Page 11 of Dangerous Refuge

“Dom is not as stupid as you think he is. You’re putting your life in jeopardy.”

My chest constricts. I hear my brother’s name on their lips and it makes me want to go slit their throats. I pull my phone out of my pocket, ready to call Dominic instantly, but instead I have a good idea. I call Lenny’s office number, knowing he will go back to answer the call and move out of the way. I’ll get a good look at the man’s face that way. The minute I hit send and the phone rings, Lenny glances at his office. My plan is working.

I prepare myself as Lenny moves toward me, trying to maneuver my body so I can see around him, but he looms larger the closer he comes, and blocks my view even more. When I hear the bell at the door ding, I know someone has either left the shop or entered, and I stand abruptly, hoping to see the man Lenny was working on.

The chair is empty, the culprits gone. Lenny closes in and I grab his arm. “Hey, Sven, what’s going on? I gotta get my phone.”

I end the call on my phone and the ringing ceases. He glances at my hand and then looks with fear into my eyes. “What is it?”

“Who was that man?” I ask, nodding to the empty chair where the guy was just seated.

“I swear I don’t know, Sven. He just walked in off the street. I never seen him before in my life.” Lenny holds his hands up innocently. He knows who I am and what I will do to him if he’s lying, so I trust him. Why wouldn’t I? Lenny has no stake in this game. He won’t care if he’s giving his money to Dominic or me; money is money, and to own a shop on this block means he pays up.

“You swear to me you never seen him!” I am enraged now, probably too much so to sit for a haircut.

“Yeah, Sven, I swear.” I hear the fear in his voice and I let go of him and back away. I should have jumped up and walked over to those guys the instant I heard them talking. I should have paid better attention to them as I walked past. These are the tiny details I used to pay attention to before I got distracted by Allie. Maybe Dominic is right. Maybe I am not focused enough on the things that are important. Maybe I have lost my touch because of a woman.

“Your cameras, do they work?”

“No, they are out because of that storm the other night. I’m sorry, Sven.” He looks at me pleadingly but I have no intention of harming him.

I barge out of the shop and my hand goes straight to my phone. I dial the number for the office at the port, but instead of Leo, Nick picks up.

“Yo, this is Nick.”

“Nick, we have a situation. Look, I can’t get into details right now; I just need to know that the shipment is secure. We have to have those guns. We have people out here ready to kill Dominic over this shit and—”

“Woah, slow down. We got all that worked out now.” Nick’s nonchalant attitude irks me. He never takes things seriously and I don’t understand how my father put him in this position. “Hey, Sven, you know Dominic wants these guns shipped to the Mexicans but I think we can turn a profit here. My guys tell me we can get almost four times the money for them in the city.”

“The orders are to ship to the Mexicans. The LA streets need these things more than here and we already have a buyer.” This isn’t the first time Nick has tried to get me to go against Dominic’s orders. A lot of what he says makes sense, and if I were Dominic I’d go about things a different way.

“But a million is so much more money than two-hundred-fifty. Don’t you think? I mean imagine the pride on your father’s face when you turn that profit for the family.” Nick is persuasive but I can’t defy Dominic. Not if I want him on my side when it comes to Allie.

“Just ship them. You make a great argument, but orders are orders. As long as Dominic is the boss, I have to do what he says. I expect the payment in the account tomorrow.” I hang up, realizing I am in the wrong business. I need to take a step back from this shit and reevaluate what I want out of my life. Because right now what I want is Allie, not gun shipments or money. It’s obvious that is where my focus is, because I’m screwing things up and there is nothing I can do about it. Not until she is mine.

7

ALLIE

My eye doesn’t leave Rico for a second. He swings alongside a few girls around his same age while Sarah and I sit on a bench no more than twenty yards away. It’s a great day for the park, but my nerves are high. I don’t usually risk taking Rico in public, but Sven assured me the last time we spoke that he has men watching us—Rico specifically. He knows how strongly I feel about Rico staying safe, and the fact that I haven’t left town yet must speak volumes to him. He got in my head and now I don’t want to leave. I want to see where this goes.

“So tell me, then, if this guy Paul is scaring you so badly, what keeps you here? You’ve been all over this city, babe. I know you. You don’t stick around when your ex comes. You bolt.” Sarah sips an iced coffee through a straw while badgering me. She’s been hounding me the past three days about Sven and what happened after she left the house that night. She’s seen the boxes piled around my living room and knows me better than to believe my procrastination is solely based on money.

I shrug, hiding a smirk. “I have my reasons.” Sven is the only reason, though I’m not even sure if he’s a good reason. Great sex isn’t the same as a man who will cherish and protect me, though he has done the latter. I’m just not sure he’s the “cherish” type. Sven is rough around the edges, impulsive and a bit demanding.

“It’s that beast of a man, isn’t it?” she jokes, jabbing me in the ribs. I snicker and look at her, taking my eyes off of Rico as a few boys run past with remote control cars in hand. Their laughter puts me at ease. With so many people in this park I don’t see how Paul would ever make a move today. I glance at Rico, still on the swings, and settle in for the conversation. I don’t see Sven’s men, but that doesn’t mean they’re not here.

“Okay, so you need to hear this,” I tell her, leaning in. I let my guard down, knowing Rico is there but believing he will be fine on the swings while Sarah and I chat. She leans into me too, straw pinched between her lips, slurping cold coffee. “He thinks he can protect me from Paul…” I let the words hover, unsure if I should tell her about exactly what he wants in exchange.

“And? Is that a bad thing? You could stay where you are, not have to move. And Rico loves Henry, that little boy downstairs. He’s actually made friends this time.” Sarah frowns. I know she loves him like her own, and my heart feels the same way hers does. I don’t want to uproot Rico anymore. Part of me believes that if we just left the state Paul would never know where we went, but I feel like I’d have fewer job opportunities and I’d miss my friends too.

“But there’s a catch,” I say, glancing at Rico. For a moment I don't see him, but my eye catches a flash of red—the color of his shirt—as he ascends the stairs to the jungle gym equipment. He is racing a young girl to the top. I turn back to Sarah just as she clears her throat.

“What’s that? It costs something? Pay it girl. You need a bodyguard.” She shakes her head and leans back on her seat. The way she sits with such confidence baffles me. I’ve been beaten down too many times to fully have that same confidence. I live in fear, so I understand her desire to protect me; I’m just not sure Sven’s request is the right price for my life.

“He wants me to marry him,” I blurt out, no longer feeling like I should hold back. Sarah is my best friend; if anyone can talk me out of this insanity it’s her.

“Wait, what?” she says, nearly spitting a mouthful of iced frappe out. A few drops dribble down her chin and she wipes them away as her eyes grow wide with shock. “You’re joking, right?”

---