CRYPTO: Infidelity (Book 1)

CHAPTER 71: CONFESSION

My heart raced as I drove out of the parking lot. My secret was out. I wondered who else knew and who was the tattletale? Was it Dedrick or the chief? Or was it someone else in the department they told? All I knew was that Birdie and I were in danger. Nothing else mattered anymore.

I got out my phone and texted while I drove. I knew I shouldn't but it was an emergency.

I texted Birdie: Are you home??

She sent: Yeah

Her response was immediate. That was a good sign.

I texted: Is Rockie there?

She replied: No

I sent: Good

I was already on my way there.

I parked in her driveway and knocked on the door.

Birdie opened the door.

"I need to talk to you," I said.

"Now's not really a good time, Crypto," she said. "Rockie could be back any minute. You should have called."

"This is important," I told her.

"Alright. Come in, but make it quick."

I went inside and she shut the door.

"I should've told you this a long time ago but I didn't know how to put it into words," I told her, "so I'm just gonna go outright and say it. I love you. I've loved you since I first saw you and the more time we spend together, I end up loving you even more. I love your smile. I love your laugh. I love the way you look at me. I love how you light up a room just with your presence. I love the way you see the world around you. I love your compassion for others. I love everything about you." I felt a bit light headed after that whole spiel and stopped to catch my breath.

Birdie looked at me for a second and then squeezed her eyes shut. "I must be dreaming," she said.

I stepped close to her. "You're not dreaming. I really mean it."

Birdie opened her eyes and looked into mine. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear you say that."

"There's something else I have to tell you," I said. "I'm not really on the mafia's side. I'm a cop at heart and I've been undercover this whole time. I wanted to take the mafia down from inside, but they found me out, and now we're both in real danger."

"Why am I in danger?" she asked.

"They know about us. They know we've been hanging out. They know I like you."

"Does Rockie know?" she asked.

"I don't know. I only know that Diesel knows which means the Boss probably knows as well."

"I'm gonna call Rockie. He'll keep me safe."

"Not if he knows we've been hanging out without his knowledge," I told her. "He'll want his revenge on both of us."

"What can we do then?" she asked.

"Come with me and we'll leave the city, maybe even the state."

"I can't leave."

"Why not?"

"I just can't."

"Birdie, your life is on the line. You can't stay here. You can't trust Rockie to protect you."

"I'm not going back to that life," she told me. "I won't do it!"

"Birdie-"

"You don't know what I had to go through!" she said, her eyes starting to water. "I didn't have any money. I didn't have any food. Some guy came to me one evening and told me he would pay me if I spent the night at a hotel with him. It paid well and more guys started hiring me. They took advantage of me and they were awful to me, but I had no other way to get money for food." She closed her eyes and tears rolled down her cheeks. "Rockie was different. He was good to me. He takes care of me now."

"Birdie... I had no idea..." I was speechless.

"Just go without me," she said. "I'm better off here."

"I could protect you, Birdie. I'll make sure nothing like that ever happens to you ever again," I told her.

"Where are you gonna get money if you run away?" she asked.

"I'll get another job."

"They'll find you."

"Maybe. Maybe not. All I know is we're not safe staying here."

"No. You're not safe staying here. You're the one who betrayed the mafia, not me. You should have known the risks. It's not my fault you were caught, so don't drag me into this."

"It's too late for that, and don't blame me for this. I'm not the one who wants us dead."

"Yeah, but you knew you were putting my life at risk by hanging around me like that. Now you want me to leave everything and go live in a car with you?"

"If you're not going, I'm not going," I said.

"Don't be dumb," she said.

"It's not dumb. My life isn't worth living if I can't live it with you. If they want to kill me, they can kill me."

"You would choose me over your own life?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I love you. Did you miss that part?"

"You really do love me..." Birdie said.

"I do," I said.

Birdie smiled and then lights flashed through the window. She gasped. "Rockie's back."