Tilucci wasn’t that smart, but he had connections. There were enough scumbags in the city that would do anything for an extra buck. For such a vicious man, it baffled me that he had such a following. No one ever let any information slip. Maybe he just made it well known that any slip-ups could cost you your life.
I plugged in the last remaining drive and tried to open it, but it was encrypted differently than the others. I tried the few tricks I knew, but I still couldn’t access it. It was above my pay grade, but I knew someone who could.
A maniacal laugh came deep from within me, startling Bryce.
“It’s here. It’s all here,” I explained rapidly. “We just need to get this last file opened. It’s the nail in their fucking coffin. They’ll all rot in jail. That is if I don’t send them to hell first!”
I was shouting now, the rage and sorrow I felt bubbling so close to the surface. I wanted to smash Tilucci’s face into tiny pieces when I saw him. I would see him, too. I would make sure of it.
For a while now, I knew that it had to end that way. This was always personal. I wouldn’t let anyone else I cared about die because of me. I had to finish him.
I stood up from my seat and gathered all the flash drives. “We have to go,” I declared.
“Jane,” he hollered. “You have to calm down.”
“You don’t tell me what to do,” I said, pointing a finger at him. “You don’t have to come with me anymore. I must do this alone. I’m done letting other people get involved in my mess.”
My heart was pounding in my chest and I was starting to feel lightheaded. I tried to push the image of Pat out of my head, but it kept creeping in.
Bryce got up and put his hands on my shoulders. “You can’t do this alone,” he insisted.
“Why the fuck not?” I screeched. “Get out while you still can. I need to make things right for Pat.”
I felt like I couldn’t get enough oxygen. My breath sped up. Bryce said something, but I could only hear the blood pounding in my ears.
Then, he kissed me. I was so startled that I became distracted from everything else. I forced slow, steady breaths through my nose as I let him support my weight.
“I’m not leaving you,” he said as he pulled away. I was still hurting, but I felt a little better. I felt more in control of my emotions.
“Why?” I asked. I was a complete mess and I could hardly think straight.
“I didn’t come all this way to leave you when things got tough,” he explained. “If I wanted to, I could have left you the moment you stopped pointing the gun at my head. We’re going to finish what we started.”
He slid his hand into mine. I wiped my smudged eye makeup off my cheeks. I felt safe when he was near. I had never been so vulnerable around another person in my entire life except for Bryce. He had seen me at my darkest and still wanted to stick around. I figured I should let him.
“Tell me where to go,” he said.
“It’s late and I don’t want to be alone,” I said. “Can you find another motel for us to hide out in until tomorrow?”
He nodded, and we walked out of the brightly lit office together. I leaned in close to him and closed my eyes as we walked past Pat’s empty office. It just didn’t seem right for it to be empty.
Last Will And Testament
Jane
“Are you going to be okay?” I asked as I escorted Jane back to my car. She looked a little dazed still. I couldn’t blame her—if Tilucci sent me a picture of someone I cared about, dead on the ground, I would be in a state of shock too. I know she wasn’t an emotional person, but I was concerned about how she was handling it. I feared that if she kept it bottled up inside of her, her pain would override the rational part of her brain. If she had any sort of inhibition when it came to self-preservation, it had left the moment she got that text.
I drove past the city limits into another small suburb and chose the first motel I saw. If Tilucci had managed to figure out where we had been, I didn’t want to take my chances by staying at the same motel.
“Fine,” she mumbled, typing on her phone. “I need you to take me to 300 Queen Street early tomorrow morning. Do you know where that is?”
“Sure,” I responded. “Who’s there?”
“The person who’s going to fix your files?”
“Yep. She’s one of Pat’s people. I’ve never met her personally, but I’ve heard all about her.”
“Good or bad?”
“Neither, really. She’s great at anything involving computers, but I’ve heard she’s a little odd.”
“How so?”
“She’s extremely reclusive and secretive. I hope she’ll be able to help me. I don’t really have any other option.”
I waited back in the car while she checked into a room. Being alone made me feel on edge. Even though people were after her, too, something about having Jane near me kept me calm. I had to be tough for her, and in turn, I could convince myself that I was strong.
She exited the office and waved me over without looking at me. I walked briskly to catch up with her.
I followed her into Room 207 and sighed with relief when I saw two separate beds. I had had enough awkwardness with this woman to last me a lifetime.
While I understood that Jane wasn’t interested in me now, I couldn’t account for what grief can do to a person. I was her only source of comfort, and I don’t think she was really comforted by me that much. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder if she would try to come on to me in the hotel room. I didn’t think she would last time, but then it happened. I knew better than to sleep with Jane, especially at a time like this, but I didn’t think I would be able to turn her down if she tried.
I sat down on the bed closest to the door and watched as Jane poured a small blue pill out of a prescription bottle, cracked open a tiny bottle of vodka, and washed it down. She clearly wasn’t fine, but I wasn’t about to press her on the subject. If she wanted to talk, I would listen, but I knew better than to get in other people’s business. That’s what got us into this trouble in the first place.
There was nothing I could say, anyway. If she hadn’t met me and if I didn’t agree to help her with her story, maybe she wouldn’t be in this mess. I was her only lead, and I gave her the key that unlocked this nightmare. I should have lied to her when she pressed the cool metal of her gun to my head. Maybe I should have let her pull the trigger.
Unable to handle the guilt and silence between us, I went into the bathroom and washed my face. I scrubbed at my skin with the threadbare washcloth and cheap bar of soap. I needed something to do to keep me busy. I would go nuts if I had to sit in complete silence as Jane stared off into the distance. I couldn’t talk to her. I would only make things worse.
With a final splash of cold water, I dried off and went back out into the room. To my surprise, Jane was in bed, sound asleep. Relieved, I climbed into my separate bed, turned off my lamp, and drifted off to sleep.
I awoke the next morning to Jane digging through her purse. She had the same manic look I witnessed while she was searching through the spreadsheets.
“What time is it?” I groaned, my eyes adjusting to the light.
“Seven. I already asked Viper if I could bring some files over. She’s expecting me to arrive within the hour.”
“Okay, we can go. For some reason, when you mentioned that she’s an expert hacker, I imagined that she was nocturnal.”
“I wouldn’t have bothered her this early, but it’s an emergency. I told her about Pat.” Her voice drifted off.
I nodded solemnly.
“Viper and Pat got along well. Everybody loves Pat.”
I noted her use of the present tense. I wondered if she was in denial.
“One more thing,” she added. “Viper gets nervous when there are too many strangers around. A lot of what she does isn’t meant for the public and she’s a bit paranoid. I’m going to have to go alone.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? Look at what happe
ned the last time you went to check out a source alone.”
She glared. I knew it wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but I had to say it. I felt the overwhelming need to keep her safe.
“This is different,” she said. “I can trust Viper. If it makes you feel any better, you can hang around the neighborhood. But, under no circumstance can you come inside her house or lurk out front. If she gets spooked, we’re completely screwed. She’s the only person who can help me on such short notice. Deal?”
I didn’t have any choice to accept her deal. “Keep your phone close, okay?”
She nodded in agreement.
I drove her to Viper’s house, thinking about what I could do to keep myself busy while they were working on the files. I felt so useless.
I had a terrible feeling that once the killings began, they wouldn’t stop until Tilucci got what he wanted. Although, at this point, I wasn’t sure if giving up on the story would be enough for him. We had already involved too many people and his dirty laundry was tucked away in the news network’s database.
The one thing that Tilucci and I had in common was our need for revenge. He was quick with dishing out his idea of justice. The second someone pissed him off and he couldn’t use them, he eliminated them. I, on the other hand, sat and stewed for years, dreaming of the day that I could get even.
Yes, it was almost certain that Tilucci would try to kill Jane and me. He had an entire army of henchmen and we had each other. Odds were, he’d probably win this fight. Still, I wouldn’t go down without giving it everything that I had.
We pulled up to a small brick house in the middle of town. Jane checked the address one last time before hopping out of the car, without so much as a goodbye. I guess she had more pressing matters on her mind.
I had something on my mind, too. As far as I knew, Arianna was in good hands. She had someone looking out for her safety. I did not. If there was anyone who wasn’t going to make it out alive, it would be me.
Strangely enough, I felt at peace with this realization. I didn’t want to die if I could help it, but I knew that my purpose in life was to protect others, and I would do that for as long as possible.
I was tempted to stay close to Viper’s house, just in case something went wrong, but I had things I needed to do before it was too late. I drove home, hoping I could make it back to Viper’s neighborhood before something went wrong.
I gathered up everything that I needed to put away. In my backpack, I placed all the photos I had of Emily and me, Emily’s engagement ring, and all the baby pictures I had of Arianna. Then, I ripped out a piece of paper from and old notebook and wrote a letter to my daughter.
Arianna,
I’m sorry we could never meet in person. I’ve thought about you every day since the day you were born. I need you to understand why I couldn’t be around to watch you grow up.
I got caught up in a lot of bad stuff and my life was a mess. Then, I met your mom and everything changed for me. I loved her more than I had ever loved anyone. Then we found out that you were joining us. I was scared because I wasn’t ready to be a dad. But, you came anyway and it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Your mom and I were so happy to have you in our lives.
When you were just a baby, the bad people I was involved with took your mom away from us. I knew that if I raised you alone, you’d be in danger too. I gave you up to your aunt and uncle because they could give you the good life you deserved. I had to stay away from you to keep you safe, and for that, I’ll never forgive myself.
I know I couldn’t give you much, but now, I’m giving everything I have left to you. I was hoping that I could have you back in my life one day, but unfortunately, my past caught up with me. So, this letter is the only way I’ll be able to speak to you.
I want you to know that I tried the best I could. I love you and I want you to have the life I always dreamt of for you.
Your father,
Bryce
I sniffed. It was a short letter, but it would have to do. Her aunt could fill in all the holes, but she needed to hear from me how much she was loved. I folded the paper in thirds and placed it in the bag.
I drove to my bank, taking deep breaths the whole way. Now wasn’t the time to break down. I had to stay strong for Arianna and Jane.
“How can I help you?” the friendly teller chirped. If only he knew that I was asking him to prepare my last requests.
“I need to transfer money to an account and add a few items to my safe deposit box.”
“Certainly, sir. How much would you like to transfer?”
I looked at my wallet. I had about fifty dollars in cash. That would last me for a while.
“All of it.”
The teller complied, giving every last cent I owned to my daughter. The contents of my bag, containing the only fond memories I had left were added to my box.
With that, I was ready for whatever could come my way. I went back to my car and just sat motionless for a while, accepting my fate.
My phone buzzed, jolting me back to reality.
“Hello?” I answered. “Do you need me to pick you up?”
“No,” Jane responded. “I’m in a cab on the way to the hotel. Meet me there as soon as you can.”
I checked the time. I had been away for just over an hour. I didn’t expect anyone to crack the code that quickly. Once again, I felt guilty for not doing the one job I had to do today but relieved that Jane was on her way back to the hotel. This meant that she had something to tell me. Maybe it would be good news, for once.
Viper
Jane
I strode up the stone walkway to Viper’s house and knocked loudly on the door. I saw a shadow move on the other side of the peephole before hearing a series of locks clicking.
Viper cracked the door open halfway. “Hurry in,” she said. “I don’t have a lot of time.”
I entered her home. Upon first glance, it looked similar to mine. It was bare except for a few pieces of furniture here and there that looked like they hadn’t been used before. A dining room table was pushed into a corner, covered in dust and old pizza boxes.
I knew the woman in front of me was Viper because of how Pat described her. The funny thing was, he never told me what she looked like, but her personality fit her physical appearance.
She was probably five feet tall and weighed no more than a hundred pounds. Her short, jet black hair stuck out at various angles, showing off the electric purple streaks expertly placed throughout. She wore large, round glasses that made her face look smaller than it already was.
“Follow me,” she said shortly, trailing her to her basement. In the small, unfinished room was wall-to-wall computer screens. She sat down on a large, leather chair and I took the small stool next to her.
“What is it that you want me to look at?” she asked. I dug the flash drives out of my purse, handing her the one that caused me so much trouble.
“Let’s look,” she muttered, plugging it into her computer. I sat quietly and watched as she typed rapidly on her keyboard. I had no idea what she was doing.
“Okay,” she said, “It looks like whoever encrypted this went to a lot of trouble to make this private. It might take me a while to figure this out.”
I nodded. Tilucci must have gone great lengths to find someone to make his information a secret. Viper was supposedly one of the best in the business and it looked like it was a challenge.
“I’m really sorry about Pat,” she said distractedly as she typed. “He was a good guy. I always liked when he had a little project for me. He told me about you once. Said you were one of the good ones.”
“Really?”
“That’s what he told me. I usually don’t do this kind of thing for just anyone, but if Pat liked you, then you must be okay.”
I smiled to myself. As terrible as his death was, at least I could take comfort in the fact that there were others who could keep his memory alive.
Trying to appear nonchalant,
I looked around the room, trying to make sense of the scene. From what I understood from Pat, Viper didn’t work for any one organization. But for a freelancer, she must have had some big clients. The equipment in her basement alone probably cost somewhere in the tens of thousands of dollars.
“Got it,” she said, making me jump. I didn’t expect her to finish so quickly.
I looked at the screen with her, my jaw dropping to the floor. Everything was here. The accounting records I found were nothing compared to what she uncovered. At the top of the document was a list of names and their corresponding code. I scanned the list until I found Tommy Tilucci.
Next came the list of organizations that the money was going through. Office Supply LLC was one of the first ones on the list. Now, all I had to do was prove that the organizations that Tilucci was funneling money from were illegal enterprises.
“What the fuck is this?” Viper growled.
I bit my lip. I had already told too many people what I was doing. I couldn’t keep leaving a trail behind me. Plus, if Viper was the good citizen that Pat made her out to be, I didn’t want her to get caught up in my mess. I came to her to get my information and nothing more. I didn’t have to tell her anything.
But there was something about Viper that I found intimidating. Her glare made me feel like I was in trouble, so I filled her in on the basics.
“It’s something I found for a story about a mobster who was recently released from prison,” I shared. “I needed proof that he was doing more than just tax fraud.”
“How did you get this? Did someone just hand this over to you?”
“Not exactly,” I said hesitantly. “I went undercover and took it from an accomplice’s house.”
“You stole this?” she shook her head. “Do you have any idea what this stuff means?”
“Yeah,” I said, defending myself. “I’m looking right at the name of the guy I’m after. I have accounting records that his codename is on.”
Her Protection: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance (Omerta Series Book 2) Page 15