Page 19 of Blood in the Water
8
LEONA
We stopped at a Burger King right next to the commercial airport to use the bathroom one more time before hopping on a cargo plane headed to Texas.
I changed into my new clothes in the bathroom. There was something about a new pair of underwear that really made you feel alive, you know?
The jeans fit well enough, and my black shirt made me feel a little less hollow.
Still absolutely shattered and broken, but the black eased it. Like it settled something inside me.
I did my absolutebestto ignore the starburst necklace as it brushed against my skin. I couldn’t bear to look at it, let alone take it off or eventhinkabout it. So I had left it hanging around my neck. I stared at it now, sparkling like crazy in the fluorescent lights of the dingy bathroom.
“Just take it off, Leona,” I demanded of my reflection in the mirror.
My hand hovered, unmoving, over the pendant until my arm stung. My fingers twisted into a fist and dropped to my side.
“Shit.” I couldn’t take it off.
I tucked it underneath the shirt and tried to forget it was there. Tried to forget what it represented. How that gift marked the beginning of the end of my life.
I shoved the knife into my boot and pulled on the leather jacket. If it weren’t for the swollen lip, black bags under my eyes, and ratty hair, I might look a little badass. But for now, I’d have to settle on the classicbarely-standing-and-running-for-my-lifemixed withpossibly-coming-down-from-a-drug-highlook.
“You look better,” Cas said as I left the bathroom. Of course, he was standing guard outside. I used to get so fucking annoyed when he would hover. But then I almost got shot in the head, and now I appreciated his overprotectiveness. “Feeling better?”
No, I doubted I’d ever feel better. Nothing could heal the cavern inside my chest. But he was being kind, so I just shrugged. “Let’s get some chicken fries and get out of here.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets, and we headed to the front to order. He had changed into a baggy pair of jeans, a dark long-sleeve shirt, and a brown leather jacket that barely hid the two guns tucked into his shoulder holster. Even with the Goodwill clothes, he still managed to look like a model. Why is it that hot bodyguards always look spectacular no matter what? And why is it that I even cared? I rubbed my eyes and suppressed a yawn. Damn, I was exhausted.
We ate quickly and then piled back into the Irishman’s car.
“The pilot has been paid to take ya as far as Texas. You’ll switch planes there, and the next aircraft will take ya to Denver. There will be a car waiting for ya there.” Colin handed Cas a bag. “Here. Another set of burner phones. An extra gun. A first aid kit. Wet wipes, hand sanitizer—gotta stay hygienic. Some snacks for the plane. Never know when you’re gonna get peckish. You’re good on cash, aye?”
Cas nodded and outstretched his arm. The man clasped it. “Thanks, Colin.”
The man waved him off. “We’re square now, Caspian. My sister and I owe ya nothing after this. But besides that mess, I wish ya all the best. Stay safe. I’ll make sure the Italians lose the trail.” Then he turned to me. “The Irish have never been friends with the Italians, but that arsehole Maximiliano is something else. I can’t promise ya that the Irish will always have your back, but I can promise that he’ll never get any information out of us. He’ll have a hell of a time securing control of the Vero Family assets if we have anything to do with it.”
I nodded, finding it extremely difficult to hear the bastard’s name without screaming. “Thanks, Colin. I’ll repay you and the Irish when I can, I swear it.”
If I lived that long.
He smiled. “Caspian has us set, so don’t ya worry. Oh, I’d dye that hair if I were ya, sweetheart. It’s gorgeous but very noticeable, and that’s the last thing ya want right now.”
As soon as we had a moment, Cas had to tell me what exactly happened between him and the Irish that earned such a debt.
“Thanks.” I forced a smile that tasted like ash. My father used to say that about my hair.It’s gorgeous, cuore. The same as your mother’s. Never color it.I’d never, ever change it. The very thought had my stomach twist in agony. “I’ll think about it.”
We said our goodbyes while Cas grabbed the duffel bag that held all his money, and I slung my backpack across my back. Colin drove away, giving us a little salute through the open window.
Yesterday, I was one of the wealthiest heiresses in New York. Today, all I owned fit into a backpack. My teeth clenched while I adjusted the straps.
The plane waited across the tarmac, the pilot standing at the top of the roll-up stairs. He waved once before disappearing back into the cabin.
My feet slowed to a complete stop as I realized the reality of the situation. I was on the run for my fucking life. My father was dead. I was leaving the East Coast, likely never to return. My nails dug into the skin of my palms.
One breath at a time.
“That’s us,” Cas said, grabbing my hand and pulling me forward. His large hand warmed my grip, a light that grounded me in my otherwise dead world. We had to press on. “Come on, I don’t like being so exposed out here.”
