We’re Not Strangers Anymore

Grayson

“Memorial arrangements for your father are all taken care of. I’m still working on Luciano’s. I also have a package for you from the porch,” Deirdra says, walking over to me and placing a yellow envelope on my desk.

“Thank you, Deirdra. I really appreciate you coming back here after everything.” I open the envelope and inside is a small, white box. I open the box and a gold cuban link chain sits inside with an oval charm, though I can’t make out exactly what it is. I pull it from the box and underneath the cardboard that holds the chain, there’s a note.

This is Luciano’s fingerprint. Well, thumbprint because I had to get it from his arrest record lol. I figured since you couldn’t get his ashes, this was the next best thing.

-Rowa n

I feel a single tear stream down my cheek as I read her note. We talked briefly over the phone five days ago when she got to France but ever since, I’ve been caught up with trying to clean up my messes here and she’s been busy with my mom and sister. I would have never expected this after the way we left off. Only Rowan would come up with something so sweet, with so much thought.

“Are you okay, ?” Deirdra asks.

I clear my throat, setting the note down on my desk. “Yeah I’m all good.”

“Shoot me a text if you need anything,” she says, exiting my office. I pull my phone from my pocket and call Rowan.

“Hello?”

“Hey,” I feel the nervous excitement in my chest from hearing her pretty voice. “I got the gift you sent and– fuck, I can’t even form words,” I let out a small laugh. “Thank you. It’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten, Row. I’m never taking it off of my neck.”

I can almost hear her smile through the phone. “I’m glad you like it, I was afraid you’d think it’s too sentimental.”

I laugh, “It’s perfect.”

I hear Laila calling for Rowan in the background. “Hey, I have to go. It was nice talking to you, . ”

“Wait– Rowan?” I trip over my own words, desperate to talk to her even just a moment longer. “I- I’ll talk to you later.” I say, hanging up the phone. I almost said it, I almost told her I miss her. But I don’t know if her response will hurt or make me feel better. I don’t want to know. We’ve only spent almost a week away from each other, but it’s the distance that’s killing me. Not being able to watch her every move. Little does she know I cloned the phone I gave her though, at least I have that.

“Everything is squared away, boss. But there’s one problem,” my cousin Nico says, stopping at the entrance of my office. “I can’t find Frank’s body.”

I stand up and start pacing the length of my office. “The fuck do you mean one problem? That’s a million problems in itself.”

“It’s not my fault that you didn’t tell anyone he was in the bunker. You didn’t think to mention that when Dante and I had to come clean up hundreds of bodies?”

“Get that new tech guy on the phone– fuck what’s his name?” I tell him, snapping my fingers.

“Wyatt, and he can’t do shit about a missing body.” He clips.

“He can do something about finding out if Frank is still alive. Call him. Now.” I retort.

Just when I think I finally have things under control, Frank is the one to cause more of a shit storm.

“Have him check hospital records.” I call out to Nico just before he leaves my office. He nods to me, walking out. There’s no way he could have survived those injuries without going to a hospital. I’m going to make him wish he had died in the bunker, because after everything Rowan told me and the time I have on my hands now, I’m going to enjoy killing him slowly. My phone dings with a text notification.

Row: Hey I didn’t mean to cut you short. Your mom and Laila wanted to go to dinner.

My heart skips seeing her name on my lockscreen. Part of me feels like she just wanted an excuse to text me. I mean she didn’t have to tell me what they were doing.

Me: Mhhm. Have fun at Monsieur P ;)

I have her location, for safety reasons, of course. Sliding my phone into my pocket, I head down towards the tech room to wait for Wyatt. I can’t relax until I find Frank and get rid of him. Austin too, that motherfucker put all of this in motion for Conejo. But they’ll get exactly what they asked for when I find them.