All Chapters of The Cost of Saving Him: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

-Luciano- It’s been a couple of days since the Tommy situation, and I still haven’t been able to go see Mina. Frankie kept calling, keeping me in the loop about the funerals. I had made a call to Detective Charles, one of the paid cops. He ruled it murder, but under the pretense of robbery. I explained to him what happened, and he said he would take care of it. Charles grew up with our father, so I knew I could trust him. He was like family. Tommy’s father got the news, but he wouldn’t remember it anyway. Alzheimer's is a bitch like that. I am not sure who was told about the girl’s death, Lola, but I knew Mina would find out. I couldn’t help feeling guilty, hearing her beg, telling me she was Mina’s best friend, I couldn’t shoot, and Frankie had to. I told Corey to keep an eye on her, let me know when she finds out, and if she believes it was us who did it. He didn’t like spying on her, but when I told him it was more or less trying to keep her clean from this life, the pain, and the

-Luciano- The bar was loud, but felt so quiet in the space around us. The words Frankie had left out in the open left Mina speechless. Still saying nothing, Mina stood, grabbing onto the table, shaking. “Mina, are you okay?” I asked as I stood, reaching for her arm. She pulled away and looked at me, “I’m going home.” I started to grab my coat to take her home, “alone.” She turned and left. I looked to Frankie, “Should I follow her or what, dude?” I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t used to someone walking away from me, let alone barking orders at me. He shook his head, looking down at his phone. “No, I texted Tony already and told him the situation and to give her a ride, saying no is not acceptable.” He looked up, finally, “Brother, give her time. I will go see and talk to her tomorrow. Alone.” I nodded. I didn’t have anything to do with his death directly, but the family’s business affairs did, so I felt responsible just the same. We walked over to the bar and ordered a drink befo

-Mina- I stood there, tears streaming down my face, “Mina?” I turned to see Corey standing there. I didn’t hear him come in. “Did you hear?” He pulled his hood down and set a bag on the bar. “Yeah, what the fuck happened?” I told him they said it was robbery, but I don’t understand why or how. Neither did he. “I swear that doesn’t sound right. Now, I didn’t know Tommy much, but Lola, why would she be mixed up in it?” I looked at Corey, tears still streaming down, “It’s weird, I just hope it had nothing to do with-” He cut me off before I could finish. “I don’t think so, that lot is popular for robberies, sadly.” He walked over, wrapping his arm around me, “So what are you even doing here? I thought you were taking the day to prepare for coming in tomorrow.” I laughed, showing him my sketchbook, “I was thinking about some change here, but I don’t know. What do you think?” He snatched the book from me, dropping his jaw, “Girl, this is fabulous. I have been waiting for this to happen,

-Mina- As much as I didn’t like to, I took the bus home. Anything to get me away from them. Telling me that was not what I needed to hear, not today, not ever. My phone rang, it was Corey. I hit the red key, I shoved my phone in my pocket, and watched as each building passed through the windows. One after another, like the deaths in my life. I pulled the string when I was close to the bar, then walked the rest of the way home, avoiding everything I knew. Even my own thoughts. I got home to an anxious Spot, which wasn’t his typical greeting, which told me something was wrong. “What is it, buddy?” I followed him inside, shutting the door behind me. He led me to the living room, where Corey was sitting. “Hey, I got worried when you didn’t answer. Tony texted me and told me what happened. What the fuck, man?” I couldn’t stop the tears before they started. “It’s their fault he is dead, their fault he didn’t see me graduate, give the speech he helped me write, then college, now the bar.

-Mina- I stepped forward, opening the door. “Frankie, it is 3 in the morning. What are you doing here? Actually, how do you know where I live?” He stood there, waiting for me to let him in, which I didn’t do. “What do you want?” I asked again, hoping to sound serious. The truth was, the dreams had me off guard, and his showing up did not help the cause. “I,” he stopped, rubbing his hair, the same way he did in school when he got nervous over something. “Spit it out, I was trying to sleep.” “I wanted to apologize again and talk to you alone.” I sighed, loud enough to let him know I was not forgiving him anytime soon. “I guess you can come in, you still didn’t answer the other question, how do you know where I live, did your brother tell you?” He laughed as he stepped past me, “Something like that.” I didn’t respond. I just watched as he made himself comfortable in my living room. “I did want to talk to you, on a serious and not fucked up note.” Spot walked up to him, still growling