Chapter 14 #2
My stomach turns, and I swivel in my chair to face Frank, giving Dennis my back. “You said you wanted to talk. It must be important for you to track me down here. What do you want to talk about?” My voice is deceptively light, but I’m sure Frank isn’t fooled.
“I think you should stay at my house for a while. Rachel needs you there. A lot of preparations and parties. You’re better at that than she is. Also, you always cheer her up. I want her happy when we start having more guests from New York.”
“Of course, I’ll always be around to support Rachel. But I have school and performances. Auditions in New York at the end of the semester. I actually think Rachel and I should get a place in Manhattan. Imagine what a great backdrop that would be for her photographs?”
“She’ll be moving soon enough. Better for everyone if you stay with us. There’s no reason that would be a problem, right?”
“I have a place.”
“I know. You pay for it with some of the money I’ve given you.”
I swallow. “I pay for it with loans.”
“But who cosigned for the apartment?” His expression hardens. “I did that.”
Blood drains from my face. “If you don’t want to do that anymore, I’ll understand.”
“No,” he says with a snakelike smile. “That’s what family does. When your mom got sick, I paid your tuition. No problem. And when you need someone to cosign on something. No problem. Now I need a favor. And you say…?”
“I’ll pay you back. I’ve always said I will.”
“I don’t want money. And you haven’t got it anyway, have you?”
“Any idea what interest would be on a loan Frank made to you four years ago?” Dennis asks. “If we’re talking Palermo standard rates.”
Now Dennis is an expert on Frank’s business? I feel dizzy and sick to my stomach. I’d been feeling guilty for not calling Dennis back and now he’s here with Frank, trying to push me into moving out of my apartment? “Frank, I want to help—”
“Good. I knew you would. It’s loud in here. Let’s get going,” he says, sending a text.
“Wait,” I say as he tries to hustle me from my seat. “No, I have to pay, and my stuff is at my friend’s place. I need to go by there—”
“Dennis, go cover the tab. Meet us outside.”
Frank’s bodyguard takes my arm in a vise grip and pulls me from the stool. “Keep moving,” he says, his breath hot and stale against my face.
I try to resist, but he twists my arm, and before I know what’s happening, we’re on the street.
“Don’t,” I say, jerking away.
Frank shifts and sends another text.
“Let’s walk around, Mr. P.,” the bodyguard says.
Frank narrows his eyes. “No. You go around and see what the driver’s doing. Zoe and I will wait here.”
Frank puts a hand on my waist and pulls me against him.
The bodyguard nods and hurries away. Dennis exits behind a cheerful group.
They jostle me as they pass. I think about calling out, but what will I say?
That I was forced to let them pay my bar bill?
That my best friend’s dad is trying to get me to live with him rent-free?
He’ll just say I got riled up for no reason.
A misunderstanding. But he’ll never forget it and I’ll definitely pay for that.
No one is ever allowed to bring the police into Frank’s business. We’ve all been warned.
I try to move a step to the side to free a path out of the bar, but Frank is gripping me too tightly.
“We should move that way,” I say.
“No, right here’s good. They can go around,” Frank says, his eyes scanning the street. “Call the car, Dennis.”
Dennis looks around sharply and then calls. It rings twenty times and goes to voicemail. Something’s wrong.
“Back inside,” Frank grounds out.
When we turn, I see Connor come around the corner. Dennis jerks to attention and Frank’s fingers dig into my ribs. I want to launch myself into C’s arms, but I can’t move. I’m being held in place.
“Hello, C. What are you doing here?” Dennis asks bitterly with a nod to Frank that seems to say, “You see, I told you she betrayed you.”
My face is flushed and, despite the cold, sweat beads in the small of my back.
“What’s the word, Frank?” Connor says.
“Surprised to see you, C, with Anvil and Trick back in Coynston. Who’ve you got with you tonight?” he asks, looking around.
My heart plummets. The guys drove back? With Trick and Anvil gone, Connor’s alone against Frank and three of his men.
Connor’s eyes cut sharply to Dennis. “Don’t skin it.”
“What?” Dennis says, fidgeting with his hand inside his jacket. Is he carrying a gun?
“Frank,” C says. “If he draws down, one of my guys will drop him. If he’s yours, tell him not pull that piece.”
“One of your guys will drop him?” Frank scoffs. “Which guys would that be? Your crue has been counted.”
“Uh-huh. So it’s just us then, and we don’t need guns out on a busy street. Let Zoe go inside the bar while we talk.”
“I knew,” Frank says with a smile, nodding. “I watched you watch her and said to myself, Connor wants that one. Broke your own rules, didn’t you, C?”
“Did I? Enlighten me.”
“You don’t usually let them get under your skin. Move over here, Dennis. Right on Zoe’s other side.”
“Your driver’s not coming. Your bodyguard’s not coming. It’s you, me, and Sanders with CC cameras pointing right at us.”
Frank looks around and then back at Connor.
“I know my move,” C says. “If you let her go, I’ll walk away. Otherwise, where she goes, I go. And if anyone is stupid enough to make a move that puts her life in danger, he is not long for this world. My word on that.”
“Seems like I have something you want pretty badly,” Frank says.
Connor stares at him, the coldness in his eyes enough to freeze liquor.
“Neither of us wants Zoe to get hurt,” Frank adds.
“She’s like a daughter to me. Not to mention how upset Rachel would be if something happened to her.
” Frank clears his throat. “Zoe and I decided tonight that she’ll move in with me for a while.
If you want to see her, you’re welcome to come to the house.
And once she’s done the things I’d like her to do, if you’re inclined to, you can help her pay some debts she has. ”
“I’m happy to cover whatever debts she’s got,” Connor says, reaching out his hand. “Give her to me. When I’ve talked to her alone, if she wants to live with you, I’ll drop her off there myself.”
I stare at Connor, trying very hard not to betray any emotions. Frank’s fingers are still digging into my right side. On my left, I can smell Dennis’s sweat as he smashes against my body, squeezing me between him and Frank.
“Her coming to stay is nonnegotiable,” Frank says.
“Everything’s negotiable,” Connor says.
“Not when the muzzle of a Glock’s a couple inches from her heart,” Dennis says. “You might want to think that over and step off.”
I can’t move. I can’t even breathe.
Connor’s gaze flicks to Dennis. “She’s the only leverage you have.
Think this through, Sanders. If you kill her, you’re dead.
But if you walk away while Frank’s still holding onto her, you get to go unharmed.
I’ve already said I’m staying with her.” Connor looks back at Frank.
“And what are you thinking, Frank? At this range, if he shoots, it could go through her and into you. Let him go get your car. As long as Zoe’s not hurt, we can work this problem all night and into next week for all I care. ”
“Pass your gun to me. Discreetly,” Frank says.
“No,” I whisper.
Connor looks at me, then at Frank. “I would, but I can’t.”
“Enough of this. Let’s go, Mr. Palermo,” Dennis says. “There’s nothing he can do while I have a gun on her. We’ll go back into the parking lot, get in the car and go.”
“What do you say, C?” Frank asks. “This standoff is going nowhere. I’ll take Zoe home, and we can negotiate in a better location. I won’t let anything happen to her while she’s staying with me. My word on that.”
“It’s up to Zoe,” C says.
I stare at him, unsure what he wants me to say.
His face gives nothing away. Finally I close my eyes.
I don’t want to go with Frank and Dennis, but I don’t want Connor or myself to get hurt.
I can feel Dennis getting increasingly impatient.
He’s always been a hothead, so I don’t trust him to do the logical thing.
“Okay,” I say, opening my eyes. “I’ll go back to Frank’s.”
“I’ll come with you,” Connor says.
“You’re not getting in the car armed,” Frank says.
“Understood,” C says.
I shake my head. I trust that they won’t hurt me, their leverage, if they plan to negotiate with Connor. I don’t trust that they won’t hurt us if they have us both.
“That’s a bad move,” I whisper. “Don’t come.”
“Let’s get going,” Frank says quickly. “Connor, walk in front of us, so we can watch you.”
“At my back? I don’t think so,” Connor says, walking parallel to us on the end near Frank.
We go around the corner and into the parking lot. I spot Frank’s silver limo at the back of lot.
“I know Dennis hit our van. I guess Mangia was with him. But who tipped us off that money was stashed at Zoe’s?
I can’t see Dennis doing that, since it meant we retrieved the part of the take he held back,” C says casually.
“If he’d wanted her to take the blame, there were other things he could’ve left.
The money wrapper and Little Joe’s wallet.
Did you know they took Joe’s wallet?” C laughs softly.
“That’s a low-rent move. And the execution was sloppy as hell. Your standards are slipping, Frank.”
“You son-of-a-bitch,” Dennis says, dropping back and turning.
“No!” Frank yells.
The crack of a shot rings out, and Dennis’s head jerks back. He falls, his own gun discharging, the bullet slamming into a car’s side mirror and shattering it. Frank lets go of me and dives between a pair of cars.
Connor grabs me and jerks me behind a truck.
I look to my left and see Dennis on his back, eyes open, with a wound on his forehead and blood draining from the back of his head. My stomach churns, and I look away.
Connor’s dropped down to the ground and is looking under the cars. There’s a gun in his right hand. He shakes his head. “Slippery son of a bitch.”
He rolls onto his side and is up, holding out his left hand to me. I take it.
“Stay low,” he says, guiding me.
We exit the lot between buildings, and the Rover is idling on the street. We get in. Anvil is driving, and he pulls around the corner and turns onto a residential street.
I don’t understand what we’re doing, but say nothing. Eventually we back into a dark driveway and he kills the lights.
“Caldwell. 2118,” Anvil says.
“Yeah,” C says softly as he texts.
Then we wait. After a few minutes there’s a rap on the truck. I jump, but C shakes his head that everything’s okay.
The back opens partway and a figure rolls in, panting. He pulls the gate closed. Anvil starts the Rover and pulls out. I peer into the back at the masked, hooded figure.
He pushes the black hood from his head and drags the black ski mask off. It’s Trick. He remains on his back.
“You were early, C,” Anvil says. “Sanders got a shot off.”
“Way wide,” Connor says.
“Trick had to scramble.”
“I doubt that,” Connor says. “Did you have him the whole time, Trick?”
“More or less,” Trick says. “In the lot, everyone was on the move, including me. I had to move fast when you baited him.”
“He got a shot off, C. Could’ve grazed you or ricocheted up and got you,” Anvil says.
I look at Connor, who only shrugs.
“Dennis was sweating and twitchy. I thought the gun might go off anytime,” I say. “Is that what you thought, Connor?”
C says nothing, but he nods.
“Yeah, that’s what I figured. Felt like you had to draw his fire? Who says chivalry is dead?” Trick whispers, then he chuckles softly. “Zoe, there’s something I need to say to you.”
“Yes?”
“You were grace under fucking pressure. Did you say anything? Even one word the whole time?”
“One or two,” I say, still feeling stunned.
“You’re a great dancer,” Trick says. “But when you retire from the stage, for second careers, I’m thinking air traffic controller, hostage negotiator.”
“Agreed,” Anvil says. “If not for her calm, that would’ve gone sideways on the street, eighty-five percent odds.”
“Ninety-five,” Trick says.
Connor squeezes my hand in his.
I smile, basking in their praise. It feels like a very big deal that they approve of my behavior while I was in Frank’s custody, especially since it’s my fault we had a standoff in the street with him at all.
“Frank didn’t think you guys were in Boston,” I say. “He thought C was alone. Why?”
“I might have created a social media smokescreen,” Trick says. “Digital can look live even when it’s not.”
“I’m so glad you were all here,” I say.
Connor leans over and kisses me. “Are you all right?” he asks.
“I am. Because of you. Thank you.”