“I think so. He described them.”
“I’ll answer the door,” he insists and then heads out of the bedroom, me following.
The gun is stuffed into the back of his waistband. I shudder.
How is this my life?
A minute later, there’s a knock on the door and as Will answers, my heart hammers because he’s got one hand on the doorknob and the other hand behind his back poised to grab that gun.
Thankfully, it is just Mom, Dad, Cody, and Grampa. Once Will lets them in I say hello and introduce them to him while I get hugs. I notice he’s untucked his shirt so that it now covers the gun.
“I know Killian said he’d be ordering food, to just bring ourselves, but I brought a chocolate cake for dessert. I hope that’s okay. Ice cream, too.” Mom heads to the kitchen with the bag in her hand. “I can’t believe that young man at the desk called me a Mom-type. I need a makeover.” She smooths her hair back.
“You’re a hot mama, don’t you listen to him,” Dad says, setting a box on the floor, then kissing her. He then gives me an eye roll. “She’s gonna stew on that for at least a month.”
Cody is carrying a big cardboard box marked, Christmas. He puts it on the coffee table and looks around.
“Um, this is a surprise,” I remark. “ I didn’t know you guys were coming.”
“Nice tree,” Cody says, gesturing. “And this place is sah-weet.”
“Killian told you to come?” I ask.
Mom looks over at me and chats happily while unpacking the cake and ice cream. “He called me last night and invited us to come over and help you two trim your tree. I’m so happy you two are working things out. I guess we’ve played phone tag, or you would’ve told me.”
I give my head a shake. “Killian invited you over today to help us decorate the tree? Last night?”
“Oh. Maybe it was a surprise. Darn, I’ve ruined it. These counters are gorgeous, Violet! This entire space. Oh my.”
“Killian isn’t here. He had a… uh… thing. I’m not sure we’re going to be doing the tree today. I don’t know what time he’ll be back.”
“Oh.” Mom sounds disappointed. “What a lovely tree. And this place, honey. Wow. I love it. At least we got to see it finally.”
“Let me find out how much longer he’ll be. Gimme a sec,” I say. “Here, sit. I’ll put on coffee.”
“I can do the coffee,” Mom says.
“Ooh, cookies!” Grampa ambles over to the counter.
“One sec,” I head down the hallway calling back, “Stay put. I’ll be back to give you a tour in a minute.”
I head into the bedroom and immediately call Killian.
“Baby,” he answers. “Sorry. Everything okay? Can’t talk if it is. Can I call you back?”
I talk fast, my voice laced with panic, “You invited my parents over? They’re here with Cody and Grampa and talking about decorating the tree and staying for dinner.”
There’s a pause and then he grumbles, “Fuck.”
“Yep.”
“Shit. I forgot,” he says.
“You told me you forget nothing,” I complain.
“I called when I went to the store last night before things went sideways. I wanted to surprise you.”
“Well, yeah. Surprise!” I whisper-shriek, then rub my face with exasperation.
“I’ll call you back in a few minutes. I’m in the middle of… shit, there’s my other line. It’s Nino. Gotta go.”
“Okay, but…”
He’s already hung up.
Nino? Nino that I met at Dario’s wedding? Nino who said he’s in ‘waste management’ as a joke? My blood has gone icy.
I drum my fingers for a minute, trying to fortify myself, think up an excuse without showing them that things are crazy when Killian phones me again.
“Hello?” I answer on the first ring.
“Tell them to stay. I’ll be back in a couple hours.”
“You what?”
“I’ll be back soon. Tell them to stay.”
“I don’t think I can do this,” I say. “I’m a wreck and they’ll notice, and-”
“No baby. It’s okay. Let them stay. Chill. Raymond turned himself in to the cops.”
“What? What?”
“He was about to be picked up by one of the guys and knew he was cornered. Jagger had a chopper overhead who tracked him, and Nino was a minute away from pullin’ in. Limped straight up to a cop car in a gas station and turned himself in. I’ll be home soon. I’ve got shit to sort, but will get the ball rolling on some of that on the phone on my way back and then I can spend a couple hours with your folks.”
“Oh my God. What? What?” My brain is going at a million RPM.
“I know, baby. I know. Do not stress. I’ll figure it out. Nothing I can do for the time being while he’s being booked. Tell your parents to stay, that I’ll be back soon. We’ll do dinner with them and the tree and go from there.”