Page 61 of Ice-Cold Obsession

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

Scarlett clicks on a video that was filmed on someone’s phone from a distance. The footage shows the aftermath. Police tape. Body bags being loaded into an ambulance. Blood on the pavement.

And then the camera pans.

The cane and the hat... Bloodied on the ground.

I shiver. “Do you think he’s dead?”

Scarlett leans closer to the screen. “Maybe. Let’s hope so.”

The news shows more footage. Cops everywhere. Detectives taking statements. Crime scene investigators in white suits collecting evidence. The reporter says the investigation is ongoing and that the authorities are working to identify all the victims.

I watch the screen, unable to look away.

Ifhe’s dead, does that mean I’m free?

But even as I think it, I know it’s not that simple. The mafia doesn’t work like that. If one person dies, someone else takes over.

OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, whispers and rumors spread across the campus. People are talking about the mafia clash and how one group lost territory. I know the campus is probably in Niccolò’s domain now if the rumors are true.

It would make sense. If Niccolò used our video to lure the other mafia group into a trap, then he probably won. And if he won, that means the people who were controlling me are either dead or scattered.

But that only makes me feel a tiny little bit better.

“I’m a hockey player,” I say to Scarlett as we’re on her bed. “I can’t just disappear. People know who I am, and my face is everywhere. Maybe I should leave hockey. Go somewhere else. Start over.”

The thought has been eating at me for days. Maybe if I just disappear and leave the team and the campus, and go somewhere no one knows me, we’ll all be safe.

But Scarlett shakes her head. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because of publicity. You’re popular here, and the mafia won’t be able to touch you now that the cops are everywhere and searching for whoever survived the clash. If you run somewhere in secret, they might find you again, just some other guys. But if you stay here and keep playing hockey where everyone’s watching, they can’t make a move without it being noticed.”

I think about it. She has a point. If I’m in the public eye and people are paying attention, it’s harder for the mafia to do anything to me. The investigation will probably last a long time anyway. If I disappear and try to stay hidden, I’m an easy target.

“What about my parents?” I ask.

“Cory said his uncle might be able to help. Maybe he can transfer them somewhere this particular mafia can’t reach them.”

“You think that’s possible?”

“I don’t know, but we can check.”

It’s not a perfect plan, but it’s something. And right now, that’s better than nothing.

I pull Scarlett into my arms and kiss her. And for a moment, I let myself forget about everything else.

Chapter 36

SCARLETT

IT’S BEEN WEEKS, ANDeverything’s fine. Gabriel and I are sort of continuing our lives, and I love hanging out with him. We go to classes, I take photos at his games, and we spend most nights together in one of our dorms.

No one has reached out to us with threatening messages or tried to come for us. It’s almost like the whole thing never happened. Almost. But I still catch Gabriel looking over his shoulder and see the way he tenses when an unfamiliar car drives past.

Gabriel’s parents got transferred to other prisons. Cory’s uncle helped arrange it. They’re in a different state now, far away from the mafia’s reach. Gabriel talks to them once a week on a monitored line, and every time he hangs up, I can see the relief on his face. His mom and dad are doing okay, and they’re safe, which is what matters most.