by Kelsey Hodge
As I place the key into the lock of my front door, the only decision I can make is to go back. It’s the only way I can have any kind of future with Wyatt. I need to figure out how the hell to tell him.
Chapter 22 - Wyatt
The moment Lorenzo walks through the door, I know something has happened. He’s as white as a sheet, and there’s a sadness in his eyes that makes my heart squeeze. A cold shiver runs down my spine. Whatever he has to tell me, I’m not going to like it.
“What the hell happened?” I ask as I rush over to him and pull him into my arms for a second. “You’re shaking and look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I’m okay, I think. Can we talk about your day first? I think I need more time to digest mine, then we can talk.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.” I look over to Liam to see if he has an opinion. He shrugs his shoulders. I’m still not sure if that’s the right thing to do, but I follow his lead and walk back to the couch. My arm is still around his shoulders and when we sit, I pull him close to me.
“Yeah, I’m sure. Now, what the hell happened today?” he asks.
“A lot happened today! Do you know how the flowers are transported?” I ask him, and I hope he doesn’t.
“Yeah, they’re transported in temperature-controlled cargo containers,” he says. “It keeps the flowers fresher for longer. Once picked, the flowers are flash frozen, so they need to be kept in a cold environment.”
“You never thought to tell us this!!” I say, getting up from the couch while trying to contain my anger, but I don’t miss the confusion that crosses his face. I wish he realized that this would have been valuable information for us to have, especially as it makes the sniffer dogs virtually useless.
“Lorenzo, I think what Wyatt meant to say is why didn’t you mention this before?” Liam says, shooting a warning look my way. He knows I’m frustrated after the bust today. Add on the concern about Lorenzo, and I’m a powder keg waiting for a match.
“Sorry, I didn’t think it was important. Did it affect today?” Lorenzo says, and I see by the look in his eye he’s truthful.
I allow Liam to talk; he’s a lot calmer than I. “Cold temperatures affect the dog’s ability to smell the drugs.”
“You’re joking, right?” he says. He gets paler at this information.
“No. We wish we were. They would be able to smell large quantities, but I guess your dad doesn’t work like that,” Liam continues to explain.
“I have a feeling that’s why he only makes small shipments and has normal crates mixed in. How many containers were on the ship?”
Feeling my anger ease, I reply, “Six.”
“Dad would know that sniffer dogs are less effective at cold temperatures, so he spreads his shipments over the containers,” Lorenzo says.
I shoot a look at Liam, and I see him thinking the same. We hadn’t thought of that. When the ship was raided on other occasions, there might have been drugs but in such low volumes, the dogs would’ve missed them entirely. I’ve underestimated Alfredo Romano. I’ve been thinking of him as another sleazeball drug dealer, but he’s so much more than that. He knows the system. I become ever more adamant that we need to get somebody on the inside. It’s the only way we’re going to bring him down.
“Now, tell me what happened today?” Lorenzo asks again.
I sit back down next to him, feeling guilty that I reacted so quickly. I pull Lorenzo back into my side, kiss his forehead, and whisper, “Sorry.” He gives me a squeeze, so I know I’m forgiven. This case is getting to me. It’s hitting so close to home. I understand now why they say you should never investigate cases if you’re emotionally involved. I look over to Liam and nod my head. I don’t want to go over everything. I want to hold Lorenzo for a while. So, I sit there on the couch and listen to Liam do a play by play of the events as they happened today. In the end, Lorenzo asks a question that has been in the back of my mind all day.
“Did you say the captain was calm?”
“Yes,” we reply at the same time. If it wasn’t for how serious this conversation is, I might have shouted jinx. Instead, I say, “I would have guessed that a captain would be calm. They’re used to customs inspections.”
“You’re right, but imagine that you’ve known you had drugs on board. I bet you would be sweating, maybe even eager to get the inspection done and dusted. This means you’re going to need exact information on which containers hold the drugs,” Lorenzo explains.
Before I can help it, a giggle escapes my mouth. “Shit, Lorenzo, you sure you want to be a florist? You would make a fuckin amazing cop.”
Even he has a little chuckle at this before he replies, “And give up my flowers for handcuffs, not a chance.” He pauses for a second, and I spot the glint in his eye. “But my own handcuffs, that would be fun.” He shoots me a look.
“Stop that, you two,” Liam complains. “I don’t need actual images after the mental one from him earlier.”
“What?!” I say, trying for the innocent look but failing.
“Mental images?” Lorenzo questions.
“He noticed me wince a few times, and he figured out why. I told him not to knock it till he tried it.” I see Liam cringing out of the corner of my eye. I can finally laugh like I wanted to earlier.
“You didn’t,” Lorenzo says to me, pretending to be shocked, but I see him trying not to laugh himself.
“Yes, he did,” Liam says, not amused. “Once you’ve finished laughing, maybe we can get back to the captain.”
The laughing has been cathartic, and I feel a little lighter. Yes, we still must get through the rest of this conversation, but with all of us talking and bouncing questions off each other, it’s putting more light on the actions of the day. That can only be a good thing.
“You think the captain’s behavior was telling?” I ask Lorenzo.
“Yes, there were no drugs on that ship, which means Dad changed the schedule, and I have no idea why. It could be linked to the attack and Dad believing I was dead. That could’ve caused him to change his plans.” It’s almost like he’s talking to himself now and not to us. I have to wonder if he’s hoping that if he mentions it aloud, the answer will come to him. I see my opportunity to discuss the undercover idea.
“That’s what we thought too,” I start. “It got me thinking it would have been useful to have someone on the inside.”
“Do you mean like using Frank?” Lorenzo asks. This would be the logical train of thought.
“No. I’m thinking of someone closer to your dad.”
The sudden alarm on his face confuses me for a second until he says, “We can’t bring Marco into this. We have to keep him safe.”
“No, I wasn’t thinking of Marco either.” The relief is clear on Lorenzo’s face, and I’m almost certain it appears on Liam before his face is void of emotion again. This case must be getting to me if I’m projecting my feelings onto Liam.
“So, who were you thinking of?” Lorenzo asks.
“Me,” I state. “Going in undercover and getting the information from the inside.”
Lorenzo won’t like the idea, but even I’m surprised by his reaction. He jumps up from his seat and paces for a second. When he looks at me, the rage in his eyes makes me tremble. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that angry.
“NO FUCKING WAY!!” he shouts at me. Standing in front of me, he takes a deep breath before continuing. “No, Wyatt. If he finds out you’re a cop, you’ll be dead.” I watch him as he steels himself for the next sentence. “I won’t risk it, especially as there’s another option.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, almost afraid to hear.
Lorenzo walks back over to me, sits, and pulls my hand into his. “I had a visitor in the shop today… my dad.”
“What the fuck, Lorenzo? You made us talk about our day, and you were sitting on that. Are you nuts?” I say to him. His dad visiting is more important than talking about a failed mission.
“I needed time to not thi
nk about it. Talking about the case was the perfect solution to that, and it turns out it might help you too.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I ask, confused.
“Dad wants me to come home.” Suddenly, it’s my turn to shout.
“WHAT THE FUCK!! EXPLAIN NOW!”
I listen while Lorenzo tells us everything that happened in the shop with his dad, and the more he tells me, the more I understand why he was shaking. I cannot believe he thought Lorenzo being gay was a phase, and the beating was a warning. Maybe Alfredo isn’t as smart as I’ve given him credit for. Then I realize this could be the perfect answer, and it kills me to think, to ask this, “What are your thoughts?”
“My thoughts,” he says, and by the look on his face, we’ve both come to the same conclusion. Neither of us are brave enough to voice it. He draws in a big breath and carries on, “My thoughts are all over the place. I can’t believe it, to begin with. I thought I would have to leave the city, go on the run, or he would make me a prisoner within these walls.” He pauses and looks at me. The sadness in his eyes breaks my heart. “I also know if I don’t go back, he’s always going to be there, the devil on our shoulder. We would never be free. We would always be waiting for the next attack. I don’t want that, so the only option we have is for me to go back.” The moment the last words are out of his mouth, he looks away from me, and I hear Liam audibly gasp.
I look at Liam, who I guess knows what I’m about to say. He shakes his head. Lorenzo is right; this will be the only option. It will be so much quicker for him to go back in and build the trust than a complete outsider. We can cope going back to the way we were before. If I managed two years being hidden, I’m sure I can do a few months. It’ll be for the greater good, I need to remember that.
“You’re right. This is the only option, Lorenzo,” I say, and I wait to see his reaction. When he slumps forward, the decision has been made. He’ll return to the family. I need to give him hope. “Look, we survived two years with your family not knowing about me. We can do this for a few more months. The information you could get us would be invaluable. We can take his ring down from the inside. Start with some of his dealers, cut off his demand.”
I hope this little speech lifts his spirits, that we’re in this together. He still looks… lost. That’s the only way I can describe the look on his face, and I cannot take it. I go over to him and pull him into my arms, but he doesn’t hug me back. I squeeze him that much tighter. “We can do this, Lorenzo. We need to have some faith.” This is when I feel my shirt getting damp with tears, and his body shakes as his sobs take over. I look over to Liam for support, and he’s staring at Lorenzo. If I’m not mistaken, there are tears in his eyes. I have a feeling I’m missing something, something Lorenzo already knows, something Liam has worked out. It’s not something I’ll like.
I’m about to say something, but I feel Liam come up beside me. He places a hand on Lorenzo’s back.
“Sorry it has come to this, but Wyatt’s right. This is the best option to keep everyone safe and to give everyone a future they deserve.”
I have a feeling he isn’t talking about Lorenzo and me but the other members of the family, people like Tony whose life was mercilessly cut short. Everyone will be so much safer with Alfredo Romano behind bars and his business destroyed. I need to have the faith Lorenzo, and I won’t be taken down with him. As that unwanted thought hits me, I pull Lorenzo in tighter, never wanting the feeling of him in my arms to end.
Chapter 23 - Lorenzo
When I heard that Wyatt was thinking of going undercover, I knew that when he listened to what Dad had to say, he would agree to me going back. That doesn’t stop it from hurting when the words are spoken aloud. I feel lost. I don’t remember seeing Wyatt move, until I feel his arms wrap around me. I can’t face hugging him back. That’s when the emotion of the afternoon hits me, and I feel the tears cascade down my face. I’m sobbing in his arms. Once my crying fit ends, Wyatt’s words about being hidden for two years register. I’ll break his heart very soon. I can’t believe how much everything has changed within a few hours. When I woke up this morning, I felt happy, like the rays of the sun were touching my very soul. Now, everything is dark and grey, and my soul feels desolate.
“Wyatt, when I go back, we have to split up,” I say to his chest, with a heavy heart. When he pushes me back to look at me, I see the pain.
“Why? They don’t know about me,” he says.
I place my hand on his cheek, and I feel his head leaning into it. “Dad said I would have to move back. If we’re going to do this, we must follow his orders. He thinks this is a phase, so I’m going to have to act straight.”
I’ve been so focused on talking to Wyatt, I forgot that Liam was still in the room and standing behind me. I hear him shuffle, cough, and say, “This sounds like a private conversation. I’ll leave you to it.” I know he must hear this too. He’ll have to be Wyatt’s support while I’m away. He needs to understand why I’m doing what I’m doing. There can be no confusion as to my actions if I’m spotted out and about.
“Please stay,” I say to him. “Wyatt is going to need you. So, you need to hear this too. We cannot have any contact with each other at all. We’ll need to figure out a way for me to get any information to you, but that’s it. To the world that knew us as a couple, we must be spilt up. Dad will probably have me watched more closely this time.”
“I just got you back. I cannot lose you now,” Wyatt tells me.
“We have no option. As you said, this is the only way to bring my father down,” I tell him.
“I thought when I said that, we would still be together.”
“Wyatt, what did you think would happen if you went undercover? This was inevitable. So, the three of us need to discuss how I’m going to get the information out without losing my head.”
Over the next thirty minutes, we throw ideas around on the best possible options, from taking photocopies, which was ruled as ridiculous. From there, we move on to letters being mailed, but that meant relying too much on the postal service and would take too long with vital information. Then there’s the option of sending information via text message with a burner app. The number is untraceable, and would save having to get a new cell. We go with the option of getting a new cell just in case the app becomes unreliable. We also discuss the possibility of bringing in Marco, as he can get hard evidence out and shouldn’t cause suspicion. I send Marco a text to see if he can come over.
>Hi Bro, any chance you’re free this evening and can pop over?
He doesn’t reply right away. When I look at the time, I realize he could still be teaching. Eventually, he replies that he’s free and will make his way over once school has finished for the day. It’s only then that I realize it’s only coming up on two o’clock. With everything that has happened today, it feels so much later. I cannot wait for this day to be over. I need to spend some time with Wyatt before we must part. I’m going to leave it to the last moment before returning home. That gives me one week, to forge memories that must keep me going over the next few months. I’m under no delusions that this will only take weeks; it will take that long to get Dad to trust me again.
Before too long, the buzzer for the front door sounds, and Marco has arrived. We’ll have to explain everything again, and even the thought of that is exhausting. I want a few minutes alone with Marco, so I can get his advice away from the ears of Wyatt and Liam. They don’t know my ultimate plan is to kill my father, but I want Marco to know. I must explain to him my reasons. I need to know that when the time comes, my actions won’t cause me to lose my brother. Standing to answer the door, I see Liam has beaten me to it. The smile on Marco’s face is a breath of fresh air, then he spots our somber faces.
“Whose cat died?” he asks, looking at all our faces.
Going up to him and giving him a hug, I reply with a smile. “I’ve had quite a day, and we have a lot to tell you. Take a seat, I’ll grab us all a beer.”
“At three o’clock in the afternoon?”
“Yep, it’s been a shitty day,” I say to him as I turn towards the fridge, grab four bottles, and make my way to the couch. I see that Liam has gotten a chair from around the kitchen table and positioned it next to the single chair in front of the window that’s now occupied by Marco. Wyatt is at the far end of the couch facing the window, deep in thought. I walk over to them and hand them their beers before sitting on the other end of the couch. Wyatt lifts it to his lips and takes a large swig, and I watch as his Adam’s apple bobs as the liquid travels down his throat. I have this sudden urge to run my tongue up his neck, then kiss those lips. I take a swig of my own beer to try to stop this thought from escalating. Just the neck and kissing thought has caused a semi, and I don’t want to have a full hard-on while talking to Marco. Wyatt must have noticed my reaction. For the first time in hours, the corners of his lips turn up, and I see a hint of desire in his eyes.
“Will you two stop making eyes at each other; we have to talk,” Liam says to us, but I hear the undertone of laughter too. I look over to him and smile.
“Can someone please explain? Talk about what?” Marco asks.
I take a deep breath. “Dad came to visit me in the shop today.” You can’t mistake the look of shock that appears on Marco.
“You’re fucking kidding, right?” Marco says.
“Nope, and he came with an ultimatum,” I tell him.
“Tell me everything that happened, from the moment he entered the shop,” Marco demands. The shock on his face less than a minute ago is replaced with concern and maybe a little anger. I tell him everything that was said between Dad and me, and that I’ve decided to go back to use me like I’m undercover.