Chapter 28
Vanessa
I hear the phone ringing, but I’m too warm and comfortable to move.
After Lorenzo and I made love in the shower, he washed me from head to toe and then towel-dried me. Once we were dressed, he tucked me into bed and wrapped his strong arms around me, holding me so I felt safe.
My phone rings again, and I remember that Dani has Leo. I’d imagine she’d call Lorenzo if something was wrong, but since I don’t want to risk it, I grab my phone from the nightstand and hit Answer without looking to see who’s calling.
“He’s dead.”
I shoot up at the sound of Nicole’s voice, causing Lorenzo to stir awake as well. I press my finger to my lips and put the phone on speaker.
“Who’s dead?” I ask, playing stupid.
Lorenzo said Matteo would take care of it, but I’m not chancing giving anything away.
One wrong move, and Lorenzo could go down for the murder of Eric Vanderbilt.
After what the piece of shit did, he deserved what he got, but I would lie and say I killed him before I let Lorenzo take the fall.
I don’t have anyone, but Lorenzo has Leo, and I’ll be damned if I let him go away, leaving Leo without his father because of me.
“My father,” Nicole says. “Your mother found him this morning and called the police. They’re not saying much, but from what I’ve gathered, he was shot in his house …”
I glance at Lorenzo, raising my brows, and he nods once, silently telling me to go along with it.
“Do they know who did it?” I ask.
“They’re investigating, but get this …” She pauses, maybe for dramatic effect, but it just makes me stress because if she says they think it was Lorenzo, we’re fucked. “James has connections with the DA, and your mom is their number one suspect.”
“What?” I gasp.
“Yep,” she says. “Apparently, the wife is always considered a suspect, and they obtained a search warrant for their house.”
How the hell did all this happen? It feels like Lorenzo just killed Eric, yet they’re already knee deep into their investigation. But then I look at the time on my phone and see it’s two o’clock in the afternoon.
Holy shit! We slept the day away.
“Did they find anything?” I ask her.
“Her search history showed she was looking for info about his life insurance policy. And the gun that was used to kill him has her prints on it. They asked to see the cameras that surround the house, but they were down, and there are texts on her phone, where she’s complaining that they’re broke and she needs to find a way out. ”
“Oh my God.” I cover my mouth and shake my head.
I know she didn’t do it, but the evidence is damning. I gotta give it to Matteo—he’s good.
“Well, if she did it, she suffers the consequences,” I say.
“I agree,” Nicole says. “And even though my father got what he deserved, I’m struggling because he wasn’t always like this. He used to be a good dad.”
She sniffles over the phone, and my heart breaks for her. I might hate him and agree that his death was justified after what he did, but I can relate to still loving your parent, even when they aren’t worthy of it.
“Ugh,” she groans. “I’m supposed to be putting together a funeral for him, but I just don’t have it in me. He wasn’t a good guy, and after that recording was leaked, everyone knows it. Who would even show up?”
“Maybe nobody,” I say honestly. “But like you said, he was your dad. You need to say goodbye the way you feel is right.”
“Yeah,” she agrees. “I guess I’ll do something small, in honor of the man he used to be. But it’ll be bare minimum.”
“If you need anything, I’m here.”
And I mean that. Nicole has become a close friend, and if she needs me, I’ll be there, even if it’s to help plan that piece of shit’s funeral.
“Thank you.”
We hang up, and Lorenzo pulls me into his lap, bridal-style.
“How do you feel about your mom going down for the mayor’s murder?” he asks carefully.
“I think Matteo couldn’t have picked a more deserving person to frame. That bitch tried to sell me. Instead of stopping her husband, she went along with it, and when it didn’t pan out like they’d hoped, she called me selfish for not letting that psycho bitch take me.”
“If they find her guilty, she’ll go away for years,” he says. “You sure you can live with that?”
I don’t have to think about it when I say, “Yes,” because if it’s between my mom and Lorenzo, I’m going to choose him always. “She made her choices, and now she has to deal with them.”
Lorenzo nods in understanding and then tightens his hold on me, pulling me closer to him for a kiss. It quickly intensifies, but when I remember how late it is, I gently push him away.
“As much as I’d love to have sex with you, I have to eat, shower, and get ready for my shift at the casino. And I’d imagine Leo is missing his dad and wants to come home.”
Lorenzo sits up straighter, his brows furrowing in confusion. “What do you mean, your shift? After what happened last night, you’re not going back to work.”
I jerk back at his demand, as if I’d been slapped. “Like hell I’m not going back to work.”
I try to clamber off his lap, but he refuses to let me escape.
“Vanessa, you were almost raped last night. I understand your need for independence, and I’ve supported it, but we’re done doing shit your way.
That could’ve been Leysa last night. And instead of you being raped, you could’ve been taken.
Until she’s found and her heart is ripped out of her chest, you’re done working outside of our home. ”
“Oh, okay. Since you say so.” I scoff and push off him hard enough that he lets me go. Then I climb off the bed and get to my feet, needing space to have this argument.
“Don’t act like this,” Lorenzo warns, swinging his feet around and standing as well.
“Act like what?” I hiss. “Like I need to make a living so I can pay my bills and finish my degree?”
“Like a fucking child,” he barks, then flinches when he realizes what he said.
“Fuck you!” I turn on my heel to leave, but Lorenzo catches me before I can make it out.
“Don’t do this,” he murmurs, his arm encircling my waist and pulling my back against his chest. “I’m sorry. Your independence is one of the things I love about you, but it’s also what’s going to get you taken and trafficked.”
I wince at his words.
“I can’t tell you what to do,” he says, turning me so I’m facing him. “But I’m begging you not to go to work. Let Matteo catch this bitch, and then you can do whatever you want.”
I swallow thickly, tears pricking my eyes. I know he’s right. It’s not safe for me to leave the condo. But …
“I need to make a living,” I whisper.
It’s not just about being independent. It’s about not counting on anyone but myself. I know Lorenzo can afford to loan me the money, but I can’t do it. I can’t take a dime from him.
“I know,” he murmurs, tipping my chin up and kissing me softly on the lips.
“And I will never try to clip your wings, baby, but this is life or death, and if you’re not alive …
” He shakes his head. “I don’t want to live in a world where you don’t fucking exist, Vanessa.
So, please …” He takes a step back, and I immediately miss his touch.
“Please think about what’s important. Money or your life? ”
He smiles sadly at me and then walks out the door, leaving me to make the decision myself. And even though it’s going to mean losing out on thousands of dollars, I already know that I won’t be going to work tonight.
“Hey.” I step into the living room, and Lorenzo looks up at me from the floor, where he and Leo are playing with his puzzle.
“Hey.”
“Mama!” Leo shrieks, making my heart swell in my chest.
Since he refuses to understand that I’m Vanessa and not Mama, we’ve given up on correcting him.
“Hey, Monkey.” I lift him into my arms and sit on the floor across from Lorenzo. “I was thinking since I’m no longer working nights, you could teach me how to cook. Might come in handy when I’m back in Seattle and don’t have you as my personal chef.”
Lorenzo’s shoulders visibly drop several inches. “Thank you.” He pulls me into his arms, and Leo squeals since he’s pulled along with me. “I can teach you to cook, but I think you’ll be too busy working.”
I snort out a laugh. “Did I get hired remotely somewhere that I don’t know about?”
“Actually, I was thinking you could work for yourself.”
Lorenzo’s eyes light up in excitement, and I quirk a brow, needing him to explain.
“Hear me out,” he says. “I’ve been thinking about it, and you have dozens of outfits that you’ve made, sitting in the closet upstairs, doing nothing.
Online shops are huge right now. I have a website developer on retainer, and she can help you set one up.
You can use the images the photographer took and put them on the website, and my marketing team can help you run ads.
Your items are damn good quality, and with the right exposure, you can make an entire living from right here, selling the clothes you make. ”
My jaw drops at what he’s saying, and as I wrap my head around his idea, trying to come up with a reason why this wouldn’t work, I can’t find a single one.
Because he’s right. I have dozens of outfits I’ve made in various sizes—from infant attire to adult clothing.
I can create an online closet and put them up for sale.
I glance at Lorenzo, who’s waiting for me to respond, and it hits me that instead of giving me the money to pay for school, he came up with a solution that would allow me to keep my independence while offering the resources he had at his disposal.
“Thank you!” I throw my arms around his neck.
“You have no idea what this means to me. This is my dream, and I thought I had to graduate before taking the next step, but you’re right.
I’ve been making and selling clothes for years, so why not take it to the next level?
” My brain swirls with so many ideas—what the online shop will look like, the pricing …
I’ll have to order cute packaging and set up a shipping area in my sewing room.
“What will you call it?” Lorenzo asks.
“The name on the label for my adult clothes will read Vanessa Baker, but the shop will be called …” I think for a moment, and then the perfect name comes to me. “Wild Card Trends.”
The second the name is out of my mouth, I love it.
“Wild Card Trends,” Lorenzo repeats with a grin.
“A wild card is unpredictable, just like clothing trends. I create whenever and whatever the mood strikes, so my inventory will vary.” I glance at Leo, who’s back to playing with his puzzle. “And the children’s clothing line will be called Monkeying Around.”
Lorenzo chuckles. “I love it. I’ll reach out to Glenda, my website developer, so she can get in touch with you.”
“Oh my God,” I breathe, my heart pounding at the thought of this happening. “This is so exciting. And when I go back to school, I can keep it up since the shop can be run from anywhere, so I won’t have to work at a pub.”
Lorenzo’s smile drops, and I realize what I just implied—that I’ll be leaving. Something we both knew would eventually happen, even if we prefer to live in our little bubble of denial.
“You’ve got this,” he says, forcing a smile back onto his face. “And whatever you need, I’m here … always.”
Lorenzo’s phone starts to ring, and he glances at it, then says, “It’s Matteo.” He clicks Accept. “Hey, man. What’s going on?”
He’s quiet for several seconds before he says, “I’m going to put you on speakerphone. Say it again.” He changes the setting. “Go ahead.”
“Ding-dong, the bitch is dead.”
I gasp because there’s only one woman he would call a bitch.
“Are you serious?” I ask, my voice shaking with emotion.
“As a heart attack …” Matteo says. “Or in her case, as a burning mansion.”
“What happened?”