I got home just as mom and Cece were on their way out to have dinner at the diner Cece worked at. I tagged along not wanting to be left alone in the apartment. I hadn't fully shaken off the feeling of being watched.
"You dropped this."
"Thank you—" I paused seeing the ginger haired man that handed me my purse. Cece was working the grill tonight and mom was having a chat with the owner of the restaurant. I was alone at my table—not anymore. The man felt familiar.
"We've met before." I pronounced.
"You have good memory." He smiled.
After the day I'd had, it would be a shame not to. I couldn't pinpoint where we met before though. He must have noticed and the smug smile he wore after should have been a warning.
"Did you take my advice and hash it out with sex?"
My cheeks flushed. That was it. He was the handsome ginger haired man from the bar in Chicago. He and the bartender had listened to and adviced me. What was he doing all the way here?
"Are you following me?" I panicked.
"Not exactly."
"Mom—"
"I'm with the FBI." He quickly held up a badge.
"How am I sure that isn't fake?"
"Should I bite it?"
My face scrunched up in confusion.
"My code name's loony. You were on a high end hit list and I want to know why."
My eyes flew open.
"Let's talk at the back." I finally said. "I don't want my mom or sister seeing us."
"Your call." He said and we moved a few tables back.
"Did you know who I was in Chicago?" I fired away the moment he sat.
"Yes."
He pulled a phone out of his pocket and slid it over to me. On it was a picture of a man who looked mid sixties. Below the picture was his name; Runo Florentino. I studied the picture intently. He was smiling and didn't really look like a mafia boss. He looked more like a grandfather. Or a godfather.
"Do you know him?" He was watching me.
"Not personally."
"Yet he's trying to kill you. You also don't seem very surprised about that."
"It's been a long day."
He leaned back.
"We've been tracking him down for months now. The assassin that is. Some cops from the NYPD finally got a hold of him and he led us to the bigger fish. Runo Florentino, him, we've been after for years."
"Are you here to protect me?"
"I thought William Illston could handle that alright." He smiled and I tried to remain neutral. "No need to pretend. I know all about what he's been up to."
"The whole FBI?" I asked worriedly.
"Just me love. My issue with Runo is a bit personal."
"What did he do?"
"Killed my whole family off." He said so causally I almost thought he was kidding. Then I noticed the minute change in his easy going appearance and felt awful.
"I'm sorry."
"You're not the one who murdered them." He came forward. "Everyone's to afraid to bring Runo in. We've never had enough evidence to lock him away forever and frankly, he's probably bribing the higher ups too. But I'm determined to bring him in, dead or alive and I know your boyfriend can help with that."
He was so crass it shocked me. Were all FBI agents this crass?
"You want to work with Will?" I asked and he nodded.
"He's not very fond of cops."
"I know." He smirked.
"I'll let him know."
"My card." He passed the white card across the table.
"FBI agents now have cards?"
"It's 2021 beautiful."
I collected it and stared at the silver inscriptions. When I looked up again, he was gone. Like he was never even here.
__
"What was that about earlier?" Cece questioned once we were alone in my room.
Mom bought my lie about having urgent work issues to discuss with Will, as my reason for rushing out earlier but Cece didn't. It was late now and mom was fast asleep in the other room.
"Someone was/is trying to kill me." I paced.
"What?" She yelled.
"Shh," I shushed her then proceeded to tell her as much of the story as I could.
"Woah," she breathed out when I was done.
"I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything too." I heaved.
"How do you feel?"
"Scared and worried. I'm too scared and worried to feel much of anything else at the moment."
"This is past my jurisdiction. I don't even know what to say."
"Which is why mom can't find out about this, she'll freak."
"She'll more than freak P, she'll have us shipped back to Seattle by tomorrow morning."
"I want to help him." I said quietly.
"I want you to be safe, there's two of you to worry of now."
"I don't forget that." I sat next to her with another loud sigh.
***
"Hola,"
"Hey Bels," a smile brushed my lips.
"And how was your weekend?"
"Eventful."
Yesterday was still clearly ingrained in my mind's eye and the prickly paranoia of being watched hadn't left me either. I was all nerves coming to work this morning and didn't feel safe until I was inside the building. Then I remembered the existence of snipers and had another mini panic attack. It was a dreadful cycle.
"Sounds interesting, tell me about it." Bella rested on the divider.
"Morning ladies,"
John walked in before I could think of anything to say. I waved at him extra graciously. I couldn't exactly tell Bella the total truth about my weekend. My weekend was great Bels, my mom came over and oh yeah, I appeared on a professional killer's hit list. No pressure there though. Our boss who is also my ex, I'm sorry I haven't mentioned that to you by the way, said he'll have bodyguards follow me around. How was yours?
"Hey John."
"I must have saved your life in a dream last night." He grinned.
"Something like that."
Our company of three quickly became four as Mary, the head of our department entered looking a little frazzled.
"Good morning guys. Were your weekends good? Yes, great! John I need you right now, we need to prepare for the 10 am presentation." She rushed out and left the office almost as soon as she'd come in. John did a little salute before following behind her.
"Poor thing." Bella shook her head pitifully, her dark locs falling around her.
"Thank God our presentation isn't until 2." I relaxed.
"Good morning babes!"
"Bebé, did you jug here?" Bella laughed.
"You won't believe the marathon I've had to run this morning," Jo ran a hand through her hair and sighed.
"What happened?" I piqued.
"My sis had me babysit her kids, all three of them, all weekend till this morning. I had to drop them off at school. I love them to bits but they're a handful." She fell into her chair.
We laughed and idly conversed as we dug into our various businesses for the rest of the morning. I was revising a sales report when a single knock interrupted my concentration. I looked up and my hand paused. William stood at the threshold. His jacket was gone and his sleeves were folded up to his elbows showing his tone forearms.
He strode in, smiled a greeting at Bella and Jo then stopped at my desk.
"I came to drop this."
I eyed the folder he placed on my desk and eyed him questioningly after but he simply maintained his easy grin.
"Have a good day ladies."
"You too sir." Bella spoke and Will passed me one last look before leaving.
"Now what was that?" Jo asked once he was fully out of sight.
"I could put my hand in the air and hold on to the tension chica."
"He came to drop these." I pointedly uselessly.
"Girl you know he could have faxed those or something." Jo chuckled.
"Your cheeks are flushed bebé." Bella smirked. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking Jojo?"
"She's totally smashing that!" Jo's grin widened exponentially.
The difference between my cheeks and an overripe tomato were probably slight right now.
"Well," I started pathetically.
"You are!" Bella clapped as she laughed. "We are nosy and want details chica."
"It's complicated."
"Scale?" Jo asked and the two women eyed me expectantly.
"We dated back in college."
"Shut up." Jo turned her chair towards me while Bella pulled hers out and moves it till she was next to us.
"Like I said, complicated."
"Girl, we've got time." Jo closed the booklet she was working on and crossed her legs. Bella concurred with a nod. It was story time.
I gave them a more watered down version of I and William's story. Meaning the story without the imminent mob boss theme. I wondered how it was I'd never even told them before now. They didn't mind though. I considered telling them I was pregnant too but decided it could a story for another day. One bombshell at a time.
The elevator doors opened and I was back on the floor that had been my dwelling for months before now; the top floor. I made my way around the corner randomly remembering all the times I'd passed it.
"Hey Ophelia," Heather smiled.
"Hey, how are you?"
"I just survived a Lilian lesson so I'd say awesome."
"I came right on time then," I beamed. "Is he in?" I motioned to the closed double doors.
"Yup, go right in."
Opening the doors, I entered and found William concentrating on his laptop screen. He looked up as the door closed.
"Really?" I reached his desk and returned the folder he came to drop earlier on. "This doesn't even pertain to my department."
"It doesn't?" He lifted it up and I scoffed.
"My bad." His smile was sheepish. "I wanted to see you."
"You could have called smartpants. I have something to show you anyway." I brought out the card the FBI guy gave me yesterday. There was only one name on the card and it was Eli, no surname or middle name.
"Who's this for?" He scanned the card.
"An FBI agent. He came to me last night at the diner Cece works at."
"And you believed him?" He gave me a look that would have been more fitting on Lilian's face.
"He had a badge." I said defensively.
"Anybody can get a badge these days. It's all over Halloween and pawn shops."
"Don't yell at me."
"I'm not yelling at you." He sighed.
"I met him in Chicago." I folded my arms across my chest.
At that he stood, "you what?"
"The bar I went to, he was the handsome stranger I met there."
"Well that's fantastic." He rolled his eyes.
"Will," I called warningly.
He stepped around the desk, moving till he stopped in front of me. "I'm worried about you 24/7 Ophelia. Runo is a sick bastard with an even sicker mind."
"That's why I think you should hear what he has to say. My gut feeling keeps nagging me. Plus you'll eventually need legal backing. You can't do it without some type of law enforcement. And here's the FBI on our doorstep."
"Exactly why I'm skeptical. Nothing is ever so easy."
"That's true but don't completely overrule it either." I collected the card from the table and placed it inside his front pocket. It was then I noticed how close we were and took a step away.
"Have you had lunch?"
"Not yet."
"Do you want to have lunch together then? I can fill you in on how far we've gone with the website."
I didn't point out that he could fill me in right now and there was no need for us to have lunch together.
"I'll meet you in the lot."
Twenty minutes later, my bag was in my hand and I was in the basement parking lot heading towards William who was waiting beside his car. I started thinking about the last few years. Was it fate or ill-luck that made our paths cross again? I couldn't tell anymore. What would be the end to our story? I didn't know too but that was okay. It was all secondary for me right now. Catching this psychotic crime lord was what mattered the most.
"Ready?"
"Ready." I nodded.
***
Double update yes!💃🏿
Let me hear (well read) it all loves! What do you think? How was this chapter? And are you sad the book is coming to an end? I know I am :(
See you next time! Could be soon too...or not...;)