Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 69759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“Yeesh, she must have been a piece of work if a biker got a restraining order out against her and left.”
“That don’t even cut it. Bitch is fuckin’ crazy. She burned down my house. With me in it.”
“Wait,” I say, half laughing, half gasping. “Are you serious?”
“Fuckin’ yeah, I’m serious. She thought I was cheatin’ on her. I’m not a fuckin’ cheater, but she was convinced of it. Lost her god damned marbles and I told her it was over. Guess she figured that if she couldn’t have me, nobody could, so she fuckin’ drugged me and, when I fell asleep, she lit the house on fire.”
My eyes are wide. “She actually tried to kill you then?”
“Yep.”
“Holy shit! How did you get out?”
“Adan happened to come past, he needed somethin’ and saw the house up in flames. He got me out, and after a few tests, we figured it out. She denied it of course, then did a runner. Don’t know if they found her or not. I spoke to my President and took a bunch of the guys and left to start my own chapter. Here I am.”
“You haven’t heard from her since?”
He shakes his head. “Nah, not a word, but I changed my number. She could find me if she wanted, I’m sure of it. No doubt she’s tormenting someone else by now.”
“That’s a lot. What about a divorce, or settling the house? How will all that go if you never speak to her again?”
“The house burned to the ground, payout was split between us for that. As for the divorce, I have no fuckin’ idea how I’ll do that.”
“Wow, that’s something else,” I say, pursing my lips. “You sure know how to pick them, huh?”
He grunts. “Yeah, apparently. Look at you.”
“Hey, we’re not anything so I don’t count. I’m just your neighbor.”
“A neighbor determined to get me out.”
“This café is everything to me, you making noise and carrying on all the time, not to mention all the illegal shit I know you’re doing, makes it hard for me to run the kind of business I want.”
“Here’s the thing,” he says, dropping the gauze once he’s done cleaning my face, “you don’t own the world.”
My mouth drops open. “I know that!”
“Do you? Because you seem to think you own the fuckin’ town, but I paid good money for that garage, that house, and my club ain’t goin’ anywhere.”
“You mean your club paid good money for it?”
He stands. “We’re done here.”
“Yeah, we are.”
He turns and leaves, and I know I should yell out a thank you. I know I should be letting him know that I’m grateful he helped me tonight, but I’m pissed off. We take one step forward and a hundred steps back.
Oh, well.
Maybe I’m not ready to stop playing yet anyway.
8
“WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR lip?” my dad asks as he helps me prepare the stage for tonight’s acts.
“Some young dudes jumped me in the parking lot.”
He pauses and stares at me with horror. “I know you joke a lot, and right now I’m hoping to fuck you’re joking.”
I give him a sheepish smile. “I wish I could say I was, but, well, I’m not.”
“Why didn’t you call me!” he yells, throwing the chair down. “Why didn’t you call the police? Who are they? Where are they?”
“It’s okay, Daddy,” I say, putting my hands out to calm him down. “It’s fine, the bikers next door sorted it out.”
His eyes get wider. “The bikers? The bikers? How do I know it wasn’t one of them?”
“It wasn’t, I promise. It was three teenage boys who thought they were all powerful and mighty. It’s totally fine. I’m okay. I gave them a good dose of their own medicine, I promise.”
“You shouldn’t be out there walking alone, what were you thinking?”
“I was delivering a little message to my friends next door, I didn’t know it was dangerous.”
“You’re a young girl, Evelina! Of course it’s dangerous.”
Oh, boy.
“I’m fine, I swear. I won’t do it again, I promise. I wasn’t thinking, but I learned my lesson.”
He stares at me, for a good long minute, and then exhales and nods his head. He trusts me, and I appreciate that. If my Giorgio trusted me too, we’d be one big happy family, but alas, he thinks I’m childish and can’t do anything without being completely serious and having zero personality.
“How many singers tonight?” Dad asks me after a few minutes of silence.
“About five tonight, which isn’t bad. It’ll be a late one, but Dom is coming in to help me.”
“So he should, your brother is very lazy at the moment.”
I roll my eyes. “Dad, he’s young, he’s enjoying his life. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“He needs to set himself up for a family. If he doesn’t, he’ll disappoint and end up alone.”
“You and Giorgio should write a book.”