For the Love of Flowers

by Kelsey Hodge

  “Lorenzo, that isn’t your decision to make… it’s mine.” By the look on his face, there’s no point in trying to argue with him. I wouldn’t want to get on his wrong side. Maybe if I had paid him more attention to him over the years, I would have figured that out.

  “Okay,” I say, relenting. “Can I ask you one more question?” He nods. “Why did you call my customers and put the notice up?”

  “Your dad asked me to collect the diary. While I was here, your order book was staring at me. I had planned to collect the diary and leave, but I couldn’t. I knew at this point that you had survived, so I called your customers and put the notice up—just in case.”

  The gratitude I feel for this man is almost overwhelming. I cannot wait to tell Wyatt, since I never plan on keeping anything from him again. I wonder how he’ll react, knowing he hasn’t been as much of a secret as we thought. “Thank you, Frank. For everything. You risk a lot, and it means so much to me.”

  At this point, he turns to leave, and I follow him to the door, knowing I have to lock it behind him. He pauses at the door and looks me in the eye. “You’re welcome. Promise me to stay safe.” As he opens the door, I hear his cell beeping. He pulls out the cell and reads the message. His face remains expressionless, but as he looks at me, there’s a shadow of fear in his eyes. “Your dad knows you’re alive.”

  Suddenly, everything changes.

  Chapter 20 - Wyatt

  This is the one part of the job I hate, the sitting and waiting. The Fiore Rosso is due in at any time, and thanks to the information we got from Lorenzo, we’ve organized that the ship gets searched and make it look like a change in policy. That should keep Lorenzo safe. After what he told me yesterday about Frank’s visit to the shop and his father knows he’s alive, it has become even more critical.

  “Do you think we’ll find anything?” Liam asks, breaking the silence in the car.

  “I hope so, but more than anything, I want to find something that ties everything back to Alfredo.”

  I haven’t brought Liam up to date on the change of events. When I got to my desk this morning, it was all hands on deck to get everything set for the search of the ship, but it looks like the time has finally come. “Alfredo knows that Lorenzo survived the attack.”

  “What! When the fuck did that happen?” Liam asks, and I hear the edge to his voice.

  “Yesterday,” I tell him and explain everything Lorenzo has told me. “It’s getting to the point that it’s important we take him down. I need Lorenzo safe.”

  “Don’t forget his brother too,” Liam says.

  I’m about to ask him what the hell is going on with him and Lorenzo’s brother, but I spot a ship coming into the harbor, and all thoughts about that are forgotten. I’m sure it’s just that we don’t want anyone else to be hurt by Alfredo Romano. We both remain silent as we watch the ship pull up to the dock, and the mooring ropes getting secured. Once that’s done, a gangplank is moved to the front and secured. That’s when we hear the radio come alive.

  “GO, GO, GO!” The teams make their way to the ship and head up the gangplank. The captain is waiting at the top, and I hear the customs officer say, “Ship inspection.” The captain nods and opens his arms to point the way. For security, all the police involved wear customs jackets. We don’t want anyone to run.

  “My cargo is clean, and I randomly check my crew. You won’t find anything here,” the captain states. I have a feeling the captain is telling the truth. Today is going to be a dead end, but as I watch the sniffer dogs make their way onto the ship, I pray they find something.

  “Can you take me to the cargo section, please?” the customs officer asks, and we’re led towards the center of the ship that contains the shipping containers. As cargo ships go, this isn’t a big ship as it’s only transporting flowers. It only has about six of the big containers: three facing one way and three facing the other. The customs officer walks the dogs around the containers and finds nothing. The first container door is opened, and I’m surprised at the blast of icy air that hits us.

  “Temperature controlled,” I hear the captain say, and I realize this never came up in our investigation. The cold temperature can hinder how accurate the sniffer dogs are, which can cause problems in the long run. In the standard procedure, the dogs would be used, but now, we don’t have a warrant to search the actual contents of the ship. We watch as the dogs investigate every container and come up blank, and my heart sinks. Lorenzo was almost one hundred percent sure there was a shipment due in on this ship, so what changed? Not only that, but we’ll have to see if every shipment that comes in is temperature controlled.

  “Ship clear,” I hear the customs officer shout. That’s the signal to leave the ship.

  Liam and I are in a state of shock. We can’t believe the ship has come up clear. Nothing makes sense, so I text Lorenzo.

  >Ship clear

  His reply comes back almost instantly, but he’s as invested in today as we are.

  >What do you mean clear? Where the hell is the shipment?

  This isn’t a conversation that needs to happen over text. We need to discuss everything face to face.

  >Meet us at home in two hours. Have to go to a debrief.

  When I say ‘us,’ he knows I mean Liam and me. The three of us have a lot to discuss. We need to come up with a plan on where to go from here. Things have changed in the two weeks since Lorenzo left, or should we say got kicked out, and we need to figure out how to get up-to-date information. First, we must get through the debrief, and I can only hope our captain isn’t too rough on us. We had been adamant that we would find a consignment of drugs, and now we’ve come up with nothing. As we head back to headquarters, the silence remains in the car.

  The police debrief always takes place in the same conference room on the third floor. By the time we get there, most of the cops involved in today’s search are there. As we walk in, most of the room turns to face us. The room itself is dominated by a U-shaped table that faces a whiteboard. Almost all the seats are taken except for two towards the front that have been left for Liam and me.

  As I flop into the chair, I forget that I’m still feeling tender from the other night. I wince and shift positions, but not before Liam notices and whispers, “Are you okay? Seen you wince a few times today.” I feel my cheeks heat, but I can’t help but smile at the memory of Lorenzo slamming into me. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why I’m sore. The look of horror on Liam’s face is comical, especially when he says, “Oh God, no. Don’t want to know.”

  I can’t help myself to reply, “Don’t knock it till you try it.” If it weren’t for the fact the captain chooses that second to enter, I would have been crying with laughter at the look on Liam’s face.

  “Detective Johnson, Detective Smith, would you like to explain what happened today?”

  Oh shit, this isn’t good. I’m not sure if I made Liam go mute with my teasing. I answer, “I have no idea, sir. The information we had was solid. I’ve already been in contact with my source and have arranged a meeting.”

  “Are you sure your source is reliable?” the captain asks.

  I hesitate for the briefest of seconds, but it’s long enough for Liam to answer for me, “Yes, sir.” I don’t miss the look of panic from him.

  “We believe that something must have happened to the plans over the last two weeks that my source wasn’t aware of, sir,” I add.

  “Will they be able to get any more intel?” It’s a standard question to ask when you’re talking about your source but for some reason, this annoys me and causes me to snap at the captain.

  “No, they won’t.” Thankfully, Liam comes to my rescue again.

  “No, Captain. Our source supplied the intel because of a change in their position. The source no longer has access to any information.” When he looks at me, I quietly mouth, ‘thank you.’

  The rest of the debrief goes by as standard and then finally, it’s over. Just as we’re about to leave, I
have an idea. “Captain,” I call over to him. He stops and turns to me. “I had an idea. How about trying to get someone in undercover? Our source might be able to tell us a way to get in. It might be the only option left open to us.” The surprise on Liam’s face isn’t lost on me. With Lorenzo being unable to give us any more information, and I won’t ask him to get in contact with Frank, that man has put himself in too much danger as it is.

  “Talk to your source and see how workable it is. We can go from there,” the captain replies.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Are you fucking insane?” Liam shouts at me. “Going undercover? With what Lorenzo said, it would take years for Alfredo to trust someone enough to hand over the business to them. Have you forgotten that he has another son he might try to recruit?”

  “I think Marco is safe. He has been left out of it for so long. His morals are in place. There’s no way Alfredo can accept him to go from teaching schoolkids to killing someone.”

  For a second, I swear I hear Liam mutter, “Thank fuck.”

  “He’ll need to look within his ranks. If we can get someone in that stands out, we might get lucky.”

  “You’ll have to talk to Lorenzo before you decide anything. We all must be on board for this to work. I guess you think that you’ll be the man for the job.”

  “Well, I was thinking it,” I say.

  “Lorenzo won’t stand for that, and you know it,” Liam says. He’s right, but we’re running out of options. Everyone thinks Alfredo is just linked to the flower imports; nothing else stands out. We need someone on the inside to find the link. Whoever takes on the mission, if it gets to that point, will need to understand the situation they’re getting into. I realize that the officer who goes in will probably have to be single. That causes to me to shudder. If the officer is discovered, he would be dead before we had time to get him out. I look at my watch; we must leave soon to meet Lorenzo.

  “Let’s get going. We said we would meet Lorenzo soon.”

  “Hopefully, he’ll have a better idea than going undercover.”

  I nod at Liam, but we don’t talk anymore about it and make our way to the car. When we arrive, I’m surprised to find that Lorenzo isn’t there and panic until I realize we’re a little early. I send him a quick text to let him know we’re here.

  >We’re home, when you’re ready.

  I had been expecting a response right away, but ten minutes pass, and I still haven’t received anything. I get a little concerned. When he still hasn’t come home by the time we stated, I’m more than a little worried. I’m already heading for the door to march down to the shop when my cell goes off.

  >On my way – got delayed. Will explain at home.

  Chapter 21 - Lorenzo

  I look around the shop, and all I feel is happiness. That’s the only way I can describe it. The flowers I ordered from Joe’s have come in and have been sorted and arranged how I like them. The shop is filled with the smell of flowers again. Some new orders have come in, and everything feels like it’s falling into place. At the back of my mind, I worry about my father, but he hasn’t tried to make any type of contact. So, I hope he’ll forget all about me. Looking at my watch, the ship will be docking about now. Hopefully, I’ll get the text that says they have found the shipment, and we can use this to trace it back to Dad.

  Looking around the shop, I wonder if it will be worth staying or make my way home now. I can be there for when he gets home. I’m loving being in the shop right now, being around the flowers and the smells, so I decide to stay for another hour at least to see if I can get ahead on my orders. I need to look at my gift shelf too. Busy from getting all the flowers restocked, it has been neglected. Normally, I replace them when a piece is sold but considering I haven’t been in the shop, it’s in bad shape. It looks like I need to order a few pieces to replace the ones I sold on the day of the attack. By the time I do this, I’m surprised to discover that over an hour and a half has gone by. It’s time to make my way home.

  I stand by the counter and reach for my jacket when I hear the bell above the shop door. I quickly replace the jacket on the hook, thinking it’s a customer and plaster a smile on my face.

  “How can I—” Before my words go completely dry in my throat, I face the man I never thought I would see again.

  “Hello Lorenzo.”

  “Dad.”

  I honestly can’t think straight. For a second, I’m not sure if I should be scared. Why the fuck has Dad come now? What the fuck does he want? The only way I’ll get the answers is if I talk to him, but I make sure to keep the counter between him and me. I also have no intention of being pleasant to the man.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” I say to him.

  “Watch your language, son. You’re talking to your father.” I can’t believe he has the nerve to say that to me.

  I try my best to keep the shock from my face. I should tread carefully with this conversation, but I still can’t help but say, “Was I still your son when you organized for me to be attacked?” I throw back at him.

  “It was a message, son,” he replies. What the fuck does he mean by that? “When you told us about…” He pauses like he has a bad taste in his mouth, and I realize he’s trying to say gay but at the last second, says, “your lifestyle choice.” I can’t help but jump in.

  “You mean when I told you I was gay.” I watch him flinch as I say the word.

  “Yes. I may have acted a little hastily in ordering you to be killed, but I still stand behind the beating.”

  “You stand behind your son getting beaten up.” He can’t be thinking straight.

  “Yes, son. It’s a warning that you need to listen to me. There’s no way that a Romano son can be a homosexual,” he says to me.

  At this point, I’m so pleased that I got Marco to stay quiet. Dad will never accept us being gay. What the hell is he thinking? Just because he believes that it was a warning, I’ll suddenly decide to be straight. “When I found out you had survived, I was elated. I thought you would mend the errors of your ways and realize this is a phase in your life. You would come home, beg for forgiveness, and apologize for how you acted. You never came back, so I thought it best I come to you.”

  At this point, my cell phone beeps with a message. I guess Wyatt has gotten home earlier than he said. I should answer him; he’ll start to worry. There’s no way I’m pulling my new cell out when my father is standing in front of me.

  “Dad, this isn’t a phase. I have no idea where you get that idea from. I’m gay.” I don’t think he’s listening to me

  “NO!” he shouts. “No more of this. You’re to return home where you belong, and you will marry and carry on the Romano legacy. Just like I did, and my father did before me.”

  I can’t believe what he said. “No, Dad, I won’t. I don’t belong there.”

  His face turns red with rage. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Dad this angry. I knew this side existed in him, but he has never shown it to me. He takes a step forward, and in a menacing voice, he says, “You will return home or the beating you received will be the least of your problems.”

  “Are you threatening me, Dad?” I ask him.

  “No, son. I’m making you a promise.” Then he looks around the shop and says, “I can take this all away,” snapping his fingers, “like that.”

  I cannot believe he not only is threatening me, but he’s also threatening my shop.

  “No, Dad, you cannot take the shop. It’s mine. I paid for it, and it’s legally all in my name.”

  With a sneer, he replies, “But accidents happen all the time, Lorenzo. You know that. You have a week, and I want you home. None of this living on your own and if you don’t come home, you’ll face the consequences of your decisions.” He turns around and walks out of the shop. Before he gets to the door, he stops, reaches into his pocket, and turns to me. “Oh, and you’ll need this. Once you make up your mind.” He walks back to me and places my old cell phone on the counter in f
ront of me and walks out before I have the chance to say anything more to him.

  I grab the counter to steady my nerves as adrenalin leaves my system, and I take some deep calming breaths before I rush over to the door and lock it, changing the sign to closed. Just in case he comes back to express more words of wisdom.

  I should have been home by now, which means Liam will be getting more worried, so I send him a quick message.

  >On my way – got delayed. Will explain at home.

  I’m not sure if this will alleviate any of his concerns, but it’s the best I can do now. I need to get back to him to discuss everything that has happened and to make a plan. There’s no way I’ll go back to Dad’s. This means I’ll have to leave the city. When my cell beeps, I think it’s Wyatt replying to my text. I’m surprised to see a number I don’t recognize.

  >Heard you had a visit. Are you okay?

  It’s Frank. I gave him my number after the meeting at the shop when he explained everything he’s done. He agreed to keep it a secret and only contact me if he feels it’s necessary. Once I reply, all messages need to be deleted. I can’t believe how quickly he gets his information, considering Dad has left the shop.

  >Shaken, but I’m fine

  I quickly grab my stuff, lock up the shop, and walk home as soon as possible, checking my surroundings all the way back. I’m pleased that nothing looks out of place, considering everything that has happened tonight. I marvel at the fact I still can’t see Frank, even though I know he’s watching me. It gives me a feeling of reassurance, that he could run in like a white knight if something goes down. For his own safety, I hope it doesn’t, but it’s still a good feeling.

  I sigh with relief when I see the steps of the apartment and suddenly realize that my home has now become my safe house. While I’m inside that building, Dad has no idea where I am and has no power over me. He can literally make me a prisoner in my own home. I feel the anger flow through my veins like lava. Getting my father imprisoned might no longer be an option; I need a more permanent situation. I had promised myself I would never kill anyone ever again, but this might kill two birds with one stone.