Page 10 of The Holy Ghost
Like water offa duck’s back, he said, “I don’t stick my dick in all of them, Nix.For whatever reason, most ofthem enjoy just blowing me.”
“Enoughaboutyour dick, Ciro. I saywe give Massimo maybe ten minutes or so of the four of us before wehead out and let him rest. I still don’t feel good about all of usbeing in the same place at the same time. It’s too dangerous forFrankie.” Knowing how many people would love to take us out,Frankie being with the three of us put her in danger as collateraldamage. It had actually been a blessing in disguise that she wantedto live low-key in Cedar Creek when she left. No one in that townknew who she was. Sure, neighboring cities knew all about theBenettis, but Morgan City was where they laid their kingdom. Mostsurrounding towns minded their own business.
“I hear ya,”he replied. “As much as I wantmy sister back home, I’m not ignorant to the danger this kindof life puts her in.”
“Yeah,” Iagreed.
“Good thingthe girl’s a badass and can take care of herself,” he joked, onlyit wasn’t really a joke. Growing up with us, Frankie learned how tofight,how to shoot a gun, andhow to race a car. She knew how to defend herself when needed, andshe knew how to escape when needed.
I also knewCiro didn’t mean anything by it, but his comments felt akin togargling glass. Yes, Frankie could defend herself,but there shouldn’t ever be aneed for her to if I were doing my job as a man. “Ciro, you knowI’ll never let anything happen to your sister, right?” I knew theanswer, but the question still needed to be asked.
His sigh wasanswer enough, but he said, “Ofcourse, I do, Phoenix. I never would have let you date her ifI didn’t believe you’d love and protect her. But that doesn’t meanshit doesn’t happen, dude. That’s all I meant.”
“Good toknow,” I replied “However, you never had a say. Nothingorno onewas evergoing to keep your sister from me, and that included your dumbass.”
“I’llbe sure to use that as a direct quoteat your funeral after she kills you,” he tossed back.
I couldn’thelp but smile. I’ve killed many people in my short twenty-eightyears, and I’ve been in morefights than I can count but going toe-to-toe with Frankie was sureto do some permanent damage.
“Look, I gotta go,”I told him. “I gotta make sure everything is ready for Frankie’sarrival.”
“Good luck,man.” And I knew he meant itseriously.
“Thanks.” Ihung up and got to checking the kitchen, making sure it was stocked up with her favorites. Then Iwas almost brought to my knees when I realized it’s been six years.Her favorites might have changed.
Shemight havechanged.
It killed tome to think I might not know her as well as I used to, but thatwassomething that could beremedies with time. The next fifty years to be exact. There was noway I was letting Frankie go again, and if I had to hold herprisoner in my house, I would.
Then there wasthe matter of Massimo’sfuneral. I knew that he and Luca had it already planned and paidfor, and it was going to be a farewell to rival a king’s. However,Luca, Ciro, Frankie, and I would not be in attendance. While I waspretty confident that Massimo was respected enough by everyone thatthere’d be no bloodshed on his fateful day, we still couldn’t riskit. So, it was arranged that, when Massimo passed, he would bemoved to a private room at the hospital where a priest will meetus, and we are to have our own private ceremony, just the five ofus.
Now I had noillusion that mine andFrankie’s reunion would go smoothly. I knew it wouldn’t. Just likeI had six years of pent-up pissed-the-fuck-off and loneliness tocontend to, I imagine she had a lot of shit she wanted to get offher chest, too.
The nightFrankie left, we learned thehard way that she had gotten fed up with mine and Ciro’s lies andcaginess and had followed us to the Benetti warehouse. She hadclimbed on top of some abandoned crates and, through a dirty windowup top, she had seen mine and Ciro’s initiation.
The. Entire. Fucking.Thing.
And while wewere beingintroduced anddrinking to a job well done, Frankie had run home, packed only theshit she needed, and had fled. Of course, not before she left anote to us all, telling us that the moon shone beautifully throughthe north end corner window around the docks.
Ciro had ranted andraved.
Luca had shutdown.
I had lost my mindand destroyed everything in the house.
We had allbeen prepared to go after her until Luca came to his senses and stopped us. He took hisemotions out of the equation and convinced us that she deserved herspace. He promised he would put guards on her and that she’d besafe while she cooled down. However, the joke was on us. It was sixyears later, and the girl had still not cooled down.
Tonight was going to befucked-up.
Chapter 6
Francesca~
Thedrive to Morgan City had done nothingto help put the past behind me. In fact, the drive over only fueledthe anger and resentment I thought I conquered yearsago.
The first fewmonths,anger andrighteousness kept me warm at night. Sure, I missed Phoenixterribly, but anger, hurt, and resentment kept me from reaching outto him. There was also the fact that I had been too busy trying tobuild a new life. I had submerged myself in finding jobs and aplace to stay.
I had workedmany jobs those first two years, sometimes holding down four jobs at once. It helped tokeep me from starving or being homeless, but it also kept me frombeing lonely. I barely had time to eat or sleep, so there was notime to dwell in the heartbreak of leaving my family behind. I hadalso lucked out and found an affordable apartment almostimmediately. It wasn’t much, but it had included utilities and thatwas practically unheard of.
