Page 149 of Beautifully Ruined

“Come on, let’s get you to work on time,” I say, as we head home.

Enzoand I have a lot of last-minute work to do. Most of it easy, and I can do it from home. But he’s got other things on about the information he found out. Another meeting with his uncle Gino. And I want to stay home, to wait for Violet. To make sure she doesn’t go and do something stupid.

Which she just might do.

“How was work?” I ask the moment she comes in the door.

Her eyes hit mine, and it’s impossible to miss the accusation, like I’ve been watching her. Which, I have. Just on the app we share. And she went to work, out to lunch for about ten minutes, and back to work again and then home.

But I can deal with her accusations. I can deal with anything as long as Vi is safe and sound and out of trouble.

“Fine.”

I put my computer down and push up my glasses and get up from the table in the kitchen where the glass of whiskey I poured two hours ago still sits. I take three steps across the open space to where she is before she speaks.

“Cement.”

I stop in my tracks. Heart thumping.

“Vi?” I ask, carefully.

“I just wanted to see if it applied for everything.”

“It does. Whenever you want me to stop, I will.” I don’t move. “Unless you’re actively in danger, then I’m fucking ignoring you.”

She takes a sharp breath, but the accusation fades a little.

“Good. I just…” She shakes her head.

“Talk to me, Vi.”

For a moment, she just stands there, little girl lost, but she shrugs. “I don’t want to be left out. I don’t want to be treated like a child. You wouldn’t have known about her or whatever dark things are going on under the cover of the club if it weren’t for me.”

“The club wasn’t on our radar, workwise.”

“And what about W-Walsh? For The Ghost?”

It’s a punch to the guts, that. Because me finding out Walsh isn’t as clean as he seems, that his whole schtick of the guy who’s had to endure misery and loss because he stood up to the bad guys is totally up my alley. His own fucking daughter…

But I’m also aware this isn’t how it works. There are people out there I’ll never expose, never know about.

And I can hear Vi in my head stating, “Yeah, but now you know.”

“Even as The Ghost, I wouldn’t do a thing,” I say to her. “Yet. There’s more at stake than exposing a bad guy. And I really fucking hate you’re in his office.”

“Where I’m safe.”

I close my eyes for a moment. “We’re talking in circles, Vi. We need to be patient until we’re not. And let me and Enzo handle it.”

“I hate this. I hate not doing anything.”

“Then do something. Distract yourself. Call your friend over. Have drinks, go to her place, do what you need to do to get your mind off this.”

She nods as my phone buzzes.

“Enzo, I know it.”

I turn and grab my phone.