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I become aware that Gina’s performance both represents and does that. It’s her speaking up. It’s her ‘fuck you’ to those who try to control instead of support. It’s her reaching out to others who feel and felt like her, letting them know they’re not alone.

Then the piece shifts again. Another dancer enters. A male dancer. Immediately I know what he represents. My heart races, and I can feel blood rush to my head. Do I want to know how Gina feels about this? About me?

I have a quick flash of doubt. I care about Gina, but does she know how much I care? Have I hidden it too much? I’m not a good person. As much as I’ve tried to protect her, have I done her wrong? Could I bear knowing if I did?

But the female dancer doesn’t shun him. And the male dancer doesn’t control her. He’s more stoic. More observant. He doesn’t impose himself on her. She invites him in.

Relief washes over me as I see and recognize the way Gina and I have grown together. I may be closed off at times. I can be unkind and abrasive. But my love for Gina is true. Gina has seen that and reflected it back in her piece.

And I know she loves me too. She’s telling me that even though there are some battles she has to fight on her own, there are some enemies I’ll never be able to protect her from, she still wants me with her. Even if I can’t fix everything in her world, she still likes it better with me around.

I’m amazed by how fucking brave she is. I’ve never come close to expressing something like this. Instead, I’ve tried to protect myself by not exposing my feelings to anyone. I’ve purposely never let myself be vulnerable. And now, her strength is forcing me to learn, showing me how to truly trust someone for the first time in my life.

As the piece ends, my heart is bursting with both pride and love for Gina. I want to run to her and tell her how I feel. I don’t want to hold any of my feelings back from her anymore. I need to tell her that I’ll always want to protect her. I can’t change that. But I also know that she doesn’tneedme to protect her. She’s ten times stronger than anyone I know. And I’m honored and proud to spend my life by her side.

The two dancers end in an embrace. As the curtains close, the audience gets to their feet in a standing ovation. I feel simultaneously like the only person in the audience and completely lost in the crowd. I know nobody else can possibly feel the way I’m feeling right now. But even so, my applause is lost among the thousands of others who saw something special, too.

When Gina comes out onto the stage, it’s like I haven’t seen her in a hundred years. Or maybe I never really saw her until now. She’s more beautiful than I could have remembered. I feel relieved that she is real, as if I had somehow only dreamt of her.

I’m choked up and can barely breathe, but I keep clapping vigorously along with the crowd. Finally, Gina’s eyes find mine. She blows me a kiss and I see tears well up in her eyes. My own vision starts to go blurry, too.

The only thing that matters to me at all, is loving this woman and receiving her love back.

When the curtains drop, I fall back into my seat. I wipe my face as the house lights come back on. The applause of the crowd turns into a din of conversation and people moving toward the exits.

I want to run backstage to see Gina. But her father may be going back to see her…

Shit! I pull out my phone. I open up the Bluetooth settings and connect to the device I installed in the balcony. Hopefully Nicoletti hasn’t left his seat yet.

I activate the device. I’m tempted to look back up to the first row of the balcony. To see if anyone up there reacts. But instead, I put my phone back into my pocket.

I step out of my seat and into the aisle to let the other patrons exit. I’ll have to hang back for a few minutes. Nicoletti will most likely be heading backstage. I’ll have to wait until he’s gone. I don’t want to run into him, especially if he just received my message.

My phone vibrates in my pocket. I take it out.

A message from Ethan Pace.

Done. Busted.

He’s included a link to a news site. I click the link to read the article.

Philadelphia Police seize $3.5 million in drugs, weapons arsenal in Organized Crime Bust

This is a developing story. This article will be updated as new information is gathered.

Police seized more than $3.5 million in drugs and uncovered an arsenal of illegal high-powered weapons. As part of the operation, eight individuals were arrested, 45 firearms were seized including eight ghost guns, and 17 assault rifles. Also confiscated were four pounds of cocaine, four pounds of heroin, a pound of methamphetamine, and 500 MDMA pills.

The seizure was a joint investigation involving the Philadelphia Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police Department, and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office.

It looks like things have gone according to plan. Of those eight that were arrested, most of them should be Russians. Unfortunately, a few of them are going to be Barones. And the Barones have lost a lot of money. But this will hopefully keep the Russians from coming after Gina.

Before I can put my phone away, it buzzes again. It’s Raf.

Fuck.

I ignore it. He’s probably calling about the bust. Or maybe he’s heard that Dolan was murdered. Either way, I don’t think I can talk myself out of this shit.

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