"Maybe twice last year, twice the year before." Thinking back, I don’t remember much from her visits. They were always short, a day or two at most.
"Her purchases tell a different story. I have her coming up this way at least every other month. Would she come to the city without seeing you?"
"No. At least, I don't think so." Why would she come here and not at least call?
"Then there has to be something else going on, right?"
Looking at Jay, I know he's attempting to lead me to the answer. He wants me to figure it out on my own. He wants me to see it. It must be bad, really bad.
"Is it that important for me to figure it out if you already know?"
"It'll hurt a little less if you do," Owen says from behind me.
"It might also take forever, and we don't have that long," I snap at him, regretting it immediately.
Clearing his throat, I turn my attention back to Jay. "Your mother, she's the reason all of this is happening. I doubt it's drugs. I still have to look into a few things, but from what I've found so far, my guess would be that she owes them money. If your father can't pay them, it has to be a lot of money."
"Why in the world would she borrow money? It's not like my parents don't have enough."
"Her trips to visit you have all been spent in Atlantic City, Bliss."
I hear what Owen is telling me, but I don't want to believe it. My mother is smarter than that. Even if she was gambling a little, she has her own money. Why would she borrow money from someone? That would be stupid.
Walking away from them, I head back to Owen’s room and lock myself in. I need a moment alone. I need to process everything they’ve just told me. Jay didn’t sound finished. There has to be more to the story. I need to work through this before I let him finish.
My gut tells me to call my parents and ask what the hell is going on. I want to tell them what we know and ask if it’s true. What I’m going to do is trust Jay. If Owen trusts him, I need to. He doesn’t have a reason to lie. His words hurt, the truth hurts, but the more we know, the better we can prepare for what happens next.
Taking a deep breath, I open the door to find Owen waiting for me. Smiling at him weakly, he extends his hand to me, and I take it, needing to rely on his strength right now more than anything. Jay looks up at us over his computer screen as we take a seat at the table.
“Tell me everything you know,” I say, ready to hear whatever he’s found.
Jay explains the situation the best he can, going into as much detail as he has. Avery is really Amanda Romano, daughter of Dominic Romano, one of the most feared mob bosses in New Jersey. The family has their hands in a number of businesses, including a good portion of the drug smuggling that happens on the East coast. My mother got caught up in one of their smaller endeavors. She borrowed money from one of their loan offices.
In an attempt to pay off her debt, my mother convinced my father to let them run drugs through Freeman Falls last year out of the coffee shop that had been sitting vacant. Brian was my father’s point of contact in town. Apparently, he’s Avery’s cousin. Avery was sent to find, befriend, and keep tabs on me. When they got busted right before I left for school this fall, Romano decided the debt had not been paid in full and demanded a cash payment. Cash my parents didn’t have.
That brings us to where we are today. My father hired Owen to protect me and moved my mother to Europe to keep her safe. Jay found emails, decoded them, and printed them for me to read. He refused to pay them any more money, even after they threatened to kill me. That’s when they sent the pictures as evidence they could get to me whenever they wanted.
12
Owen
The shock on Bliss' face scared me a little. I know she doesn't think highly of her parents, but even for them, this is unbelievable. No one could have seen this coming.
Wrapping my arm around her, I pull Bliss into my side. Resting her head against my shoulder, I feel her body quivering, a clear sign she's trying to avoid crying right now. I want her to let it out, but I know she won't. She's trying to stay strong. Better than anyone, Bliss understands that crying isn't going to solve anything. I hope she understands I'm going to be here by her side through all of this. I won't leave her. My job is to protect her, and that's exactly what I plan to do.
Leading her back to our room, I start the shower, undress her, and help her step in. We don't speak. Words are not going to fix this, so why bother. Shedding my own clothing, I step in behind her and proceed to wash her body and hair.
As I'm wrapping a towel around her, Bliss finally says what's on her mind.
"What do we do now?"
"We wait. Jay is still looking for information on Avery. Until we know more, we play along and pretend that everything is as it was."
"I don't know if I can do that," she admits, her voice filled with defeat.
"You can. It's going to be hard, but I'll be there the entire time. At least, we have an idea of what we're dealing with now. Who we're dealing with."
"When do you think he'll have more information on Avery?"
"He's working on it now. When did she say she was coming home?"
"Tomorrow night, but if Brian really is part of all this, maybe sooner."
"Hopefully we'll have more answers by then. Just try and relax a little. There's nothing we can do right now. By the time she calls, we should know how big of a player she might be in all of this."
Tucking Bliss in bed to get some sleep, I head back out to find Jay where we left him. He's staring at his computer screen, squinting. He's going to need glasses before long if he keeps that up.
"Anything new?" I ask.
"These guys are good at covering their tracks," he replies without looking up.
"I'm sure they are. This is what they do for a living."
"If I'm right and it all stems from Mrs. Coopers gambling problem, then it should be over after the election next year."
"That a long way off, though."
"I know. That's why I'm thinking there has to be something else going on."
"Should we fill Mr. Cooper in on what we've found?" It sounds like a good idea, but at the same time, what if he's deeper involved than we know?
"Not yet. We may have cleared the bugs out of here, but I guarantee his phone is still tapped."
"Good point. Can I do anything to help?"
Jay doesn't respond. He's clicking around, tapping on keys and focused on whatever he's reading. I take the opportunity to make myself a cup of coffee and one for Jay. It's going to be a long night.
"Hey, Owen. I think we may have something here. Come look at this," he calls.
I step up behind him and read over his shoulder.
Bliss was right, Brian’s part of the organization. My guess would be that he's the one that has been taking the pictures Mr. Cooper was sent.
Jay finds as much information as he can on Brian. Knowing he's a threat seems to bring me a sense of relief. I don't understand it, but I'm grateful for it. The more we know about the players, the better prepared we can be.
Waiting until morning to wake Bliss, Jay works straight through the night while I sleep on and off on the couch in case he needs me for anything. When the sun finally starts to rise, I find Jay asleep on his keyboard, so I wake him up with a cup of coffee in hand. He looks awful. I can't imagine he slept for long. I woke up a few hours ago to check on him, and he was still working.
While Jay jumps in the shower, I wake Bliss and tell her everything I know at this point. I'm sure Jay found more, but he needs time to wake up before we start peppering him with questions.
"So Avery should be calling soon, just like you thought."
"What's the plan going to be, then?"
"Jay worked through the night to find out a little more about her. Why don't you order us food and we'll all talk over breakfast. Are you hungry?"
"Starved."
We start making plans while we eat, focused on what we know. My imagination gets the best of me, running a mil
lion miles a minute with possibilities of what might happen. In my mind, there is no chance of a good outcome. Someone will end up hurt, or possibly dead, and I can only hope that it’s not one of us.
Jay didn't find much last night. One dead end led to another, and he basically ran himself in circles. I keep reminding myself that we still have time, but the clock ticking on the wall makes me believe otherwise. For every minute that passes, we're that much closer to Avery calling. That also means we're that much closer to shit hitting the fan.
"I wish we had more time. Their organization is huge. We don't have enough time to figure out who all the players are or what they might be trying to accomplish." Jay sounds concerned about our plan, and that causes an alarm to go off in my head.
"What I want to know is, what do they plan to do with me?" Bliss asks.
"You're a bargaining chip, Bliss. They want your father to know they can get to you if they need to. They'll use you to get what they want from your parents," I say, trying to keep my voice calm and reassuring.
"If this is really all about money, they should know they won't be able to get my parents to pay if they haven't already."
"You would be surprised how much things change when a loved one is involved. Your father already sent your mom to Europe, so she's out of the picture. That's why their focus has turned to you," Jay explains to her. His reasoning rings loud and clear.
"Maybe she should get her ass back here, then, and deal with the mess she created," Bliss says under her breath.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, an eerie feeling washing over me. This is worse than we thought. Something bad is about to happen, and unless we can figure out their plan, there's no way we'll be able to stop it.
Bliss
Holding my head high, I try not to let my fears show. They seem to be buying it for now. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold it together, though. I have a bad feeling about all of this. The more we know, the more Jay finds, the worse it sounds. I'm on edge, and I'll stay that way until this is over.
Excusing myself after breakfast, I shower and get ready for the day. I need time to pull myself together. Time alone. A moment to collect my thoughts. That's all I get, too. Owen knocks on the door as soon as I'm dressed.
"Come in," I call.
Opening the door, Owen's smile fades. "I was hoping you were still naked," he admits shamelessly.
"Well, I'm sure there will be plenty of time for that later. Right now, I want to focus on making a solid plan. It's all I can think about, and until it's flawless, it's all I'll be able to think about."
Nodding, Owen steps aside as I walk past him.
Laying it all out on paper, Owen, Jay, and I plan for every possibility. We spend the entire afternoon playing the "what-if" game, making backup plans of backup plans. It's exhausting, but it keeps my mind from wandering. It keeps me focused on who Avery really is, instead of thinking about the amazing friend I've spent the last year sharing my most intimate secrets with.
We come up with three possible plans. Everything hinges on getting ahold of Avery’s phone. Once we have it, Jay can hack into it, hopefully leading us to the information we need.
Game Plan A—Owen, Avery and I go for drinks at the dive bar down the road. Owen orders all the drinks, gets her sloppy drunk, and I offer to let her stay here instead of drive home. Once she passes out, Jay hacks her phone. What we do next will depend on what he finds.
Game Plan B—If Avery doesn't get drunk, I pretend to be drunk. Not the annoying “pass-out” kind of drunk, but the fun “I wanna play cards” kind of drunk. I get her to walk home with us. I'm not sure how we're going to get her phone if she's sober, but Jay says he'll take care of it. I'm sure he's got some techy device that'll do the work for him. Not sure how good that one is going to work. I’ve never played cards in my life and somehow I’m sure she knows that.
Game Plan C—I pretend to be drunk, get in an argument with Owen, and pretend to give him the slip, leaving the bar with Avery. I ask her to take me home or to go for coffee, depending on how I read the situation. Once we’re alone, I need to somehow get her phone away from her and get it back to the apartment. I'll be alone with Avery, so that makes this the riskiest one of all. I don't want to be alone with her. There are too many things that could go wrong. It would be like walking straight into whatever they have planned. Owen will be behind us, watching my every move, but he won't be next to me. What if I need him?
No matter which direction we are forced to go, Jay is placing a tracking device in the lining of my purse. Owen will be close, and Jay will be at the apartment tracking my every move. He'll know if we're headed back here. He'll be able to see where I go if we are forced to go with plan C. Ideally, I'll be safe no matter what.
It's the unknown variables I worry about. I'm scared we're going to be blindsided by something or someone that'll throw all our well-laid plans out the window. My heart is starting to race just thinking about all the things that could go wrong. I’m freaking out. I need to get out of the apartment and get some fresh air. Owen and I walk to Central Park while Jay continues looking for whatever he couldn’t find last night. I actually think he should take a nap, but he's determined to get answers.
Taking a seat near the ice rink, I silently stare off into the distance. Owen sits quietly next to me, holding my hand for support. He's not going to let me stay like this for long. I know he's concerned about me, about my mental state. It's written all over his face. It has been since we all sat down to breakfast this morning.
"I know you're scared, Bliss, but I want you to know I'll be right there with you, no matter if you can see me or not. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you." I nod, knowing he's not just telling me that to make me feel better about the situation. He means it, and he believes it.
"Promise me one thing, Owen."
"Anything."
"After this is all over, you won't leave."
"Why would I leave?"
"Your job will be done. I won't need you to protect me anymore."
He’s quiet for a minute. I'm asking a lot of him, and I know it. I'm asking him to stay with me. I didn't say the word forever, but it was implied.
"There are a few things I need to take care of, but I'll come back to you. I promise."
Snow begins to fall around us, covering the ground at my feet. It's beautiful. There's something about Central Park, the ice rink, in particular, that's always drawn me here in the winter.
"You know, once the snow covers this place, it’s one of my favorite sites in the city. Promise me that we'll come back here sometime, at night, so I can show you the magic it holds."
"Whenever you want, Bliss."
This has to end soon. If it does, I want to start over with Owen somewhere else. Somewhere new. A place that doesn't hold so many bad memories.
"New Year’s Day. Next year. That'll give you over a month to do what you need to do after the election. Meet me back here, and we'll start over. A new year, a new life. One we can enjoy together without worrying about my safety. Deal?"
"I'll always worry about your safety, Bliss. That's what you do when you love someone, you worry about them."
Turning, I find Owen staring at the ice rink. I squeeze his hand to get his attention but he doesn't look at me.
"It's a deal, Bliss. I don't really want to wait that long, but I know that it can't happen any sooner."
"Where do you want to go? There's Paris or London; both are beautiful. What about Italy? I've never been there before."
"I'll go wherever you want to go. As long as you're by my side, I'm up for anything."
I accept his answer and we sit in silence a little longer before my toes begin to go numb. By the time we make it back to the apartment, evening is upon us, and the temperature has fallen. The snow is coming down quickly, covering the city with a layer of white powder. It was a cold, yet beautiful walk.
13
Owen
Bliss' phone is sitting o
n the table in front of us. As much as I'm trying to ignore it, I find myself looking at it every few seconds, wondering when it's going to finally ring.
"Stop staring at my phone. You can't will her to call. Plus, I'm not ready yet."
"You're ready. We went over every scenario twice. What's your code word if you feel like something is wrong?"
"Peach margarita," I reply, dryly.
"See, you're ready,” Owen insists.
"Just because I know how to order a drink doesn't mean I'm ready, Owen."
"You're ready," Jay declares, coming up behind us.
"How would you know?"
"Because I just found something that gives us the edge. She has no idea that we're on to her."
Hopping off the couch, Bliss and I follow Jay, curious as to what he’s found.
"Okay, so I was finally able to finish decoding the email that was sent to your father. We were right, those pictures do tell a story. They were mean to scare him more than anything, but at the same time, they were telling him what would happen if he didn't cooperate."
"What's going to happen?" Bliss asks before I can even open my mouth.
"It looks like their plan is to kidnap you and hold you at ransom for the money your mother owes them."
"How did you get all of that from those pictures?" I inquire, not following his thought process.
"I didn't. It was in the email message."
"They straight up told my father they were going to kidnap me?" Bliss sounds angry about it. I would be, too, if I were her. If her father knew all this, why would he not tell her or, at least, tell me?
"Yes. They’ve had eyes on you and your mother. They told him they would take both of you, proving they could get to you anywhere, anytime they wanted with the pictures."
Turning to Bliss, I see the wheels turning in her head. She's processing everything Jay's just told us.
"With your mother out of the picture," Jay continues, "that means that they are focusing on you. We're not prepared for this. We need a new plan."
"What about—"
Bliss' phone rings, cutting me off. I've been wanting it to ring for hours, and now that it is, I want it to stop.
Saving Bliss Page 12