia men is going to just casually pop up? You think he’s going to have a Wikipedia page or something? C’mon.” I’m so glad that Lily knows about my family’sbusiness.I don’t think I could bear not talking about this with someone.
“All right, that’s a good point.” Lily sighs again. “Okay. So we just do what my mom did and flee the country, change your name, start a new life.”
I get up and start pacing my room. “Great idea. Except the rest of my family will die.”
“Shit,” she hisses. “Forgot about that. Can we let the old coots die? I mean, theydidchoose this life…and your dad, too. This ishisfault, after all. We could just take your mom with us?”
I stare up at the ceiling in frustration. “Yeah, okay. Even so, do you know how to change your identity and go into hiding from an extremely powerful individual from the criminal underworld? Because I sure as hell don’t.”
“Eh…no. My mom didn’t exactly tell me how she managed that. The last thing she told me was not to have anything to do with my dad. It’s not like she left an instruction manual in her will. Maybe she should have.” There’s a pause and then excitement fills Lily’s voice. “I have an idea!”
I pause my pacing, my heart rate picking up. “What is it?”
“I’ll get a Ouija board!” She exclaims, trying to lighten the mood, probably to protect my sanity. Dark humor is something we’ve always shared.
My shoulders slump. “I’m going to kill you.”
Lily laughs. “Can’t kill me if you’re married to a psycho. Or on the run from him.”
“If I’m in prison, then if he marries me, it won’t matter. Can’t domarital thingswith a prison inmate."
There’s silence for a moment and then we burst out laughing. I’ve never been more thankful for having a dear friend that understands me.
I lay across the bed again, staring up at the chandelier, phone pressed to my ear. “You don’t know how much I needed that.”
Lily’s voice is quiet. “I know. This…this is scary, Amy. I’m worried about you.”
“Me too,” I say softly. “I don’t know what to do. I’m terrified, Lily.”
Lily’s voice is thick with emotion when she replies. “We’re going to find a way out of this, okay? Maybe we can look into contacting these people that own the docks and get him access without the marriage. Or maybe we can involve the police, or…”
Tears track down my face as my vision blurs. “Yeah. Maybe.” I know my words sound hollow and unconvincing. I just can’tmuster the energy to make it sound like I believe them. As much as I wish that any of this will work, I know it’s doomed. If there was a way to get him access to that dock without the marriage, my grandfather would’ve already found out about it and gone that route. The police won’t be able to help. So far, all of this is legal..
If I refuse, then it wouldn’t be legal to force me to marry anyone. But if he carries through with his threat of killing us all, it’ll be too late.Maybethey might put me into witness protection or something. But that isn’t guaranteed. Italsoisn’t guaranteed to save me from this apparently very powerful man.
Which I’m sure of. He has to be powerful if my grandparents are scared of him.
“I’m with you, okay? We’re in this together. Keep me updated. Call me anytime if you need me. I mean it,anytime.” Lily’s soft voice brings me back to reality.
I can’t help the smile that lifts my lips, even if it’s a weak one. “Thank you, Lily. I will.”
“You promise?” She almost whispers.
“I promise.” Lily is the only one I could make such a promise to. I don’t trust anyone else enough to rely on them, to bring my burdens to them. My family relied onme,not the other way around. It’s how it’s always been, and it wasn’t going to change now.
“Good. I’ll be with you even if he ends up being some old bald dude.”
I sigh and roll my eyes. “God. Don’t remind me. He could look like anything. I don’t even know how old he is.”
Lily snorts. “Let’s cross our fingers that he’s under sixty.”
“Sixty?!” I exclaim. “Oh, no.”
“Deep breaths, Amy. One step at a time. Survive today, worry about marrying a psycho tomorrow. Or the next day. Actually, just push it off until you can’t any more.”
Despite the horrendous circumstances, I can’t help but laugh, even with tears still in my eyes. “Yeah. Procrastinate on marrying a prick, got it.”
We laugh and joke back and forth for a few more minutes before hanging up. I’m so thankful for my friend distracting me from the situation so I don’t spiral. I don’t move from my spot on the bed for a while. Not until there’s a knock on the door and my grandmother steps in, not even waiting for me to respond. “You’re upset.”
