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25: Beatrice
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2024-10-29 19:42:56The memory slammed into focus as I glared at those roses. The roses mocked me, their colours as vibrant as a sunrise. I knew Leah loved them, but just like in the memory, I knew Leah was dead. She didn't know about the roses. The roses were for me.
I dropped the daisies at Leah's grave and snatched up the flowers, pulling the bouquet to my face and looking for a card. A thorn scraped against my finger, one the florist had missed trimming while making the arrangement.
I let out a curse as I popped my finger in my mouth and held the flowers with my other hand. I saw a card and I grabbed it. My fingers shook as I dropped the flowers and opened the card.
"May all your sunrises be as vibrant
May all your dreams be fulfilled.
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I knew she wouldn’t be happy that we had put flowers on Leah’s grave, but I had hoped she might be able to look past her anger and see that we sent the flowers as a way to honor her friend, not to taunt her with memories of the past. Perhaps it was presumptuous of us to assume we could be a part of her grief when her anger was too raw, too poignant. I could see her from a distance. I was sitting in a car on one of the winding roads through the cemetery and I watched her visit Leah. I knew she would come here, I didn’t know when but I knew she would make an appearance at Leah’s gravestone. I needed to be near her today. Of all days that she needed me, today was the most important of all. She needed me, David, and even Alessio, as new as he was, and I needed to be close so I could help her, even if it was from the shadows. As soon as I felt her tense on the bench next to me in the courtroom when she realize
Caught in the Crossfire 27: Beatrice
I walked around numbly through Alessio's house. It was a large house for the city, but small enough I felt like there was someone near, just around the corner, waiting to soothe the loneliness that came with this day. I wanted to go home, back to my house but he wouldn't let me. I supposed that was because someone was trying to kill me, but today, I didn't care. I could die the same day Leah had died and I would be at peace, finally.Unfortunately, Callie had other ideas because she followed me like a puppy. Alessio had left and as soon as he walked out the front door to "meet with some business partners" I felt uneasy. I didn't like being in his house without him here. Trey had similarly gone home, despite my protests. Alessio had assured me Trey was safe and my inability to argue meant he, too, walked out the front door ahead of Alessio."Callie, I need
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Caught in the Crossfire 29: Beatrice
Callie looked at me with confusion. "We went there, I didn't see a camera," she said slowly. Her face was scrunched in concentration. "No, you wouldn't have," I answered. "But you did?" Alessio asked. I nodded. "Mind giving us a little more information?" Callie asked. I loved working her up when I had information she didn't yet have. "There's this company, Safe and Secure," I started. "Your brother's company?" Callie asked. I nodded in triumph. "Exactly." "You have a brother?" Alessio asked.
Caught in the Crossfire 30: Beatrice
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“What is it like, then?” I asked. Then, without waiting for him to reply I went on a tirade. “I asked them for help dealing with your family. I went to them for help after they brutally massacred my heart last year but I sucked it up because I was sure I was going to get assassinated by your fucking henchmen and what were you doing? Conspiring with them behind my back, and for what? To try to play hero? To try to win me back for them?” I stopped to take a breath and I could see the hurt in Alessio’s eyes. “How long have you been selling out your family to the FBI?” Alessio’s eyes burned with anger at my latest accusation. “I’ve never sold out my family to anyone.” “No? Then what do you offer the FBI? What’s your value to them?”
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Caught in the Crossfire 34: Alessio
“I told you that was a bad fucking idea,” I said, watching Beatrice, Trey and Callie drive away from my house. “Why did you tell her the Bianchi’s were trying to kill her?” David asked, turning to look at Devon. “Because that’s as close to the truth as we have and explaining all the shit going on right now to her would very likely break her,” he replied. I agreed but it felt dangerously like we were still lying to her. “The last year very nearly broke her, I don’t think finding out that there’s a mole in the Bianchi family and he’s trying to kill her but we don't know who it is, would do her in just yet,” I replied. My words rang in the room but no one was listening any longer. I felt Michael and Rachel leaving, heading toward the kitchen. I knew we’d find them there but we had other business first. Important business. I stopped and stared at David. I could feel Devon’s gaze on me too but I couldn't take my eyes away from David. “It’s been so fucking long,” my voice rasped as I
Caught in the Crossfire 33: Beatrice
“What is it like, then?” I asked. Then, without waiting for him to reply I went on a tirade. “I asked them for help dealing with your family. I went to them for help after they brutally massacred my heart last year but I sucked it up because I was sure I was going to get assassinated by your fucking henchmen and what were you doing? Conspiring with them behind my back, and for what? To try to play hero? To try to win me back for them?” I stopped to take a breath and I could see the hurt in Alessio’s eyes. “How long have you been selling out your family to the FBI?” Alessio’s eyes burned with anger at my latest accusation. “I’ve never sold out my family to anyone.” “No? Then what do you offer the FBI? What’s your value to them?”
Caught in the Crossfire 32: Beatrice
I stepped out of the shower, the wound in my side a sharp reminder of my mortality as I hobbled to the room to find clothes. My hair stuck to the side of my throat and my eyes had small black circles along the bottom where my mascara had run in the steam. I was never great about removing my makeup before a shower and it showed. “Bea? You done?” Trey’s voice called out for me from the hall where he had gone after making sure I could navigate the shower on my own. “Not yet,” I called out. The drawers in this room were filled with clothes my size and I was hit again with the irony that Alessio had everything I needed before I even got here. It was almost as if he had planned it. The room blinds to the windows were closed and I could see the sun shining through the small slits on the side of the frame, casting
Caught in the Crossfire 31: Beatrice
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Caught in the Crossfire 29: Beatrice
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Caught in the Crossfire 28: Beatrice
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Caught in the Crossfire 27: Beatrice
I walked around numbly through Alessio's house. It was a large house for the city, but small enough I felt like there was someone near, just around the corner, waiting to soothe the loneliness that came with this day. I wanted to go home, back to my house but he wouldn't let me. I supposed that was because someone was trying to kill me, but today, I didn't care. I could die the same day Leah had died and I would be at peace, finally.Unfortunately, Callie had other ideas because she followed me like a puppy. Alessio had left and as soon as he walked out the front door to "meet with some business partners" I felt uneasy. I didn't like being in his house without him here. Trey had similarly gone home, despite my protests. Alessio had assured me Trey was safe and my inability to argue meant he, too, walked out the front door ahead of Alessio."Callie, I need
Caught in the Crossfire 26: Devon
I knew she wouldn’t be happy that we had put flowers on Leah’s grave, but I had hoped she might be able to look past her anger and see that we sent the flowers as a way to honor her friend, not to taunt her with memories of the past. Perhaps it was presumptuous of us to assume we could be a part of her grief when her anger was too raw, too poignant. I could see her from a distance. I was sitting in a car on one of the winding roads through the cemetery and I watched her visit Leah. I knew she would come here, I didn’t know when but I knew she would make an appearance at Leah’s gravestone. I needed to be near her today. Of all days that she needed me, today was the most important of all. She needed me, David, and even Alessio, as new as he was, and I needed to be close so I could help her, even if it was from the shadows. As soon as I felt her tense on the bench next to me in the courtroom when she realize
