try to sort it out. Both Alfie and Franny were too important to her and, even though he’d told her to stay right out of it, telling her not to breathe a word to anyone, she needed to follow her instincts and do what was right.
Sliding out her phone from the pocket of her pink towelling dressing gown, Lola dialled a number. She moved across to her bed in the corner of the grey velvet room, listening to check no one was coming.
The phone rang several times before it was eventually answered by a sleepy voice.
‘Hello?’
‘Franny, it’s me, Lola.’
There was silence on the phone before Franny spoke again. ‘Hello, Lola. It’s good to hear your voice.’
‘You might not think that after I’ve said what I need to. I’ll get right down to the bones of it: I want to know what the hell’s going on. Alfie’s in a real state. His head’s all over the place. How could you do it to him? I thought you loved him. I thought you were different, and to tell you the truth, Fran, I’m shocked. I keep telling myself there must be a good explanation, a reason why you robbed him blind, but for the life of me I can’t think of one.’
Sighing, Franny quietly but firmly said, ‘Lola, I love you, you know I do, but this isn’t anything to do with you.’
Not remembering a time when she’d ever raised her voice to Franny, Lola, upset by her coldness, shrieked down the phone. ‘But that’s where you’re wrong, darlin’. It is to do with me, because I thought we were family and family don’t do this to each other. What is it? Have you met someone else? Want to set up shop on your own? Or is it some kind of payback that you’ve been planning all along?’
‘Lola, that’s not what happened. You’ve got it all wrong. Look, I’m tired, it’s the middle of the nigh—’
Franny stopped, realising what she was about to say.
Frowning, Lola asked, ‘What do you mean? You were going to say middle of the night, weren’t you? For God’s sake, Fran, tell me where you are. Are you in trouble? Is that it? Cos I know you, my Franny wouldn’t do anything like this.’
‘Lola, please, you trust me, don’t you?’
Lola sniffed, her body stiffening as she sat on the silky grey covers. ‘I did. I thought you were the most trustworthy person I ever met.’
‘I still am.’
Forcing back the tears, Lola closed her eyes. ‘Well, you’ve got a funny way of showing it. At least speak to Alfie, sort this out with him before it’s too late. He’s devastated, sweetheart, and not just because he needed that money for his business deal – which thanks to you looks like it’s now going to fall through – but because he loves you. He’d never loved anyone in his life before he met you. You’ve broken his heart, not to mention mine.’
‘Lola, I have to go. I’m sorry. Just know that if there was any other way, I would’ve chosen it. Look after Alfie for me, won’t you? I hope that one day I’ll be able to explain.’
‘Franny, listen to me—’
Lola sat looking at the phone as Franny cut it off.
‘Who was that?’
She jumped, not realising anybody had come into the room. It was Alfie. His handsome face stern and suspicious.
‘No one.’
Pushing back his black hair away from his eyes, Alfie walked across to Lola. Standing over her, his six-foot-plus muscular frame dwarfing her, he said, ‘You weren’t speaking to no one, you were speaking to someone and I want to know who that someone was.’
Fidgeting with the phone, Lola smiled, assuming innocence. ‘When I say no one, I mean it was no one important. You know, one of those cold calls.’
Alfie bent down towards her, his nose inches away from Lola’s. ‘You’re lying to me. I always know when you’re lying. Don’t go behind me back, Lola, otherwise you and I are going to fall out, big time.’
Feeling guilty, Lola looked Alfie straight in the eye. ‘And why would I want to do that, hey? Listen, I know you’re having a hard time, Alfie, but there’s no need to get paranoid. Look, lovely, why don’t I make us a coffee, this one’s gone cold. I’ll make you and Vaughn a bit of breakfast, what do you say? Look, darlin’, I am so sorry that you’re hurting. I hate to see you like this.’
Alfie shook his head, feeling the shame creeping over him. ‘No, I’m the one who’s sorry; I shouldn’t take it out on you. This thing with Franny is eating me up. If only I could get to speak to her, you know?’
Lola gave a tight smile but said nothing as she continued to listen to Alfie. ‘But I guess her message is loud and clear. It’s pretty obvious how she feels, cos she won’t even answer my calls, so I’m left here not knowing what I’ve fucking done. Have you any idea what that feels like? I should’ve known though, shouldn’t I? Look at her father and Cabhan: gangsters, faces, and they taught her everything she knows. What do they say? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’
‘Alfie …’
Kicking the bedside table, Alfie glared and pointed at Lola. ‘What? You think I’m being a hypocrite? Well, I’m not, the difference is I may be all those things her father was, but I’d never screw over my own. I’m not the bad guy here for once.’
Standing up, Lola tried to calm a pacing Alfie. ‘Sweetheart, I’m sure it’ll work out. I know it hurts.’
Alfie glared. ‘Oh, it ain’t hurting me, it’s screwing me over. Fucked me financially, like I’ve got me bollocks caught in a vice, and to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t want to sort it out now even if I could.’
‘You don’t mean that.’
Alfie’s handsome face reddened. ‘Oh, I do, and if she were here right now, Lola, do you know what I’d do?… I’d fucking kill her.’
And with that, Alfie Jennings stormed out of the room, leaving Lola standing there, a deep sense of unease beginning to creep over her.
The hot Colorado air whirled through the prison window bars in the visitors’ room. It was empty save the two armed guards who stood by the door waiting to be relieved from their lunchtime shift. They nodded a respectful greeting, first to Officer Johnstone and then to Nico as they walked in, making sure the latter’s greeting was clearly seen by the recipient. No one wanted repercussions from a Russo.
Striding across the magnolia-and-steel-blue-painted room, and deciding that for the time being he wouldn’t mention anything about the call from Alice, Nico hugged his brother. It was the first time they’d seen each other since the accident, though they’d spoken briefly on the phone.
‘Nico, I’m so sorry for your loss. Mi si spezza il cuore. My heart breaks.’
Breaking away from the hug, Nico pushed the thought of his daughter, Ally, out of his mind. They weren’t here to talk like women. They were here to talk business. That was all, and that was the way it should be.
He’d already learnt about his daughter’s passing, so there wasn’t much to discuss. Yes, it’d been a waste of a young life. The girl was only sixteen. But that was what she was, a girl. Losing a son, well, that would’ve been different. He knew if that had happened he’d be inconsolable with grief, but a girl, there was only so much sadness he could feel. He hadn’t built his fortunes on weeping beside gravesides for the women in his life.
His father had always taught him that for the right money a man would kill his own mother. Well, he hadn’t needed money, he’d been happy to do it for free. She’d been a whore, though he could’ve forgiven