You're My Peace of Mind

Part 24

Wake up. Eat. Go for a run. Avoid that nagging feeling in my gut that something is not right. Fight with Claudia. Look at my phone, hoping to receive a call from Alex. Fuck Emilio. Discuss business with Duffy and Emilio. Eat again. Sleep.

This has been my daily routine for the past couple weeks since my date with Alex. He hasn't called nor have I. I've been so unease that I actually started running, not too sure what I was running for, but I knew soon enough I would find out.

I just finished going for my run, as I walked into the kitchen all sweaty to grab a water. "Trying to run away from your problems?" Claudia said to me while drying her hands with a towel. I ignored her. "This is what happens when you play grown men games with a little girl mindset." She finished looking at me coldly. "I think I've been too kind to you that you forgotten your position Claudia." I said instantly regretting it as it came out of my mouth. Claudia just stared that me clearly taken aback from my comments. Seeing the hurt in her eyes I spoke to apologize as the doorbell rang. She quickly left to answer the door.

Sighing, I opened the fridge to grab a water. I knew deep down inside Claudia was right and she was trying to protect me, but I wasn't ready for saving. I was just at the beginning of testing these waters. Walking in was Emilio. We both agreed to keep our sex a secret, each for our own reasons. Frankly I'm not too sure what his reason is but I don't care enough to ask.

Walking up to me, he wraps his arms around my waist pulling me into him. Rolling my eyes, I tried to push him off me, for some reason today I was irritable. Chuckling, he let me go picking up on my attitude. "Someone's upset I see." He said looking at me smirking. Pulling out a long large box out of his back pocket "I got you something." He said handing me the velvet box "I was going to wait a few weeks for Christmas." He said as I open the box, I was breathless.

In my hand I held an expensive diamond necklace with a tear shape 10.15 carat diamond. I just stared at it in disbelief "You like it?" he asked proudly "Yes. But I can't take this." I said closing the box handing it back. He pushed it back into my hands while answering his phone.

I put the box on the counter turning to leave. I heard Emilio yelling in Italian, I did my best to try to understand but I couldn't. Emilio slammed the phone on the counter "We have a problem." He said angrily. I nodded allowing him to continue. "We are short for the Cartel." He said looking worry. I started to laugh because if I didn't, I would cry. "How is any of this funny?" Emilio asked confusingly "We owe five million to the Cartel is funny?" Emilio asked.

"There is no we in this, YOU and FUCCI owe the Cartel $5 million." I said still laughing. I'll be dammed if I was going to be dragged into this mess. "Think you might have forgotten Mrs. DeLaruso, the DeLaruso family was given 20 Kilos of product from the Cartel and now the DeLaruso family is short five million dollars to the Cartel. And remind me again, who's the head of the DeLaruso family?" Emilio said glaring at me. I stopped laughing. "Ain't funny now, is it?" Emilio said. Walking away he looked over his shoulder "Keep the necklace. You might have to sell it to payback the Cartel." And with that he left. Once again, I was forced to see that I was not in control of this familia. They were in control of me.

I was running again, I could feel my heart ready to explode out of my chest, my throat dry starving for water. "Trying to run away from your problems?" "This is what happens when you play grown men games with a little girl mindset." Claudia's words playing in my head over and over again. Tears filled my eyes, I felt pain, pain in my legs, my heart and head. My vision was blurry that I didn't see whom I was crashed into. Thankfully strong arms held me before I dropped to the floor. I mumbled a sorry incoherently through sobs, trying to continue my run.

The arms wouldn't let me go. Deep in my thoughts, I didn't hear a word the person who saved me from falling on my ass said to me. Looking up from the ground I was meet with familiar hazel eyes, his mouth moving with a look of concern on his face. "Are you okay?" he asked concern. I nodded my head "I'm fine." I said hoarsely from my dry throat. "Come let's sit." Alex said pulling me towards the park bench.

He handed me his bottle of water "Drink." He said as he pushed his water to my lips. I drank allowing my body a sense of relief from receiving water. There was some awkward tension between us. "I'm sorry that I've been distance lately." Alex said. "It's fine" I lied trying to hide the countless days I checked my phone hoping he would call or text. "No, it's not. Let me get you some coffee, to make it up to you. Our favorite coffee shop is right down the street." He plead.

I don't remember saying yes or even the walk to the café, but here I sit with a cup of coffee in front of me and Alex on the opposite side of the table. "A penny for your thoughts." He said. I just shrugged my shoulders; I was smart enough not to involve Alex in this problem I was facing. "Look Ana, I apologize again. Sometimes my case load gets very deep and I get invested in them, neglecting myself, my life and people who I care about. I'm trying to learn how to juggle both my job and personal life at the same time." He said. "I thought you were thinking about quitting your job?" I asked remembering what he said a few months back when we first had coffee. "True. But that's all talk and frustration." He said laughing. He looked down at this watch then back at me. "I have to go walk Rocca, wanna come?" he asked, "I live just a few blocks from here." He said. I agreed, not too sure why, but I was enjoying his company.

Entering his one-bedroom apartment, it was decorated like any bachelor in his early 30s would be. Dark colored walls, with dark color furniture. Sports memorabilia, police academy awards and pictures of family lined the walls. Laying on the couch was Rocca, a brown haired five-year-old 55lb Boxer. Rocca jumped from the couch and playfully jumped on me. I smiled and patted her remembering the dog that my nana once owned. "Down Rocca." Alex said sternly to the dog, who immediately stop jumping and sat down by my feet.

"Make yourself at home. I just gotta grab something before we go." Alex said leaving me in his living room. I walked around the living room admiring the books on his bookshelf. A folder on his desk next to the bookshelf caught my attention. Opening the folder there was multiple pictures, going through them only two caught my attention. One looked like it was taken from a security camera of two masked men, and another of a very familiar looking necklace. Before I could even process what I just saw, Alex startled me by clearing his throat. "It's a very beautiful necklace." I said trying hard not to sound suspicious. "It is. Beautiful, expensive and stolen." He said removing the picture from my hands placing back into the folder. He put it back on his desk and turned towards me. "It was stolen, along with other pricey jewelry the night we had dinner. Two male suspects we have on camera robbing the jewelry store, but that necklace was the most expensive piece they took." He said searching into my eyes. I trained my eyes on his, sensing any other eye movement would give me away. "I thought your specialized in organized crime not jewelry heist." I said still staring right into his eyes. "Correct. Organized crime and homicide. An organized crime group is suspected and there was a homicide. The two suspects tortured and killed the security on duty that night." He said. There was a minute stare off between the two of us. "Ready for the walk?" Alex asked breaking the stare off. At the moment I was in no mood to go on a dog walk, but I feared leaving right after knowing that information would render me suspicious.

Our walk was uneventful and seemed as if the tension between us was left at the house. After what seemed like hours, Alex walked me back to my car I left at the park. "Every time I see you, you have a new car." Alex said laughing. I laughed back agreeing. After kissing him goodbye, I quickly got into my car. Watching Alex walking away with Rocca in my rearview mirror, I pulled out my phone. "Wassup?" answered Emilio. "Where did you get the necklace from?" I asked as calmly as I could. Silence. "Where THE FUCK did you get that necklace from?" I asked again. I was hyperventilating at this point. Here I was once again involved in some fucked up shit they created. "Ana, listen..." Emilio spoke, I cut him off "Who stole it?" I asked knowing already who, but just wanting to hear the answer. "It was Fucci's idea but listen..." was all Emilio got out before I hung up the phone on him. At this point I was officially done being pushed around and done with Fucci. I dialed a familiar number "All good?" Duffy answered. "Familia meeting tonight 10pm I want all heads there excluding Fucci." I said sternly. After a moment of silence Duffy answered, "Will do."

*Thank you all for reading my story, I'm forever grateful!