006. One-way ticket

JAYCE BECKETT

"Here's the membership card," Salvio said, handing me a sleek black card with a subtle chip embedded in it. "Be at the clubhouse before 10 pm."

Salvio, the guy Renato Marino had tasked with dropping me off at Adam's Bar, gave me a serious look, as if emphasizing the importance of the card.

"Thank you," I said hastily, shoving the card into my pocket as if eager to rid myself of it. "I'll be at the club."

Salvio's gaze lingered on me in the rearview mirror, his eyes seeming to bore into my soul for what felt like an eternity. His silence was unnerving, and I could feel my anxiety spiking as I slowly reached for the door button, ready to make a hasty exit from his car.

Just as my finger hovered over the button, Salvio's voice cut through the movement, making me stop.

"I still don't understand why the boss is giving you a chance," he said, his tone low and resentment, "but let me make one thing clear: if you have any ulterior motives, I'll kill you before the boss even gets the chance."

His eyes remained fixed on my hand, and I felt a shiver run down my spine as my fingers trembled slightly.

What the hell was this guy's problem? Why was he so quick to suspect me when Renato hadn't even batted an eyelid about who I might actually be?

"I... I swear, I only wanted to serve the boss," I stammered, the words tasting bitter on my lips as I lied through my teeth.

I paused, locking eyes with Salvio, who responded with a nonchalant shrug, as if to say I had to prove my loyalty before he'd believe me. The skepticism in his gaze made my skin crawl.

Well, screw him. I wasn't about to become an ally, and I never would be.

Salvio's expression remained impassive, his eyes glinting with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

"Go," he finally said, his voice low and even, as he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. The black polish on his nails seemed to gleam in the dim light, making him appear even more dangerous than he already was.

"Make sure the boss doesn't arrive at the club before you do. He hates tardiness." The warning was evident: don't screw up or I'm going to kill you.

"I won't be late," I swallowed down hard, giving him a curt bow.

I pushed open the door and stepped out of the car, my eyes never leaving Salvio's face. The moment my feet touched the ground, he sped off, leaving me in a cloud of dust.

It was as if he'd been waiting for the perfect moment to discard me, like a used tissue.

"Son of a gun," I hissed, coughing as I dusted off my shirt before walking towards my car.

Once inside, I slammed the door shut and gripped the steering wheel so tightly that I feared it would snap in two.

I lowered my head, planting my forehead against the cool leather, and let out a deep, shuddering breath.

"That was bloody terrifying," I muttered, rubbing my face against the smooth surface of the steering wheel as I replayed the events of the past few hours.

I couldn't believe I'd actually infiltrated Renato Marino's villa and made it out alive. How was that even possible? How had I managed to fly under the radar?

Renato Marino, the notorious mafia boss, had taken me under his wing without so much as batting an eyelid. It was surreal.

His words still echoed in my mind. As if I was still in that room with him.

"You'll officially become one of us after you get branded tonight. Come to the clubhouse, and I'll provide you with full protection because you're one of my own now."

I couldn't wrap my head around it. The Marino Family was infamous for their ruthlessness and paranoia. Nothing slipped past them unnoticed. So, how could Renato Marino have missed the fact that I was...who I was?

I gingerly touched my chest, wincing as my elbow brushed against the wound. I pulled back, staring down at the plaster wrapped tightly around my torso. A shiver ran down my spine as I thought about how close I'd come to death.

"Something's off," I gasped, my head spinning with a growing sense of unease as I frantically patted down my pockets for my phone.

Did he bug my phone? Did he see anything that gave away my identity?

The thought sent a chill down my spine. If Renato Marino had indeed accessed my phone and discovered my true identity, I'd be dead by now. He wouldn't have let me walk out of his villa alive.

My fingers trembled as I finally found my phone in my pocket. I pulled it out, my heart racing, and tried to turn it on. The screen remained black, just as I'd left it before entering the bar the previous night.

"Please, please, please," I whispered to myself, my eyes scanning the phone's dark screen as if willing it to come to life. "Don't let Renato have bugged my phone."

I took a deep breath, turned on my phone, and began scouring it for any signs of tampering or tracking software. My fingers flew across the screen, my mind racing with worst-case scenarios.

But as the minutes ticked by, I found nothing. No hidden apps, no suspicious activity, no indication that Renato had accessed my phone.

A wave of relief washed over me, and I pressed my phone against my chest, letting out a shaky breath.

"He didn't check my phone," I whispered, my voice trembling with gratitude.

But why? Renato was notorious for his paranoia and meticulousness. It didn't add up. Something was definitely wrong somewhere.

I was about to relax, letting the tension seep out of my body, when a sudden jolt of anxiety reminded me that I'd gone hours without checking on my nephew.

"Oh, my god... Curtis!" I gasped, my heart racing as I opened the home security app on my phone. The live feed flickered to life, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Curtis sitting safely on my bed.

"Well, I guess there was no emergency at home either. Is today my lucky day or what?" I grinned, I was about to put my phone away when I noticed Curtis was talking to someone and my eyes widened in shock and the phone slipped out of my hand when I realized who it was.

"What the hell is he doing in my apartment? This early in the morning?" I screamed, slamming my hands against the steering wheel in frustration.

My phone suddenly sprang to life, buzzing loudly and startling me. "Oh my god!" I exclaimed, my heart racing as I saw who was calling me.

Lazily, I reached for my phone and picked it up, swiping the icon to answer the call. "Hello?" I said hesitantly.

"Where the fuck did you go?" a deep, angry voice barked on the other end of the line. I nervously threw my hand up to massage my scalp, feeling a wave of anxiety wash over me.

"Fucking answer me, Jayce. Where the fuck did you go? Leaving the boy all alone in here all night?" His voice was laced with accusation and concern, making me feel even more guilty.

I hesitated, unsure of what to say. What could I possibly tell him? That I'd went undercover and spent the night in Renato Marino's villa, trying to uncover secrets? That I might have been shot but I was still alive?

That I'd managed to gain the trust of a notorious mafia boss, but had potentially put my nephew's life in danger by leaving him alone all night?

"I'm... on my way home," I said finally, avoiding the question and ending the call.

I started the engine, feeling a sense of relief wash over me as I pulled out of the parking lot.

Curtis wasn't in danger, and I had miraculously won a one-way ticket into Renato Marino's clubhouse. Cole won't be too hard on me if I should tell him, right?