Page 24 of All Twisted Up
She stuck out her lower lip. “No, it makes me pee, and I have to go get the kids in a half hour.”
I chuckled. “I’ll get the kids.” I pulled out a mug and poured her a cup, adding a little cream to hers as well. I took her by the hand and pulled her into the living room. “Come on and sit with me. I need to get all of this out before the kids get home.”
I pulled her down onto the couch beside me, pulling one leg up under me to get comfortable as I turned to her. I took a big sip of liquid fortification and launched into it. I didn’t leaveanything out, even telling her about how frightened I was in the cartel’s drug hangout. Barbie and I were always honest with each other. We’d been through hell and back with our mom so we made a habit of it. By the time I finished, she was sitting beside me looking shellshocked.
“That’s crazy. I can’t believe it, Joshua.” Her eyes were shiny as she reached for my hand. “You could have been killed…all because of that asshole, Billy.”
I looked down at my empty coffee cup and pulled my hand out of hers so I could put it on the coffee table. I wanted to defend first myself and then Billy, but in the end, I settled for the truth. I looked her right in the eye and shrugged. “You’re right, but you know me.”
She cocked her head to the side. “I know this, Joshua Calder.” She smiled a little. “You have a heart of gold.” When she smacked me on the arm, I gasped in surprise. “But if you ever do something that stupid again, I’ll kill you myself!”
I reached for her then, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her close as I kissed the side of her head. “I promise.”
“Love you, Joshua,” she said into my collarbone.
“Love you too, baby.”
Chapter Six
JOSHUA
I called my boss at Tango’s Garden Fresh as soon as I had enough coffee in my system to bolster my courage. The restaurant where I worked during the day wasn’t just a job to me, and Bruno meant more to me than just a boss. He treated me like a father would. He was great about letting me set my own hours, though, I didn’t take advantage of him. His kindness was always on display…not only with the people who worked for him, but our customers as well.
Tango’s was one of four restaurants in what we called the “collective,” an open-air group of boutiques, eateries, and a farmer’s market right here in West Hollywood. We were committed to providing healthy meals at affordable prices. The produce we served was organic whenever possible, supplied by California’s vast, local farming community. Each morning, they brought us everything we needed to create exceptional dishes. I considered them friends. The meat and fish on our menus were supplied by folks committed to the environment and it was a good feeling knowing that we could legitimately call ourselves farm-to-table and mean it.
Bruno picked up on the first ring. “Hey, kiddo, how are you?” I could hear the smile in his voice.
“Fair to middlin’,” I replied, repeating a phrase he often used with me.
“You scheduled the day off,huh?”
Guilt coursed through me. I hadn’t. As soon as the FBI pulled Billy and I out of the building this morning, I’d called mycoworker, Nancy, to ask her if she could cover my shift. She’d agreed, but said that she had to leave by one, rather than work through lunch, due to a dental appointment.
I swallowed, knowing I couldn’t lie to Bruno. “Actually, I was supposed to work today but something important came up. I had Nancy cover breakfast, but she had to leave by one. I hope that didn’t put you in a bind.”
“Not at all. Claire is here. She needs the extra hours, so it’s all good.” He paused for a few seconds. “Is everything all right, kiddo?”
Bruno had taken me under his wing, giving me a job during the pandemic when work in the restaurant industry was nearly impossible to find. I’d been working at another eatery which had closed during lockdown, never to reopen. I’d always be grateful to him. Bruno was practically family. He knew I was raising my younger siblings, and he’d made us all feel safe. He stood by me during court cases, custody hearings, and CPS visits. In short, I adored the older man.
I sighed. “I got into some trouble last night. I was helping out a friend, ended up at a drug dealer’s house, and things got very dicey.” I heard him gasp. “Don’t worry, Bruno. It’s okay. The FBI was there and DEA, and—”
“The FBI? Oh, God, Joshua, what did you get mixed up with?”
“It’s kind of a long story and I’ll tell you all about it when I see you tomorrow. I promise you, I’m okay, Bruno. Please don’t worry about me.”
“I’ll always worry about you.” I opened my mouth to say something, but he beat me to it. “Listen, Joshua, I love you. You’re like a son to me. In fact, I’m bringing some food for dinner. Essie made empanadas. I know the kids love those.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“It’s okay, Joshua. I feed people. You know that’s what I do.”
I could hear the smile in his voice. “It’s your love language. I understand.”
“Good. See you at seven.”
I wasn’t going to win this argument. “All right. See you then, my friend.”
I hung up the phone, glanced at Barbie and the puppy who was enthusiastically playing tug of war with one of my old tube socks. My sister looked so happy. She glanced up when I stood.
