Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 40859 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 204(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40859 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 204(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
That was fast is all I can think.
As he steps away, I see my car parked in front of the house.
Relief hits me that I’m not trapped. Even though, I have no clue where to go from here. Giulia will get here and then I’ll leave.
I wait until I hear the car pull away before looking to the peephole again.
With things seeming safe, I open the door, grab the bags rushing them back inside. Locking the door behind me, I swallow back the fears.
I knew better than to leave. I also know without a doubt if I had stayed, I would have been dead long ago. I’m going to pay for leaving him.
No one leaves Benincio Cartagena. No one bests him. And no one who knows any of his secrets lives when he’s tired of them.
There is more than one reason for Benny to want me dead. Mostly, though, I wounded his pride. When I didn’t fall in line to be the good trophy girlfriend, I paid the price.
When I found out he is a damn sicario for the Diaz drug cartel, it was end game. No one can know his occupation. No one can hold proof of his kills and live.
Yet, I do.
Stupidly, I thought if I left town, taking his secrets with me, this would die off. Giulia was right, I should have changed my name completely.
My shop is a company under Bianchi Holdings, one of many flowers shops, Giulia owns across the country. We purposely had her begin acquiring them once I got to South Carolina and found my passion. We didn’t want the first shop she owned to be a waving flag of my location.
My rent and utilities, everything I own and do is all filtered through Giulia. I have no paper trail here.
How did he find me?
I worked under a false social security number at the grocery store. I haven’t had a tax record since leaving Jersey as Leigh Michele Range. Growing up everyone called me Michele since my mom named me after my dead-beat dad, my grandparents called me Chelle-Belle. Grams maiden name was Cramer. When I left Jersey, I didn’t want to lose my entire identity. We decided Michele Leigh Cramer was common enough that being down south I wouldn’t be a glaring red target for Benny and his associates to find.
Giving up my life, my safety net felt like enough. I didn’t want to give up all of my name too. It’s not like I was out and about putting Benny’s business out to anyone and everyone. I didn’t go to the police. I knew better then and honestly, I know better now. It’s why I easily gave in when Rogue said not to call the police.
I thought I had sacrificed enough and showed them all I was not a threat. If only I had let go of my name, maybe this wouldn’t be happening.
To me, it felt like it would be giving up my connection to my grandparents who did everything they could for me. Giulia built me a credit history, job history along with the birth certificate and driver’s license Howard created. Anyone doing an internet search wouldn’t be able to figure out that Michele Leigh Cramer only existed in the last five years, no, online I have a lifetime of experiences and even a social media profile and old email accounts.
We thought we had things covered. It worked for all these years. Not anymore though. He has found me and I’m not sure I’m going to live through this.
Now, I have to pay the price for that choice and an innocent man named Howard lost his life because I wanted to keep a piece of myself.
I should have known better.
I know what I need to do. Somehow, I need to muster the courage. And I need to do it before Giulia gets here and tries to stop me.
CHAPTER 6
Rogue
In the war room, Havoc, Creed, Tyrant, and myself are gathered at the table. The tablet in front of us is almost taunting me.
I shouldn’t care.
I shouldn’t be twisted up about the beautiful woman inside my house. Yet, I find myself wanting to be with her. Lying to myself, I say it is to protect her, but I know there is no reason for anyone to find her at my house. She doesn’t need my protection. She didn’t even ask for my help. But every instinct inside of me feels drawn to step up for her.
She is beautiful. She works hard. Even when she caught the flu, she drug her ass into that shop. After I picked up flowers for Dominiks that Monday, I had chicken noodle soup, some drinks, and a lounge blanket delivered to her shop through one of those delivery app services. Of course, I didn’t have a card or ever let her know it was me. Not everything done for someone needs an announcement. That is how I viewed the act of kindness when she was sick. It didn’t need some card or recognition.