Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Tristan
Today, Levi and I are officially out of training and I’m planning my trip back to Valor Springs.
“Are you sure you don’t want company?” Leighton asks me as she’s making breakfast.
I’ve been staying with Leighton, her husband, Valentino, and their kids. It’s been a lot of fun, but I need to figure out my own home. I feel like I’m intruding on their time together.
“I’m not planning on being there for long. Salvatore said I could take as much time as I needed. But I don’t plan to be there more than a few days. It’s not going to be an easy trip and there’s only one thing I need to do. Plus, I don’t think I’ll be much fun for anyone who comes with me.”
“That’s okay. We’re all just worried, none of us want you to be alone. And I know some of the family has never been to Texas before. So they’d love to support you and visit someplace new.”
I chuckle as I listen to Leighton, I know she’s looking out for me. She stares at me and I roll my eyes at her.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me. I think you need to have a few of us going with you. I don’t want you to go alone.” She frowns at me.
I’m pretty sure she’s made that decision without me.
“Okay, okay. I surrender. I’ll gladly have anyone that wants to come with me.”
Leighton smiles smugly. “I knew I’d wear you down. I’ll find out who’s going and let you know. You’re leaving on Friday?”
“Yeah. It’s going to take at least two days to get there. And again, I don’t plan on being there for more than a few days. A week at the most.”
“A week is the perfect amount of time.”
“Perfect amount of time for what?" Eros Athanasiou asks as he walks into the kitchen and steals a piece of bacon.
“Where the fuck did you come from?” Valentino laughs as he joins us.
“I smelled bacon. I followed my nose here.” Eros smiles as he stuffs more bacon in his mouth.
I laugh as I watch them. This family has helped me in so many ways. It’s not just the love and support that they all share. It’s the fun and happiness they bring to each other. They make me think of my parents and how much they would’ve loved Lake Renegade.
All major decisions in Lake Renegade are handled by the council.
There are seven of them: Enea, Leonardo and Antonio Mancini, Giacomo Bastianini, Zeus Athanasiou, Panagiotis Nikolaidis and Elio Salvadori.
I have a meeting with them today, there’s something I’ve been thinking about that I need their approval for. I really hope they say yes.
Lily
As I was walking to work today, it felt like I was being followed. I’ve never felt unsafe here…until today. I keep looking around, but I don’t see anyone or anything that could be making me feel this way. But I can feel the hairs on my arm standing at attention. And it’s really creeping me out.
When I finally get to my office, I take a minute to settle myself.
It takes a few minutes to shake the feeling I was having on my way in.
I’ve been a full-time staffer here for two years, and everyone here is great to work with.
I used to think that I wanted to work at a big, fancy newspaper or magazine.
But now I know this is what I love. Small town local news, it lets us get to know the people we write about.
The only time I don’t like it is when something happens and we have to expose people we know.
The first thing I do today is check my email.
I’m working on another book for an author.
I work with five authors and three of them use me exclusively for their series.
One of them is Carter James, he’s a best-selling author.
This is the third book I’ve done for him.
He’s the one that I’ve never talked to on the phone or in person.
Only emails and text messages. The others, I’ve met in person, and we talk on the phone weekly when I write books for them.
I’ve sent Carter the first half of the book and I’m waiting for his feedback. I’m getting nervous about it, he’s never taken more than a few days to read and let me know if I’m on the right track. This time it’s been two weeks. I keep wondering if he didn’t like it.
I try to get my mind off of waiting and decide to answer emails and get my articles ready for this week’s print. We used to do a daily printing, but now we do one on Wednesday and one on Sunday. Unless there’s something important that requires a special edition to be put out.
Unknown Text: You should be more careful about things you write
I frown at my phone. I’ve never had anyone get mad at me for something I’d written. So I have no idea what this is about.
Lily: Who is this? What are you talking about?
Unknown Text: Just be careful. Or you might find yourself in the same situation
What in the fuck? What situation? I haven’t written any pieces for the newspaper that could put me in a bad situation.
The last article was about the Christmas fair.
And I’m finishing up a piece for the New Year’s festival for this Sunday.
But no one’s read that yet, not even my editor.
Could it be Carter? But why would he threaten me?
And I don’t know the number that it came from. I decide to text Carter.
Lily: Hey Carter, I was wondering if you were having issues with the book. Please get back to me as soon as you can
I hate waiting for things. I’m not a patient person.