Vanessa #2
Walking over to the window, I spot Rocky and Logan at the front gate. I know Danny is at the shop with Braxton today, so it looks like I have the inside of the clubhouse to myself for a little while.
I head to the closet that holds all of the cleaning supplies, grab a duster and the vacuum, then make my way to Ozzy’s office.
I stop dead in my tracks when I hear his voice on the other side of the door.
Shit. I didn’t see him at all when I was making breakfast or eating, so I assumed he wasn’t here.
That could royally screw up my plans to see my mom and sister.
And I certainly can’t snoop if he’s sitting right fucking there.
“Yeah, next Thursday works for us,” he says to someone.
I don’t hear the reply, so I assume he’s on the phone.
“We can pick up at the warehouse in Boston then make our way to Michigan.” Silence.
“No, I won’t be with the guys this trip.
With all the shit going down with the Russians, runs are going to be a two-man operation.
” More silence. “I don’t know if they have eyes on us, but I’m going to assume so.
If more than a couple brothers are gone, that might make them a little too ballsy.
We aren’t taking chances until we figure out where those assholes are hiding. ”
A stone sinks in my gut. It’s just another reminder of what I’m doing here. Little does Ozzy or anyone else know that I’m the eyes that are watching them.
“Alright, Cillian. Tell Nova I said hi, and Freya and I will try to make it to Boston soon for a visit.”
I don’t hear anything after that, and I’m about to turn around when the door opens suddenly and Ozzy stands in front of me.
“Shit, you scared me,” I say, throwing a hand up to my chest. “I didn’t realize you were here. I was going to run a vacuum in your office.”
His smile is soft when he sees what I’m assuming is a terrified expression on my face. “You okay?”
I clear my throat and lower my hand. “Uh…yeah. Sorry, surprises still make me a little jumpy.” Not a total lie, considering his being here is a complete surprise, but I can tell from the flash of sympathy in his eyes that he thinks my fear has something to do with being abused by my fake ex.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” he says. “I was just about to head out. Need anything?”
“No, I’m all set.”
Ozzy nods and shuts the door behind him. “I really appreciate everything you’ve been doing around here.”
“Seems only fair since I’ve been living here for free and everything,” I reply with guilt churning in my gut.
“Hey, you work at Midnight Rose. That means you’re part of our extended family. When anyone is in a tough spot, we help out. So really, you’re doing us a favor by cleaning up after these guys. Seriously, Vanessa, thank you.”
I offer Ozzy a smile in reply, but it’s so forced it’s hurting my face and my soul. Russ was so fucking wrong about these guys, and now I’m stuck in the middle.
When Ozzy passes me in the hall and heads out the door, I put away the cleaning supplies I didn’t use before grabbing my bag and the stash of money I have shoved in my nightstand drawer.
When I make it out to my car, I get inside and notice how clean it is.
Even the coffee stain that I had on the passenger seat is gone.
I shake my head and chuckle. Fucking Braxton must have detailed my car, or at least had one of the prospects do it without me noticing.
Logan opens the gate and waves as I drive past him and turn right, heading to the highway.
The longer I’m in my silent car, the more I think about Ozzy, the look on his face and his sincere thanks for helping out at the clubhouse.
My stomach is in knots, especially since I have the information that Russ is looking for.
The more time I spend with all the guys—Braxton in particular—the less I can rationalize hurting him or the club.
Put it back in the box, Vanessa.
I turn on my radio and crank it up in an attempt to drown out the voice in my head telling me I’m making a huge mistake.
Braxton is just a guy I’m sleeping with.
I have no loyalty to him. I may not want to cause him and his club problems, but it’s not like I have many choices.
Hell, I haven’t had the luxury of choice since I can remember.
I didn’t have a choice in losing my dad; I didn’t have a choice in my mom marrying a member of the Bratva because she couldn’t take care of herself or a kid on her own.
I certainly didn’t have a choice in quitting school so I could go to work at my stepbrother’s club.
And I don’t have a choice in helping him in this insane scheme to take down his enemies.
The only thing I can do is attempt to get my family out of this mess before Russ contacts me again wanting information. If that doesn’t work, then I’ll just have to see where the chips fall and hope that I can get clear of the blast.
It takes just under three hours to get to my mom’s little apartment in New York.
I don’t have more than an hour or two before I need to be on the road to make it back before Braxton gets there.
It’s not that I’m tied to the clubhouse or have to okay my comings and goings with him, but the less I have to make up stories, the better.
I guess I could tell him that I went to visit my mom because I missed her, but he may start asking questions about my family that I really don’t want to answer.
I let myself into the apartment with my key, and when the door swings open, my little sister jumps from the old couch in our tiny living room and runs over to me, throwing her arms around my middle.
“Vanessa! Mom didn’t tell me you were coming today.” She looks up at me with her big brown doe eyes. I tug on her curly ponytail and smile down at her.
“Because I wanted it to be a surprise,” my mom says, coming out of the kitchen.
Her blonde hair is limp, and her blue eyes that used to sparkle have a dullness to them that has been ever-present since my stepfather died and we came to live in this little apartment because we couldn’t afford anything else.
She’s still in her bathrobe, which wouldn’t be too surprising except for the fact that it’s already one in the afternoon.
My mom not getting dressed for the day is usually a precursor to her not getting out of bed for days on end.
And because of this bullshit Russ has me doing, I can’t be here to take care of Noel.
“You okay, Mom?” I ask, walking over to her.
She envelops me in a hug, and I swear she feels thinner than the last time I saw her before leaving for Shine.
“I’m fine,” she answers, pulling away and smiling at me. “I just missed my girl is all.”
“I missed you, too.”
“How about some lunch? I made a pot of shchi and pryaniki for dessert.”
My mother has always made the best traditional Russian food that I’ve ever tasted.
She could easily be a chef in a restaurant.
Maybe if her life had turned out a little different, she would have.
She loves being in the kitchen and feeding her family, at least when she isn’t lying in bed all day.
I think I may have inherited a little of that from her.
“Sounds great,” I say, returning her smile.
“Vanessa, come look at my science fair project.”
Noel is a wiz when it comes to math and science. I have no idea where she would have gotten that from. Her father wasn’t what I would consider a brainiac, and our mom never seemed particularly interested in anything having to do with either of our educations.
We head to the room my little sister shares with my mom. I had my own since my work hours were all over the map and usually involved me coming home long after midnight.
Noel pulls out her three-sided poster board that explains something about electrical current then she shows me the demonstration she has set up.
Frankly, it’s above my pay grade, but I nod along every step of the way.
It’s not that her project isn’t interesting; it’s just that science was never really my forte.
I loved math when I was in school. Loved that there was a solution to every problem, no matter how complex.
Science has too many variables you have to account for.
I could do with a lot less variables in my own life right about now.
A knock comes from the front door, and I listen as my mom answers it.
“Hi, Russ. Twice in a week. To what do we owe the pleasure?” my mom asks in a tight voice.
She’s no fan of her stepson either. He always was a little shit to her when we were younger.
His reasoning was valid at one point. Our parents had an affair, and his dad divorced his mom when mine got pregnant.
I guess his dad wanted more kids, and Russ’s mom couldn’t have more, so he threw her out like yesterday’s trash.
I get being pissed, but he’s been taking that anger out on us for over a decade now.
“Hello, Irina. I was driving by and saw Vanessa’s car. Thought I’d stop in and say hello since I haven’t seen her in a while.”
My eyes close for a brief moment as I get my breathing under control. When I open them, Noel has a nervous look on her little face. I give her a goofy smile and stick out my tongue before getting up from the bed and walking out into the living room.
“Hey, Russ,” I say as my mother steps aside to let him in.
“Vanessa. Glad you had a chance to come visit your family.” My family, not his.
Russ’s bloodshot brown eyes look me over, and I can’t help the chills that run over my arms. He’s never been what would be considered handsome, but I swear in the last few weeks since I’d seen him last, his round face is even puffier and the thin hair that covers the crown of his head is greasier and more unkempt than it was before.