Chapter 1
1066words
"He's in trouble, Sapphire. I don't know what to do." Mariana Ricci's tears traced down her temples, mingling with her dark brown hair as she stared up at the ceiling from the sofa in my office. Her chest heaved with sobs, fingers clenched into tight fists at her sides.
"You've been concerned about him before, Mariana," I said, my tone calm and reassuring as I adjusted in my black leather chair.
She nodded, tears streaming faster now.
Since Mariana became my client, she'd expressed worries about her husband's criminal activities. Leo Ricci operated in organized crime circles, dealing with Dons, Capos, and made men. But none of Mariana's previous concerns had brought her to the brink of such emotional distress.
"What's different this time?" I asked, sensing the weight of legal responsibility settling in my gut. Until now, she had been forthright about her husband's criminal deeds, but it was clear this time was different—something beyond the usual dealings with firearms and illicit trades.
"He's done something... something he shouldn't have. Something irreversible. And now... so many people..." Her voice trailed off, drowned in tears and anguish.
Damn.
Mariana was on the edge, and I felt it keenly. Thoughts of police, courtrooms, and the consequences of crossing into dangerous territory raced through my mind. Yet, I had to go there with her. It was why I occupied this chair, why my past life was distant and irrelevant. It defined who I was.
"'So many people,' what?" I probed gently, pushing myself across that line with a firm mental push.
She shook her head vigorously, then declared in a surprisingly strong voice, "I just wish he had told me before he did it!" Her words filled the room, echoing off the walls with an intensity that matched her turmoil.
"Mariana, what do you mean?" My heart raced as I urged her on, driven by both curiosity and the urgency of her need to unburden herself. I knew what she was about to disclose could endanger us both.
I couldn't help but imagine the possibility of ending up in concrete shoes, a morbid thought that oddly led me to consider whether I'd prefer meeting such a fate before or after my demise. Swimming with fishes surely didn't equate to the joyful experience of frolicking with dolphins at Discovery Cove.
"He wants us to disappear—Victoria and me," Mariana divulged through tears, her words chilling me. "He says he can't protect us anymore, and the don will expose us to danger. We need to go into hiding."
Damn. This wasn't just about her husband risking his own neck in criminal dealings. He had put his wife and four-year-old daughter in peril.
"Mariana, it sounds like you should consider going to the authorities," I ventured cautiously, the words feeling hollow even as they left my mouth. It was my role as her therapist to offer this advice, however lacking in conviction it might seem.
"No!" Mariana's objection was swift and vehement. "I can't do that. It would only make things a hundred times worse for all of us. You must understand that."
I pursed my lips, acknowledging the truth in her words. Unfortunately, I did understand.
Mariana gestured fervently, "The police, the courts... they can offer protection in name only. Victoria and I will never be truly safe that way."
She wasn't wrong. Witness protection might shield them temporarily, but the illusion would crumble eventually, leaving Mariana and her daughter vulnerable again.
"So, what's your plan then, Mariana?" I asked, though I knew the conventional answer should be involving law enforcement. Yet, my upbringing among outlaws often skewed my perspective, pushing me to consider alternative options even in dire circumstances.
Mariana took a deep breath. "We'll hide somewhere—maybe a motel—until we can leave the country. As long as we don't stay at home, everything should be okay... I hope."
I couldn't help but doubt the safety of that plan.
What would my family do in this situation? I pondered, grappling with my moral compass. Typically, I'd choose the opposite path, but this time, I hesitated. Mariana and Victoria caught in the crossfire of a potential mafia conflict demanded more than the usual course of action.
"I need a moment," I said abruptly, needing to gather my thoughts.
Mariana nodded, tears continuing to trickle down her cheeks.
Leaving Mariana in the office, I retrieved my cell phone from the desk drawer and stepped out, closing the door behind me. With Mariana as my last client for the day and the office empty, I dialed a familiar number, pacing anxiously across the sage-green rug as the phone rang repeatedly.
'Saph? What's up?" Cade Quinn's rough-as-gravel voice comes through the phone. Cade is like a brother. We grew up together, both our dads being high ranking members of a motorcycle club.
I skip the pleasantries. 'Cade, if I needed you to transport someone back home for me, could you do that?"
'Home? As in our home?" He sounds incredulous. I can't blame him. He knows how much I try to avoid that subject.
'Yes, Harmony."
'You want to tell me what's going on, Saph?"
'Afraid I can't." A girl can only be expected to break so many laws in one day, right?
He sighs. It's an exasperated noise, but in it I can hear the sound of him caving. 'All right. If you're sure, but I'm not in Chicago until Monday. Will that do?"
Damn. 'I guess that will have to. Thanks, Cade."
There's a brief pause, but the silence is weighted.
'Saph, are you sure you know what you're doing?"
'You know me; the girl with the solid plan," I reply, not missing a beat.
It's not a lie. I made a plan ten years ago to keep the people back home at arms-length. And I've stuck to it for the most part. Sure, doing this—asking my family instead of the police to protect my client from the mafia is going against all I've worked for, but I'm choosing to see it as a slight kink in the road, not a complete reversal.
I hang up the phone before Cade can say more, then shove the phone in my pocket and take a deep breath.
Now, all I have to do is convince Mariana that she wants to represent the slight kink in my life's grand plan.
This ought to be fun.
