Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
FRANCESCA
Without saying a word, Rhett lets out a sigh before rolling over and climbing out of bed. He redresses like a man on a mission.
He is a man on a mission. He has plans with Joey, and no doubt it’s about the shit that happened tonight.
“I need to head out. I’m so sorry, Chess. I wish I could stay here, but-”
I might as well get used to hearing this. Dad has said this to Mom many times, and now that Rhett is a part of all this, I’ll be hearing it, too.
“Duty calls.” I say somberly.
“Yeah, duty calls.” He says as he finishes getting dressed.
I sit up and swing my legs off the edge of the mattress. “I’ll just go to my apartment.”
He stalks over to me and places my legs back on his mattress. “No, you’re not. You are going to stay in my bed and get some sleep because when I get back, I plan to fuck you again and again. Get some rest while you can.”
I give him a nod, but I don’t say anything. I know he doesn’t think it will take a while, but I know my brother. Joey will talk about the mission and stand around gossiping for hours.
He’s like a teenage girl.
Rhett leans over and places a chaste kiss on my cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Okay. Be safe.” I whisper, trying to keep my emotions in check.
I watch as he walks to his bedroom door. He turns around to look at me one last time before slipping out of his bedroom.
A few moments later, his front door opens and closes, leaving me alone in his apartment.
I lay back on the pillow and climb under the covers. I could risk leaving and heading to my apartment. A hot bubble bath sounds amazing right now, but I don’t want to upset Rhett.
He seemed almost disappointed that I said I was going to go home, like he really wants me here.
In his apartment.
In his bed.
I have to admit, his sheets are so much nicer than mine, and I have some really nice sheets, so that’s saying something.
“Ah, this is so nice.” I mumble as I get settled in his bed.
It feels weird being in his apartment without him. I’m not used to the different sounds in his place or the way no light shines through his blackout curtains.
Even the courtyard lights can’t be seen from here.
It’s pitch black and all I can do is worry about Rhett.
I wonder if Mom ever felt this way when Dad had to work? I wonder if she had sleepless nights waiting for him to come home. Did she go to sleep hoping Dad would be home by the time she woke up?
One thing is for sure, there’s no way I can go to sleep without knowing exactly what Rhett is doing and where he went with Joey.
Feeling anxious, I throw on one of Rhett’s Sharks shirts and pad my way to his living room.
Looking out of his balcony window at the arena, I frown at the very dark arena. All the lights are off, so unless they are working in the dark, no one is there.
Rhett must be at the house with Dad and Joey. At least Dad is keeping the family’s business away from the arena.
But that’s barely the truth.
Three hockey players are already in on the business and working for us, and it’s probably only a matter of time before more players join.
Uncle Tony won’t like it. It’s too risky and if any of the players are caught, it will ruin the team’s reputation.
The reputation that I’m working so hard to keep clean and get the community to love.
Why wasn’t I included in this meeting? I was the one that was kidnapped, not any of them.
I’m the one that knows what Jax said to me, not them.
Needing something to occupy my time, I search through Rhett’s pantry and fridge for something to cook.
My stomach lets out a loud beast growl as my gaze lands on a package of easy to make chocolate chip cookies.
“I prefer homemade, but what the hell?”
I rummage through his cabinets, pulling out a mixing bowl, spatula, measuring cups, and extra chocolate chips before preheating the oven and grabbing the ingredients out of the refrigerator.
It doesn’t take me long to mix all the ingredients together and throw them in the oven. While they are baking, I wash all the dishes and leave them in the drying rack.
I head into his living room, toward his entertainment stand, to turn on some music.
“God, I really hate the quiet.” I stare at all the equipment. “Where the hell is the radio?”
Clicking the power button on the largest box, I am rewarded with the sound of a local radio station.
I tune it to my favorite radio station, 97.3. It’s the best radio station for hit songs.
As I dance around Rhett’s living room, in only his t-shirt, my gaze moves to the few pictures he has set up.
All the pictures Rhett has are of the two of us.
Our first date at the diner.
The night we dressed up as pirates and took the Halloween tour of Savannah.
Even the night my father and brother found out about our relationship because he got hurt during a game, and I rushed to his side.
I run my fingers along the picture frames, smiling as I remember each of these memories .
“I can’t believe he kept them all these years.”
He already said he still loves me and was waiting for me. What did I expect?
Loud beeping echoes from the kitchen. Carefully, I take the cookies out and turn off the oven. Rhett still isn’t back.
After the cookies are on the cookie sheet cooling, I grab my phone and call my cousin Angelica.
She answers on the first ring. “What do you need help with now?”
I put her on speakerphone. “Huh? What makes you think I need help with something?” Am I that predictable?
“Last time you called this late, you needed help. Are you in trouble?”
“Nothing I can’t handle, but you’re right, I do need help.” I start gathering the ingredients needed to make my family’s homemade tomato sauce.
“I’ll be on the next flight down there.”
“Actually, what I need help with needs to be done in New York.”
“Oh my God, you’re pregnant and don’t want Arturo and Joey finding out.”
I pull out a large pot from the lower cabinet directly next to the oven and place it on the stove. “What? No. Angelica focus.”
“Aww, that sucks. You would be a great mom.”
“I’m not even in a serious relationship at the moment.”
Except I kind of am, seeing as I’m wearing Rhett’s shirt and am in his apartment alone .
“Well, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a baby. Loads of women have babies without a man in their life.”
“But not a Marino woman.”
I cut up some tomatoes and add them to the pot.
“So, if you aren’t pregnant and you don’t need me in Savannah, what do you need help with?”
“Do you remember the guy I was sort of seeing last year?”
“Jax? Yeah. What did he do?”
“Long story short-”
She cuts me off. “Nuh-uh. No long story short bullshit. I want to hear it all.”
I add the rest of the ingredients and seasonings to the pot before saying, “Jax Brown isn’t his real name. It’s Rossi.”
“That son of a bitch. I’ll kill him.”
“That’s not necessary.” I’m pretty sure Rhett, Joey, and Dad are doing that right now.
“What did that bastard do?”
“He tried to kidnap me tonight. Rhett shot him, but I was still kidnapped by some of the Rossi henchmen.”
“Those fucking cunts.”
I chuckle as I stir the sauce. “That’s not really why I’m calling. Well, it is related.”
“Well, spit it out already.”
“Jax said Mom is still alive. He said she faked her death and has been living with his father ever since. I need you to snoop around and see if you can find out if he’s telling the truth or not, but be careful and discreet. I don’t need anyone else to worry about.”
Worrying about Rhett, Mom, and the Rossis is more than enough for me right now. I can’t add feeling guilty to the list if Angelica gets hurt because of me.
“Oh my God, Frannie. I’m so sorry.”
I roll my eyes at her childish nickname. “So, will you do it? Will you see if she’s hanging around the Rossi’s?”
“For you? Anything. What do you want me to do if I find her?”
“Nothing. At least for now. I just need to know if Jax was telling the truth.”
“I won’t do or tell anyone, not even Dad or AJ. I’ll try to head over there in the morning in a disguise so they won’t notice me.”
“Thanks, but be careful. I owe you one.”
“The only thing you owe me is the juicy gossip that’s happened since you moved back to Savannah.”
I let out a laugh as I grab a box of lasagna from the pantry and start boiling a pot of water. I might as well make a lasagna to go with the sauce.
“You already know most of it.”
“Most, but not everything. Have you seen Rhett? Does he still look hot? Are you going to rekindle your relationship with him? Is he even single?”
“Rhett picked me up from the airport, and I had to stay with him the first night in town because my plane was delayed and the apartment office closed before I could get my keys.”
“Ah, fate intervened. ”
“It wasn’t fate.”
“If you say so, but answer this. Why couldn’t your dad or Joey pick you up? Why couldn’t you stay at home instead of your ex-boyfriend’s apartment?”
“Dad and Joey were busy, and I picked up my keys the next morning, so it was easier to already be here. Besides, my car broke down before I moved.”
“See? That’s fate. Is Rhett still single?”
I don’t answer her question as I stir the noodles, then the sauce.
She chuckles and continues. “Duh, that’s obvious. If he was in a relationship, either casual or serious, he wouldn’t have let you stay in his apartment. Did you sleep in his bed?”
I can imagine the grin on her face.
“Whatever.” I mumble as I drain the water from the noodles, preheat the oven, and get the pan ready to layer the lasagna.
“What are you doing at this late hour?”
“Making homemade sauce and lasagna while listening to the radio.”
“Oh my God, that sounds incredible. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had your lasagna? Freeze me a piece and I’ll eat it the next time I come down for a visit.”
“I’ll freeze you some, but it will be in Rhett’s freezer.” When I’m done layering the noodles, sauce, and cheese in the glass pan, I put the lasagna in the oven and set the timer.
“Why will it be in his freezer?” She pauses for a moment. “Oh my God! You’re at his place, aren’t you? Does this mean you two are a couple again?”
“Well, we did pretty much declare our love for one another again.”
She whispers, “Is he there now? Has he been listening to our conversation?”
“No. After saving me, we talked about the past two years and how we felt about each other, then he left because he had plans with Joey.”
“What kind of plans?”
“I’m not sure. No doubt related to the Rossis, as well as my kidnapping.”
She huffs. “I can’t believe they’re still treating you like a fucking child and refusing to let you be involved.”
“Yeah, well, it won’t last much longer.”
“That’s my girl! Besides, there’s always a job for you with Dad. He’s been begging me to get you to come onboard for years.”
Really? Sure, Uncle Tony always offers me a job every time we speak, but Angelica never mentioned it.
“But you’ve never said anything or pushed me.”
“That’s because it should be your decision, and your decision alone, to work for Dad. Obviously, it would be awesome to work alongside you, but I’d never pressure you or try to persuade you.”
“And I love you for that. Every job I used to do with AJ made me feel guilty, like I shouldn’t want to keep working with him because I was somehow betraying Dad’s trust. ”
“That’s bullshit, Frannie. It’s in your blood, literally, to be a part of this.”
“Yeah, maybe, but my dad has already been through hell and back, and if Mom really faked her death, the last thing Dad needs is for me to tell him I’m working for Uncle Tony.”
“Just think about it. We don’t know if your mom is alive. I’ll check tomorrow.”
“I’m constantly thinking about it.”
“Alright, well, I’m going to get some sleep so I can be up in a few hours. I enjoyed this. Don’t be a stranger.”
I laugh. “I won’t, but you do know the phone goes both ways, right?”
“I’m sorry, but my phone is going through a tunnel.” She makes a static sound with her mouth before laughing. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye.” I say before ending the call.
Turning around, I stare at the timer. Five minutes left.
“If he’s not back by the time I take the lasagna out of the oven to cool, I’m calling Dad.”
Leaning against the counter, I grab a chocolate chip cookie and take a bite of it. It’s gooey and soft, just like Mom used to make.
Just thinking about Mom makes my stomach want to revolt. I place the cookie back on the cooling rack and take the lasagna out of the oven.
All of this- the cookies, sauce, and lasagna- were Mom’s recipes. I watched her dozens of times, cooking this meal .
“How could she do this to us? To Dad? How can she live with herself, knowing her children mourn her every year on her death day and every holiday?”
Tears fall down my cheeks as anger and resentment build.
“God, if this is true, I’ll hate her for the rest of my life. I’ll never shed another tear for her. I’ll never tell my children about her. She will be dead to me, like she never existed.”
The front door swings open as I’m in the middle of my rant. I turn around and freeze when my gaze lands on a very unhappy Rhett Montgomery.