I buried my face in my hands. “Obviously not,” I said. “Or else he wouldn’t have served six months in the first place!”
Heather opened her eyes wide. “Yeah, and maybe those six times were bad enough where he realized he could never go back to jail. It’s rough for a guy like him on the inside – he’s going to have to pay a lot of people to keep him safe.”
The thought of Alessio being hurt in prison made me cry even harder. Soon, I was hunched over and rocking back and forth with my arms wrapped around my knees. Heather stepped behind me and rubbed my back, soothing me over and over with mindless chatter.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. Nervously, I pulled it out. When I saw that it was Detective Aberson calling, my heart sank.
“Hello?” I sniffled, wiping my nose. “Sorry, I mean, hi,” I said quickly. Act normal, Beth! I ordered myself. Stop being such a freaking spaz!
“Hi, Beth,” Detective Aberson said. “Not sure if you’re following the news, but Alessio was arrested this morning. We really got him,” he added. “This is an airtight case, as long as you testify. We f
ound some kind of a loophole in the legal system, and we’re going to exploit as much as we can.”
I sank lower. “Um, no,” I said softly. “I hadn’t seen the news. At least, not yet. When did you arrest him?”
“Just about an hour ago,” Detective Aberson replied. “We’ll need you to testify, Beth. You do know that, don’t you?”
I nodded slowly, even though he wasn’t there to see me.
“I do,” I said softly.
“Well, I’ll be in touch,” Detective Aberson said. “Glad this thug is off the streets.” He chuckled heartily and hatred burned through my body as if it were seared right onto my skin. I wanted to reach through the phone and strangle the smug detective, make him really understand just how much he was hurting Alessio and me.
As soon as I hung up, I turned to Heather in dismay.
“I have no idea what to do,” I said, shaking my head. “He’s going to ruin both of our lives.”
She shrugged. “Well, you have to do what you have to do,” she said softly. “Beth, you’re a strong woman. You’re going to make it out of this no matter what. I know that, from the bottom of my heart.”
I shook my head. “I wish I knew that.” I sighed. “My heart is breaking. I can feel it right now, cracking apart in my chest.”
Heather reached out and put her hand on my shoulder. She looked deeply into my eyes.
“Beth, I promise, things will work out.”
“How can I even know what’s happening anymore,” I wailed. “I feel like up is down and right is left and red is blue!”
Heather squeezed my shoulder reassuringly.
“You just have to follow your heart,” she said. “That’s the only way you’ll know.”
20
Beth
Two Months Later
As I sat in the benches of the New York City District Court, I was more nervous than I’d ever been in my entire life.
Alessio had been locked away for two months. We hadn’t been in touch – I’d been too afraid to even call, much less plan a visit. When he’d first gotten arrested, I’d worried that my feelings for him would change.
But now, they were stronger than ever. I knew in my heart that no matter what happened to me, I’d be in love with Alessio Amoruso until the day I died. It didn’t matter if he got old, or fat, or lost his magnificent hair.
I loved him passionately, and nothing could change that.
The courtroom was packed. Heather wasn’t coming – I’d told her that this was something I’d had to do on my own. But Alessio was notoriously famous in New York, and both fans and haters of his family and restaurant chain had come to voice their opinion.
When the judge came in, I rushed to stand up. An armed guard led Alessio in front a side door. He looked handsome as ever in a new Armani suit, even if his hands were cuffed in front of his muscular bulk. He looked even bigger than he had before going away. His arms were bulging against the beautiful sheen of the suit. His longish dark locks had been shaved, revealing a perfectly shaped head that somehow made his dark eyes look more intense than ever.