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24: Beatrice
The painkillers I had taken were wearing off. Or, it could be that the pain I felt when I realized I had forgotten that this was the anniversary of Leah's death was overwhelming me. I didn't know which it was and it really didn't matter. One year ago, a part of my soul died.
Alessio kept his arm around me as he steered me through the courtroom, out the doors, and toward the waiting Escalade out front. There were cameras flashing and I thought absently that this was the first time I would see photos on the news where the defendant was protecting the lawyer instead of the other way around.
"Your friend," Alessio started and I felt a lump rise in my throat. "You were close?"
I nodded, unable to say anything.
"What was her name?" Alessio asked, his eyes gentl
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Caught in the Crossfire 25: Beatrice
The memory slammed into focus as I glared at those roses. The roses mocked me, their colours as vibrant as a sunrise. I knew Leah loved them, but just like in the memory, I knew Leah was dead. She didn't know about the roses. The roses were for me. I dropped the daisies at Leah's grave and snatched up the flowers, pulling the bouquet to my face and looking for a card. A thorn scraped against my finger, one the florist had missed trimming while making the arrangement. I let out a curse as I popped my finger in my mouth and held the flowers with my other hand. I saw a card and I grabbed it. My fingers shook as I dropped the flowers and opened the card. "May all your sunrises be as vibrant May all your dreams be fulfilled.
Caught in the Crossfire 26: Devon
I knew she wouldn’t be happy that we had put flowers on Leah’s grave, but I had hoped she might be able to look past her anger and see that we sent the flowers as a way to honor her friend, not to taunt her with memories of the past. Perhaps it was presumptuous of us to assume we could be a part of her grief when her anger was too raw, too poignant. I could see her from a distance. I was sitting in a car on one of the winding roads through the cemetery and I watched her visit Leah. I knew she would come here, I didn’t know when but I knew she would make an appearance at Leah’s gravestone. I needed to be near her today. Of all days that she needed me, today was the most important of all. She needed me, David, and even Alessio, as new as he was, and I needed to be close so I could help her, even if it was from the shadows. As soon as I felt her tense on the bench next to me in the courtroom when she realize
Caught in the Crossfire 27: Beatrice
I walked around numbly through Alessio's house. It was a large house for the city, but small enough I felt like there was someone near, just around the corner, waiting to soothe the loneliness that came with this day. I wanted to go home, back to my house but he wouldn't let me. I supposed that was because someone was trying to kill me, but today, I didn't care. I could die the same day Leah had died and I would be at peace, finally.Unfortunately, Callie had other ideas because she followed me like a puppy. Alessio had left and as soon as he walked out the front door to "meet with some business partners" I felt uneasy. I didn't like being in his house without him here. Trey had similarly gone home, despite my protests. Alessio had assured me Trey was safe and my inability to argue meant he, too, walked out the front door ahead of Alessio."Callie, I need
Caught in the Crossfire 28: Beatrice
Mark stared at me with a look of disbelief. I was standing in the doorway of his office, breathing heavily from the effort of the day. I was exhausted but I needed information and Mark would help me. "You were shot?" I nodded in agreement and my face reflected my exhaustion. The day had been long and Callie kept trying to pull me back toward the elevator. I knew she wanted to get me back into a cab heading toward Alessio's. I wasn't ready to go back yet, though. I had things that I needed to find out. Mark was the first stop. "Listen, I need a favor," I said and I watched as Mark's brow rose expectantly, waiting for me to explain. "I need to know who stores backup files for Safe and Secure? Specifically for S
Caught in the Crossfire 29: Beatrice
Callie looked at me with confusion. "We went there, I didn't see a camera," she said slowly. Her face was scrunched in concentration. "No, you wouldn't have," I answered. "But you did?" Alessio asked. I nodded. "Mind giving us a little more information?" Callie asked. I loved working her up when I had information she didn't yet have. "There's this company, Safe and Secure," I started. "Your brother's company?" Callie asked. I nodded in triumph. "Exactly." "You have a brother?" Alessio asked.
Caught in the Crossfire 30: Beatrice
“Your brother’s company is in DC? I thought he lived in New York,” Callie said, trying to sound nonchalant as we drove closer to the industrial buildings on the outskirts of the DC Metropolitan area. “Just his data storage,” I replied. “It’s held by a company in Annapolis.” “Why did you need Mark to tell you that?” “It’s not public knowledge but Mark’s his counsel,” I said. “It’s the reason I got hired at the firm.” “That’s why your mother loves him?” “Oh yeah, and Mark is an acceptable choice for a Welsh.” I could see Alessio turning his head slightly to listen to our conversation. His eyes glanced back at me in the rearview mirror and I felt the intensity of his stare.
Caught in the Crossfire 31: Beatrice
“What does that even mean?” I yelled in frustration. “I work for you forever and somehow that doesn’t kill me? I retire? Your father lets me walk away at the end of my career and spend the rest of my days in a little hut in Costa Rica? You know that would never happen. I’m with your family until I die, whenever that is. There is no reality where someone works for your family and then suddenly just doesn’t. Unless they’re dead.” Alessio stretched his neck as I huffed out the reality of my situation as if he were entering a ring and needed to loosen his muscles in anticipation. “I will protect you,” he said, ignoring the rest of my rant and zeroing in on my fear for my life. “I won’t let anyone in my family hurt you.” “THEY’RE TRYING TO KILL ME! I’VE BEEN SHOT AT AND THREATENED AND YOUR FAMILY IS THE TOP OF T
Caught in the Crossfire 32: Beatrice
I stepped out of the shower, the wound in my side a sharp reminder of my mortality as I hobbled to the room to find clothes. My hair stuck to the side of my throat and my eyes had small black circles along the bottom where my mascara had run in the steam. I was never great about removing my makeup before a shower and it showed. “Bea? You done?” Trey’s voice called out for me from the hall where he had gone after making sure I could navigate the shower on my own. “Not yet,” I called out. The drawers in this room were filled with clothes my size and I was hit again with the irony that Alessio had everything I needed before I even got here. It was almost as if he had planned it. The room blinds to the windows were closed and I could see the sun shining through the small slits on the side of the frame, casting
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