Page 180 of Dark Romeo

“I’m nothing like him.”

Goldfish’s lip twitched. His gaze felt as heavy as a fallen pillar. “Of course not.” He glanced down at the freshly covered grave, a mound of dirt and a new headstone marking the final resting place of his son and my best friend. He let out a sigh. “He grew up too. He grew up into a good man.”

“The best,” I agreed, swallowing around an acorn in my throat.

“And yet…here he lies. Gone too soon.”

I studied Goldfish’s face, an older version of Mercutio’s, and felt a stab of sadness. Merc would never grow old enough to look like his father did now.

“I was never a good father to him,” Goldfish said, so quietly I barely heard it.

“No, you weren’t.”

His eyes snapped up to meet mine, a tension to his jaw. “I did the best I could for him, which was to stay away. It was more than you did.” His words were barbed, but the wounds I had already inflicted on myself were so raw that nothing more could be said to hurt me. “You want to know who ordered the capture of your little girlfriend?”

“Yes.”

“Consider this a funeral gift. Because Mercutio would have wanted it.”

“Who?”

“Ask your father.”

My father. The shock snapped at me and yet it didn’t. It already echoed something I knew deep down but was too afraid to admit. “You’re lying.”

“Why would I lie?”

“Because you’ve never liked me. Because you’re covering for the person you’re really working for.”

“You want proof?”

Did I? I nodded, slowly.

“$7,275, Nemo’s Furniture Removals, the thirtieth of August.”

“What’s that supposed to be?”

“It’s how much the contract was, who it was paid to and the date it was paid. Find the corresponding payment on your father’s bank statement, you have your proof. Now,” he held out a hand, “may I have my cane back?” I threw the cane to him and he caught it. “I’ll tell you one more thing before I go, shall I?”

I nodded.

“The contract is still open.” He saluted me with his cane, then turned to walk away. “Happy fishing.”

The contract is still open.

My blood turned to ice. They were still after Julianna.

JULIANNA

____________

I slipped out of my apartment building as dusk was approaching. I’d spent longer there than I had planned. Nora wouldn’t let me go, squeezing my neck like she was a child, sniffling into my collar. I pushed away a pang of sadness for the life I would be leaving behind.

The thought of Roman soothed the ache. He was my life now. He was more than I ever expected for myself. I could always sneak back to visit her.

A few leaves flew past me, whipping my hair up. Now to just find a cab. It was peak hour and an available cab would be hard to find. Perhaps if I walked it would be quicker.

A taxi turned the corner towards me. That was lucky. I hailed it and jumped inside the warm interior. It seemed fresh out of the box, unmarked leather seats and the plastic divider behind the driver had hardly a scratch on it. From the back seat, I only had a view of the cabbie’s dark hair, a dark blue cap pulled low.

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