Chapter 15 #2
Yeah, nice. That’s always been me. Can’t say I’m that nice anymore…
We continue to chat about inconsequential things until I get to Helping Hand and get out of my vehicle.
Chris leans against his SUV and nods. “If you need me, just call.”
“Thanks.”
I rush inside the building and scan my card. Passing by a security booth, I enter the elevator, heading for the dorms on the second floor.
As soon as I exit the elevator, another security guard greets me, and I rush for Cammie’s room. Once I’m at her door, I knock once, and she opens.
When I see her, mascara running down her cheeks and her eyes streaked red, my own tears throb behind my eyes. But as I glance down at her arm, I notice she’s holding a towel around her wrist.
Oh, no…
My stomach churns.
She didn’t. Please tell me she didn’t.
I gradually step in, and she backs off, peering down at the floor.
“Cammie… What happened to your arm?”
“Please don’t tell anyone. I—I…I won’t do it again.”
Shit.
My heart lurches.
“Cammie, I can’t keep this to myself.”
How can I not tell her therapist? Jade? Someone?
Because the next time could be worse, and it’d be my fault. I have to convince her to tell someone. To get help.
“Please!” she begs, fat tears running down her cheeks.
“Can we sit somewhere?”
She nods and leads me to the sofa. She settles first, and I sit beside her.
“Are you still bleeding?”
She moves the towel off her arm and looks at her gash. “It’s better now.” Her body sags. “It was so stupid. I’ve never done this before, but…” She bows her head with a tremble in her lower lip. “But when she said those things, I was so angry. I just took a knife, and…and I cut myself.”
She sobs, and I instantly hold her to me. Because I know exactly what this feels like. That pain you can’t get rid of, needing an outlet for it, something to mask it.
“You just needed to control the pain inside you. I get it.”
She perches back and her brows furrow. “Have you ever?”
I nod. I can’t believe I’m admitting this, but if it helps her, then I’m happy to tell her.
“When I first got out, I would burn the insides of my thighs with a lighter. It felt good to have some kind of way to release all the things I was feeling. I didn’t understand why I did what I did, but I knew it felt good, even while it hurt like hell.”
“Do you still…”
“No. My wounds were superficial, and they’re healed now. Then, once I started therapy and told Doctor Collins about it, he helped me manage it.”
“How?”
“He gave me a diary and told me to write what I feel as soon as those thoughts came, no matter how bad they were. At first, I didn’t think it would work, but over time, I did it less and less. Until I stopped altogether.”
She shakes her head. “I’m not a good writer.”
I shrug both shoulders. “You don’t need to be. This is just for you. No one will read it.”
“Maybe I can try it.”
“How about I get you a journal and you can see how it feels?”
She nods. “Yeah. Okay.”
“Let’s go take care of your wound so it doesn’t get infected.”
Every room here has an emergency kit in the bathroom, and together, we go inside and grab it.
As I start to help her clean and dress her wound, I notice the marks on her skin, evidence that this isn’t the first time she’s done this.
And if this isn’t the first time…I know she won’t stop.
Not until someone intervenes or she’s dead.
I have to do something. I have to help somehow.
“Wanna watch a movie with me?” she asks once her arm is wrapped and we’re headed to the living room.
“Of course.” My heart tightens with empathy as I glance at her. She’s hurting. I know what that feels like.
She settles on the sofa, and as she scrolls through the cable channels, she passes the news, and I see her again. The latest girl who died.
“She’s so pretty,” Cammie whispers. “I can’t imagine being that pretty.”
“You are that pretty.” I drop a hand on her shoulder.
“Do you think they’ll ever catch this guy?” A little furrow forms between her eyes. “He seems so much smarter than the cops.”
“Every killer eventually gets caught.”
And I realize that means me too.
CHRIS
I’m at Michael’s the following day for a briefing on the situation with the traffickers. All the Cavaleris are here too, the brothers who took out the Bianchis.
They all know what it means for this city and the world if the trafficking is allowed to continue. Destroying anyone who associates with the Bianchis means a lot to these guys.
“They are running their trafficking rings all over the country now and are sending girls overseas,” Michael tells the group.
There are about thirty present for this meeting. All hands on deck. Everyone needs to be prepared for what may be coming.
“How the hell do you know that?” Dom Cavaleri narrows a glare at Michael.
It doesn’t take much to see he doesn’t like the Marinos at all. Dom’s the oldest Cavaleri and the leader of their gang of killers.
“Because…” Michael glares. “Two days ago, we found a guy who was kidnapping girls for them. He didn’t know who was in charge, but he knew that his assignment came from someone low on the food chain, someone who is taking orders from another.
But he said that whoever is leading it is keeping his identity completely hidden.
He communicates only by notes given to him by one of his trusted guys and uses a burner we can’t track. ”
“And he just told you all this?” Dom snickers.
“No.” Gio grins and hands Dom a phone, pressing play as a man screams. “We gave him some incentives.”
“Is that his hand you’re holding?” Dom fights a laugh.
“Yeah, the right one.” Gio grins. “He was really attached to it.”
Enzo Cavaleri chuckles and high-fives Gio.
“So, anyway…” Michael goes on. “We don’t know shit yet. Just that they had a cellar in the city that they were operating from. But now they’ve moved their headquarters to Boston, the asshole told us.”
“Did he know why they moved it to Boston?” Dom asks.
Michael nods. “Yeah, they dismantled their operation in New York after Gio’s friend Bryce was killed and had connections here.”
Gio’s face tenses. Bryce was his good friend. And to save himself from a gambling debt, he began working with these pricks to traffic women until he was murdered by someone who didn’t go down without a fight.
“The Quinns are looking in Boston,” Gio adds. “They have every one of their people on it. But whoever is doing this knows how to hide.”
“Are you saying we won’t be able to find him?” Dom glares. “Because we will. Even if my brothers and I have to burn this goddamn country to the ground to do it. Everyone associated with the Palermos will die.”
Gio lifts both hands in the air. “Listen, man, you won’t get any arguments from me. But take it easy a bit. You look like you’re gonna pop a vein in that large forehead of yours.”
“Shut up, Gio.” Raph shakes his head. “Excuse my brother. We know how much this means to your family.”
“I’m just fucking with you.” Gio grows serious. “They’ll get what’s coming. We’ll all work together. They won’t be able to hide from us.”
“You don’t know these people.” Dom drops back in the chair, his eyes cast into the distance like he’s remembering the past.
From what I heard, the Bianchis killed a member of his family and did a lot of messed-up shit to them.
“I’ve gotta get back to Chiara.” Dom peers down at the cell in his grasp. “She’s not happy I’m here without her as it is.”
“She could’ve come,” Michael offers. “Faro Bianchi was her father. She could have info.”
“Believe me, I know everything she does. I don’t want her here reliving all the shit she’s been through.”
“I understand.” Michael gives him a long, faraway look. “Elsie is scared. She’s having nightmares again…” His voice drops before he catches himself and his face hardens. “I will not rest until she feels safe. So whatever resources you need, we’re at your full disposal.”
Dom nods. “Same goes for you.”
“Aww, we’re one happy, fucked-up family, aren’t we?” Gio grins.
“Yeah, don’t push it.” Dom and his brothers start for the door. “I’ll be in touch.” He eyes Michael before he heads out.
“I swear he’s grumpier than your ass,” Gio tells Michael.
“I heard that!” Dom’s voice rings over from the foyer before the door bangs shut.
As the men all start out of the room, Michael calls me over.
“How’s everything with Kayla? Is she being a handful?”
“No, sir.” I grin internally. “I’ve got her under control.”
“You report directly to me if she does anything again.”
“Of course.”
He dismisses me with a curt nod.
As I head out, I look at my phone, seeing that Kayla is behaving for once and is actually at school.