Page 21 of Fractured
“When do you want me to see this, Helen?” She puts her finger under her nose and sniffs.
“As soon as you can. I’ll need time. I’m basically under house arrest, and he still has my phone. I don’t think he’ll let me go back to work yet, either.” Folding my hands together in my lap. “I’ll look for my chance, and I’ll take it when it comes.”
She holds my hands and says, “Daniels is looking for a replacement, Izzy. I’m so sorry. So when do you think you can pull this off?”
This time, a tear runs down my cheek.
“I can’t tell you. You will be the first person he goes to for answers. If you don’t have any, he can’t hurt you. But I will leave messages with Helen when I can. Just go see her. She’ll make sure it’s safe. We can work out the details tonight. You are still allowed to crash with me. You are my maid of honor after all.”
The moment seems too surreal. I was just going to disappear, and do my best on my own, but I am glad I told Anna.
I laugh, “You’d like Helen. She’s a lot like you.”
I smile and wipe away the tear. Anna laughs and leans back. “No one is like me, baby.”
We laugh weakly for a few minutes, and then I sober up enough to ask, “What do you mean you choked out Danny? When did you do that?”
Anna loses it hard. Happy tears pour down her cheeks this time.
“The morning of your dress fitting. He was all he-man and shit, carrying me off to the bathroom trying to be the big man. Heslammed me up against the wall, which was kinda hot, and he’s a great kisser, too.” She points at me.
“What? You kissed him?”
She waves a hand in the air like it was no big deal.
“Yeah, well, we were in the heat of the moment.” Her cheeks turn pink. “Anyway, he was giving me shit for climbing the gate. 'I could have hurt myself' and he was pissed that I 'flirted with Carlos'. She air quotes.
“So... I let him kiss me till he was all into it enough to have some wiggle room to move, and I got around his back, then I koala bear his ass and put him in a choke hold.”
Anna looks off to the side, her finger on her chin like she's deep in thought. “It took him a little while to go down, but I squeezed my thighs tighter around his ribs,” she says, her brows pinching together. She snaps her fingers, “Boom! Out, bitches!”
We laugh. And the thought of big tough Danny with tiny Anna wrapped around him as he hits the floor makes me laugh even harder. We laugh so loud we double over, tears running down our faces. The sound echoes around the room, drawing attention, but I don’t care. I can't get that image out of my head.
I adore this crazy girl who has no qualms about taking on a man twice her size and bringing him down.
“I didn’t take Jiu Jitsu for nothing,” she wheezes now. We laugh again, and my belly hurts. Anna reaches for a wine glass and pours us a glass of red. She holds it up.
“To the coolest person I’ve ever known, may the road you take bring you peace. I love you, Isabella Gallo.”
I’m too choked up to answer. I just clink our glasses together and take a drink. We don’t need words to clarify how deep this friendship goes; she knows me and I know her.
“Pixie.” A hand is in front of Anna and we both look up.
Danny is in a sharp black suit, his blond hair neatly combed back and falling around his shoulders, his blue eyes brilliant as he takes in Anna’s features. He looks amazing, and Anna’s cheeks burn.
“Dick?” she says and looks back at me, smiling.
Danny reaches down and takes her hand, pulling her from the chair to skip after him as he takes her in his arms on the dance floor. I take a sip of wine as I watch them. Who knew Danny could clean up so well and dance, no less?
I settle back in my chair, sipping my wine and watching them dance. Danny is looking at her like she hung the moon and stars. Anna’s face blushes as he whispers in her ear and she laughs. Danny smiles and sweeps her across the floor.
I look around the banquet hall, in a room full of hundreds of people, and I have only one person who loves me. The music changes to an upbeat song and she comes running, leans over the edge of the table and grabs my hand.
“Get up. Come on! We have only so much time, so let’s party!”
I smile and get up, and we dance. We danced till our feet hurt, my cheeks were sore, and Anna and I had kicked off our shoes. Danny is sweating and has taken off his jacket and tie. For the first time in days, I feel like me, like this could be my life if I was someone else.
It’s getting late, and the DJ announces the last dance. Danny grabs Anna and sways with her as I gather up my things and sit down to put my shoes back on. The Russo men haven’t come back. It’s been hours, and it’s time to go home, or well, his home.
