9. Noah
9
NOAH
F orcing myself to stay away from Eli has proven to be more difficult than anything I’ve ever done. Keeping him out of my apartment, even more so. I should be bothered by how often he shows up unannounced, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t always happy to see him. He’s been nervous lately, though. He told me about the upcoming shipment, but I kept him from giving me too many details. I don’t know how much Rossi is listening to me, and I can’t be too careful.
I found at least three bugs in my apartment, and I’ve managed to either disable them or keep them quiet, but there could always be more. There was also a tracker on both my phone and in my car. I picked up a burner, an old-school flip phone that’s almost less than useless, and I’ve been struggling to convince Eli that it’s just until my new phone arrives. Thankfully, Montcove has a great public transit system, so I don’t have to mess with the car, at least most of the time.
But I’m sitting in it now as I wait for Rossi. My mind races with what’s going to happen. There’s no way he hasn’t noticed that all the bugs on me have gone silent or that my car has been sitting still for a week, but with the elimination of his contact in the family—Reese “disappeared” about two days ago—maybe he’ll pull back a bit. No matter what, as soon as I can convince Eli to come with me, I’m running. I’ve already found us a place in California. I pushed the papers through with an alias yesterday, and I’m going to talk to Eli tonight.
I’ve tried so many times to come clean already, but something always gets in the way. I just hope Eli doesn’t hate me when I drop this bomb. My spiraling thoughts come to a halt when Rossi pulls into the parking spot next to mine. My pulse racing and my senses on high alert, I dutifully exit my car and jump into his passenger seat. If I can convince him that I’m still collecting evidence, that should give me the time I need to get Eli the hell out of here. Rossi is definitely arrogant enough to think he’s bullied me into going along with his plan.
“I notice your phone’s been turned off,” Rossi growls as soon as I get in.
“Eli got paranoid,” I lie.
“You definitely seem to be spending a lot of time at his ‘secret’ apartment,” Rossi says, using his fingers to make air quotes.
I keep my face neutral. I suspected that he knew about the apartment thanks to the tracker in my phone, but his mention of it sets my pulse racing, and I shift uncomfortably in my seat.
“What have you got for me?” he asks as he turns to face me. His hand rests on the grip of his sidearm, but this time I have mine, too.
“Nothing new,” I lie again.
“Bullshit, kid,” Rossi says, and his jaw ticks. “I know there’s a shipment coming in, a big one. When’s it happening?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say through clenched teeth. “Eli doesn’t give me details since the family has been asking around about me. He thinks it’s safer if I don’t know what’s going on.”
“He gives you a lot more than details,” Rossi says with a huff, and I have to stop myself from decking him in the jaw.
“Look, if you want more, then I’ll need more time to get the family to trust me,” I say, clenching my fists at my sides.
“They might be able to trust you, but I sure as fuck don’t,” Rossi says, tightening his grip on his gun. “All of a sudden you’re not giving me anything, the bugs are quiet, and your movements aren’t being tracked. How am I supposed to know you haven’t switched sides?”
“You’re one to talk about trust,” I shoot back. “Or do you not remember threatening my life the last time we met?”
“You needed the motivation. You’re getting too distracted by your personal feelings.” Rossi rolls his eyes like I’m the one being petulant.
“I need more time,” I say again. I shift so that my own weapon is within reach.
“Where’s the damn shipment?” Rossi says.
“I don’t know!” I shout.
“Bullshit.” He tries to pull is weapon, but I’m faster. I have my gun pressed to his stomach before he can even get his out of the holster.
“I told you, I need more time,” I growl.
“You just signed your death warrant,” Rossi says, but he lets go of his gun.
“Not likely. I think the family will trust me pretty easily if I bring them your corpse as a fucking trophy,” I snarl.
“You won’t kill me,” Rossi says, and relaxes his shoulders.
“I don’t want to, that’s true,” I answer.
“I can find out,” Rossi says, raising his hands in submission. “I’ll be there to intercept the shipment, and I’ll probably be able to take down some international dealers as well.”
“Do whatever you want,” I say, but I turn to the door. I open it and get out of the car, keeping my gun trained on Rossi.
“I already know it’s tonight,” he continues like I haven’t spoken. “And I’ve got a pretty good guess as to where.”
“I’m sure,” I scoff, but I believe him.
“We’re done, kid. I’m disappointed in you,” he says, then peels out of the parking lot. I stare after him for a few minutes before turning to my car. This isn’t good.
* * *
I call Eli as soon as the car door shuts behind me. He doesn’t pick up. I snap the phone shut and start my car. I have to warn him. If Rossi already had one mole in the family, I doubt he’d have trouble finding another, and he’s definitely going to target Eli after this. I have to find him, and we have to run.
I go by the fraternity house, but no one has seen Eli in days. I try his off-campus apartment, then the secret apartment, but have no luck at either of them. He must already be with his family. The shipment is happening tonight, so I know he’ll be there, but I have to find a way to get to him before then. I keep trying his phone, but now it’s going straight to voicemail. He must have turned it off. Shit… shit .
I go back to my apartment. I know this is stupid, but it’s the only plan I’ve got. I open the safe and take out my badge and ID, shoving them into my pocket. Then I head down to the bus stop to catch a ride to the docks.
I’m not sure exactly where the transaction is taking place. I’ve been very careful not to let Eli give me too many details because I was afraid of Rossi finding out, but now I wish I’d let him tell me everything. It’s starting to get dark as I wander around the shipping yard looking for anything suspicious. I notice a small cargo ship pulling into the harbor, and hope that’s the right one.
I follow its movements as it chugs through the shallow waters of the bay. It pulls up to a dock. There are no containers this time, and several men jump out and start tying it off as it lowers a ramp to connect with the dock. Keeping out of sight, I watch as they start to unload crates with hand carts, piling them together at the end of the dock.
Voices rise from the other side of the crates, and one of them belongs to Eli. I would know his smooth cadence anywhere. Even in this situation, the sound of his voice soothes me. My skin prickles as I listen to him speaking in flawless Russian. There’s still a lot I have to learn about this man. I stay hidden as I listen to their conversation. I don’t speak Russian, but things seem to be going smoothly. Rossi must have been bluffing about knowing when and where this was taking place. If this all works out, I’ll just keep out of sight until I can talk to Eli.
I notice movement from the opposite side of the docks, and my adrenaline spikes when I hear the shouts of officers telling them to freeze. Gunshots ring out and I launch myself out of my hiding place. My heart shudders to a stop when I see Eli take a hit and fall to the ground. I bolt across the dock, bullets screaming around me, and fall to my knees next to him. Relief washes through me as soon as I notice that he’s still breathing, but it’s shallow. I check him over. He has a wound on his shoulder, but it looks like the bullet went through.
Sirens start wailing in the distance as the gunfire slows. I grab Eli and he finally regains consciousness. At least three men are on their knees with officers’ gun trained on them, and several more are trying to run.
“Noah, what are you doing here?” he gasps, then groans and grabs his shoulder.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” I say as I lift him to his feet. He leans on me heavily as we walk away from the fray. One officer shouts at me to freeze, but I flash my badge at them and they wave me through. Eli seems to be too disoriented to notice as we keep walking. I just pray no one recognizes me. I have no idea what Rossi has told the rest of the department about me.
We keep moving, and I take Eli back to his car. I get him settled into the passenger seat, but he’s fading in and out of consciousness. I have to take a minute to orient myself in the driver’s seat. This car is ridiculous, but I somehow manage to get us to the hospital and carry a semi-conscious Eli inside. By this point we’re both covered in blood and everything is a blur as the doctors and nurses rush him into the trauma center.
* * *
The next thing I know, I’m sitting in a waiting room with a pile of paperwork I have no idea how to fill out. It’s probably not the best idea, but I use my undercover alias on all the documents, and when they mention that they need to let law enforcement know about the GSW I flash my badge again. Thankfully, they back off as they take Eli into surgery.
Sometime later—it was probably only a few hours, but it felt like a week—the doctors come to let me know Eli is out of surgery. They take me into the recovery room where he’s still sleeping. They try to give me the details of the surgery, but everything after “he will make a full recovery” gets lost somewhere in translation. They ask me if I need help with security, but I tell them that this is a high-profile case and we need to keep it quiet, but there’s no danger. Thankfully, they believe me. I guess having a badge gives someone instant credibility. I scoff at the thought. If Rossi knew where we were, neither of us would be safe.
I sit in the chair next to Eli’s bed and rest my head next to his arm. I take his hand and hold it without any idea what my next move should be. I don’t even know how we’re going to get out of this damn hospital. Eli shifts next to me, and I lift my head. He blinks sluggishly a few times before focusing on me.
“Noah, what happened? Where am I?” Eli croaks. My heart twists.
“We’re in the hospital, Eli,” I say as I put my hand on his cheek, appearances be damned. His eyes start shooting around the room.
“What happened?” Eli asks again. I stroke his hair, brushing the curls from his forehead. I want this moment to last forever, because I know what comes next might end us.
“Cops got wind of the transaction, and there was a raid,” I say, my voice catching. “You were shot, but I got you out of there.” Eli squeezes my hand and leans into my touch. My heart feels like it’s splitting in two.
“How…I don’t understand,” he says.
“We just have to get out of here, and then I’ll explain everything,” I say quietly, and touch my forehead to his. “I promise, I love you.”
“Officer Sorrento?” a female voice says behind me, and Eli freezes beneath my touch. Here it is, the beginning of the end. I just hope Eli can play it cool until we get out of here. But when I lift my head, the pain and betrayal in his eyes shatters me before I turn to the doctor.
“Dr. Nguyen says that as soon as the patient is awake and alert you can go. Here are the aftercare instructions.” She hands me a packet of papers.
“Hey there, Mr. Andriotta,” she says to Eli, and his gaze narrows on me. “How are you feeling?”
“It hurts quite a bit,” Eli says, his eyes never leaving mine. The knife in my chest twists. “But otherwise, I’m good, I think.”
“Well, the surgery went well and the bullet didn’t hit anything vital, but you’re lucky to have Officer Sorrento looking out for you. You lost a lot of blood, so you’ll probably feel groggy for a while. I brought you some clothes, and you’re free to go as soon as you’re up to it.” She smiles and drops some sweatpants and a white T-shirt onto the end of the bed.
“Thank you,” Eli says to her. She gives him a quick nod and leaves. My eyes follow her out the door. I can feel Eli’s gaze burning into my back, but I can’t turn around. I can’t look at the pain I’ve caused him.
“Excuse me, Officer Sorrento, ” he says, and his voice feels like ice flowing over my skin.
“Eli, we have to get out of here, and then I’ll explain,” I say quickly. “I gave the hospital my name. They have no idea who you are.”
“Apparently, I have no idea who you are,” he says with a grunt, and I turn to find him swinging his legs off the bed. I step over to help him, but he shoves me away. The knife in my chest gives a final, fatal push. He struggles with the clothes, trying to pull the sweatpants on with one hand, since his other arm is tied up in a sling.
“Let me help you,” I insist. “Just until we get out of here, and then I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want. You never have to look at me again.”
“Noah.” He grimaces, and I don’t think it’s from physical pain. “Is that even your fucking name?”
“Yes,” I whisper as I help him pull the shirt over his head. He grunts in pain as I help guide his wounded shoulder through the sleeve.
“What the fuck is this, Noah?” Eli hisses at me.
“I was…I was undercover,” I say without looking at him.
“So this was all a setup?” he asks, and I flinch.
“No…well, just no,” I say quickly, and help him with his pants. I pull his shoes on over the hospital socks. They look very uncomfortable, but they’ll at least get us out the door. “Montcove PD was trying to get something on your uncle, but then I met you and I never thought…I just…it wasn’t supposed to be like this,” I say with a grimace. I’m sure that will make him forgive me.
“Is that all you have to say?” Eli challenges as I help him to his feet.
“No,” I say quickly. “No, not even close, and if we can get out of here I’ll explain everything. I promise, Eli. Please believe me.”
“How the fuck am I supposed to believe you?” Eli says, and parts of me I didn’t even think could break begin to shatter. I knew on some level that this was how it was going to end. I’d be lying to myself if I thought he could forgive me for this. “Where’s my phone?” he growls at me as I help him keep his balance as we head for the exit.
“In your car,” I say, and he pulls away from me, finally steady on his feet as he begins to walk on his own. “Your car’s in the parking lot.” I hand him the keys. He steps forward and stumbles, so I catch him, but he pulls away from me again. “Eli, please…” I beg, but I know it’s no use. I’ve ruined everything. The most perfect man I’ve ever met hates me, and I can’t blame him.
With each step forward, my world shatters around me. Eli keeps a step ahead of me, and I fight the compulsion to reach for him. We make it out the exit and he pauses to search the parking lot. I make a rough gesture with my hand and he allows me to lead him in the direction of his car. I keep my eyes open and searching as we cross the pavement. I have no idea how things ended at the docks, and I’m not sure I want to know, but Rossi could be tailing me at any moment.
Eli spots his Bentley and starts toward it, and even though I know he doesn’t want me to, I follow, keeping a step behind him. Eli gets to the car and wrenches open the door.
“Do you want me to drive you?” I ask, though I know the question is stupid. He gives me a glare that could melt steel and settles himself into the seat, shooting furious looks at me as he adjusts it back for his height. I just stand there and stare at him stupidly. I want to say so much, but nothing comes out.
Eli stops to look at me one more time, and I hold my breath. He opens and closes his mouth, and then his expression turns bitter and I notice tears lining his eyes. My breath catches as he reaches for the door.
“Eli, wait!” I reach for him, but he recoils. “I…I bought a cabin.”
“What?” Eli snaps.
“I bought a cabin…in California. For…for us. You and me, we’ll be safe there.”
His expression softens, and for the briefest of moments hope sparks in my chest, but it doesn’t last.
“Fuck you, Noah,” he says, and slams the car door shut. I stand there and just stare as he pulls out of the parking space and drives away. I watch him until he’s out of sight, and a void opens up in my soul.
* * *
Somehow, I manage to leave the parking lot. I walk across the street and into a liquor store. It takes me a minute to process that the clerk is terrified of me, the vacant-eyed man covered in blood who’s trying to buy a bottle of whiskey. He ends up giving it to me for nothing. I still throw a few dollars onto the counter; I can’t help myself. The badge doesn’t help this time—apparently it only goes so far.
I swallow several mouthfuls of the burning liquid before finding my way to a bus stop. Some sort of instinctual self-preservation kicks in because I don’t even try to go back to my apartment. I’m sure Rossi or someone else would be sitting there waiting for me. Instead, I find myself at a cheap-ass motel in the harbor. I guess being close to what I now consider “our” apartment gives me some sort of solace. Shit . I didn’t tell Eli that the apartment is compromised. I pull out my phone to text him, but it’s gone dead. Of course I don’t have a charger with me, and finding one for this dinosaur will be close to impossible.
I take another few slugs of the whiskey, relaxing into the numbing sensation of the alcohol, and fall backward onto the bed, bloody clothes and all. I wish I could just explain it all to Eli. I wish I’d gotten up the nerve to do it sooner. Fuck, I wish I’d never agreed to this damn assignment in the first place. I roll over with the intention of taking my clothes off and getting in the shower, but I can’t seem to get my equilibrium. I squint at the bottle and realize that it’s almost empty. I tilt it back, swallow the last of the booze, and fall back onto the bed again. This time when I close my eyes, I don’t bother opening them again.