Chapter 42 #2
She lets out a small huff, crossing her arms and turning to her father. “I’m not a child,” she argues. “Plus… you said she was mine to do with as I wished!” She practically twirls, causing her shiny skirt to momentarily hover around her.
Apparently, she’s like this with everyone. His endeavor to lecture her is quickly lost. The once revered kingpin lets out a long breath ahead of taking another toke from his smoke.
“Pumpkin.” Clearly mustering up as much patience as possible. “Can we move this along please? I have other things to tend to.”
Her shoulders raise to her ears, in succession with her wrinkled nose.
This girl clearly has no limits when it came to her daddy.
Is no one capable of putting this brat in check?
“Fine.” She agrees, seeming to calm once again.
“—but no more interfering!” Her manicured nail wags in his direction, and I can’t help but gawk over the way she has unbridled control.
Patrick kisses his daughter on top of her head, just ahead of pinning me with a narrow stare. The corners of his mouth turn downward and he leaves just as swiftly as he came, through the only door in the space. A cloud of smoke trails behind him, leaving his daughter to her own devices.
As if I could see the collection of sand dwindling within the hourglass, I understood my time is running short.
I have to try something ‘irregular,’ since I won’t be able to fight my way out of this one.
She’s unstable… but if I can shift the balance.
Maybe she’ll believe what I am about to tell her.
Tread lightly Andrea. I clear my throat.
“You know… you're pretty lucky to have your family.”
Wordlessly, she revolves around the chair I’m tied to. Lips pursed. Nose finished bleeding. She doesn’t deter from her course.
I press on, “I didn’t know my parents…” She doesn’t falter. “I’m also fairly confident I have no siblings either.” In fact, each pass she moves nearer. My throat is dry, but my voice is all I have left. “My childhood was shit. My own mother didn’t want me.”
Her gait falters.
Before I can overthink it, I continue. “The system that was meant to protect me… It failed. I couldn’t trust anyone. I...” A knot was forming in the pit of my stomach. “I left. Constantly on the run…. it was only me for a long time.”
Mairead stands before me, no longer circling me with a predatory gaze, but something similar to consideration.
“When they found me… they didn’t see a lost cause, but a fighter.”
Her reddish eyebrows rise slightly, but I don’t need her to simply listen… if I am going to walk out of here with all my fingers and toes intact, I need to be concise. “They accepted me for who I was. Showing me compassion, I didn’t even have for myself…”
Her head tilts to the side.
“Cindel only learned she was a Lombardi, this week. Her family isn’t to blame for Mary’s death.”
In a blink, she lunges toward me. I never saw the blade coming. Its unforgiving pressure threatens to split my cheek, as the rest of her hovers over my restrained body.
“Keep my mother’s name out of your mouth!” Each word drips with venom.
Fuck. I went there too soon. I need to see things from her perspective.
Proof. She needs validation. My words are softer, careful, so as to not gash open my own face.
“Losing someone you love hurts. Cindel knows this better than anyone, but she’s innocent in all this.
” The knife remains pressed against me with each passing word.
“I don’t know where I would be if it weren’t for them.
That’s why I was happy to do the job. To protect their daughter after unfathomable loss.
Although, I would honorably accept any punishment in her place…
can I at least show you what I learned?”
Her jade eyes bounce around my face, her expression unreadable.
“Allow me to bring in the person responsible for all of this. It will explain everything.” My words hasten. “If you still aren’t happy, you’re welcome to do whatever you want!”
Her eyes become big as saucers, the strain on her knife increases, causing the blade to progressively slice into my flesh. The warmth of blood, so at odds with the stinging chill of the metal. She withdraws. The slice burns. Just behind it, blood dribbles and collects around the collar of my shirt.
Situating the balisong spectrum between us, she proceeds to open her mouth, extends her pink tongue, and cleans the side of the blade. She licks her lips and I involuntarily repeat the action. “Hungry?” she asks.
I’m so stupid. All this time. Fuck… thinking back on my years living with Cindel, I’ve been a shitty friend.
Too engrossed with my own mission, proving my self-worth that I never considered how I affected my client.
No… my friend... MY FUCKING BEST FRIEND.
I just came and went as I pleased. Never taking the time to reflect on how my behavior hurt her.
Not only did she lose her brother, but she’s struggled with depression, and even has recurring PTSD episodes!
I didn’t soothe her fears; I made them worse.
Why did I disregard her concerns... our friendship?
! Cindel deserves better. A relationship can’t sustain itself on just protection.
Especially, when I have frayed the connection at its source.
I mean… her biggest pet peeve is liars and I’ve been the worst offender.
The wolf in sheep’s clothing. Just because others offenses are worse than mine, doesn’t make it okay.
It makes me a hypocrite. I should have told her a long time ago.
An hour and a half later, two slices of cold pizza lay in a grease laden box, between me and Mairead.
We face one another atop the steel top desk in the neglected room.
I told her everything. From the time Charles and Terri found me living on the streets as a runaway, to them taking me in, training me, and eventually hiring me as a full-time companion and protector for their daughter.
No one was the wiser. I was simply Cindel’s best friend from college.
Seeing to her safety wasn’t my only mission.
I was also tasked with investigating their son’s untimely death.
At first, I believed the Lombardi’s judgment was clouded by their history with the Murrays.
I was dead set on finding evidence that the Murrays were behind Theo’s death…
However, the more I learned… the more I understood why Charles and Terri wanted their daughter protected.
I’ve been at this for years and still never found proof that Theo was murdered, but thanks to new sources, I know who has been pulling the strings.
I’ve worn multiple hats to get to where I am now.
Then some mystery man shows up, having more answers than any outside party should. Nothing is by chance.
In truth, if it weren’t for the song-slinging hacker, I’d be just as lost as Cindel was.
Except, he revealed something I don’t think he meant to.
I spent a lot of time going over the information on the board.
Decoding the songs he sent to Cindel. Reading between the lines.
He intended for the songs to be eerie, sure, but behind the catchy chorus of The Spin Doctors- “Two Princes,” were buried truths.
It took me being knocked out, strapped to a chair, and a daft redhead wielding a pointy thing to realize it, but… he wasn’t referring to Theo.
Mairead relished in my stories about interrogation tactics and stake outs.
I schooled her on how I’ve handled numerous situations, all without a weapon, simply by knowing how to use my body to its advantage.
She insisted using a blade has brought her faster and better results.
It’s not often my trade gets messy, but she has some pretty intriguing tales herself.
She resented her brother for trying to push her out of the family business when their mother died.
Eamon probably thought he was saving her, then again, even the best intentions can’t prevent the butterfly from emerging from their chrysalis.
It felt nice to finally be able to say some of this shit out loud.
Someone to understand. For some confounded reason, I even told her that I interrogated and disposed of two of the guys from the Murray crew.
What is wrong with me? It’s like I have no filter when she’s present.
More importantly, she was on board with proving Cindel and her parents' innocence.
Mairead also managed to tame her father into submission.
Patrick Murray is currently passed out on the couch alongside us, thanks to a sleeping pill she served him, under a slice of pepperoni.
I made a mental note to never accept food from her again, in the future.
Just as I was about to ask her how well she knew Dax, I hear something. It’s coming from the hall. Footsteps cease before the doorway and a bewildered Cindel stands at the entrance of the room. Eamon and Dax, peer in from either side.
“What the Fuck?!”
It took well over two hours to explain to Cindel everything that transpired, including who I was to her.
My stony heart crumbled within my chest by the way she regarded me.
I know our friendship will never be seen in the same light, especially because I was placed into her life with intent.
Her head nodded as she listened, but she wasn’t really there.
She was withdrawn. Spending a majority of the time, staring at a broom and dustpan in the corner.