Dirty Secrets (The Heights #1)

Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

ZAVIER

“ Y ou good?” Cruz asked as he laid back on my bed while I shoved my things into bags. I knew he wasn’t referring to my emotions, he knew those were fried, but I wasn’t exactly hiding the fact that the bullet wound in my thigh was killing me.

“I’m fine.”

“You really don’t know who those assholes were?” he asked, not accusing, just seeming confused.

“No idea. Know much about bad guys from Italy?” I asked dryly, making him chuckle.

“Not really, but there’s a lot of criminal organizations that come from there. Crews, corrupt businessmen, motorcycle clubs, and even the mafia. Do you think Lavaro got caught up in MC business?”

“If he did, he never told me. You really can’t find him?”

He shook his head, sitting up to take one of my bags. “I’ve tried, man. He’s vanished. I hate to say it, because I really do like the guy, but I think he took off running from these guys and left you as the scapegoat. I’ve tried facial recognition, putting feelers out, and I’ve spent a shitload of time trying to manually find him on street cameras. If I can’t find him, then no one will.”

I grabbed my phone charger and put my bag over my shoulder, glancing around the room one last time. This was my home, the first place I’d felt safe in my entire life, and a sense of despair filled me at knowing I might never come back here.

“C’mon, let’s get going. I’ll see if I can hack the hospital cameras so you can check on Raven,” Cruz offered, and part of me was grateful that I could stay somewhere that had the best stalking options in the whole damn country.

At least I could keep an eye on her, even if she didn’t know.

There were two of my shirts and a hoodie that Raven liked wearing, so I quickly shoved them in her drawers on the way out, earning an amused look from Cruz, not that he mentioned it.

Logan and Reid were arguing in the kitchen, neither sparing us a glance as we walked out the front door.

“You need to stop for anything on the way to the compound?” Cruz asked once we were buckled in.

“Nah. I just want to get eyes on Raven.”

“Your wish is my command, bro. Good thing you have a professional hacker as a buddy,” he grinned, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I’m pretty grateful right now, trust me.”

Every car that drove behind us made anxiety claw at my insides, wondering if Mr. Ricci, whoever he was, had sent more than those two men to kill me.

Anyone we passed could’ve been hunting me.

I didn’t relax until we arrived in Rawson Grove and were safely locked inside the Thieves’ compound, not surprised to find Stone waiting for me. He was a bit of a prick, running these assholes would make anyone cranky, but he wasn’t an unfair guy.

“Lopez,” he greeted, running his eyes over me and spotting the blood on my pants. “You good?”

“Yeah, just a bullet wound. It’s been dealt with,” I replied, letting Cruz take my things so he could drop them in one of the bedrooms. The compound was huge and housed hundreds of criminals in the market for thieving.

“Good. I don’t mind how long you stay, I don’t even mind if we have to defend you against whoever is after you, but for the love of God, don’t bring your drama with Raven and the guys here. I will throw you out so fast,” he warned, making me snort.

“Wouldn’t dream of it. Let me borrow a computer so I can keep tabs on Raven, and I’ll make sure there’s no screaming matches in your living room.”

He grunted like he didn’t believe me, but he motioned for me to follow him into the office. Monitors and desks lined the walls, Thieves working away as they hacked into fancy security systems of the houses they intended on breaking into.

If you wanted anything in the world, they could find it, and a lot of people paid them big money to steal things for them.

Stone dropped down into a chair at a computer and pulled up some security feeds on multiple monitors, flicking through a few different ones until I recognized the hospital waiting room and some hallways.

“What room is she in?” he asked.

“Forty-six.”

He typed for a second before the familiar hallway on Raven’s level appeared, the camera angled towards her door. Caden was standing in the hallway talking to Maddox, and I could just see Raven through the small gap in the half-closed door.

Her body was shaking as sobs wracked her body, my heart breaking for her as Rory held her. We’d left almost an hour ago, so knowing that she was still crying tore my heart out.

“Must be bad if Rory’s comforting her,” Stone muttered, standing to offer me the seat.

I sat in it, not looking at him as I spoke. “Yeah, it is.”

He frowned but didn’t say anything, sitting at another computer beside me.

I stared at the monitors, my eyes glued to Raven for fuck knows how long. I should’ve been trying to find who was after me, but all I could think about was making sure she was safe.

Relief hit me when Diesel and Caden stayed to guard her door when Rory left, and despite not being able to see into Raven’s room anymore, I knew they’d make sure no one got in.

“Hey,” Cruz said as he sat at the computer on my other side, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he pulled up a bunch of coded shit that I didn’t understand. “Got eyes on her?”

“I did until they shut the door. The Psychos are guarding her though,” I answered. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to figure out who the fuck is after you. Maybe it’s the skin trade? You’re pretty, maybe they want to turn you into a coat or something?” he joked, a snort leaving Stone from my other side.

“Doubtful. I think Lavaro got caught up in dumb shit and ratted Lopez out as his helper. The men who attacked you said you were selling their boss’ drugs, right? Case closed.”

“I have no idea who Mr. Ricci is though,” I sighed, photos and videos changing rapidly as Cruz searched through hundreds. “Can’t you just search his name and find him?”

Cruz gave me a flat look. “It could be a fake name. We’ve searched it before and nothing came up.”

“You haven’t searched the Ricci name in the Italian Police database,” Stone muttered, focused on something on his own computer. “If you can find him in their database, you’ll be able to find any associates too. Their records are usually pretty detailed, especially if the prick is someone they’re watching. Drug trade is world wide, and connections can be spread out.”

I let Cruz work in silence for a few minutes as I turned my attention back to Raven’s door, a quiet curse coming from Cruz soon after.

“Dude, what the fuck has Lavaro dragged you into?”

There was a picture of a man on the screen, and nothing about him looked familiar.

“I have no idea who that is. Should I?”

He blew out a breath, opening a file with his information. “Stefano Ricci. Fifty years old. He has a long list of things that never seemed to stick, and he has a twenty-five year old son named Dante. Wife deceased.”

“Still not clearing things up for me, man,” I sighed, leaning closer. “He looks just like every other corrupt rich prick I’ve met.”

“You need to watch the news reports more,” Stone grumbled as he appeared behind Cruz’s chair, leaning down to read the information himself. “Out of all the people you could fuck with, you chose the mafia?”

I felt sick.

“I already told you, I have no idea who he is. He’s mafia?”

Stone turned to me, his tone serious. “You might not, but there’s no way Lavaro wasn’t aware of who he was running drugs for. No wonder the fucker ran if he knew the goddamn Italian mafia were after him. Stefano Ricci is the head of the Ricci family, and he doesn’t fuck around. Hate to say it, Lopez, but you’re as good as dead.”

I swallowed, stupidly trying to call Ander as if he’d picked up any other time over the past few months. Of course, I was met with a message to say his phone was switched off. Just like it always was.

“Donovan. You guys might want to come over for a meeting,” Stone said, making me look over to find him with his phone pressed to his ear. “No, we’re fine at the moment. Lopez is fucked though. We found Mr. Ricci.”

“He knows about Raven,” I said quietly, and Cruz winced, knowing exactly where I was going with this conversation.

“He might not. You killed the two guys who tried to run you both down.”

“He knows,” I repeated, holding his gaze. “And you know what people like him do to draw out someone they’re after. If he goes after Raven to get to me, I’ll never forgive myself.”

Stone hung up the phone, glaring at me. “Beckett is on her way with some of the others to figure this out. Don’t even think about running off to play the hero. She’s safe right now, and Beckett said they’re keeping her overnight in the hospital. No one’s leaving her alone unprotected, okay?”

I had a feeling that nothing was going to keep us all safe, no matter how much we prepared for it.

Reid

I was beyond pissed. On top of the fact that I’d discovered everyone I loved had been hiding shit from me, Rory had also shown up to make sure we left the house.

Pregnant. Raven had gotten fucking pregnant .

I’d been ready to tear the Heights apart to find the fucker too, so finding out it had been Logan? I could’ve killed him.

Had he been gentle with her? How many times had they done it? What did she like?

I scolded myself for that last thought, hating that I wished I’d been there to see it.

“You’re talking to yourself. Have you finally lost it?” Riley asked dryly as she sat on the steps of her front porch beside me. “If you glare at my tree any harder, it might catch fire.”

“Sorry,” I grumbled, earning a snort in return.

“Don’t be. I know I was difficult when Luna and I had our bust up.”

“You just got drunk with us then snuggled Logan. You didn’t set my tree on fire. Besides, you two figured your shit out. I don’t think that’s in the cards for me and Raven.”

“Sure it is. She’s upset right now, that’s all.”

“You weren’t there, Donovan. She was so hurt. I just kept saying nasty shit and?—”

She swatted the back of my head, shutting me up. “You listen to me. She was just hit by a fucking car, so give the girl some time to calm down. She’s just mad and lashing out.”

Riley knew about the attack, but that was it.

“Raven was pregnant, apparently,” I said quietly, Riley’s eyes going wide as I continued. “She found out about it today because the attack caused a miscarriage.”

“Damn, who’s the dead guy that knocked her up?” she huffed.

“Logan.”

“I’m surprised you allowed that.”

“I didn’t fucking know about it,” I gritted out, clenching then unclenching my fists. “She asked him to take her virginity, and they’ve been sleeping together for five fucking weeks. The real kicker is that I’m the only one that didn’t know. Zavier found out and started dating her too.”

“Damn, Barron. I’m sorry,” she whistled, nudging my shoulder with hers. “That’s why you guys fought in the hospital? You found out?”

I nodded, raking a hand through my hair. “I wanted to kill him, Riley. Not only was he sleeping with her, but he wasn’t wrapping his damn dick up, even though he knows she’s not on birth control. What if she hadn’t miscarried? We don’t have the fucking money for a baby. Even between all four of us, some days we don’t eat. Last winter we went without heating and electricity for two weeks.”

“Don’t snap at me, but if you got the chance to fuck her raw, I think you would too. Boys are stupid when their dicks are leading them. It’s not your fault, you’re just wired that way.”

“I’d never fuck someone without wrapping it up first.”

“No, you wouldn’t, but Raven isn’t just some girl, is she?” she hummed, eyeing me. “If you don’t want her, then I think it’s smart to let Logan or Zavier be with her.”

“I do want her, I just can’t. Josh?—”

“Then let her go,” she said bluntly, giving me a look that was almost identical to one of Beckett’s. The girls were complete opposites, but their facial expressions mirrored each other’s regularly.

“It’s not that simple,” I said tensely, her eyes narrowing.

“Yeah, it fucking is. I don’t mean to be a bitch, but you know I’ll always give you the tough love kind of shit. You can be as loyal to Josh as you wish, but all you’re doing is punishing Raven for no reason. You want her happy, right? Then let her fuck Logan and Zavier. They respect her, and they would never lay a hand on her. This shit between you all needs to stop, and the only way you can fix things is if you admit you were a dick and that you’re happy for them.”

“She kicked them out too.”

“I don’t blame her if you guys were throwing hands in her hospital room after she found out she’d lost a baby. You proved to her that you don’t give a fuck about her feelings.”

“I do care!” I snapped, the amused smirk on her face pissing me off as she stood.

“Do you? So you shut your mouth and comforted her? Comforted Logan? I bet he’s fucking devastated. Instead of being their friend, you literally beat Logan up and screamed at Raven.”

The door cracked open before I could reply, Luna poking her head out. “Uh, sorry. Cruz just called to let us know that they found out who’s after Zavier.”

My argument with Riley died as I stood, wanting to know who the fuck allowed their men to run Raven down.

“They found the guy?”

“Stefano Ricci. He’s the head of the Italian mafia,” she mumbled, her worried eyes flicking to Riley. “Will they come here?”

“Lopez got into bed with the fucking mafia ?” I bit out, confused when she shook her head.

“He didn’t know. Ander never told him. From what Cruz can work out, Ander got in too deep and now he’s running, leaving Zavier as the scapegoat.”

“Dammit, Turbo,” Riley muttered under her breath, the familiar nickname for him hitting me in the chest. I’d known him as Turbo ever since we’d met at the street races, and it had been a while since I’d heard it now we’d all stopped.

“Did you know?” I asked Riley, her reaction not seeming that surprised.

“No, but he never kept it a secret from me that he was hiding things. I never would’ve guessed the mafia though,” she admitted, and I wanted to tear Ander’s head off.

Not only had he put Zavier in danger, but Raven too.

“Zavier honestly didn’t know?” I asked skeptically, and Luna shrugged.

“I don’t know, but Cruz believes that he didn’t. Zavier spent ages running from his dad’s crew, so why would he get involved with the mafia just as he got his freedom back?”

She wasn’t wrong, and now I felt like an asshole all over again for not believing him.

Maybe we all needed to talk once we’d calmed down a little. It had been a long day, and I knew for a fact if I went near Logan, I’d beat the shit out of him again.

“What now? How do we deal with the mafia?” I asked Riley, and she chuckled.

“I don’t know. Don’t think it’s in the criminal handbook. Mom will figure something out, so it’s a good idea to wait and see what she says. You want to get drunk? I’ll even let you cry a little if you need to.”

“I could really do with a drink,” I replied, following them into the house to the kitchen, grateful that they’d finally gotten their own place so I didn’t have to deal with everyone else's bullshit for the night.

Tonight, I’d get drunk and drown in my misery.

Tomorrow, I’d start trying to figure out how to keep us all alive and to make Raven forgive me.

Raven

“Hey. Thanks for coming,” I mumbled the following afternoon as the nurse wheeled me out to the parking lot, Beckett walking beside us.

“That’s okay. I needed to get out of the house before I killed someone anyway,” she answered, and I swore the nurse pushed me a little faster to hurry us up. “How are you feeling today?”

“Everything hurts. I feel like I’ve been hit by a car,” I deadpanned, earning an amused smirk from her.

“Oh, good. Their hood didn’t knock your sense of humor out then?”

“I bet I could take on a truck next time,” I chuckled, regretting it as my entire body screamed in protest. I waved the nurse off when she tried to help me out of the wheelchair, forcing myself to do it without help.

Once we were alone, Beckett offered me a cigarette, which I happily took.

“So, are the guys out of my house?” I asked casually, not being able to hide the hurt in my tone.

She snorted, lighting her cigarette and blowing the smoke at me before handing me the lighter. “Yes. Logan is currently taking up space in my spare room, Reid is at Riley’s, and Zavier is at the Thieves’ compound. Logan and Reid weren’t going to go, but Mom went around there after leaving the hospital last night and frogmarched them out for you. They’ve been informed to stay away from the house unless personally invited back in by you.”

“I can’t believe I cried on your mom,” I said with embarrassment, shifting on my feet to try and stop my muscles from aching.

“Fun fact about my mom, she really loves being a mom,” she said with a small smile. “You remind her a lot of herself, you know? Damaged Heights kid with anger issues. Diesel mentioned that your parents aren’t around, so she wanted to come and check on you herself yesterday.”

“She’s Rory Donovan,” I said as if she’d forgotten, making her shrug.

“She’s not just Rory Donovan though. To me, she’s just Mom. To my dads, she’s a girlfriend. To my grandma, she’s a daughter. To her friends, she’s just Rory. My mom might be a psycho killer to most people, but she’s still all of those other things too. Last night, you needed a mom, and she was more than happy to be that person for you.”

“I’m too emotional for this conversation,” I said tightly, making her groan.

“Please don’t cry. I can’t handle it again. We’re friends who don’t do the crying thing, remember? You agreed.”

I snickered, finishing my cigarette. “I know. Sorry that yesterday was so horrible for you.”

“I forgive you. I’m sorry, you know? Yesterday was a shitty day for you. If you want the guys to get their asses handed to them, let me know.”

It wasn’t exactly a comforting speech, but it was a lot coming from Beckett, so I nodded. “Thanks. I’ll let you know.”

We climbed into her Mustang and she drove me towards home, the music low and the windows down. I hadn’t been alone in my entire life, so knowing I was returning to an empty house was making my stomach twist.

“Did you want to stay at Mom’s?” Beckett asked as if knowing my thoughts. “She said you’re welcome as long as you can put up with the chaos.”

“I’ll be fine, but please thank her for me,” I murmured. “Did you guys find out anything about the people who attacked us?”

She was quiet for a second before she answered. “Cruz found the guy. I don’t know what the fuck Lavaro was thinking. Mr. Ricci is Stefano Ricci.”

“Am I supposed to know who that is?” I asked slowly, dread pooling in my stomach as she winced.

“He’s the head of the Italian Mafia. I don’t think Zavier knew, but Ander definitely did. I always knew that prick was a lying bastard. No wonder he ran, they’re probably after him and he left Zavier behind,” she said angrily, shaking her head a little.

“Zavier’s got the fucking mafia after him?” I asked, my heartbeat rising. “Do you guys have connections through the mafia? Can you stop it?”

“We avoid the mafia. They don’t play nice, and neither do we, so it wouldn’t end well for anyone,” she tsked, resting her elbow on the open window. “From what we know, Stefano has left his son in charge in Italy, and he’s now on his way to the States himself. Whatever Ander did must have been bad if he won’t let this go. I bet he either took off with a bunch of drugs and money, or he knows information that he shouldn’t.”

“Zavier’s going to get killed.”

“He’s pretty safe in the compound at the moment. Stone and the guys will see anyone coming from a mile away. They’re on high alert, so they’ll be ready,” she promised. “I really think you should find somewhere else to stay until this blows over.”

“I won’t leave my home, Beckett.”

“No one’s making you, but be careful. Stone can’t even do surveillance on your house since there’s no cameras around, so you’re in a blind spot. If you hear anything weird, don’t investigate. Call Cruz. They can get there faster than us.”

We drove the rest of the way in silence, and I appreciated her checking the house for intruders before letting me inside.

“Lock all windows, doors?—”

“Beckett, it’s the Heights. We lock it up all the time. I’ll be careful,” I smiled, trying to hide my real emotions. Below the panic, sadness washed through me at how alone I felt.

“Right. Well, call me if you need help. Or maybe just for some company. I’m happy to hang out for a little while, if I’m not busy.”

“Thank you,” I nodded, saying goodbye as she left me alone, and I found my way into Logan’s bedroom on autopilot. I paused at how empty it felt, checking his drawers to see if he’d taken everything like I’d told him too.

He had.

Reid and Zavier had taken everything too, my heart feeling heavy as the silence surrounding me became suffocating.

I took a shower to try and ease my aching body, trying not to think about the blood circling the drain. Why had Logan and I been so stupid?

I waited until the water had gone cold before stepping out to find a sanitary pad, cursing when I couldn’t find one. Once I’d shoved a wad of toilet paper between my legs, I shuffled into my bedroom to find some clothes while praying I’d find a random pad.

No luck.

When I opened my drawer for a shirt, I found some of Logan’s and Zavier’s stuffed in there, and I hesitated before pulling out one of Logan’s. I did the stupid girly thing and lifted the material to my nose, surprised at how much his scent sent my emotions haywire all over again.

He should’ve been here, comforting me while I comforted him, but he just had to go and ruin it.

I slipped the shirt on and found some panties, deciding to wear some sweats too, just in case the mafia showed up to kill me or something.

I didn’t want to die half-naked.

My stomach was cramping, so I found my DIY rice sock to heat in the microwave, my eyes landing on something on the kitchen counter as I waited. It was a bag with a note.

Slowly, I moved towards it and picked up the note, wanting to cry all over again as I read it.

Call me if you need anything. I know your mom’s probably taught you to only rely on yourself, but not all moms are unreliable, and I think you might really need a good one right now. Can’t promise I’m the best, but I’m here. There’s plenty of pads and pain relief in the bag, and I threw in some chocolate too, just in case. The hospital bills are sorted, so don’t worry. Rest, grieve, then take on the world when you’re ready to get back up.

Let me know if you want some sense knocked into those boys. I’ll set Maddox and Mikey loose on them.

- Rory

I hadn’t seen much of Mikey, all I knew about him was that he was their oldest son and was a member of the Psychos, but that was as far as my knowledge went.

I peeked into the bag, finding way more things than I needed, and I quickly grabbed a pad and headed back to the bathroom before I could ruin my panties. I could never pay the Donovans back for everything they’d done for me, so I hoped they knew how grateful I was.

I watched movies in bed for hours before trying to sleep, every sound outside waking me up abruptly. I’d purposely left my phone off since being in the hospital to avoid the guys, so I had no idea what time it was until I padded out to the kitchen to check what the microwave said, seeing that it was only ten.

It felt so much later than that.

I paused outside Logan’s room on the way back to bed, deciding I’d sleep better in there. Sure enough, once I was snuggled under his blanket with my face buried in his pillow, I was out like a light.

That was until some time later when something woke me back up.

At first, I thought it was the neighbors getting home late, they had a tendency to slam doors, but when I listened a little harder, I heard voices in the kitchen and bottles clinking, making me stiffen. I thought it was the guys until I heard the voices more, none of them familiar.

My phone was stupidly in my bedroom still off, so I quietly slipped from Logan’s room and tiptoed along the hallway, the lights blinding me as I tried to adjust.

“Fucker’s rich now or something,” someone muttered, the hiss of a beer opening making me jump. They put the beer down hard on the table, more voices mumbling about things I couldn’t understand.

The floor creaked under my feet as I moved through the living room, peeking into the kitchen to find the last person I wanted to see. I stepped into the kitchen, not being able to take my eyes off him.

“Dad?”

He looked like shit, and if it wasn’t for the terrible tattoos up his arms that he’d had for as long as I could remember, I almost wouldn’t have recognized him.

He turned from the fridge, looking confused for a second before grinning, motioning to me as if his two friends were blind.

“There she is. How’s my little girl? See, boys? I told you she was pretty.”

I almost wished it had been the fucking mafia breaking in.

To be continued in Broken Promises…