Page 31 of Nolan (The Doherty Mafia)
The guy mumbled something, then he turned and ran through the door. I picked up his gun and slid it in my pants.
“You okay buddy?” I asked the employee. He still looked shaken up.
“Y…yes. I’m okay. You’re a Doherty, aren’t you?”
I picked up the beers and brought them to the counter.
“Yeah, I am,” I mumbled as I pressed down some dollar bills.
“You don’t have to pay for it. You don’t have to pay for your beers here again,” the man continued, in a shaky voice.
I shrugged and took the beers, then walked out of the store.
Well, there were a few perks to being a Doherty around here.
Fifteen
Amelia
I knew Aldo was getting impatient and he wanted me to extract information from the Dohertys as fast as possible, but Nolan hadn’t contacted me in several days.
I knew it wouldn’t be a good idea if I texted or called him. I wasn’t even sure if he wanted to see me again. Maybe he didn’t appreciate me speaking to his family. Maybe sneaking out of his room early in the morning had been a bad idea.
But it wasn’t just for Aldo’s sake that I hoped Nolan would call me. I missed him.
I lay in bed at night, awake and fantasizing about being with him. I wanted him. I wanted his body and the way his hand felt in mine. I wanted to know what he thought…if he was close to making peace with his family. I was also afraid of where we’d end up once this was all over.
At some point, the truth would have to come out.
Eventually, Nolan would realize who I was and that I was working with Aldo this whole time. No matter how he felt about his family now, he’d never forgive me for deceiving him. There was no future for us. There never had been.
But I just make my peace with that idea.
It upset me to imagine never seeing him again. It was just a few days of separation and I was already experiencing withdrawal symptoms. He didn’t know me at all. He didn’t know the truths about me, and he wouldn’t like any of it when he found it.
But I still had a mission to complete.
I was still supposed to be working for Aldo, helping him. He’d been snappy with me and impatient, even though this mission was my idea. I was the one who had offered to help him. What would he have done if I hadn’t? Found someone else?
I had many reasons to go looking for Nolan. For Aldo’s sake and mine. So I went to his apartment building to see if I could catch a glimpse of him. Then I saw him leaving and stayed on the other side of the street.
I tried to keep up with him as he weaved through the crowded pavement. He was heading to a store around the corner. I waited outside, watching the store while he went inside. Then I saw the robber pointing a gun at the store employee. I gasped, bringing my hands up to my mouth in shock. I wanted to scream for help, but no sound came out.
I saw Nolan pull out his own gun and point it at the robber. I saw every moment of the whole thing and I didn’t know if Nolan would be safe. If he’d come out of it alive.
I didn’t want him to be hurt.
But Nolan wasn’t hurt at all. He was the hero. He was the one who had saved the store employee’s life and sent the robber running out with his tail between his legs.
I knew Nolan was strong. I knew he was a guy who’d grown up around violence. Being in the mafia had shaped him as a person. But this was a new side to him I’d witnessed for the first time.
Nolan didn’t hesitate. He didn’t miss his mark when he shot his warning bullet. He saved a man’s life and stopped a robbery that could have turned fatal. My heart pounded in my chest as I continued to watch the store from across the street.
I saw Nolan walk up to the other guy. They were talking. The guy seemed relieved and thankful.
I wanted to march into the store right now and throw my arms around Nolan. I wanted him to know just how amazing he was…how he constantly amazed me. That he should’ve been proud of what he did tonight.
But Nolan didn’t seem too impressed with himself. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled encouragingly at the guy, then walked out. I was out of breath, looking around the street to see if anyone else had noticed the incident. But it was New York. Nobody noticed anything else.
Nolan was out of the store now and I itched to go speak to him, but then he’d know I followed him. I couldn’t risk it.
