by Bry Ann
“Ready?”
“What’s he gonna do to me?” I pause. “Nothing irreversible.”
“That’s good, I guess. Right?” She looks at me a bit frantically. “Right?”
“Come on, Texas. Let’s get this over with.”
I try to sound as gentle and casual as possible, but despite her naivety, she’s no idiot.
“You won’t let him kill me, right?” “No.” There’s not much I can promise her, but I’ll reveal my badge before I witness her murder. That I can promise.
“Okay, I trust you.”
“Trust yourself, Texas. Survive. Just know you’re not alone in that mission.”
She nods. “Thank you.”
I give her a tiny nod back and lead her to the middle of the room. I join Boss at the front of the room. Frances is standing to the side of us. The room is dead silent. Not a sound can be heard anywhere as Boss studies a quivering Iris.
“Do you know why you’re here?” He finally asks her.
I notice he has no men around her. No men holding her. And they haven’t brought out cuffs. That has to be good, right? It’s uncommon in this world, that’s for sure. It makes me nauseous that I know that. That I’ve seen it.
“He thinks I’m bad. I’m not, sir. I promise. I-I don’t… know you.”
The insane thing is, the insanity of life, she does. This is the man she’s looking for, and she has no idea. She never can. Until I’m done with my mission, her mission has to fail. Which is tragic. She’s just trying to find information about her little brother’s murder. When this is over, I’ll get her the answers she needs. But until then…“What do you know about me…?”
“Iris Jane Shelby,” she whispers in response to his implied question. I want to swat myself. Now is not the time for manners. She should have made up a fake name, but I bet manners are way too ingrained in her at this point.
“Right.” The side of Boss’s lip kicks up. “Iris. Nice to meet you.”
“Do-do you have a name?” She asks back in a quivering voice.
I’m gonna bang my head against a wall.
Boss stiffens.
“Everyone’s born with one, are they not?”
She nods obediently.
“Good. Now, what do you know about me?”
“Um,” she shuffles her feet. “You run the mafia?”
She looks up at him timidly, wondering if she gave the right answer. It’s such an innocent expression, I groan.
“Boss, you can’t seriously think she’s a rat, can you?” I ask out of the corner of my mouth.
He doesn’t say anything.
“How do you know this, Iris?”
She points a small finger of Frances. “H-he told me.”
This is painful. It’s like torturing a child, even though I’m well aware she’s a full grown woman right around my age.
“Of course.” Boss stands and confers with Frances. They go over everything, especially her lie. That lie is why she’s in this mess. Or rather, her getting caught in the lie.
“So,” Boss turns back to Iris and takes a seat again. “Your brother died.”
“Yes, sir.”
A tear falls from her cheek to the floor.
“How’d he die?”
“He was murdered.”
“By who?”
She visibly bristles, then looks to me. As subtly as I can, I shake my head. Don’t do it, Iris. Don’t do it.
“I don’t know,” she whispers.
“Lie.” Boss’s voice echoes in the room, surrounding all of us. This man is power. I have to end him. No one should have this much power. “Try again.”
Iris starts to shake. “I really don’t! That’s why I’m here. To find out.”
Boss stands and walks the two steps down to her. He rubs his fingers down his chin and starts to circle her like a hunter stalking its prey.
“Do you know what makes me so good at my job, Ms. Shelby?”
“N-n-n-n…” Her stutter is too bad to finish the word. I wonder if this is usually an issue for her. Even given her situation, it’s bad. Pronounced even more by her accent.
“No, I’m assuming you mean. I’m good because I can read people. It’s an art, really, Iris. Want to know how I can tell you’re lying?”
“I’m not lying.”
Boss throws a lamp down, making Iris jump out of her skin, and worse, doubt how bad it would be to just to tell the truth.“Wrong answer! I can tell you’re lying because you were polite as shit coming in here, then when you lied, you couldn’t look at me. Not once.”’Even knowing the way Boss reads her, Iris can’t make eye contact to tell him he’s wrong. She just freezes.“I don’t want to hurt you, little girl, but the safety of my family and my men is more important to me than your limbs.”
Her eyes jump around the room. “N-n-no, p-please. I d-don’t want to hurt your family, sir.”
“See, there’s the truth. You made eye contact with me once and called me sir. Good job.”
He’s being condescending, but he’s right; she does have an obvious tell when she lies.
“I-I don’t know what to say. I don’t want to d-d-di-” It’s like the words get caught in her throat. The more afraid she gets, the worse her stutter becomes.“Die,” she finally gets out.
“Then start talking, Iris, because my patience with you is wearing thin, and I know for a fact that Frances could get what he needed out of you in two seconds flat. I don’t want it to come to that, though. I’ll admit, I’m not keen on hurting a young girl unnecessarily.”
“Why do you care?”
Her eyes widen. There was not one ounce of stutter. It was pure venom. She clamps down on her now trembling lower lip.
Boss’s lip tips up. “I’ll let that slide. I admire the spirit. I have a wife and a daughter.”
He shrugs.
“I give a slight grace period to women now. That said, don’t cross me.”
“You have a wife and a daughter?” Iris whispers, horrified. “And you still do this? What about your mama?”That gets him. His eyes flare and his hands clench. “Stop talking. Who killed your brother, Iris? Last chance.”
Iris looks at the floor, then quickly at me. “I can’t tell. I’m deeply sorry, sir.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Both.”
Her lip trembles violently. I feel so guilty. I know I’m potentially saving her life by having her keep her mouth shut, but I still feel horrid knowing she’s going to suffer for not telling something I told her not to. Knowing she’s trusting me because I’m FBI, and in her simple black and white world, that means good.
“So be it.”
Boss cocks his head at Frances while I stand there helplessly. I lean into Boss.
“Are you sure? If Lacey finds out…”
“She won’t! Enzio, I will hold you personally responsible if she does. You’re friends and I know you respect her, which I am fine with. More than that, I like that about you. But if you tell her this, you are choosing her over me and you know the punishment for that. Everything I do, I do to keep her safe. She won’t see this that way, though.”No, she sure as fuck won’t! Now I’m screwed. Lacey was my chance, but if I tell her… I die. Plain and simple. I’m too new for him to even hesitate when pulling the trigger.
Frances grins when he gets to Iris. She doesn’t try to back away or anything. Her eyes find mine and she nods a little. Like she’s making some kind of sacrifice. Like she’s on team USA and is taking one for us.
What kind of person does that? What kind of person has that kind of respect and trust for the people who work to serve and protect our country? Her. That’s who.
Iris Jane Shelby.
And now I’m about to watch her get her bones broken. Or worse.“Anything else you want to say, little liar?” Frances smirks at her.
“Uh, fuck you?” All three of us let out a shocked laugh. She’s never said something as indecent as the f-word when I’ve been around, sticking s
trictly to ‘frick’. Then, not to mention, her deeply ingrained manners. Who is this woman, and how does she speak my language so perfectly?
“Not my type,” he replies easily.
Frances looks her up and down quickly, clearly displeased. Why? Oh, Marley. That’s why.
Iris shuts her mouth and closes her eyes, muttering one word to herself I can’t make out, over and over again. I turn my head as Frances approaches her, knowing they are about to hurt her and I can’t stop it.
The next thing I hear is her ear-piercing scream. My heart stops beating. The room goes quiet as she flings back and cradles her index finger. She starts to cry really hard. This is the cry of someone who’s never been hurt this way before.She tries to say something else, but it’s drowned out by her tears.
“Anything you want to say now?” Frances asks.
I glance at Boss. He looks haunted. Well and truly disturbed. Good. I was beginning to wonder if he’d completely forgotten what his wife endured.
As Iris struggles to keep the secret I told her to, and Frances reaches for her other finger, I realize this is my chance.
“Boss, time in a cell. Maybe some time there will give her a chance to realize she doesn’t want to endure this, and there’s an easy out.”
Boss nods, considering this. Relief fills his expression as soon as the words are out of my mouth.
“Good thinking, Enzio. Frances, stop!” Frances steps away from Iris.
“Take her to the cells.” He winces. “Not the last one.” That was Lacey’s cell when she was here. God, these people are twisted. Frances reaches for her wrist, but the sound of shrieking stops him. Iris jumps back and screams.
“Not him! Please, not him.”
Boss raises his eyebrows slightly. I’m internally crossing my fingers he finds it in him to grant her this mercy.
“Fine. Enzio, take her.”
Thank freakin’ God.
“Yes, Boss.”
Iris’s eyes find mine, and despite her teary-eyed mask of pain, I swear I see a smile in there.
“I’m sorry, sir. I’m not good at that stuff,” she whispers as I lead her down the hall.
“You don’t have to call me sir, Iris.” I laugh a little. “I’m your age. We’re both in this shit hole.”
“Okay, no name.” She gives me a lazy side smile.
“You know my name, Texas.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t tell me.”
“It’s Enzio.” I desperately wish I could tell her my birth name. I hate the name Enzio. I’d love to hear the word Derek from her lips.
“I like no name. Enzio doesn’t seem to fit you.”
Boom, girl. I smile at her and wink.
“It’s not real!” She shouts with a big, pain-laced smile. This is way too good a conversation for what we’re doing.
“Eh, kinda real.”
“O…kay?” She furrows her eyebrows.
She winces when she thinks I turn away. The hand holding her finger shakes slightly, something the body does when it’s experiencing a lot of pain.
“How’s your finger?”
“It hurts.”
She’s trying so hard to be strong. She looks over at me with those big eyes and freckles, and damn if I don’t want to scoop her up and rush her to the ER.
“I’ll be okay, though. Ya know. I’m fixin’ to be locked up so I’ll cry it out there.” She nods. “Some good ol’ tears will help. Thanks for gettin’ me out before he did more.”
“Don’t thank me. He broke your finger.” My eyes blaze for a moment. “Don’t worry. They’ll all be in prison soon.”
“Don’t worry. I trust you. Don’t rush anythin’. Stay safe and all.”
“You’re a saint,” I mutter with a laugh as I lead her down the stairs that lead to a place that sends chills down my spine.
“No. Just raised right.”
Her voice is no longer light. It’s strained with pain and the fear I know she’s trying to hide from me, because I’m all-hailed FBI. If she only knew the shit I’ve had to do for this position in the name of doing good. I shake my head. Black and white doesn’t exist. Only grey. But I’ll let her keep thinking so.
“That you are, Ms. Shelby. That you are.”
I open the door to her cell.
“I’ll try to get some supplies to you for your finger.” “Thank you.”
She gives me a wobbly, pain-etched smile. I shake my head.
“You’re a good girl, Texas.”
Her look is one of confusion and pride. With one last look at her, I close the cell door, adding one more notch to that piece of soul that’s so deeply tainted from this damn job.
“What’s wrong with you, Enzio? You seem… heavy. Like your soul is burdened.”
“I’m fine, Lacey.”
I offer her what I hope is a smile, but honestly, I can’t be sure. She shakes her head.
“Don’t do that. Don’t lie to me. I hate that. At least say you don’t want to talk about it, but don’t insult my intelligence.”
“Alright, Lace. Yes, something is wrong, but I can’t talk about it. It’s not even that I won’t.”
“Ah, business.”
There’s clear displeasure on her face.
I elbow her shoulder. “Come on, don’t hate me. I’m one of the good ones, bestie.”
She tries to fight back her smile, but loses. “You did not just call me bestie, you dork.”
Every time I get Lacey to smile, I feel like I’ve accomplished something. She’s definitely gotten happier in the time I’ve known her, but Lacey still carries a heaviness around that most people don’t. “I’m Underboss, so I’m cool by association.”
She throws her head back and giggles loudly.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d never guess you were in the mob. You just seem so… normal. You’re nice.”
She gives me a warm smile, but her words make my hair stand on end. Do I have to blend in more? Her smile’s telling me she carries no doubt that I really belong here, so I guess not. But still…
“Someone’s gotta take the nice guy role around here. Frances sure isn’t stepping up to the plate.”
“Yeah, neither is my husband,” she mutters.
I frown. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, it is.”
She sounds honest, but resigned.
“Everything’s great, actually. He’s my world, but I’m also not naive about who he is. It bothers me sometimes, knowing what he does. And worse, not knowing what he does.”
This would be a great time to tell her about Iris. I want to so badly. I’m itching to save that girl trapped in a cell, nursing a broken finger. But I can’t. Not yet. My urge is too strong to speak without blurting it out, though, so I say nothing.
“Okay, that’s it! What’s bothering you?”
Lacey stands in front of me, hands on hips, studying me furiously. I look away from her.
“He told you to keep something from me, didn’t he? Didn’t he?”
“Lacey…”
“No! Don’t ‘Lacey’ me. You’re my friend. I don’t care what he told you.” I wince. “Lace, I can’t.”
Her eyes widen. “Did he threaten you?!”
If there’s one thing to know about Lacey, it’s that she is furiously protective of her friends. Like, crazy protective, and I’m her friend. Possibly one of her closest since I’m the only one who lives in the same house as her and sees her nearly daily. Not to mention, I nearly died for her a few months ago in a gun battle. But that’s a story for another day.
“Drop it, Lacey.”
I try to use my most stern voice possible, but Lacey has dealt with much worse monsters than me. I probably sound like a kitten to her.
“Oh, sure! I’ll drop it. My husband just threatened the life of one of my best friends. Let me just get on with my day!”
“Yell it a little louder, will ya? You’re really gonna get me shot.”
Her eyes narrow then.
“I knew it! Ugh!”
She yanks on the ends of her hair.
“I’m gonna kick his butt. I told him… I warned him. That jerk!”
“Lacey, please calm down.”
“No!” She whirls around and pins me to the spot with a shocking amount of intensity. “What’s he keeping from me?”
“I…”
“I’ll keep you safe. Don’t worry. You have my word. He won’t kill you.”
“You’re putting an awful lot of trust in his love for you. This is my life here, bud.”
She cocks an eyebrow. “He better love me enough not to kill one of the few people I ask him not to.”
I sigh. “You won’t give this up, will you?”
“No. This is how I see it: you tell me, and I’ll make sure he never finds out what I know. I’ll work around the knowledge you give me. Or I’ll go straight to him. Your choice.”
“It’s gonna hurt you, Lace.”
“I can take it.”
I have no doubt.
“Lacey…” I run my hands through my hair and look around. We’re far outside the bounds of the house, so I’m safe to talk. “He’s got a girl here. In the cells. I… don’t like it. I may be mafia, but I don’t like hurting women.”
I watch her carefully. I watch as everything drains out of her in an instant, leaving a statue in her place.
“Who?”
“I—”
“WHO?” she screams. “Fucking who is he hurting before he comes in my room, and has the nerve to touch me? And how do I get to her?”
I wince. “Lacey, I don’t want to cause problems for you.”
But I do, right? I want her husband arrested. I want Iris safe. I can’t do all this without causing problems for her. Is this not the story of Lacey’s life? Lacey’s body starts to vibrate. “Is she hurt?”
I almost regret telling her. On one hand, Iris needs this. On the other, Lacey doesn’t. I’m not acting FBI right now. I’m so in over my head I can’t even begin to tell you.
“I’m taking your silence as a yes.”
Lacey quickly starts lacing up her shoes.
“She’s in the cells, yeah? What does she need?”
I sigh. “Lacey, he can’t know I told you.” “He won’t. I have a plan.”