Part 23 (1/2)
”Oh c.r.a.p! What do I do? Help me!” Sheer fright was the only way to describe the look on Caroline's face.
Rheyna shook her head, refusing to take the pole. ”You can do it ... wait ... wait...” Rheyna watched as the bobber went down again. ”Now, jerk it!” she yelled.
Caroline did just as Rheyna said, and jerked the pole with everything she had. Rheyna wasn't prepared for what happened next. The line and the bobber, with a bluegill fish attached to it, shot out of the water like a slingshot, heading straight for them. They ducked just in time as the bobber, line, fish, and all sailed over their heads and landed on the ground behind them.
Rheyna fell to the ground. She was laughing so hard, she was crying. ”I think you ripped its lips off,” she managed to say while holding her stomach. She could hear the fish flopping around on the ground. She looked at Caroline. Her face was ashen white-ghost-like.
”It has lips?” Caroline asked seriously and then she lost it. She fell to the ground in a fit of laughter.
”Not anymore,” Rheyna said, between laughing and wiping the tears from her eyes.
”Stop laughing at me and help it, please,” Caroline said as she tried to get herself under control.
Rheyna struggled to her feet. ”Okay, okay,” she said as she walked over to where the fish lay flopping. She was still laughing as she gently removed the hook from the bluegill's mouth.
Caroline came over and stood beside her. With Caroline's hand in hers, they walked down to the edge of the water. Rheyna knelt down and gently put the fish in the water and watched the traumatized little guy swim away.
Caroline ran her fingers through her hair. ”I need a drink,” she said.
Rheyna didn't know who was in worse shape, Caroline, or the fish. Caroline fell on the blanket in an unceremonious heap and grabbed the bottle of wine. She poured herself a very large gla.s.s and then poured another for Rheyna.
”Are you hungry?” Rheyna asked, and opened the basket. Caroline set her gla.s.s of wine down, reached up, and grabbed Rheyna's hand.
”I thought you'd never ask,” she said huskily, pulling Rheyna down on the blanket next to her.
Big Tony looked at Sonny. ”What time did he say he'd be here?”
Sonny glanced at his watch. ”Should be anytime now. He was having lunch at Pal Joey's with Henry.”
Big Tony wiped his handkerchief across his forehead. ”d.a.m.n, it's hot out here,” he said as he watched the pool boy methodically run the skimmer across the water and scoop out several leaves. His thoughts turned back to his problem at hand. He had come too far and had paid dearly to get where he was. He'd be d.a.m.ned if he was going to sit back and let some FBI d.y.k.e ruin it.
Who the h.e.l.l did she think she was? Didn't she know who he was and what he was capable of? Scala found out, as did all the others who had crossed him. If she didn't know, she would real soon. He thought about Caroline and shook his head. How was she ever going to find a husband when she spent all of her time with a d.y.k.e? He had several men to choose from in the family that would make fine son-in-laws, but none ever seemed to be good enough. He shook his head again in disgust. Nah, she couldn't be, he said to himself as he tried to shake the images from his mind.
Jay Farino walked over to the table, snapping him out of his thoughts. He pulled out a chair and sat down next to Sonny. Big Tony drained the last remnants of scotch in his gla.s.s.
He pushed the folder over to Jay. ”I want to send a message and I don't care about the details, just take care of it,” he said.
Jay opened the folder. He looked at the photo of Rheyna and then tucked it inside his jacket pocket. He stood and left without saying a word. He didn't need to. He knew what his role was in the family. He was the end-all and eventually, everything ended with him. He smiled as he thought about his newest a.s.signment and how much fun he was going to have with this one.
Caroline helped Rheyna load her bags into her Jeep. The weekend had flown by too fast, and Rheyna didn't want to leave. Caroline wrapped her arms around Rheyna's waist. ”I don't want to leave. Can't we stay here forever?” Caroline asked, resting her forehead against Rheyna's chest.
Rheyna tilted her head back and gently kissed her on the mouth. ”We have a whole lifetime, sweetheart.” Rheyna said the words, wanting to believe that it would somehow be possible.
”When can I see you again?” Caroline asked, squeezing Rheyna's waist tighter.
”I have to take care of a few things when I get back and then I would like to sit down with you sometime tomorrow and talk.” Rheyna kissed the top of her head. ”I have some things I need to tell you,” she said hesitantly.
Caroline must have sensed something in Rheyna's voice. She leaned back to look at her. ”Oh no, don't tell me you're married.”
Rheyna shook her head.
”You have a string of girlfriends?”
Rheyna laughed and hugged her tightly. ”No, baby, nothing like that.” Rheyna wished it were that simple. She looked into Caroline's eyes and saw the concern.
”You're starting to worry me,” Caroline said half-smiling.
Rheyna cupped Caroline's face between her hands. ”Please trust me and know that I love you more than anything in this world,” she said, meaning every word.
”I love you, too,” she said, and kissed Rheyna softly.
It was hard to say goodbye, and it took everything Rheyna had to get in her Jeep without Caroline at her side. She watched Caroline's taillights disappear and then backed the Jeep out of the driveway. She put it in drive and headed back toward Half Moon Bay. Her emotions were a mess, and she tried to sort them out as she drove home. Home-what a funny thought.
She hadn't felt at home anywhere in a long, long time, but she felt at home with Caroline. She thought about what she would say to her and knew that whatever she said, it wouldn't be the total truth. Caroline didn't really know anything about her, and everything she did know was a lie. h.e.l.l, she didn't even know Rheyna's real name. She was worried about how Caroline would react when she learned the truth, how she would feel about the true reason for Rheyna being in her life, and how none of this had happened by chance, except for Rheyna falling in love with her-the one thing Rheyna hadn't planned.
Her stomach did a flip-flop, and she realized she was terrified. She was terrified that Caroline would hate her, hate her for what she had done to her family. She would rather face ten Castrucci's than deal with the look of disappointment on Caroline's face that was sure to come when she learned the whole truth. Rheyna slapped a CD in and headed for the highway.
Jay Farino shoved Henry, nearly knocking him off the step. ”Why don't you watch what the h.e.l.l you're doing?” he hissed through clenched teeth.
”Jeez, I'm sorry. It's just that I can't see a d.a.m.n thing,” Henry said as reached his hand out to regain his balance.
”Here, hold this,” Farino snapped, and shoved the penlight at Henry.
Henry took the flashlight and held it in place while Farino picked the front door lock. ”Where are those fancy night goggles of yours that you seem to be so proud of?” Farino asked as the tumbler clicked into place.
”I left aem home.”
”Figures,” Farino said as he flung the front door open and stepped through the doorway of Rheyna's house. He reached back and jerked Henry through the doorway by his arm. ”Come on, we don't have much time.”
”I don't understand why we're here, anyway. We have all the information we need,” Henry said, stumbling around in the dark.
Farino s.n.a.t.c.hed Henry up by the front of his jacket, jerking so hard, Henry left his feet. He pulled Henry so that their chests were practically touching. ”Are you questioning my judgment?” he asked.
”No, no, it's just that it doesn't make sense why we would risk getting caught,” Henry stammered.
Farino let go of Henry's s.h.i.+rt and pushed him away. ”I decide what we do and don't do. Capische?”
”Fine, fine. What do you want me to do?”
”I want you to stand there and keep your freaking mouth shut. Do you think you can do that?”
Before Henry could answer, a low growl came from somewhere across the room. Henry aimed his flashlight in the direction of the growl. Annie was standing near the patio door, baring her teeth at them. Henry pulled his gun out of his waistband and aimed it at her.