Page 21 of The Trap

“Fine except for the fact that Declan is back in town,” she rolls her eyes. Declan Hayes is the brother to the owner of Oogie’s Ink as well as Delilah’s ex’s dad, who sheaccidentallygot arrested, so the disdain in her voice isn’t a surprise.

“Eek, how’s he doing?” I ask, already knowing the answer won’t be a simple ‘he’s good’.

“Oh, he’s fucking great. Getting clients back as if he wasn’t on a forced hiatus in jail,” she snaps. “And wouldn’t you know, guess who had an appointment with him recently?” Her eyes bulge, as if she’s trying to clue me in, but I already know the answer.

Suddenly that night, in the foyer of the Cromwell’s comes crashing back to me when I was staring at a shirtless Colson.“Thanks my guy Declan, who just got out of the clink is back at Oogie’s Ink….”

Fuck.

“Ay, do I really need to spell this out for you?!” she exclaims before taking a deep inhale to bring her tone down some. “You know how people are here. They talk. If it isn’t fucking bad enough that Declan is out of jail, he knows Colson. He’s his fucking tattoo artist for fuck’s sake!”

I want to say I know, but I don’t because it will only make her even angrier.

“He swung by Oogie’s Ink–which, mind you, is only a stone’s throw away from Satan’s Stiletto–and they got to talking, and wouldn’t you know, when Colson was looking through the shop’s portfolio while waiting for his appointment, your coffin tattoo that Eddie did was in there, that me and Carmine advised you not to get in such a visible spot because it could put your anonymity at risk on and after assignments. So naturally since Declan is still on his bullshit with me, fucking bitter old man,” she stops to scoff, before shaking her head to continue, “he gladly gave up that the owner of said tattoo is not Sally Hardesty, but Raiden fucking Ramos,a local.”

My pulse thuds in my ears. This isn’t good. Knowing Declan and how bitter he is not only about Delilah getting him arrested, but he’s had the biggest hard on for her and the fact that she’s fucked not only his son but also his daughter – and never him – there’s a high possibility that he spilled more than just my name to Colson, since she and I are so close.

“Fuck,” I mutter. “Does Carmine know?”

“Not yet, but you know how your cousin is. I’m sure it’ll only be a matter of time before it gets back to him. Seriously girl, you didn’t wear gloves like he told you to? Wasn’t that the deal you and Carmine made since you insisted on getting the hand tattoo?”

I don’t respond, and she takes my silence as the only answer she needs.

“Christ, Raiden! I love your headstrong ways but this shit, these little defiant fits you have, they’re going to catch up to you if you aren’t careful.”

I hate that she’s right. Sometimes I’m too bullheaded for my own good.

“It’s fine,” I reassure her, trying to work through the tinge of anxious nausea I feel lodged in my gut.

“Oh, is it? Do tell.”

“I don’t have a social media presence,” I blurt, which isn’t a lie.

Delilah closes the space between us, resting her palm on my cheek. “Girl, in this day and age, if a motherfucker wants to find you, they can and will find you,” she warns, pressing a firm pat on my cheek. She nods her head in the direction of the door, where Blair is still on the phone. “Just ask Blair.”

“It’ll be fine,” I try to reassure her again, wanting to get this conversation over with so I can drown my issues in the glass of wine waiting for me.

She walks towards the doorway and pauses. I can sense the tension in her shoulders as she draws in a long inhale. “I hope so, baby girl, I really do. But speaking of Carmine, he stopped by earlier since you’ve been avoiding his calls and texts,” she announces before making a dramatic pause.

“And?” I motion for her to continue.

“And,” she playfully bulges her eyes, “he said to stop ignoring him. He wants you to stop by Satan’s one night this week while he’s in town; he wants to go over some things with you to help you set up legitimate work now that the Cromwell gig is over.”

Delilah’s tongue clicks as she breathes a soft, sympathetic sigh. “Girl, I love you, but you really need to get it together. You need to get back to your life here, as a Ramos. The Hardesty lie is over. It was just a job. Like all the rest of the assignments you’ve been on. Stop thinking with your kitty, it’s going to get you in trouble.”

“Got it. I’ll call my cousin.”

“Tonight,” she adds, still standing in the open threshold of the front door.

I nod, about to head back to the kitchen, when Delilah’s chuckle stops me.

“What’s so funny?” I ask, unamused.

She draws in a long-winded sigh.

“Yes?” I nudge.

“All jokes aside, I can’t believe how hard you fell for that guy,” she says, shaking her head. “How many jobs have involved hot targets or siblings and no one has left such an impression on you.”

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