Outsider - Book Two

Chapter 7

Cece had completely ditched Ezra's phone once she had gained as much information from it as she could. It was a real life tracker to her every location and keeping it made no sense.

She had slept on the streets last night, having no way to contact Vanni.

Though she had stolen some coins off a beggar so at least she could use a payphone.

She inserted the coins and pressed the buttons. The dial tone began.

'Come on, pick up!' She begged the machine.

'Hello?'
'Giovanni?' She spoke through.
'Well, well, well. Where the hell have you been?'
'That's a long story. Please, I need a pick up. I am on the corner of Milton and Cordie.'
'Yeah? And why should I help you out?'
'Please Vanni. Look I have some real first class info on the Ramos family. Please, you've always been like a second dad to me.' There was eerie silence on the other side.

'Fine, be there in ten.' He finally responded and quickly hung up.

She waited patiently, every noise attracting her eyes, like a moth to a flame. She was sure the Ramos family were on the lookout, it's not like they would just let her go.

Finally a black car pulled up. She jumped inside.

But was met with vengeance.

Vanni was sitting with a gun pointed right at her temple.

'What's going on?' She asked panicky.
'You think I don't know? You think I am STUPID?!' He screamed at her. 'DRIVE!' He yelled to the driver. The car started moving.

'I know you got caught, that little damage to your wrist was caused by the Ramos family.' He grabbed her wrist and started twisting it. She let out a yelp of pain.
It coursed through her body like nothing before.

'Please, Vanni I can explain.'
'YOU got yourself caught because of this stupid obsession you have with your father. HE IS DEAD! That will not change. You risked EVERYTHING for me!' He screamed into her face.
Tears started sprouting at her eyes.

'And after everything I have done for you. I took care of your mother, I gave her money, a place to live after your father died.'
'You don't think I know you screwed her every night? You let your friends screw her, just so she could feed her kids.'
'DON'T TALK BACK TO ME!' He screamed. 'You are a spoilt, selfish brat. I gave you everything, how dare you have no respect for me. I asked you to do one thing! ONE THING! And you couldn't even manage that.'

She could once again, feel the tears brush down her cheeks. Her wrist was on fire now, nothing had ever hurt this bad. Not even being tazed.

'And you told them you worked for me.'
'Worked?' Her voice shaky.
'You think I should keep you alive after everything you've done?' He berated her.
'Please Vanni, I have no where else to go. Please, I can't do this to my mother. I promised her i'd help you.'
'You are a disgrace to me.'

'I need this. I am sorry, I never thought about what I was doing. I was stupid and weak, I should have never given anything up. Please, i'll do anything, i'll make it up to you.' She begged. Truthfully she didn't really want to die, she had her brother to look after. God knows her mother wasn't capable of it now.
Her mother couldn't even leave her house, barely eating a thing. Crying at all hours of the night and day.

'Vanni, i'll do anything.' Vanni let go of her wrist finally, the tension stopping slightly. She sighed, trying to relax her mind. But without caution he leaned in and kissed her. His lips wet and gross.

She pushed him away, not wanting to go where she knew it would go.

'You said you'd do anything.' He reminded her. More tears fell from her eyes, he wiped them away. It reminded her of when Ezra had brushed her cheek, she felt sick in the stomach. Like she was going to throw up everywhere. But she swallowed her pride and he kissed her again.

She was lying in Giovanni's bed in the hotel. She couldn't stop crying, she felt weak right now. She had slept with him, she hadn't wanted to but she did. It had saved her life but cost her more than that.
She sat up, Vanni was asleep beside her. The lights of the city beaming out the window. She wished she could be one of those people, normal, free of all of her burdens.

When her father had died her entire world had been flipped upside down. Only two days after his death her mother gave birth to Tommy. The same day her mother had pretty much given up care for him.
Cece took care of him, changed his diapers. Feed him, she was just a little kid but he had no one. It was her responsibility.

Then one day Cece got arrested for stealing a wallet. She was eleven, and her mother had called Giovanni. He had sorted things out for her, in promise her mother would be......gracious to him. It turned her stomach just thinking about it.

But she guessed she was just like her mother now, they had slept with the same man. It had made her sick but she didn't complain. She knew if she hadn't her fate would be much worse.

She just wanted to call Tommy, talk to him. She longed to hear his voice. It had been two weeks since they last spoke.
Cece snuck out of the bedroom and into the kitchen where the phone was. Typing in the numbers and waiting for the dial tone to end.

Waiting, more waiting.

Finally it broke and she could hear breathing on the other side.

'Hello?' It was Tommy, he sounded half asleep. 'Tommy?'
'Cece?'
'Sorry, did I wake you?'
'Yeah but i'm glad you called. It's been so long. How is everything in LA?' She could feel a lump grow in her throat but she tried everything she could not to cry.

'I miss you so much.'
'I miss you too.' He spoke. 'How is New York? How is mum?'
'Mum's the same. She's always the same.' Tears fell from Cece's eyes.
'I'm sorry. I wish I could come home right now.'
'Did you find anything more out about Dad's death?' Cece had told Tommy what she planned to do when she got to LA. Given him little updates here and there but nothing major. She couldn't tell him about what had happened the last two days. About someone watching him, about what the Ramos family had done to her.

'Same as well.' She lied, biting her lip.
'How are things with Giovanni?' He asked. She covered her mouth with her hand. Afraid she'd let out even a squeak.
She swallowed her breath and calmed herself down.
'Good, things are good.' She lied again. 'Did you find a job yet?'
'Yeah. I have an interview tomorrow.'
'Good, I wish you luck for that.'

'Thanks. I wish you could come home Ce.'
'Yeah! Me too. No matter what I need you to know that I love you okay. And I would do ANYTHING for you okay?'
'You're kinda freaking me out.'
'I need you to know that Tommy!'
'Yeah! I know. I love you too.'
'You should get some rest okay. I'll talk to you later. Bye Tom.'
'By Ce.' She hung up and she grabbed a tea towel from the counter to cover her cries. The last thing she needed right now was to wake up Vanni. That would only make things much worse.

She put the towel back down and took in a deep breath.

She should probably go back into the bed, though she really didn't want to.

She pretty much tiptoed, sliding back into place.

She could feel Vanni turn over in his sleep. His arm reached out and touched her leg. Her body shivered and she felt sick again.
'You know i'd do anything to help you.' He broke silence. His voice chilled her bones. She had expected him to be completely asleep.

'I know that.' She responded quietly.
'But I expect the same!' He demanded. 'I know that too.'
'Good, no use in keeping you around if you can't remember your place.' He spoke, before turning back over one more time.

She could do it.

As he slept. Grab his gun and shoot him in the head. He'd be none the wiser, but then what would she do with the body? And there were cameras all over hotels. They'd catch her in a second.
Plus after she had found a way to get rid of the body the whole New York crime syndicate would know Giovanni was missing and they would try to find him. Maybe they'd find the body? Either way it leads back to Cece. And it didn't end well, she'll end up even worse then she was now.

There was no escape, she was officially trapped. In the unending loop of doom. She had to think of her brother. She was doing it for him, to keep him safe. To give him a better life, a life that didn't involve Giovanni or the Syndicate.
She had to give Tommy a way out and if this was the only way...... so be it.