I sighed, shaking my head, and stood up. “I have to go talk to Vince about this.”
“Okay.”
I gave her one last look before turning and leaving the room.
The damn girl had a knack for getting into trouble. I knew she meant well and genuinely wanted to help, but she just kept making choices without consulting me. It made protecting her really hard.
But then again, that was what I admired about her. She wasn’t afraid to make choices and to try something. She wasn’t afraid of screwing up so badly that she was paralyzed with fear.
She was strong and she was brave.
Maybe she was too strong and too brave for her own good.
29
Cassidy
I knew Rafa wasn’t going to want me to help, but I couldn’t say no.
I was tired of Rafa and Vince scheming to save me. I didn’t want to be a burden. I knew that going out on my own and doing things against Rafa’s advice was probably a bad idea, and what got him shot in the first place, but I also knew that I had to keep trying. There was no real reason not to try to contact the Spiders for the mob.
They were just playing their political game, which I understood. Or at least I understood that they were playing it; I didn’t get how to actually play.
But if contacting the Spiders could help, I would try. I didn’t know if I even could get through to them without them knowing about the mafia, but I’d give it a shot. It just couldn’t hurt at this point.
With Rafa gone to talk to Vince, I decided to get out of the room. I hadn’t explored the compound much, so I found myself heading downstairs and out the back door, past the pool, and down a path between the stables.
It was beautiful outside. There was a slight breeze, and the trees were waving in the near distance. I headed past the stables, where I got hit with a powerful whiff of horse and hay. I went through an open field and slipped in along the tree line.
I just walked. I didn’t have a goal in mind; I was just walking along and looking at nature. It had been a while since I’d last gone for a walk like that with no real destination or anything in mind. As far as I was concerned, there was nothing else but me and the birds.
And the memory of Rafa’s body against mine. Despite everything that had happened, I still found myself wanting him so badly. It seemed almost stupid, but I felt incredibly close to him.
Maybe all that had happened had just worked to bring us closer together. We did get to know each other very well over those three days in the hospital room. We’d had nothing to do but play card games and talk about our lives.
Rafa hadn’t had the easiest life so far. He’d come from nothing and built something for himself, and he was intensely proud of that. I had to admit, I was drawn to that in him, that powerful and dominant approach to the world.
He wasn’t afraid to take what he wanted. I’d lived so much of my life afraid of what would happen if I acted, and it hadn’t been until I began researching human trafficking that I really felt alive. Of course, that hadn’t worked out so well for me, but still. I’d been on the verge of doing something good.
Now, though, my story was dead. I knew deep down that I’d never write it, even if I still wanted to. I was just too entangled with the mob at this point. There would be other stories to write, other important topics to illuminate.
But I was done writing about human trafficking. The thought almost made me sad, but I took a deep breath and wouldn’t allow myself to feel down. I’d done so much, and I had a child growing inside me. I wasn’t going to regret anything. I wouldn’t allow it.
I headed down a path and heard the sound of a slow-moving stream up ahead. Curious, I stepped through a break in the trees and the underbrush and stepped out onto the bank.
I stopped short at what I saw.
Standing in the water was Louisa Barone. She wore a loose, white button-down shirt and khaki pants that were rolled up her calves. She waved as soon as I stepped out.
I nearly jumped out of my shoes. I had never expected to see someone so deep in the forest, much less Louisa Barone standing calf-deep in the middle of a stream.
“Cassidy,” she called. “Come join me.”
“Uh,” I said, “no thanks.”
“Get out here. It’s lovely.”
I paused. “I don’t want to get wet.”
“Take off your shoes. You’re wearing shorts.”
I frowned. She had a good point.
Reluctantly, I took off my shoes, intensely aware of how weird the situation was. I waded out to her, being careful of where I stepped.
The water was cold, but it felt surprisingly good. The rocks were smooth and river-worn under my feet. I walked out toward her and stopped a few feet away.