Page 109 of Incompatible

Its price is extremely high though, and we couldn’t buy it unless we paid in installments, which is nearly impossible to get when you’re eighteen.

We stand in front of the house, deep in thought.

But the company name won’t leave me alone. I squeeze Bay’s hand lightly.

"Remember the guy who helped us back then?" I don’t say when, because we both know, "his name was Ennio Ferro. Thenephew of capo Anzo Ferro from the local mafia. I once looked into what he specifically handled and I know he oversaw the affairs of the real estate development company owned by the mafia."

"You really think this belongs to them?" Bay rubs his chin. "Maybe a coincidence with the company name."

I nod, checking the webpage one more time. "I think it’s them. Their website doesn’t list any specific names, but it says the whole thing belongs to Ferro Enterprises, and that’s the mafia’s company."

Bay gawks at me.

"Maybe we could contact them, contact Ennio…" he mutters pensively.

"You’re kidding?"

"Well, why not. I’ll vouch that we’ll pay it off over time, and we will. It doesn’t hurt to try."

"You have his number?"

"I do, but I can’t call him from a regular phone, that’s our agreement, I have to do it from a burner."

"Wow, I had no idea you were on those terms with him," I say uncertainly.

Bay stays silent and I don’t comment on that, because what could I even say? I never wanted to dig deeper into what conversations he had with Ennio back in those horrible moments… but I can imagine it was much more than just a drive home.

BAY

When we get home that evening and Alex starts making dinner, I step out into the yard with the burner.

Ennio picks up after five rings.

"I’m listening." His cool voice slides through the speaker, a voice I haven’t heard in almost two years.

"Hey, it’s Bay Nolan. Do you still remember me?"

"I have an excellent memory for names."

I swallow, because his tone sends a chill through me, dragging up memories I had pushed away.

For these past two years I’ve kept my distance from everything that happened before, from the darkness and the shadows, because Alex lit up my entire world and covered everything else, stitching up every wound. In a way he turned me into someone new. He put me back together, I stopped being that broken, traumatized teenager breathing revenge.

I clung to him the way someone stranded in Antarctica would cling to a heater, because it’s the only thing keeping them alive. That’s what Alex is to me. Everything. Life, light.

As small as he is physically, he’s just as huge to me as the entire universe. However, Ennio represents that period when I existed in shattered pieces, which is why I have to take a momentto calm myself and steady the tremble in my nerves when I talk to him.

"Interesting that you’re calling. I was thinking about you recently. I saw your name on the list of artists performing at Sound Fest."

I’m a little stunned.

"How do you even know I’m playing there, do you follow that event?"

"My cousin Luigi is one of the co-organizers."

"So the mafia is involved in the music business too?"

There’s a short pause, then Ennio speaks with emphasis. "What mafia. It’s just a family business."