The Beginning

Nicky

Tess sat on the countertop in the laundry room. A stack of folded bed sheets cushioned her back. Six fluffy white towels served as her arm rest. Her thighs flattened against the hard surface.

I stood beside her, hip rested against the counter.

She was easy to talk with. So much so, that I'd thought it wise to spill my guts. I walked her through the things I could. As much as I liked Tess, and hated to admit it, Lexi was right, she was sweet. Kind and fragile, she would crumple. Anyone would buckle at the mention of Hannibal Romero.

"What happened after you left the bar?" Tess questioned, sitting forward. "Why did Santi kick Veronica out?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I got there and everyone was already yelling." Santi was red in the face, practically foaming at the mouth. He saw me first, then several pairs of eyes shifted. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. "He told her that she couldn't stay with him." I thought back to her hurt expression in the church parking lot. "I definitely didn't help, and then I doubled down."

"I'm sorry, Nicky." She murmured somberly. "Your brother passed away. That has to be hard."

I choked back the lump in my throat. "You got any siblings?" I asked, looking up at her.

Tess wore a pitying expression. "I have a brother. His name is Theo. He is the worst, ever."

I snickered. "Does he live around here?"

"No, he's a snob like the rest of them." Tess shook her head.

"Your family?"

"My mom came from money. I'm talking billions. We didn't know until her dad died. She and my dad met at a rehab and didn't exactly change when they fell in love a month into recovery. The old man never changed his will, so he basically handed her everything."

"Why did you stay here?"

"This is my home. I grew up here. There isn't a street I haven't walked, a face I haven't greeted or a kid that I haven't taught." She leaned back and watched me. "Why did you leave?"

His lips curled upward. "I don't get you—"

"Uh-uh." She waggled a long slender finger at me. A thin silver metal band wrapped her fourth finger, a small purple gem twinkled at me. "I get you, Nicky." She scanned my features. "You're a runner. You avoid things, like my questions, when you feel uncomfortable." Her ankles locked and her hands rested on her thighs. "Don't avoid me."

"You get tougher and tougher, don't you, Tess Bowen?" I teased. When she didn't react, I submitted. "When I was nineteen, Rico and I got into it." It was the first time I caught him using. He was passed out on his bedroom floor with a needle in his arm. "We stopped talking to each other unless it involved work. I didn't see a reason to be around when he had Santi." To some degree, that was true. I wanted a life outside Rico's shadow. Santi practically threw a tantrum when I asked Uncle Dom to let me go out on my own. Then Uncle Dom had his own meltdown over the fact that Roni wanted to come with me. In the end, Uncle Dom wished us luck with "whatever comes our way." I don't think he ever truly thought she and I could make it together.

Maybe it was me. My fault. All the hard times Rico saw us through, and I dropped him like a good habit. As impatient and unforgiving as my Uncle Dom, Mom's words echoed in my head. I couldn't grieve for Rico because I was too busy pointing fingers, trying to figure out where my anger belonged. I didn't need to look beyond my own front yard. I killed Rico.

Tess hopped off the counter and wrapped herself around me. Chest to chest, her arms constricted further.

My hand molded to the curve in her spine. Testing the water, my other hand rested against her backside.

"Seriously? You're hitting on me right now?" Tess chided but made no movement.

"It makes me feel better." I mumbled into the crown of her head.

Tess vibrated with little snickers until she allowed herself to laugh aloud. "Move your hand."

I gave her a squeeze.

"That's not what I meant."

Beyond the back door, a car alarm sounded suddenly. Tess jumped and pushed off me. "Damn it." She reached for a sock-clad bat beside the door, clutching it tightly in her hand. She flew to the door, but I was quicker.

"Where are you going?" I cut her off at the threshold.

"Outside. It's probably some teenagers who missed curfew. It happens all the time."

I cracked the door to peak through it before I stepped out.

Her red Honda was covered in glass. Every window had been smashed to pieces. Shredded tires had lowered to the concrete. "Teenagers?" I looked at Tess. She wilted like a week-old flower, but she didn't seem surprised by it. "You got enemies, Tess Bowen?"

"One." she admitted. Her hand slipped into the center pocket of her apron. "I got a weird phone call after we hooked up and this note tonight." She withdrew a crumpled paper and flattened it out.

I took it as she offered and scanned the jagged red script. "You didn't think this was important enough to tell someone about?" I bit.

Tess folded her arms defensively. "I thought it was a stupid prank. Then I heard about Hannibal. I told myself that I was overthinking it."

My lips curled into my mouth. Hannibal wouldn't be able to make that phone call from a secure facility. He had someone working with him on the outside. I'd gone above and beyond to make everyone felt my pain and that made them all suspects. "Did you know him?"

"Barely. I knew him through Star, but we weren't friends or anything."

Did he mention my name? A question to which I couldn't stomach the answer. "We should call a tow truck. I'll take you home."

"I'm not going home. I need to be at the school in an hour. Jenny should be coming in any minute."

"I'll take you to the school. Santi will drop off a car for you before you're off."

"I can rent one." She shook her head.

"You want to spend more money?" I argued.

"Yes." She jutted her hip. "I don't need yours."

I took a breath, determined not to let things get out of control. Resting my hands on her shoulders, I pleaded with her. "Let me help you."

"Are you going to hold it over my head when things get bad?"

"I promise you." I lifted a hand to draw an X over her heart. "I'm lending it to you. You can be responsible for gas and maintenance until you get a new one." I reasoned.

"Fine." She decompressed. "Jamie told me that your uncle Dominic saved our town. Star said the same thing." Tess thought for a moment. "If Hannibal comes back, will he be here for us, again?"

My throat tightened. Uncle Dom moved into the latter half of his life. Regardless of his power, there was no way he could showdown with Hannibal. As prevalent as he was, it seemed, Romero still had quite a few people of his own. One of them keeping tabs on me, Tess and maybe even Star. "Yeah, he'll be here."