25. Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Julien
“ B ad news, compadre.” Brad met Julien in the hall. His high and tight haircut had each strand in place despite the beating it took from the snow.
Brad had followed Julien outside while he was having a much-needed cigarette. Brad then asked him why Tyler was upset before the kids practically cried until Julien let them throw snowballs at him.
As much as Julien needed to get the fuck out of here, he also didn’t have the heart not to indulge in familial feelings one last time. He doubted he’d ever come close to it again and would miss the kids. He’d miss the whole family.
But he knew Tyler was upset. He didn’t need fucking Brad calling him on it. But it did allow Julien to ask Brad to drop him off in town before dinner.
The last person he expected to confide in was Brad. When Julien explained, he had to get home because of an emergency and didn’t want to involve Tyler since their fight, Brad had been unexpectedly sympathetic. He’d agreed without question and even said he knew how the Ashfords could be when things didn’t go exactly to plan.
“What bad news?” Julien asked him. He had grabbed the smallest suitcase, which he had filled with his belongings, most notably the money. He wouldn’t return to the house after tonight, not after how he had ended things with Tyler.
He couldn’t even face Ty. His chest was already in knots about it. But still, no matter how much Jules wanted to explain why he had to act this way, he couldn’t get Tyler wrapped in this. He didn’t trust Rossi as far as he could throw him, and he wouldn’t let Tyler get hurt because of his past mistakes.
If Julien had to break both of their hearts because of it, he could try to fix them later. Right now, he needed to get Rossi the money and go home so no one could get to Tyler.
“The roads are too bad. There are warnings all over the weather apps and a state of emergency. We’re snowed in, man,” Brad said. “It’s a bitch, I know, but we can’t control the weather, can we? ”
Julien’s blood rushed in his ears. “I have to get to town,” he told Brad. “Tonight. It can’t be that bad.”
“Look, I get it. I haven’t finished all of my shopping either—” Brad started, but Julien cut him off.
“I don’t need to go shopping.” He looked around, but no one else was in the hall. “Can I tell you something?”
Brad shrugged. “Sure, I guess?”
Julien took a deep breath as he figured out how to say this to Brad, of all people. “I owe this guy money, and he’s serious about getting it to him. Tonight. I don’t want to get the family mixed up with all of this shit.”
Brad’s eyes gleamed in a way that Julien had never seen. “Oh fuck. What the Hell kind of shit are you wrapped up in, Jules?” He pressed his lips together.
“It’s complicated,” Julien said because his entire life was complicated, and he couldn’t explain it to anyone without the risk of them getting mixed up in it. “But I have to get to town by six.”
Brad sighed. “Can you just text him and tell him? It’s Christmas, for fucks sake.”
“These aren’t the type of people who wait. Can I borrow your car?” Julien asked.
Brad considered. “Cece would kill me if something happened to the car.” Brad wore the most serious expression Julien had ever seen on his face before. “But I get it.”
Brad took a step closer to Jules and lowered his voice. “When I was in college, I played baseball. I got wrapped up in gambling on the games. I ended up owing some people a lot of money I didn’t have.”
Julien’s eyebrows lifted. “Really?” He imagined Brad to be the type that was flush with cash since birth. Hearing this couldn’t be more of a surprise.
“Yeah. I couldn’t tell Cece about it. God forbid the Ashfords caught wind of how big of a fuck up I was.” Brad scoffed. “In the end, I figured it out, but it was one of the most stressful times of my life.”
Jules ran a hand through his hair. “I borrowed money from this guy, Lou Rossi. I needed to help my mom pay her medical bills,” Julien explained. “I was young and stupid, and it didn’t help anyway. If I can get this over and done with, I’ll have a fresh start. ”
Brad nodded. “I’m here for you, Julien. Whatever you need. First thing in the morning, you and I can jet over to town and pay. Or maybe we can ask Wally for his car. That guy would do anything for you.”
Julien didn’t want to mix poor Wally up in all of this. “Fuck. No. You’re right. This is insane.” He fished his phone out of his pocket. It was already almost five.
Tony Rossi had already texted him.
Tick Tock.
Like he was some fucking comic book villain.
Julien quickly texted him back and told him that the snow was too bad and he wouldn’t make it in time. But he promised to go first thing in the morning after the roads were plowed.
“Brad, please don’t tell anyone about this, especially not Tyler. I want to pay them and get this over with.”
“Don’t worry about that. I won’t say a word,” Brad vowed.
Julien felt a wave of nausea hit him when his phone buzzed. He looked at the text, and sure enough, Rossi had texted him again.
We had a deal.
He put his phone away and shook away the chill he felt. Maybe he could borrow or steal one of the cars parked in the driveway. However, when he got downstairs, everyone was gathered around, setting the table for dinner, and the blanket of snow outside had gotten so high that it pressed against the sliding glass door at almost knee height.
“Julien, can you help Tyler with the napkins?” Mrs. Ashford said. She offered him a narrow-eyed look that Julien couldn’t parse but turned away and tapped her future son-in-law on the shoulder. “Wally, can you let Duke out back? He keeps scratching at the door.”
Tyler gave Julien a weak smile when he handed him the napkins. “Sorry you are stuck here again,” he mumbled.
Julien glanced at the clock, and time seemed to move too fast. “It’s fine. ”
“I told my mom the truth,” Tyler whispered while they folded the cloth napkins and placed them underneath the cutlery. “About our deal. We don’t have to keep pretending anymore. I know it’s all fake.”
That was the problem though, because, despite constant reminders, Julien didn’t feel like they had been pretending. Now, however, the jig was up in so many ways. He didn’t think there would be a chance to put everything back together now that it had blown up in his face.
“Then there’s no reason for me to stay.”
He hated the look of hurt on Tyler’s face. He wanted to reach out, take his chin between his fingers, kiss the frown away, hold the smaller man in his arms, and tell him how much he cared about him.
He couldn’t, not anymore. Not with his literal life hanging in the balance.
When he returned to Pittsburgh and cleaned up the ashes of his life, maybe they could move forward. Perhaps he could text Tyler and ask him out. He doubted he would stand a chance, not after this, but he had to prioritize.
“Right.” Tyler clearly wanted to say much more but didn’t.
Julien would have paid any money to know what was on his mind.
By the time they finished setting the table, Hailey had taken out the food and set it up on serving dishes. Mr. Ashford talked loudly about the wine he picked for the night, and Wally sipped it with his future father-in-law.
The scene seemed so natural, like Julien’s life wasn’t crashing down around him.
Julien looked at the clock again. It was six o’clock. He checked his phone. Rossi hadn’t texted him.
The Ashfords all started to sit for dinner, and Julien knew he only had one choice. “I’m heading out for a smoke,” he told Tyler as he passed him to go to the table.
Jules looked at Tyler for a long moment, wishing he could tell him how sorry he was, but he had to go.
“Fine.” Tyler turned his head away .
Across the table, Brad caught Julien’s eye and gave the slightest nod as if he could somehow read Julien’s mind the way the Ashford siblings did.
With stealth, Julien walked to his bag in the hall, took out the money, stuck it in his wallet, and then grabbed a pack of cigarettes. He stepped into the garage and took the keys to Walter’s car off the hook. Then he slipped outside. He silently apologized to Walter but vowed to return the vehicle in one piece.
With one last glance over his shoulders, he went out the garage door and trudged through over a foot of snow to get to the car in the driveway.
Duke barked somewhere in the backyard. Julien unlocked the car, and the lights came on. He was about to slide into the front seat when he realized it wasn’t the only pair of headlights in the driveway.
The other car turned off, and the door opened. “There you are, Jules,” came Tony Rossi’s smug voice.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Julien asked, unable to stop himself from looking back to the house where the Ashfords were probably starting to eat, oblivious to the danger at their doorstep.
“How did you find me here?”
“I followed you earlier.” Rossi let out a low whistle. “Nice place. I didn’t know you had friends in such high places.”
Julien hurriedly fished out his wallet and ignored the chill in his fingertips, which had settled into his bones. It had nothing to do with the blizzard he was standing in, either. “Here. Take your fucking money. I’m done now.” He thrust the twenty-five hundred dollars at Rossi, who took it and counted it out.
Julien expected him to be satisfied, but when Rossi pocketed the money, he turned his gaze to Julien once more. “There’s a late fee, bud. It’s after six. I want another fifteen thousand.”
Julien stared at him. Rossi had to be joking. When did he have any authority over how much money Julien owed? Julien made his deal with Lou, and, yes, Lou had adjusted the total more than a few times in ten years. But Julien didn’t make the deal with Tony. Who the actual fuck does he think he is?
“Fuck off. That wasn’t part of the deal. You’re the one who pushed the deadline up. I still have two days, according to your uncle.”
Rossi’s eyes were on the house again. “What, afraid to ask your friends for help? You weren’t afraid of asking the boss for help when your mom was sick. I’d hate for this to get messy when you’ve cooperated nicely before all of this.”
Julien’s blood boiled, and he stepped forward to grab Rossi by the coat, but the door opened, spreading more light onto the snow-covered driveway.
“Julien?” Tyler looked between him and Rossi, his eyes wide. Confusion settled on his face. “What’s going on?”
Julien wanted to howl. This was the last thing he wanted.
Rossi patted Julien’s arm and grinned. “Hey there. I’m Tony, Julien’s friend.”
“Tyler, get back inside.” Julien’s voice came out lower than he meant to, but he wouldn’t let anything happen to Tyler, not on his watch. He would never forgive himself.
“Ah! So, you’re the Tyler I’ve heard about. I’ve gotta say, you have a great place,” Rossi said, a grin spread over his sharp features.
Tyler stood in the doorway. His eyes darted from Julien to Rossi. “I… didn’t know Julien had friends in the area.”
Julien gave the slightest shake of his head. He didn’t know if Tyler could even see it. “I owed Tony some money.” He tried to let his words carry all the meaning in each syllable. “But he’s got it now, so he’ll be on his way.”
But then Hailey appeared over her brother’s shoulder. “Are you guys crazy? It’s negative a thousand out here.” She registered that there was someone else in the driveway and squinted. “Hi?”
“Hi there, Doll. I’m Tony, Julien’s good pal. Ain’t that right, Jules?” Tony shoved a sharp elbow into Julien’s side.
Julien huffed and cleared his throat. “Yep.”
“Well, come inside. We’re about to eat,” Hailey said. “I… guess we can set a place for you, Tony. No one should be out in this weather.” She looked at Tyler, and the pair stared at each other for a long moment .
“Sounds great.” Tony shoved Julien away from him before striding toward the house. “I’m starving.”
Julien watched with dread as Tony brushed by the twins and entered the Ashford home. Julien followed but stopped once Hailey closed the front door. He hooked an arm around Tyler’s waist.
“We have to get him out of here,” he whispered, trying to think of what they could do. He couldn’t call the cops. The Rossi family wouldn’t let him get away with having one of their own arrested. But he couldn’t just sit there and let a dangerous man sit at the dinner table with this innocent family.
“Who is he? I saw him talking to you earlier,” Tyler whispered.
“Anthony Rossi.” Julien looked over Tyler’s shoulder.
Tony took a seat at the table next to Wally.
Julien pressed his face closer so he wouldn’t be overheard. “Ten years ago, I borrowed money from the Rossi family to pay my mom’s medical bills.” He clenched his jaw. “That money you gave me was supposed to be the last of my payments. But now he wants more.”
Tyler’s eyes widened, and his throat bobbed as he swallowed. “He’s like a mafia guy?” he whispered.
“Kinda, sort of, yes,” Julien admitted. “And he’s dangerous, but I can’t risk calling the cops. I’ve done too much shit for the Rossi family. They’d find a way to put me in jail or worse if we did.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Tyler asked. “Earlier. I could have helped you.”
Julien shook his head. “I don’t want you involved in this, Baby.”
“Well, now you have no choice,” Tyler said. “How much does he want?”
“Fifteen grand,” Julien said, and the shock on Tyler’s face was the same shock that Julien had felt when Rossi told him.
“Tyler, Julien, we’re waiting on you,” Mrs. Ashford called from the dining room. “It’s getting cold. ”
Tyler looked up at him, the whites of his eyes visible with how wide they were. “What do we do?”
That was a question Julien didn’t know how to answer, but he wasn’t about to let Rossi hurt anyone. “I’ll think of something. Trust me.” He tried to sound more confident than he felt.
“I trust you.”
Julien wanted to protest, to tell Tyler all the reasons not to trust him but couldn’t. He pulled him close and pressed his lips to Tyler’s. “I’m sorry. I should have told you all of this before instead of acting like a dick.”
Tyler kissed Julien back with a few frantic pecks. “Let’s just get through this dinner and get rid of him. Okay?”
Julien nodded. He would think of something. He didn’t have a choice anymore.