by Mia Ford
“You still have me,” I said, smiling.
She looked up at me and gave me a watery smile, no words escaping her lips. She was so upset, and there was nothing I could do but be there for her. She knew I loved her, and she saw everything I was doing to protect her, but I still felt helpless in the situation. I couldn’t protect her from prison unless I started to figure out the missing pieces. I could keep her safe at my house, but how long would it be until someone came knocking again, and this time, with something way deadlier than a brick? What if someone had been standing outside of the house with a gun? Both of us would have died, and nothing would have ever been figured out.
I tossed the thoughts from my mind as I headed out of West Palm and back toward my house. I really needed a good walk on the beach, but I knew that was no longer safe for us. The security was there to protect us, but they weren’t sworn to take a bullet for us. I needed to get everything together and relax with Josie for the night, clearing my head until I could move on to the next missing piece. That was going to be harder than it sounded, especially now that Josie’s dad, and only witness of alibi, was dead in the morgue. Something had to give, or we were both going to break.
Chapter 28
Josie
It was Sunday, and after everything that had happened the day before, Blaine had given his staff the day off to spend with their families. He, however, posted up at the table and continued to work, making phone call after phone call, getting irritated at the fact that no one was picking up. He wanted to make headway with the case, but he couldn’t seem to remember that this was our problem, not everyone else’s, and most people did not work on Sundays. I tried to coax him to relax throughout the day, but he just wasn’t having it.
I laid there on the bed, looking up at the clock that read two in the morning. Blaine had finally succumbed to exhausted sleep, and I wanted to make sure he got plenty of it. Me, on the other hand, I couldn’t seem to clear my mind enough to sleep. Everything was running through my head a mile a minute, and I thought maybe I could come up with some kind of solution that was better than turning myself in. I wanted so badly to curl up in Blaine’s arms, but I knew if I didn’t do something soon, he might not be there to cuddle with.
The coroner had been honest. I could tell, and sure, he thought it was an accident brought on by no sleep and way too much alcohol, but I was still unsure. What I was sure of was that his death came at a very opportune time for the mob, and without him there to corroborate my story, it would now be my word versus theirs. It wasn’t safe for anyone If I argued with the mob, especially Blaine. The mob didn’t hold back when it came to offing the families of the people they were after, and Blaine was just as much family to me as anyone else was. I was having a really hard time believing that the mob had no hand in my father’s death. It was just how. That was the question. The mob was sneaky when they wanted to be, though the woman everyone said I murdered was definitely not killed quietly or with discretion.
I was almost glad that I didn’t have any more family close by. I didn’t need more people to worry about on top of what I already had. The school and the kids were protected the moment they suspended me from teaching, and that only left one person in my life, besides myself, that I had to worry about being in danger. I knew if I didn’t turn myself in and take the rap for this murder, many more people would die, starting with Blaine. Blaine was my whole world, and there was no way that I could let him be hurt or killed because of my father’s mistakes. I may not have made the mistakes, but I was definitely the one that was going to be the most affected by it, and I needed to protect Blaine at all costs.
I knew exactly what I had to do, so I slowly pulled the covers back and inched toward the edge of the bed. I stopped for a moment as Blaine sighed and turned over in bed, wrapping the pillow up in his arms. I continued forward, putting my feet on the floor and tiptoeing over to the chair where my clothes were. My hands were shaking as I dressed, and I had to take a deep breath to try to control my emotions. Once I had my clothes on, I walked out into the hall, slowly closing the door behind me and putting on my sandals. I looked around the living room for Blaine’s car keys and found them hiding under the file on the table. I looked around at the house, knowing I was going to miss being there, but I had to keep Blaine safe, no matter what it took. I walked over to the alarm system and quietly disarmed it, pausing to make sure that Blaine didn’t hear the sounds. As I opened the front door, my body began to tense, feeling absolutely terrified of what I was about to do. I closed the door and locked it, knowing if I didn’t go now, I would lose the nerve.
If Blaine knew what I was doing right now, he would have a complete breakdown, but that was because he didn’t care about his own safety, just mine. Well, I had gotten him into this mess, and I needed to make sure that he stayed safe through it all. There was nothing he could do for me if the mob got ahold of him, and I would never forgive myself if something happened to him, so I was going to turn myself in. Not only would I fess up to the crime, but the bail would be revoked, and Blaine would get his million dollars back. He would be safe, which was the most important thing to me. The plea wasn’t that bad and would keep me out of the electric chair. I would spend ten to fifteen years in prison, depending on good behavior, and then be set free to spend the rest of my life figuring out what to do from there. Hopefully, in that amount of time, the mob would forget about me, if they, or someone else, didn’t get me on the inside first.
I knew that Blaine thought I was much too quiet and fragile for prison, and he was probably right, but I could toughen up and show them that I wasn’t going to be walked all over. I was determined to stay alive and keep Blaine alive. Who knew? Maybe when I got out, he would still be single and open his arms to me again. That was a big if, but I was totally going to have to start making a bunch of those up in my head in order to survive what was about to come. I had fallen in love with Blaine immediately, and since then, that feeling had only grown. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for him, and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for me. I loved him far too much to allow something to happen to him, and that was how I knew I was making the right decision.
Before I reached the turn, I slowed down and looked out over the dark waters of the ocean for the last time. It was so beautiful and had been my strength as a kid. I wanted to frame that picture in my mind to look at while I was away, so I could find comfort and strength in it. I knew it was stupid, but I was going to prison an innocent woman. I didn’t have the ruthless nature in me that so many other women in the prison would have. I didn’t care about making friends or becoming part of one of the gangs. I just wanted to sit quietly every day for the next ten years and hope for the best to come. My mother was going to have a heart attack when she found out her ex-husband was dead and her daughter was in prison.
It would seriously mess up her reputation at the yacht club.
I sighed as I thought about it, turning away from the beach and heading toward the precinct. There was no one on the road, which was strange, especially when I crossed over into West Palm. I was about two blocks from the police station where I had been taken before, and I stopped at a red light. There were no other cars on the road, but I didn’t mind sitting there and having a few more minutes of time before I was taken back into custody.
As the light turned green, I sighed, stepping on the gas and moving slowly into the intersection. The headlights from a car to my right caught my attention, and I looked over as I heard their engine rev. Before I could even step on the gas, the car was barreling toward me, slamming into the passenger door at full speed. I put my hands up as the airbag deployed, and I screamed as the car slid sideways and then flipped on its side. I sat there for several seconds, breathing heavily. I wasn’t hurt, not even a bruise, but I was definitely shaken up by the incident. I undid my seatbelt and looked around, trying to figure out how to get out. I stood up on the broken window and climbed up, pulling myself through the window on the passenger side. Once I was o
n top of the car, I sat down, looking around at the mess all over the place.
Steam came out of the hood of the other car, but I couldn’t see the driver. I had to sit there for a few minutes to collect myself, feeling like I had just been hit by a freight train. Part of me was pissed. Why would that car speed up when they saw me passing through the intersection? I had a green light, and they weren’t there when I went to start across. They had hit me at full speed, enough power to roll Blaine’s car. I took in a deep breath and looked around for anyone who may have witnessed the crash, but the streets were empty, and all that was around us were shops with all their lights off. I scooted to the edge of the car and carefully lowered myself down, trying to avoid the broken glass everywhere. Everything was a mess, but at least, I had made it through it with barely a scratch. I hoped that Blaine wouldn’t be mad when he found out about the car. I reached down to grab my cellphone but realized it was still in the car.
I needed to check on the other drivers. No one was moving or getting out, so I wanted to make sure they didn’t need immediate assistance. I walked around the car, took one step forward, and froze. The car door flew open, and I could see a black boot emerge from the passenger side. Everything from that point felt like it was going in slow motion. As the person stood up from the car, I recognized them immediately. It was Harry, and she had the evilest smile plastered across her face. For several moments as she walked toward me, I felt like my feet were glued to the cement. The driver got out, shaking me from my stare, and I turned and started to run down the street.
I thought I was a good distance from Harry, but I was wrong. I yelped as she grabbed my shoulder and dragged me back, putting her hand over my mouth and her arm across my chest. As she pulled me back to the scene, another car’s tires screeched around the corner and stopped in front of us. Harry dragged me to the back of her vehicle and popped the trunk while the first driver limped into the car. I struggled to get free, but she was too strong. Before I knew it, she tossed me into the trunk of the car and smiled as she slammed the lid.
I looked around me, but it was so dark. Immediately, fear flew through my body. The adrenaline was gone, and I was absolutely terrified. I screamed loudly, but I knew the metal doors of the trunk muffled the sound. I kicked at the trunk, but it was no use. It was not going to budge. So that was it. I had made it so close to fulfilling what the mob wanted, but they caught me before I could make it. I was in some serious trouble, and no one knew where I was.
Chapter 29
Blaine
I opened my eyes and looked out the window, laying there for a second, just taking in the fact that I felt so much better. I had really needed a good night’s sleep, and between the fact that I hadn’t slept in days and knowing there was security watching the house, I felt comfortable enough to drift off. It had been amazing to wake up feeling strong and ready to face the day. I rolled over in bed to kiss Josie good morning, but she wasn’t lying next to me. I sat up quickly, startled by the emptiness I felt in the room. It was early, even earlier than my alarm was supposed to go off, and I knew there was no way she was awake yet.
I jumped from the bed and threw on my slippers, peeking in the bathroom to see if she was in there, but the lights were off and it was empty. Her clothes were no longer folded and sitting on the dresser, and fear started to creep over me. I walked out into the house and checked every area I could, hoping she had just found something to keep her mind busy. The kitchen was empty, the living room was empty, and there was no one in the spare bedrooms. I walked out of the hallway and over to my table, picking up the folders and searching for the keys to the car. They were gone.
I grabbed my phone from the charger and dialed Anderson at work. I wasn’t surprised that he was already there since he kept earlier hours than even my father did when he was alive. I waited as the phone rang and let out a breath when he answered the phone.
“You’re up early,” he said.
“Josie is gone,” I said, slightly panicked.
“What?”
“I woke up this morning, and she was gone, along with my car,” I said. “Can you send out one of the investigators to look for her? I’m going to go searching as well.”
“Yes, I’ll call them right away,” he said, sounding more awake.
“I’ll call you as soon as I know anything,” I said before hanging up the phone.
I jogged back to my room and pulled clothes out the drawers, throwing them on and brushing my teeth really fast. I pulled on a pair of sneakers and grabbed the keys to the SUV I barely ever drove. I went into the garage, uncovered it, and jumped inside, turning it on and taking in a deep breath. I couldn’t believe she was gone, and I had no idea she even left. How did I sleep through her getting dressed and taking the car? The thing definitely wasn’t quiet.
I headed over to her house, but it was still empty. I then drove over to the school, but no one had heard from her or seen her anywhere near the grounds. I drove around to different cafés and then over to the beach, thinking maybe she just needed to be alone. The security at home said my car was gone after they came back from switching shifts, so she snuck out between the guards’ watch. I was so frustrated, and I had no idea what to do. I pulled back in front of her house and put the car in park, trying to think of where she could possibly be. She wasn’t anywhere she normally would go, and it was the first time since everything happened that I felt like I wished I knew her a little better. Then, maybe I would have an idea of where she would hide out.
I sat there staring at her house, thinking about the night before and everything that had gone on. If she had gone to the police, I would have gotten a call, being that I was her attorney, but I had heard nothing. She hadn’t answered her phone when I called her, and she didn’t send any texts back to me, either. She couldn’t be mad at me. I hadn’t done anything, and I knew she wasn’t reckless enough to leave angry anyway. I looked down at my phone as it began to buzz and saw the police department’s number on the screen. Instantly, I could feel butterflies in my stomach, and I was almost afraid to pick up the phone. Slowly, I clicked it on and brought it to my ear.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Hi, this is Deputy Parsons with the West Palm Police Department, trying to get ahold of Mr. Blaine Andrews,” he said.
“This is he,” I said.
“Mr. Andrews, we found your car on the corner of Trade and Carson, just two blocks from the precinct at about four in the morning,” he said. “There was another car there, and it looked like the other car hit your car and rolled it in the intersection.”
“Oh my God,” I said, immediately scared. “Is everyone okay?”
“Well, that’s the thing,” he said. “No one was in either car. They just disappeared.”
“No, that can’t be right,” I said, shaking my head. “My girlfriend was in the car.”
That was when it hit me like a freight train. I dropped the phone and put the SUV in drive, pulling out from the house and heading over to the office. The worst had finally happened. Josie must have been on her way to the station to turn herself in, but the mob got to her first. They must have taken her from the scene and dragged her off somewhere. God, why was she so stupid? She should have stayed with me where it was safe. She was all alone, trying to do what she thought was best for everyone, and the mob had gotten to her. They didn’t have patience for someone who didn’t do what they were told, and I knew her life was now in grave danger.
I pulled into the firm’s parking lot and jumped out of the car, running for the door. Anderson looked up as I entered the office and quickly stood, seeing how frantic I was. I ran into his office and shut the door, telling him to sit down. I took a second to catch my breath before starting.
“I just got a call from the cops,” I began. “They found my car flipped and another car that had hit it, but there was no one at the scene from either vehicle.”
“Shit,” Anderson said. “That means—”
“That the mob got
her,” I said, finishing his sentence. “We have to do something.”
“Blaine, I know she didn’t want it, but I think it’s time we go to the FBI,” he said. “Her father is dead now, so he is no longer in trouble. They have an organized crime unit that is very familiar with these guys. They can help us.”
“You’re right,” I said, sighing. “And really, we should have gone a long time ago.”
We got our stuff together and headed out of the office. Anderson called one of his contacts at the FBI and let him know we were on the way and we had information on one of their cases. They met us at the doors when we arrived and took us straight upstairs. I sat there nervous as the agents stood around, waiting for the agent in charge. Apparently, the information we gave them was a big deal, and this wasn’t the first time they had heard of the Giorntino family.
“We are pretty sure, and we have some witnesses, that Josie is being stashed in the back of Ricardo Deli off the main strip,” Roger, the head agent said. “But this is where it gets tricky. I can’t waste years of work, years of Intel, and blow our cover. We have Paulie on the run, and he knows there is something going on. If we send in agents now, we might as well pack it up, because they will be gone, and Josie will be an afterthought.”
“Okay, use me,” I said, watching Roger shake his head. “Look, I’ll go there, and if I’m wrong, you haven’t blown your cover. If I’m right, I'll be wearing a wire, and you can sit on the place until you hear confirmation that they have Josie held hostage. Then you can bust into the place and arrest them. It’s a win-win for you.”