AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I squeeze her hand gently. “Time, Fee. Time heals everything. It doesn’t erase it, but it makes it… manageable. You learn to live with it, to understand why you did what you did.”
Suddenly, she bursts into tears. “I’m so scared, Angelo. What if someone figures out he’s dead? What if they trace it back to me? I can’t go to prison. What about Lou?”
I pull her into my arms, holding her tight. “Hey, listen to me. We are taking care of everything, remember? There will be no trace left. And even if someone did start asking questions, you’ve got me. I won’t let anything happen to you or Lou.”
She clings to me, her body shaking with sobs. I stroke her hair, murmuring soothing words. As I hold her, I’m struck by how much she's come to mean to me. I’ve always protected my own, but this… this feels different.
“Do you think Genesis could help?” Fee asks into my shoulder, her sobs subsiding.
I nod approvingly at Fee’s suggestion. “That’s actually an excellent idea. Why didn’t I think of that?”
I pull out my phone, dialing Genesis’ number. She answers on the fourth ring, her voice groggy and irritated.
“This had better be fucking good, Pirelli. It’s too goddamn early for your bullshit.”
I chuckle. “Good morning to you too, sunshine. Entertaining a guest, are we?”
“I was,” she growls, “until you ruined it.”
I burst out laughing, earning a curious look from Fee. “Well, I’d hate to interrupt your morning calisthenics. I’m sure it’squitethe workout.”
Genesis snorts. “Fuck off, Angelo. What do you want?”
"Fee and I need to see you. When’s a good time?”
There’s a pause. “Why?” she asks sharply.
“We have need of Fucina,” I say casually.
Genesis groans. “Fuck.Fine. Come in an hour. And don’t you dare show up early, or I swear to God, I’ll turn you into modern art.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I assure her before hanging up.
Fee looks at me expectantly. “Well?”
“We’ve got an appointment in an hour,” I tell her. “Which gives us just enough time for coffee and breakfast. Trust me, you don’t want to face Genesis on an empty stomach.”
An hour later,we’re standing outside Ardere Gallery. Genesis opens the door, her face a mask of irritation.
“Fee, darling, come in,” she says warmly before turning to me with a scowl. “You, I’m still mad at.”
I grin, unable to resist needling her. “Aw, come on, G. Why does Fee get sweet Genesis while I get bitchy Genesis?”
“Because Fee isn’t the one who disturbed me at the crack of dawn, you gigantic pain in my ass,” she retorts.
I clutch my chest dramatically. “You wound me, truly. And here I thought our bond was unbreakable.”
Fee snorts, trying to hide her amusement.
Genesis rolls her eyes. “What do you want, Angelo? It has to be something important for you to be here at nearly eight AM.”
I quickly fill her in on the situation. As I speak, I watch Genesis’ demeanor change. Her irritation fades, replaced by a focused intensity. This is Fucina, the criminal mastermind, taking over.
“Right,” she says, all business now as she hurries over to her computer and her fingers fly over the keyboard. “I can make it look like Jonah left NYC. We’ll create a paper trail, flight records, the works. He’ll vanish without a trace.”
Fee looks relieved, but then frowns. “What about his family? He kept mentioning a sister.”
Fucina shakes her head, her eyes scanning a page on her computer. “His sister’s dead. Has been for years. Only family he’s got is an ex-wife in hiding. And trust me, she’ll be thrilled to know he’s gone.”
