Deadly Ink: A Dark Mafia Romance (Omerta Series Book 3)
Page 11
I closed my eyes and imagined it. I saw myself cooking in the kitchen while Sierra played with our beautiful baby. When the baby went to bed, we’d eat dinner outside as the sun set. Then, we’d go inside and make love. We’d repeat this every day if we wanted to. After the horrendous past few years, it would be paradise.
“Can you book the tickets?” I asked. “Your father is counting on me to notice these kinds of things to report to him. Besides, I don’t have a lot of money.”
“When should we leave?”
I did the math in my head, trying to figure out how long it would take for this plan to come to fruition. “Three days from today.”
We made love again, this time knowing that there would be plenty more to come if all went well. Still, I couldn’t help but think that each time would be our last. Giorgio would never lay a finger on Sierra, no matter what he found out. I, on the other hand, had everything to lose.
The next morning while Sierra was at work, I paid a visit to Alice D’Angelo. I explained that we had a plan to leave, but we needed to ensure that she was safe while Giorgio went on his warpath. If he was arrested and he thought Alice was the cause of it, he’d send someone to the house to have her killed. I was sure of it.
“Do you have any information that I could pass on to the police that would easily convict your husband of a large number of crimes?” I asked her after she let me into her house.
“State or federal?” she asked.
I grinned. She had heard so much over the years that she could provide a lead to just about every crime that her husband committed in the last twenty years. She found the key to his desk and found stacks of paperwork that showed that he owed millions in taxes.
“Want me to make you a few copies?” she asked.
As she was neatly stacking all the evidence we needed into a folder, I asked her if she would go along with my proposal for keeping her out of harm’s way. She balked at first, but once I explained how it would help us all out, she agreed.
That evening, she would start drinking in excess. I would arrive to make sure she wasn’t in serious danger, but I would call an ambulance once she passed out. Then, I would flee the scene. While she was in the hospital, Sierra and I would go to the police and rat on her father. Once he was arrested, we’d hop on a flight and never return.
“You do realize that he’ll probably get tipped off before he ends up in cuffs, right?” Alice asked. She’d seen this kind of this happen all the time.
“Yes, but by that time, we’ll be out of reach. I really think we have enough to convict him, don’t you?”
Alice looked at the floor, but I could see a tiny smile on her face. I knew that she was in.
I went back to the apartment, feeling more optimistic than I had since I had gotten out of prison. In my hand, were more than enough documents to put Giorgio away for long enough to establish a new life. Now, I just hoped that Giorgio wouldn’t catch onto what we were doing. His whole life was devoted to staying one step ahead of his enemies. We had a formidable opponent, but I had never been so motivated to do anything in my entire life.
I knew that this situation could go one of two ways. Either we would defeat Giorgio, or Giorgio would defeat us. Either I would give Sierra her happily ever after, or I would be leaving her without a mother and partner.
On my way home, I stopped at a payphone and requested a meeting with an officer to discuss potential gang activity. A new police chief was appointed recently, so I hoped it would work in our favor. Much to my surprise, I was given an appointment to meet with an officer on the gang crime task force to see if my evidence was worth anything to them.
When the officer asked whom it was regarding, I told them I couldn’t disclose that information. I was smarter than that. No, I needed a little extra time to set up my case against Giorgio
I had several hours of time to kill before I needed to check up on Alice and had nothing to do. Instead of going to the hospital to spy on Sierra, I went to a little flower shop and picked out a bouquet to be sent to the nurse’s station.
Inside the card, I wrote, Love, your secret admirer.
Finally, I called my dad and told him about everything that had happened over the past month. He was obviously worried, but he sounded a little relieved that his service to Giorgio would soon be over. I told him to pack a few bags and leave the rest to me. I was going to right the wrong done by Giorgio D’Angelo.
Blown Cover
Sierra
Most days, I kept my phone in my locker because I just didn’t have enough time in the day to answer any calls or messages. Today was different, though.
When there’s a chance you’ll have to grab your bags and drive to the airport at a moment’s notice, you have to stay informed. During my break between shifts, I wrote a letter to Felicity, explaining as much as I could.
In the letter, I told her that if I suddenly disappeared with my mom, not to go looking for me. Once I was safe, I’d send word back to her. But, for my own protection, no one could know where I was going. I gave her instructions for telling the hospital about my resignation and if anyone asked, I took some time off to travel the world.
I was devastated that I had to leave Felicity behind without a proper explanation. She had always been such a good friend to me, and I was leaving her in the city with Kara. I had a lot of good times with Kara, but once I started to suspect her working for my father, we weren’t as close as we used to be.
Silence from my phone was good, as far as I was concerned. If Apollo called, it was because something terrible happened and we’d have to leave as soon as possible. Otherwise, I could just focus on my work and count down the days until we were out of this place.
“Forty-four-year-old woman suspected alcohol poisoning,” a nurse called to the front desk. I rushed to the door to assist the paramedics.
“We found her alone in her home. Someone called it in, but there was no one else there by the time we arrived,” the paramedic said. “Her heart rate is stable, but we’re having a hard time getting her to wake up.”
It took me a moment to realize whose eyes I was shining a light into.
“Oh my God,” I gasped. “That’s my mom.”
“Do you want me to handle this?” another nurse said, stepping forward.
I nodded, feeling weak at the knees.
“You better come along anyway,” the older nurse said. “If it gets to be too much for you, you can sit outside. It’s a slow night tonight anyway.”
I dragged my feet behind the stretcher, following them back into the examination room.
“Does your mother have a history of alcohol abuse?” the physician asked.
“I guess,” I cried. “I just found out about it recently. I thought she would stop.”
“We’re going to need to pump her stomach,” the physician said to the other nurse.
I had performed these procedures before, but it was so much worse when someone you knew was the patient. Usually, these things never fazed me, but I was starting to feel a little queasy.
I left the examination room to get a little air. My phone buzzed in my pocket.
“Hello?”
“Sierra?” Apollo’s voice said. “Is your mom there?”
“She’s having her stomach pumped as we speak,” I cried. “Did you know about this?”
“Who did you think called it in? It’s all part of the plan.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I shrieked, running toward the nearest empty closet to have a little privacy. “She’s really sick.”
“Your mother and I discussed this earlier today. “We needed her to be in a safe place to get the heat off of her. If your dad gets a tip tomorrow that someone came into the police station and ratted him out, he’s not going to suspect your mom if she’s been in the hospital, will he? Also, under the careful cover of doctors and nurses, it’s not like someone can just come in and shoot her without causing a scene. That’s not your dad’s style. He waits until
his subject is alone, every time.”
“My mother agreed to poison herself in order to advance your cause?” I was mad. They both knew how seriously ill she could get.
“Our cause, Sierra. She’ll be fine. She’s going to feel pretty bad for a day or two, but then we’ll be getting on a plane to go to Greece.”
“I don’t know if she should be flying so soon after an overdose.”
“She’ll be with a nurse. It will be fine. I’m sure her case is pretty mild as far as hospitalizations for this sort of thing go. But, we’re going to need your assistance.”
“What could I possibly do?” I hissed. “You want me to drug her or something?”
“Just make sure she isn’t discharged too soon. Your mom is pretty healthy, but she needs to stay in the hospital long enough to be safe. If she can be discharged shortly before we leave, that would be good.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Good. Things are going according to plan,” he said, sounding way too cheery for my liking.
“I’m glad we’re closer to getting out of here, but I’m mad at both of you right now,” I said.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I promise to make it up to you.”
“Is that what the flowers were for?”
“What?” he asked, sounding confused. “Oh, no, that was just because I wanted you to have something nice.”
My scowl subsided. “Please tell me that your plan doesn’t have any more dangerous stunts.”
“I have a meeting with the police tomorrow. Then we’re out of here.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
I hung up the phone and walked back toward my mother’s room. By now, I assumed she was on IV fluids, being monitored closely.
“What’s going on?” Kara asked me as I jogged down the hall. She must have seen me exit the closet empty handed. I thought about telling her a lie, but I was too annoyed at everyone to fib.
“My mom drank too much and now she’s having her stomach pumped,” I said flatly.
“Holy shit,” she gasped. “Are you okay?”
“No, Kara, I’m really not. But, if you want to help out, you can go ahead and let my dad know that his wife is in the hospital. How much will he pay you for that information, Kara?”
Her face turned white. In contrast, mine was red hot.
“How—” she squeaked.
“I had my suspicions for a while now. It was just too coincidental that he knew things that only you and Felicity would know.”
“I’m so sorry, Sierra,” she cried. “I needed the money so badly. I had so much debt from school and I never thought I’d get out of it. When he came to me, I was so desperate. I had no choice.”
“I get it,” I sighed. “It just sucks that you could only be my friend because my dad was paying you to. I hope it was worth it.”
“I don’t know if it was.”
“It doesn’t even matter now,” I said, feeling exhausted. “But if Felicity asks you why things are weird, I want you to tell her.”
She nodded sulkily. “Okay.”
Kara walked in the opposite direction, probably to report to my father while I ran back to my mom. Even though neither my mom nor Apollo seemed very concerned about overdosing to become hospitalized, I was. I had seen first-hand what too much alcohol could do to a person. I needed my mom to be there for me—not in a self-induced coma.
Bust
Sierra
I stayed up all night holding my mom’s hand. Even though my shift ended about two hours after she had been admitted, I stayed at the hospital, still wearing my scrubs. The on-duty nurses loved me being there because that gave them one less patient to worry about. This also worked in my favor, because I got more privacy with my mom.
“You know you could have faked some symptoms,” I said sternly when she woke up.
“Sierra,” she said in a raspy voice. “What happened?”
“I should be asking you the very same thing. Apollo told me about your little collusion.”
“He’s a good guy,” she said. “I hope things work out for you.”
I squeezed her hand. Her approval meant a lot to me.
“Why did you guys plan this without me? I could have found a safer way to get you hospitalized.”
“Because we both knew that you’re too caring and you would have talked us out of it. If it’s going to fool Giorgio, it has to be authentic. That man sees through everything.”
“You scared the shit out of me.”
“I’m sorry. It’ll be worth it.”
“That’s what Apollo said too.”
“He’s a smart guy. You should trust him.”
I did. I just didn’t like to be kept in the dark, even if it’s for the good of the plan.
“Did you know that I knew his father?”
“He briefly mentioned something about it to me.” Thinking about my mother being with anyone else made me feel uncomfortable.
“It was nothing, but Stephano was a good man. He was poor, and my parents didn’t like him because of it. In the end, I went with Giorgio. I wonder how things would be different now.”
I thought about it for a second before wincing. That would make Apollo and me half-siblings.
“So,” my mom said, changing the subject, “how bad did I look when I came in?”
“Absolutely terrible,” I shuddered. “They had to pump your stomach. You’re going to be on IV fluids for a while.”
“I feel terrible,” she cackled. “It’s like having a hundred hangovers. At least I had a good time before I blacked out.”
“I’m worried that it was too easy for you to drink all of that. I saw you the night that Dad brought Apollo over. You were pretty wasted.”
“If we get to Greece and it’s still an issue, I’ll go to treatment. But, I have a strong feeling that once I’m away from your father, I won’t feel the need to drink anymore.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “I already feel like I could go for quite some time without looking at a bottle of wine.”
“You better. If you drink in this condition, your liver will go to shit.”
“It probably is already. Learn from my mistakes, Sierra. If your man makes you want to drink, ditch him. I don’t think you’ll have that problem with Apollo, though.”
“I hope not.”
“Oh,” she said, suddenly perking up, “that reminds me. You need to call Apollo and tell him that everything is in place.”
“What’s in place?”
“Let’s just say that I took all of your father’s hidden treasures and placed them in easy to find places around the house.”
I smiled. “What kinds of things?”
“Oh, cash, drugs, weapons, the whole lot. Apollo has a big stack of files that could probably put him away for twenty years alone. There will be so many charges up against him, even Giorgio won’t have the connections to get out of it.”
“Is this really going to work?”
“Call Apollo. Tell him that it’s ready.”
I dialed his number, excited to hear his voice. I knew he was going to be happy with my news and I loved to make him happy.
“I can’t talk now,” Apollo said quietly when he picked up the phone.
“I’m with my mom,” I said quickly, not knowing who was listening in. “She said everything’s all right.”
“Excellent,” he said, understanding my code. “I’ll talk to you as soon as I can.”
“I think he’s at the police station,” I said to my mom as she checked out her face in her compact.
“Good, we haven’t much time left to wait. Help me put a little bronzer on so the doctors think I’m getting better.”
I laughed at my mother’s vanity. Even in the hospital, I knew that she cared how she looked around the young doctors and nurses. I brushed a tiny amount of bronze powder on her cheeks, making her look slightly healthier, but not like she was going out for a night on the town.
“What are you doing?” my mom asked, after a few minutes of twiddling my thumbs.
“It’s my day off,” I said. “I’m going to stay with you.”
“Grab your bags and put them in your car. If your dad turns up here, he’s going to ask questions, and you’re not a good liar. Go.”
I hesitated to leave. If my dad showed up at the hospital, I didn’t want my mom to be alone. But, she seemed confident about her decision, grabbed her chart and scrawled a few notes down.
The patient is a potential victim of domestic violence. If husband shows up, call daughter before discharging.
Then, I wrote my phone number, hoping that this would prevent my dad from taking my mom with him if Kara indeed reported back to him.
On my way out, I looked around at the place I called home for the last month. I loved the hospital and I wasn’t ready to leave. I hoped wherever I called home with Apollo, I’d find a place to work that was just as rewarding as this place.
Jailed
Apollo
When I hung up the phone with Sierra, I let out a sigh of relief. I knew that messing with Alice’s health would be a huge risk, but thankfully, she was fine. I just hoped that Giorgio wouldn’t get to her before we got her out of the hospital.
Being back at the police station made me nervous. I had been at this particular precinct a few times in my younger years, just for general mischief, nothing serious. Still, after my stint in prison, any type of law enforcement officials put me on edge.
I tried to remind myself that I was doing the right thing. In prison, a rat is the worst thing you can be. A rat will be tortured or even killed, even by inmates that had nothing to do with the case. If for some reason, I went down for anything, as I knew Giorgio was capable of doing, I wouldn’t survive prison. That’s one reason why the top boss never went down.