Page 80 of The Fractured

When we cleared the front doors, the smallest wave of freedom washed over me, but we weren’t in the clear.

“What the fuck was that?” I hissed.

“No one calls me a whore and gets away with it,” Roxy spat.

“No one throws a fuckin’ drink at a crime boss and gets away with it either, you fuckin’ idiot.”

She spun around, ready to protest the name-calling, but I cut her off.

“You just put a target on our backs.”

“You think I’m supposed to accept being spoken about like that? Does your respect for women only go as far as your mom and girlfriend?”

I inhaled sharply. “No… And no, I just don’t wanna stir up shit when we’re outnumbered. In a situation like that, when he knows you’ve been spying on him, youtakethe name-calling and deal with itlater. Not when you’re surrounded by guys who have guns and other intentions.”

“Fuck you.” She turned on her heel, continuing to where our cars were parked.

I ran a hand through my hair and pulled out my phone. I needed to contact people and at least warn them about what the fuck just happened.

I called Seb first with a brief rundown. He was staying all night at his place with Kira.

With the Cadillac in sight, a few cars away, I called Lily. She didn’t answer, and the call went to voicemail. I tried again,fishing out my keys as I reached the car door. At the same time, my bundled-up hoodie hit me in the side of the head and fell across my shoulder.

“Don’t want Lily wondering why you’re missing a hoodie and getting the wrong idea,” Roxy scowled, marching off to her Aston Martin parked behind my car. Unbothered by the fact that she was only in her underwear and heels.

I unlocked the car and ripped my hoodie from my shoulder, dropping into the driver’s seat as I threw the hoodie into the backseat and held the phone to my ear.

Out of habit, I pulled out my old lighter. Until I remembered,I don’t fucking smoke anymore.

Lily still wasn’t answering.

“Come on,” I said through gritted teeth, dialing again as I started the car. “Pick up.”

It went to voicemail again, with Lily politely telling me to leave a message.

“Fuck,” I muttered.

I tried Mom instead. She answered after several rings, pleasantly surprised by the call before she started telling me about her evening at bingo.

“Mom, listen. I need you to stay with a friend tonight.”

She was quiet for a second and responded with a reserved, “Okay… Do I want to know?”

“Probably best you don’t.”

“Be careful.”

“I will.”

I hung up and tossed my phone into the front seat, shoving the gear into drive. Right as I looked ahead, Roxy peeled out onto the street and passed me. I went to follow suit, but my eyes caught on the front door of the club, where Gabriele and several of his men lingered.

His attention came from Roxy’s car, and then he looked at mine, drawing back on another cigarette before he tossed it to the sidewalk and snuffed it out with his shoe.

I pulled away from the curb and dragged the steering wheel down to perform a U-turn, heading in the opposite direction to Roxy. It meant taking the long way home to Lily’s, but it gave me some control over the situation if he had us followed.

I wasn’t sure anything would happen. The prick could just be playing mind games. Regardless, the speed limit was only an option as I gunned the engine.

I let myself into the apartment and went straight to Lily’s bedroom, where the lamp was on and even more light was streaming from her bathroom. Her laptop sat open on her bed, playing music, while a small cardboard box with a brightly colored label sat beside it. It was packaging for something round and small, according to the vague images on the side, but I barely processed it as I rushed to the bedside by the window and crouched down.