Redemption (Sempre 2)

“Hey!”

Haven glanced at her friend as she waved her hand in front of her face. “Huh?”

“Haven’t you been listening to me? Jesus, girl, get yourself together. We have a long day ahead of us. You can’t space out on me.” Kelsey looked around. “Where’s your phone? I tried calling you on my way here but you didn’t answer.”

“Really?” she asked, unable to recall hearing the phone ring. “Where were you, anyway? You aren’t a morning person. Usually I have to drag you out of bed.”

“Oh, I just got home,” Kelsey said. “Stayed at Derrick’s last night. We—”

Haven held her hand up to stop her. “Enough said.”

“Jealous wench.” Kelsey scrunched her nose as she surveyed Haven. “Find your phone, and get dressed while you’re at it. There’s no way I’m going anywhere with you looking like that.”

Rolling her eyes, Haven headed for the bedroom. “Always so bossy.”

“One of the many reasons you love me,” she yelled.

Haven took sips of her coffee as she headed into her bedroom, spotting the black phone laying on the bed. Three missed calls lit up the screen, the first two from Kelsey, and she froze when her eyes fell upon number three. She stared at the name as her heart pounded forcefully, the blood furiously rushing through her veins.

Corrado Moretti

“You don’t have any liquor?” Kelsey hollered through the door. “What are you, a nun?”

Haven set her phone down, laughing, as she walked to the dresser. She dressed quickly, pulling her hair up to get it off her neck.

“Never mind,” Kelsey yelled. “I’ll get some upstairs!”

Haven shook her head and glanced at the clock, seeing it was a few minutes before ten. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she grabbed her phone again. Her hand shook nervously as she scrolled through her contacts, stopping when she reached Corrado’s number.

It rang a few times before she heard the click. “Hello?”

Haven breathed a sigh of relief at the soft, feminine voice. “Hello, Celia.”

“Haven!” she gasped. “It’s been a while!”

“I know.” She immediately felt guilty. “I’ve been . . . busy.”

“No need to make excuses, kiddo. I just worry about you.”

“I know you do, but I promise I’m fine,” she said. “Is Corrado there? He called this morning.”

“Did he?” she asked, surprised. “He stepped out earlier, said he had some things to take care of.”

o;I know, but he’s falling apart.”

“There’s nothing more I can do,” Corrado insisted. “And quite frankly, your meddling is only hurting him more.”

“He’s my nephew, Corrado. I’m asking you to help him.”

“I am.” He shook his head. Their definitions of help were vastly different. “I’m helping him the only way I know how.”

“By forsaking him?”

“By making him stand on his own two feet.”

“But he’s not.” She hesitated as if she weren’t sure what to say. “There’s something going on with him. I don’t know what it is, but it’s not right.”

“Becoming one of us,” Corrado said quietly.