Uppercut

by Terra Kelly

  “Don’t be mad at him, Lily,” my mom quickly said. “He’s protecting you, but I’m guessing he never planned to care so much for you.”

  I turned to face him. “You’re protecting me?”

  “Because of your dad.”

  “Okay, now I am completely confused.”

  “When your dad mentioned me before he died, it was planned.”

  I shook my head, trying to take it all in. “So let me see if I have this straight. Dad was possibly a hitman. He thought Mom died of a heart attack. Mom is alive and has been in hiding. Dad really did die of cancer, right?”

  “Yes, your dad really did have cancer,” Julian said, taking a drink of his beer. “Which is how I came into the equation. He was getting his affairs in order and trusted me enough to help.”

  My head was spinning. “Candace from the newspaper knows something doesn’t she?”

  “I think so. I need to talk to her,” Julian reassured.

  “You’re not going to kill her, right?”

  “No. God no.” His eyes went wide at the accusation. “Wow, I thought you knew me better.”

  “I thought I knew my dad, but look where I’m at right now.”

  “Fair enough.” He let out a deep sigh. “Your dad mentored me. He even helped me open my gym. At the time I had no clue about anything else.”

  “Until Candace hinted something to you?”

  “Yeah, it was a weird reference.”

  “About something in his past.” I stood up and did my normal pacing when stressed. “How the hell would she know?”

  Mom walked over and wrapped her arms around my waist. “You still pace when upset, I see.”

  My body relaxed at her touch. “Yeah, I’m surprised I haven’t burned a hole in the carpet at home.”

  “Or my tile floor.”

  “Is it possible to burn a hole in tile?” He smiled for the first time, and I felt my body light up. I stepped out of my mom’s hold. “Listen, can we talk about the rest later? My brain feels like it may explode.” I pointed to the big soup pot on the stove. “Plus, I’m starving.”

  “Chicken noodle soup. Your favorite,” she beamed.

  I didn’t have the heart to tell her I had not had homemade chicken noodle soup since she passed…well, faked her death…or whatever she did. I had avoided the soup and claimed I hated it if I was asked.

  Now I couldn’t wait to sink my spoon back into the best soup on the planet.

  22

  “I’m confused.” I looked over at Julian. “Are you some kind of cop?”

  “No,” he said, placing his spoon back in his bowl.

  Now I was completely confused. “You helped out Dad. You helped Mom—”

  “Well, Otto was assigned to your mom’s case.” He leaned back in his chair. “He’s a good friend of mine and is an undercover cop.”

  “Oh, so you work as informant sometimes for him?”

  “Exactly.”

  My brain felt like it may explode. “So, did Dad get mixed up with a mob or something?”

  “Possibly. From what Otto shared, there’s a mob ring in Toronto but the mob boss has people all over the United States, too.” He cleared his throat. “I guess the head of the mob had several homes in the U.S.”

  “Well now I feel safe.” I grabbed my napkin and wiped up a few splatters on the table. “Does this mean Mom can’t ever come out of hiding?”

  “I don’t know just yet. I heard the head of the mob, Giano, recently died, and the position of power has been moved to his daughter.”

  “Wow, this is something I never expected to discuss at a dinner table.”

  My mom reached over and squeezed my hand. “I’m sorry you got mixed up in it.”

  “Well, that’s where the disconnect is for me right now. How did I get mixed up?” Then something clicked in my mind, and I turned to Julian. “Candace.”

  “Yup.” Julian nodded. “When she started grilling you, then shared articles that included you and me together, we knew something was off.”

  “Holy shit.” I stood to take my bowl to the sink. “Like, she is in the mob?”

  “That part is unclear right now. Otto is looking into all that.”

  I leaned against the kitchen counter. “Does this mean I can’t live in the rental home with Charlie and fight anymore?”

  “No.” Julian stood up and walked over to me. “We speculate they just want the unfinished list.”

  I held my hand up. “The less I know the better.”

  He chuckled and pulled me in for a hug. “At this moment, we are not worried about your safety or your mom’s safety.”

  “But—”

  “Now that we found the list that could potentially change everything.”

  Resting my forehead on his chest, I groaned. “All I want to do is fight.”

  “Lily, you can. That won’t change, baby,” she said, placing her hand on the center of my back. “This is different. What your dad did was wrong, yes, but he did everything they wanted apparently.” She lightly pulled my arm so I’d face her. “He never once involved you in the mix.”

  “He involved me when you had to fake your own death.”

  “You’re right.”

  “I lost out on a lot of time with you, Mom.” I grabbed both her hands. “Now I don’t want to let you go.” I gasped. “Oh my goodness, you haven’t seen Charlie in forever. She would be so excited to get her daily Mom hugs again.”

  “How is C doing?”

  “Sassy as ever.” My mom laughed, and I wanted cry. It felt good to be near her again, hear her laugh, hold her hands. Suddenly I was worried I would have to say goodbye soon. “I’ve read about mob rings, and I’ve watched a few movies that dealt with organized crime. Is this situation the same?” I walked over and sat down at the kitchen table. “I mean, they make it look like you are in for life and your family is in for life, too.”

  “Let’s see if Otto will explain more for you,” Julian said. “There’s only so much I know.”

  I wanted the whole story. I needed to know why my dad would choose to put us in danger.

  Otto spent several hours going over everything. He didn’t sugar coat the situation either. Basically, what they found was Dad had never gone deep enough to involve his family. Records showed he borrowed money, and well, one thing led to another, and he got knee-deep in ensuring Giano’s men were happy. From what Otto told me, Dad never met Giano directly. He said that was a good thing.

  I crossed my legs in front of me. “Let’s clear up two things—Mom and I can be free and live together?” I glanced toward her. “Oh, yeah, we will be inseparable.”

  “I do love it here, though,” she said, petting her golden retriever who was on his back with his tummy up in the air. Mom’s house was maybe about two hours north of San Francisco in a very small town. “My job is satisfying.”

  “Okay, then you better expect many visits from Charlie and me.”

  “I wouldn’t want it any other way.” She smiled.

  “Otto, since we have the list they want, what now?”

  “I’m listening on the scanners for any chatter,” he said. “I’m listening to see if there is a way to drop it in their hands without involving us.”

  I let out a deep sigh. “We still have Candace to deal with, too?”

  “Well, my chief plans to send her a cease and desist letter. You go by Lily Waters for a reason, she needs to butt out.”

  What he just said alarmed me. “Um, Dad said I was changing my name to build my own career. I have a funny feeling that is not the case.”

  “It was. When I talked to him several years ago, he also indicated he hoped it would keep you safe.”

  Otto’s words took me by surprise. Dad had a plan all along and I respected that. What I struggled with accepting was he knew I could be potentially be in danger. Just as I was about to say something, we heard a pop pop off in the distance. Otto jumped up and pulled me down to the floor. He grabbed his gun from the holster at hi
s side.

  “I thought you said we were safe?”

  “I thought you were.” His phone was ringing. “Yeah? What? Okay.” He pulled his body up and sat on his knees. “It was a couple hunters.”

  I leaned back against the couch. “Can we trust your men? That was too close for comfort.”

  “There are ten men scattered around the surrounding area.”

  “I think I would feel more comfortable at a hotel.”

  Julian sat down beside me. “We could grab a place that has adjoining rooms for all of us?”

  My mom cleared her throat. “I think I want to stay here.”

  Something felt off. Instead of saying anything in front of Otto and my mom, I turned to Julian. “Can I talk to you privately?”

  He stood and then helped me get up. “Yes, of course. Let’s go to one of the bedrooms.”

  “Use the room at the end of the hallway,” my mom said as she calmed her dog, Freddy.

  I patted his head as I made my way down the hall. Something felt weird, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Once we reached the room, I said, “Where is that device you used back at the storage unit?” I said in a whisper.

  He left the room to retrieve his bag. When he returned, he quickly pulled it out and powered it up. Right as the green light came on, he said, “You okay?”

  “You like to ask me that question, don’t you?” I pulled him over to the bed and made him sit beside me.

  “I do ask it a lot, don’t I?”

  I patted his hand. “It’s sweet.” I cleared my throat. “Is it just me or do they both feel like they are holding something back?”

  He stayed silent for about thirty seconds. “When Otto picked us up, something felt off.”

  “And you let him take us all the way to my mom’s front door?”

  “Well, in my defense, I was never given the full story.”

  “Julian, could Otto be wrapped up in this mess?” I moved my body back and crossed my legs in front of me. “This is all so far over my head. Like trying to separate my life from a fiction novel is really difficult at the moment.”

  He moved closer to me. “Listen, one thing the chief at the police station in San Francisco made clear is you’re safe.”

  “How the hell would he know that?”

  “No one has ever mentioned your name or any of Johnny’s family members.”

  “But my mom.”

  “Yeah, that is the part I feel is fishy.”

  I pushed his hand away. “You think my mom is bad?”

  “Well, think about it. Why would she go to all the trouble to fake her own death if she was not in danger? That’s what she said, right?”

  “Maybe everyone was safe if the list we found was completed,” I said, trying to wrap my mind around it all. “But what if it wasn’t finished?”

  “Maybe your mom would need to ensure it was somehow?”

  “Does that sound as insane as I imagine?”

  Julian pulled me onto his lap. “Completely insane.”

  I rested my head on his chest. “What a mess.”

  “Hey, so while we’re letting out all the crazy details.”

  “What else is there?” I gave him a sideways glance.

  He wrapped his arms around my body and squeezed. “I kinda may have got you back on with the AFC.”

  I leaned back quickly. “What? How?” I asked, shaking my head. “I have a contract with Spartacus.”

  “Chuck Anders was in the audience at your fight,” he said, putting his hands up in surrender. “He approached me, I swear.” I swatted at his arm. “Ow, listen, he wants to talk to you.”

  “Did you tell him about lovely Angela?”

  “Of course. I have a feeling she won’t be an issue soon.”

  His words took me by surprise. “They plan to fire her?”

  “I’m sure that’s what he meant.”

  Suddenly I had a bad feeling. Would I be able to fight on TV anymore? This whole mess with my family seemed big. It wasn’t just a matter of slap them on the wrist and move on with our lives. From what I knew, which was very little really—the mob was relentless.

  “If I can ever show my face in public again—”

  “You will,” he ensured.

  “I hope.”

  Just then, there was a knock at the door. “Hold on,” Julian said, reaching for the device and shoving it in my lap. “Turn it off,” he whispered.

  I did what he directed and then slid it under a pillow. When Julian opened the door, I wasn’t prepared for what happened next.

  23

  Freddy, the sweet dog that liked tummy rubs, leaped into the air and landed directly on Julian’s chest. Mom was standing in the doorway with a gun in her hand.

  I was done.

  My career was over.

  “Mom,” I said, crawling off the bed, trying to get some distance. “Why do you have a gun? Maybe you could lose it, and we can talk about this like adults.”

  “Where’s that fucking scrambler? And don’t try to tell me you don’t have one either.” She pointed the gun at Julian’s head. “Lily, I didn’t want it to come to this.”

  “Come to what?” I was freaking out and rightfully so. My mom had a fucking gun pointed at my boyfriend who was struggling to fight off Cujo. “You’re the one with the gun. I’m over here trying to figure out if this is really my family or is someone going to jump out and yell ‘punk’d’ soon?”

  “Little help,” Julian breathed.

  “Can you at least call off your crazy monster?”

  “Freddy, off,” Mom demanded.

  Julian sat up and looked at his arms. He had several puncture wounds. “Really, Mom, was it really necessary to have Freddy attack Julian?”

  “Well, if you would just stop using that damn scrambler, we would be fine.”

  “We,” I scowled and grabbed a T-shirt to rip up and place on Julian’s forearm. “Guess we were right, eh?” I said, glancing at Julian.

  In all fairness, I hate being right sometimes. Like, ninety-nine percent of the time it’s fun being right. Then just that little one percent is where I’m totally okay with being wrong.

  “Where’s Otto,” I said, trying to look past her down the hallway.

  “Don’t worry about him.” She held out her free hand. “Device.”

  I looked over at Julian for approval. He nodded, so I reached under the pillow and tossed it her way. The moment she threw out her hand to grab the small device, she stopped paying attention to how she was holding the gun. Instinct kicked in, and I did one of my winning high kicks and knocked the gun from her grasp. Julian jumped forward and wrapped his arms around her body to keep her from running away.

  “Let me go,” she screamed but couldn’t move. “You will regret this.”

  “I’m really starting to regret a lot of things.” I shoved Freddy into my closet and closed the door. Turning in a slow circle, I searched for something that we could use to restrain my mom. There were two scarves hanging on a hook. “Will these work?” I held them up for Julian.

  “Yeah,” he said, shaking his head. “Why are we here in this house tying up your mom?”

  “I was thinking the same thing. Or is it really my mom?” I shrugged my shoulders.

  Everything in my life seemed too perfect now that I thought back. Too well thought out. Dad had me start fighting the moment I started walking. I was encouraged to fight in competitions as early as ten years old. After mom left the picture, he amped up our fighting schedule. The moment I turned eighteen, he drove me to the social security office to change my name.

  Why?

  Why had he done all of this? I knew the answer to that–to protect me. But more importantly, who was he protecting me from?

  It couldn’t be my own mother.

  “Renee,” I said, pulling a chair up and sitting in front of her.

  “Not Mom?” She smiled, rolling her eyes.

  “A mom would never hurt her child.” Julian was sitting on the edge
of the bed, his knee touching mine. “Which makes me wonder.”

  “I loved you,” she said a little too quickly.

  “Loved. Did you wake up one day and say, oh I’m so bored of Lily?”

  “No, I didn’t mean it that way.”

  I closed my eyes and silently counted to ten. Opening them, I tried to look past the person staring at me. Instead, I let my mind see the good that had to be somewhere in her tiny body. “What did you mean?”

  “Listen, there is a lot you don’t know. A lot I can’t talk about.”

  “Wishing you had that scrambler?” I teased. She didn’t say anything, so I continued. “Was Dad the one that crossed off the names on the hit list?” She still stayed silent. “How about this? Did you hide that binder in Dad’s file cabinet so you could frame him?”

  Julian let out a huff. “This is useless. She has no plans to talk.”

  “Or she can’t.” I raised my eyebrows and gave an exasperated sigh. Pointing to the pad and pen on the nightstand, I silently asked Julian to hand them to me. I wrote on the pad, If I untie one hand can I trust you?

  She nodded.

  Julian stood behind her to ensure she wouldn’t do anything silly, like say, punch me in the face. I set the pad and pen on her lap. What she wrote down should have taken me by surprise. Unfortunately at this point, nothing was shocking me.

  She handed the pad to me. My father worked for Giano Nesta in Toronto.

  We started to write to each other.

  Worked?

  It’s a long story.

  I have a lot of time on my hands.

  Lily, if I tell you more, it could put you in danger.

  Right as I was about to ask if her dad moved to California for a reason, there was a loud crash that came from down the hall.

  “Lily, go. Just leave and don’t come back,” my mom said, pleading with me. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “I did care. I just had rules I had to follow, or my dad would intervene.”

  Julian opened the window and motioned for me to jump. Right before I disappeared, I turned to my mom. “You were the one that crossed the names off? Not Dad.” She only nodded.