Page 23 of Fixate
Ricardo
“If this motherfuckerdoesn’t answer me,” I grumbled as I stared down at the chain of texts on my phone. It was just a long row of me sending off messages, them showing as read, and getting nothing in return.
Pharrell had said he’d keep in touch with us once he returned to Vegas. We had a vested interest in how his business ran. More than that, we were witnesses to his wife’s deception.
How would we help him if he wouldn’t. Answer. The. Damn. Phone?
I’d tried to let it go. For weeks, I worked on helping Dante and Preacher. I made sure they didn’t want for anything, whether it was an errand run or to sit in as protection detail for a meeting. If I could step in, then I did.
But this was different.
Pharrell wasn’t a short drive away. He was across the country, alone and facing who knew what. It made me irrationally angry.
Him ignoring me only further fueled the fire.
The lack of communication had me unsettled in a way I couldn’t understand. Why did I care so much? What was it about this man that had me so in knots?
It had been three weeks since the takeover and things were not looking to calm down soon. If anything, they’d only become more intense.
Dante had found birth certificates among his father’s paperwork in the office. Apparently, Domenico had other children — meaning Dante had siblings.
They all agreed to come out once they knew Domenico wouldn’t be an issue. I’d greeted them myself, making sure to get a feel for how they’d be once they came to see their new brother.
Ravina, the mother and previously Domenico’s lover, was a beautiful woman. Her warmth radiated when she greeted me like I was an old friend. I immediately felt no worry at her presence.
Her three children — Marisol, Javier, and Leeland — were less warm with me, though I figured it was because I wasn’t their brother. Their focus was getting to Dante, and I was a hindrance.
I didn’t stay in the room during their visit; however, I was close enough to hear the words exchanged. It was obvious the group had loads to catch up on. They’d share a common evil, which might have gone further to bond them than the blood relation even.
As I listened in; my heart ached for that kind of connection. I didn’t wish for siblings, but I did hope to one day havemore. Life was lonelier now more than ever. I’d never noticed how far Domenico’s seclusion of my life had gone. Dante was the only real friend I had.
And now he had Preacher and his family. He didn’t need me.
No one did.
For the few days after they arrived, I thought over what it meant for me that I felt like I was alone. Did I even need to stay here to help? Would I be beneficial elsewhere?
At the same time, I kept trying to reach Pharrell for some kind of update. My contacts in the area told me there appeared to be tension in the city, though none had inside knowledge.
Pharrell had tightened his ranks upon his arrival back home — as he should. It only meant I was locked out unless the man himself gave me the information I wanted.
One night, I laid in bed thinking over everything again. It was when I realized I could fix both problems with one solution.
I needed to go to Vegas.
Being there would mean I could not only check on Pharrell, but I could also see if there might have been a space for me in a new city. Maybe I would have a home that felt like mine after all. A place to build friendships and one day have a family.
Not that I could even picture it. The idea of happily ever after was foreign to me. I’d learned not to think past the present since the future was so uncertain.
I waited until the next morning to approach my bosses about the change. It would do no good to hunt them down so late at night. I might even wind up catching them in a compromising position again. It wasn’t on my list of things I wanted to experience.
Preacher told me they had time to meet right away when I called for a meeting with Dante the next morning. I gave myself a quick pep talk, then made my way through the compound until I reached the office.
Knowing it would do no good to drag it all out, I blurted out the main point. “I’m moving.”
“What?! Why?!” Dante’s panicked cry had me feeling a shred of guilt over the change. He’d been too busy to notice me pulling back bit by bit. It wasn’t his fault I needed this change.
Preacher watched me closely, his gaze far too knowing. If I didn’t give some type of answer, he’d probably create one of his own. I feared it would reveal more than I’d like.
