by Eden Rose
A hand grabbed my elbow and fear started to wrack through me. In fight or flight, I wanted to fight.
"Miss Cavanough, I'm FBI agent Kenneth Dallas. Do you have a minute?"
I looked him up and down as I thought about my answer. I could say no and run into my building however that would make me seem guilty. This agent couldn't be much older than myself and while he is attractive, I'm at a loss on what to do.
I miss Vincent.
"Yes, would you like to come inside? I apologize, I spent the day at the club and am feeling peaky."
He held a finger out to me and then walked to his car and then came back. "Lead the way."
The rise in the elevator is awkward and my mind raced a thousand miles while trying to think of what he could want from me. Wait! Maybe this has to do with my car or something.
I unlocked the door and pushed it open for Kenneth to go in first. He looked around before taking a seat at the kitchen table and pulling out his phone.
After I sat across from him, he began. "Miss Cavanough, I'm sure you are wondering what I'm doing here. I understand you being worried."
"Yes, I really don't know what you would be doing here... I'm very confused."
Kenneth turned his phone on and then hit a few buttons. Without looking up from his phone, he addressed me. "Do you mind if I record our conversation?"
This must be bad. Very bad! "No, I suppose not..."
A notepad magically appeared on the table and he turned the page. "Let's begin with you answering some questions. What is your involvement with Vincent Moretti?"
Hearing his name felt like a knife being plunged into my side. The bitch in me wanted to lay all of his shit bare but I didn't want to admit that I knew anything. I guess it is true, once you know something you can't unknow it. "We were engaged." I'm deciding to be as vague as possible.
"Were? As in past tense?"
"Yes, we ended our engagement a few weeks ago. What exactly are you doing here?" Now, I'm curious.
He strummed his fingers slightly and then looked around. "This is a nice place. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this your ex husband's place?"
Now I'm getting pissed. "I assume you know the answer to that."
He wrote something down before looking back at me. "Your insurance company claims something happened to your car at a restaurant that is owned by a very good friend of Vincent. Care to explain the claim?"
Oh, Jesus. What the hell do I say? "Vandalism is quite common, Mr. Dallas." In order to be a bitch I addressed him as Mr.opposed to Agent.
"I hope you know that omitting something is just the same as lying. Can you think of any reason why that would happen and if that something has to with Adamo?"
Here it goes. I'm going to be arrested and I didn't even do any of this. "In a perfect world I would love to tell you what happened. But I don't know. My car... that is vandalism and Adamo... that is a coincidence. Vincent took my friend and her husband along with me to go to the Hamptons. I'm not even here. All I know is, things were being taken care of by Vincent and I shouldn't have to worry about anything."
The cool exterior is now gone and he looked scary. "Savannah, may I call you Savannah?" I nodded and waited for my world to be blown apart again. "A man dies in your apartment while you are on vacation. Isn't that suspicious?"
"I agree with you, but I didn't know anything about it and since Vincent and I were getting married, he moved my stuff to his place and I went along with it because I loved him and... and..." To my horror, tears flooded my eyes. My breathing is rugged and I felt so tired. Just tired. I'm tired of putting on a show to the world. I'm broken. My heart can't take anymore of this.
"Do you want to know what I think?" He waited for me to answer his rhetorical question which is stupid because I couldn't tell him to go to hell so I didn't answer him. "I think you know what Vincent is and what he does. Wake up, sweetie. He is in the organized crime syndicate and everything that happened is not a coincidence."
At this point, Joel came home from whatever Joel does during the day when normal people are working. He looked at me and his face got red. "Who the fuck are you and why is my wife crying?" Hello, caveman.
" I'm Agent Dallas and I had a few questions but I can see that I have worn out my welcome." He placed a card on the table and stood up. "Thank you for your time. Call me if something comes up."
After he left, I dealt with another interrogation. "What is FBI doing here?" The calm in his voice didn't fool me.
I placed my head on the table and wanted to be transported to the beach. "Wanted to ask about my car and then the murder in my old apartment."
Joel sat down and looked at me when I picked my head back up. "You didn't say anything, right?"
"Duh!" I stormed out and ran into my new bedroom. I need to get away from everything.
*Vincent*
A couple of the guys and I went to the bar on Monday. Savannah has been gone now for seven weeks and I miss the shit out of her. I have convinced myself that what I did is right and that's just the way it is going to be.
I have noticed that Savannah and Anne haven't been spending as much time together as they used to. Hopefully, it isn't because of me. I knew the reason why she didn't come visit Anne at my place and that is because she doesn't want to see me.
That hurts.
On Mondays the bar does karaoke. Typically I like to go in order to make fun of the drunks that think they can sing; however tonight is different. Ronnie and Anne were talking about how she is going to the bar tonight without him. I knew instantly that she is going with Savannah.
Its not as if I were trying to stalk her. I just wanted to be in the same room as her. So what if I conned Rossi into telling me what bar Anne is going to. I'm a determined man who gets what he wants and I want her. I want her so bad right now.
I have tried to forget about her but it isn't the same. About a week ago is when things turned dramatically for me. I seen Savannah and Joel at a restaurant and she gave him a genuine smile and he held her hand. Jealousy and rage filled me and I could have killed Joel.
Every once in a while, she would show a penthouse in the general area that I'm in and I got a look at her. I wonder if she could see or sense how much I'm hurting... Maybe if she did, she will take me back. One time, I'm so close to her that I could smell her perfume. The smell has been seared into my memory and I want nothing more than to hold the person who is wearing it. If I did get another chance, I wouldn't let her go. Ever. I would marry her the second she is in my hands and then I would take her some place where no one would find us.
It felt good to dream, but even I knew that it would never happen. I will always be found. Some how or some way someone would find me.
As I sat in my captain chair at my bar, I sat back and drank a beer. The other guys were shooting whiskey, but I wanted to keep my cool in case I seen her and got to talk to her.
"Hey, will you quit!" I yelled at Sammy since he is screaming that he wanted more shots. "I can't let her know that I'm here!"
"Hello everyone!" Her voice slurred over the music. "I know I'm drunk enough when I decide its time to sing. This is one of my favorite songs, by Ms. Stone, I hope you enjoy!"
My eyes took her in. Her signature high heels and tight shirt made her look like sex. My mouth hit the floor when she started singing and dancing along to it.
The music started playing and she hummed into the microphone.
Oh, its a shame
We used to be so tight
Tell me what's your gain
Since you left me outside
I'm gonna change my track
Go anywhere but back
When I think about it
I'm better off without it
There is no gain, only pain
And my heart can't take the strain
I can't sit on the shelf
I will give my love to someone else
If you see me walking by
Hand in hand with another guy
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Know its true
It could've been you
I made a mental note to look up the rest of the lyrics.
She danced along with the song and truly had a beautiful smile. Savannah is wearing a tight skirt that showed off her delicious hips and waist. By saying that she has a coke bottle shape, is an understatement. They must have modeled the bottle off of her.
I couldn't stand to watch guys come rushing up to her as I sat in the corner with a cigar. I knew she didn't know I'm here, I just didn't think that so many guys would be pawing at Savannah. Damn it, what have I done?
The guys started to hoot after she finished singing and she looked over here and smiled. After she jumped off the stage she went running back to her table with Anne and they chug three shots each.
"Rossi, can you get Anne over here?" I'm dying to know who this fool is that hanging all over her. He is so close to her that he could have been her skin.
Rossi took out his phone as Savannah got back on the stage with that blond pretty boy. All of a sudden they started singing "Promiscuous Girl" by Nelly Fortado.
Anne came running over with a drink hanging out of her mouth and she fell onto Rossi. She looked around at us and I immediately missed Savannah more. "What are you guys doing here?" She slurred and giggled as she shook her ass on top of Rossi.
"This is our bar," Sammy replied with a wink. "Jealous ex boyfriend over here wants to know who that guy is." He pointed over at the Ken Doll and my Malibu Barbie.
"That's Jimmy! We have known him since high school!" She squealed as she bounced on Rossi's lap. "He has had a thing for her forever! Jimmy told me that he wanted to wait for the ink to dry and then he is going to make his move." She took a breath and then slurred again. "Why do you care?" She glared at me and sent me daggers. The alcohol must be making her feel brave because I rarely hear her talk like this.
"Because we broke up so she wouldn't get shot," Anne's face fell and she choked on her drink. "They ordered a hit on her and she couldn't stay with me anymore."
"Wow! Um, okay. I don't know what to say. She has been a mess ever since this... happened. Joel has been so controlling and Savannah had to throw a fit to get out tonight."
I noticed that Savannah and this Jimmy kid were dancing very close as they jumped off the stage and he immediately wrapped his arm around her waist.
Anne's breath caught and she made a whining noise. "Shit. Fuck. Oh no!" She said as she covered her face and Rossi got tense.
"What?" Rossi asked while I looked to see what she is so upset about.
"Joel is here. This is going to get bad. So bad."
"Why?" I asked as I watched Joel walk over to her and she flinched.
"Because Jimmy is who she hired to follow Joel when he was cheating on her. He hates him and if he sees them dancing... I need to go! This is going to get bad!" She jumped off Rossi's lap and ran over to Savannah.
As Joel approached Savannah she immediately started yelling at him.
"Leave me alone! Don't you have a skirt to fuck? Go!" She screamed as Jimmy let go of her frame and she got very close to Joel. Joel tried to grab her hand but she pushed it aside and wagged her finger in his face. "This is not the place!" My body tensed and I fought the urge to kick his ass right now. He knew what his place is and his place is to not try to take mine.
Anne stepped between them and since she is so tall, she looked Joel in the eye. "Come on, we are having fun. You should leave."
Joel's arm flinched and Rossi jumped up and ran over there to make sure Joel isn't going to hit Anne.
"Why him? Why not fuck my brother?" Joel screamed at Savannah.
"This is why we got divorced. Because you are such a control freak. I hate you! I don't want to stay with you anymore. I'm going to get my stuff tomorrow!" She is so close to Joel that I seen him waver.
"Vans, you can stay with me. Let's go," Jimmy said to her and I seen her nod her head. I'm happy that the music is turned down enough for me to hear them.
Rossi took Anne over to us and Savannah left with that guy. Wow, she is going home with him. I tried to convince myself that this is platonic but it is hard seeing Jimmy grip her back and watch her stumble into him.
"I want to go get her. I can't watch this anymore." I went to stand up but Anne put her leg out to block me as she sat back down on Rossi.
"Don't. She and Joel have been fighting so much that she will kill you if you try to confuse her. Leave her alone. Jimmy won't do anything." She turned and rubbed her back against Rossi and then looked at Sammy and then me again. "That is how it is with them before she changed. He would be demanding and then she would follow but now she is giving it right back. Joel can't keep his claws in her and she is running around to make him angry. However, Joel has said that he still loves her... whether that is true or not, I don't know."
Oh, shit. In the back of my mind I knew this is a possibility. She lives with him now... it would be easy to get back together with him. And... that would leave me... as... half a man. I want her back. I miss her giggle and the wiggle of her hips. I miss her tantrums when she gets frustrated and I miss holding her.
I sat there for another hour until I have had enough of watching Rossi and Anne suck face. How do they breathe? Damn.
*Chapter 43*
The day of the gala marked my eighth week mark from not speaking to Vincent. Living with Joel is actually not as hard as I thought it is going to be. We lived like room mates and not a divorced couple. I'm about to ask Joel to come with me to the party but Annabeth had texted me and told me to not bring him because of the party guests.
Our fighting that we did is normal for us. We never got along with anything or agreed on anything. This is normal for us. We fought every day about why I won't take him back or at least sleep with him. Things got worse when he seen me with Jimmy. I knew he is wondering if we slept together. Which is a no. Even though I'm so horny that I could break, I didn't sleep with him. Well, not sexually that is.
We went to the spa and all of us got pretty. I'm feeling better about everything and smiled more. Even though I'm with Vincent's friends, I feel as if they were becoming my friends too. We bonded over stories from childhood and talked about college life as well.
We all walked out completely different people and looked as if we stepped off the red carpet... well not our clothes. "Ladies! That is so much fun! We should do this again sometime!" I said as I air kissed all of the girls. I turned to walk the other direction to pick up a taxi to take me back to Joel when Bethany called after me.
"Wait, where are you going?" Bethany asked me. "Your dress is at my store."
Stunned, I stopped and threw her a glance. "What dress?"
We were standing outside of the salon and I'm feeling as if I were being set up. "Um, Vincent bought you a dress. He ordered it last week," Bethany said nervously.
"Why would he do that for me?"
Anne walked up to me and rubbed my arm in a comforting manner. "Um, he picked it out for you. I wanted to tell you but... I promised I wouldn't say anything. He wanted it to be a surprise. Honey, I think he still-"
She is interrupted, "Um, we can talk about that later," Annabeth said as we walked to Bethany's store.
I'm not done. This is silly and I couldn't imagine why he would buy me something expensive. "This is ridiculous. I don't want him to buy me anything. Ever. Again." Wait! Bethany once said everything is free for Lucky women, so I guess he really didn't buy it for me.
I'm not a Lucky woman anymore.
I'm not a Lucky woman.
I will never be again.
"Come look at the dress," Bethany pulled out everyone's dresses. Annabeth's is a baby blue, Anne's is brown and high collared. Bethany's dress is green with a v neck. Mine is a beautiful deep black that came up the front and back to my neck but tied around my neck. I thought it looks classy and sexy. The dress hung beautifully on me. Drop waist and flowy towards the bottom. There is a broach in the middle of my waist that had crystals in
it.
"This is beautiful! I hate him but he sure can pick out a beautiful dress," I replied as I fluffed my beach curls out after slipping on the dress. The other girls were already dressed and ready to go by the time I put my shoes on.
"You know, Savannah... Vincent..." Annabeth started but Bethany cut her off with a look.
All of these looks being thrown around and these secret conversations are really starting to make me pissed. I'm standing here and last time I checked I'm an adult. I'm pretty sure I could handle it.
Ronnie, Johnny and Vinny walked in with a guy I have never seen before. The guys I knew went to their significant others and told them they looked great. The new man stared at me and I began to think that he is my date.