A Heart of Gang (The Centofanti Gang Book 1) Read online

  "What's up, bro?" Alpo took a sip of his coffee as he pulled a chair out across from Paul.

  "I need you to tell me everything you know about your old drug dealer, Daniel St. Clair.” Paul said, leaning forward with his arms folded on the tabletop. “Rumor is he's been a part of Ramsey's gang under the radar for a few years now. Leo wants us to be careful regardless of if that rumor is true. Turns out that bar fight still makes us targets."

  "I was drunk! Jeez, you’d think Ramsey would stop crying about it. He got his man out.” Alpo took a sip of coffee before continuing. “For as long as I have known Daniel, he hasn’t been a threat to me. He’s always been the quiet, observant type whenever we’ve done deals. However, Daniel does have a record of being violent when things don't go his way. He's pretty intimidating as it is, but when he loses his temper… well it’s worse than when your mother used to scold us on a bad day. He once put a guy in the hospital for a drug deal that went wrong; the guy tried ripping him off and Daniel wasn’t having it. Last thing I knew though, he quit drug dealing for his girlfriend. I haven’t heard from him since then."

  "What's the girlfriend’s name?"

  "Skylar, I think. Skylar Adams. She moved here from California right before he met her. That was about three and a half, four years ago, so maybe something happened since then and he went back to dealing."

  “Wait, Skylar Adams? Why does that name sound familiar?” Paul and Alpo looked at each other, trying to place the name. A light bulb clicked in Alpo’s head and he hesitated as he contemplated saying something to Paul. Finally, he turned toward Paul.

  “Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m not. But I think I took her to our junior prom. Wasn’t Skylar Jade’s best friend in high school?”

  Paul was about to respond when his gaze landed on a young couple who appeared to be waiting for another woman and her child inside the costume shop. As Paul watched, the auburn-haired woman held out her arms and the child ran to her. The other woman shook her head, laughing. Something about her tugged at Paul's heart, despite the distance between them.

  “Hey, Alpo. Do those people look familiar to you?” Paul nodded in their direction and Alpo turned to see who Paul was talking about.

  “Yeah, they do.” Alpo tilted his head to study the couple, his eyebrows furrowing together as he frowned.

  At that moment, the man turned and looked straight at Paul; even from across the food court, Paul could tell the man was making direct eye contact with him. Recognition flashed across his face and he quickly ushered the women away in the opposite direction. Puzzled, Paul looked from the man to the women when it dawned on him that the man was Daniel St. Clair. He then recognized Skylar who was still holding the child. She hasn’t changed much since high school, Paul thought. As Daniel hurried them away, the brunette glanced over her shoulder, not seeing Paul or Alpo at the food court. That glance was all Paul needed to realize who she was.

  “Hey, isn’t that Jade with them?” Alpo asked warily, watching Paul for a reaction.

  Paul was silent as he took his phone out of his pocket and searched for Jade’s phone number. Hitting “Call,” Paul and Alpo both anxiously waited; the silent lobby was abruptly interrupted three seconds later when they heard “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey begin to play. The brunette stopped and dug around in her purse before pulling out her phone and glancing at the screen. The expression on her face was shock mixed with surprise and guilt. She glanced around before saying something to Skylar, who immediately looked concerned. Daniel tugged roughly on Skylar’s arm, urging them to keep moving and within seconds, they disappeared from Paul’s line of sight.

  Paul and Alpo shared a look as the wheels in Paul’s head began turning. Jade was still in town, which meant she didn’t leave like he thought she would after all. Only a few seconds later, he realized the little girl looked a lot like Jade when she was a kid; he remembered seeing photos displayed in Sofia’s house years ago of the same dazzling smile and curl-framed face. A light bulb went off inside his head this time and the look on Alpo’s face confirmed what Paul had concluded: Jade was in fact pregnant the night the truth came out.

  Despite that night, despite the danger that loomed in the shadows... Jade had kept their child.

  CHAPTER 5: TRUTH BE TOLD

  After the sudden blowout with Daniel, I began to get Ava ready to go to the mall for our own retail therapy. Strapping her into the booster seat and making sure the straps were properly secured, I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and slid into the driver's seat. Sky and Daniel climbed into the car, Sky in the passenger seat while Daniel sulked in the backseat behind her. Ava was demanding Disney on Pandora from the back seat as I backed out of the driveway and made our way into the shopping district of town, causing Sky and I to both burst out laughing as I flipped to the kid-friendly station.

  Daniel hadn't said one word since we left the house - not even an apology - and I couldn’t help but notice he was avoiding my gaze every time I glanced in the rearview mirror to check on Ava.. I mentally rolled my eyes at his immature attitude and focused on what Sky was saying.

  "I saw some really cute dresses that Ava might like at that kid store.. I can’t remember the name, but you know the place. Over by where they had Santa for photos last year. And Hot Topic has some great Disney stuff on sale. We could also check out the toy shop and the bookstore."

  "If Ava gets hungry, we can head to the food court. She loves the French fries from the burger joint." I suggested, earning a nod from Sky.

  After navigating through the midmorning rush, I pulled into one of the closer parking spots and promptly turned the car off before we piled out of the car, eager to carry out our shopping plans. I carried Ava as far as the sidewalk before she squirmed to be put down, like the mini independent person she was growing up to be. She held onto my hand tightly as we walked to the toy shop, excitement radiating from her little body as she tried to hop beside me. After walking around the nearly empty mall and shopping for three hours, Ava tugged on my yoga pants.

  "Mommy, I'm hungry. Can I have some French fries now?"

  "Sure, baby girl. Let's go."

  Carrying bags in both hands, I let Ava lead the way to the food court. We were walking past the costume shop, when Ava ran inside and squealed over a 'Frozen' costume display in the front window near the store’s entrance. She absolutely adored that movie, even if she didn't quite yet get the story. I handed the bags to Sky and followed my daughter inside. The woman who owned the store was leaning over the counter, smiling at Ava. She waved to me when I came in.

  "Hey Jade! I see Ava's found a new costume to play dress up with."

  "Hey Annabelle. Looks like it" I chuckled, "We'll take it."

  "There are some new adult costumes in the back if you want to see. I'm pretty sure we have some Disney ones somewhere."

  "Cool, let me go check out what's new."

  "All set?" Annabelle asked a few minutes later as I handed over Belle's gown from Beauty and the Beast and Elsa's gown from Frozen.

  "Yup, I think we're good for today. Thanks," I paid her and grabbed the bag. "Let's go, Ava."

  We showed Sky and Daniel Ava's costume as soon as we walked out. Ava was singing "Let It Go" and making funny faces. I couldn't help but laugh at her silliness, thankful she also got that from me. Picking up the bags, I looked to Sky for help as Ava began to yawn. Sky picked her up and we were about to head to the food court when Daniel abruptly turned us away.

  "Let's just go to McDonald's by your house," he said sharply, ushering us back the way we came.

  "But we can get fries here," Sky said, confused.

  "Just trust me on this, Skylar. We need to go."

  Sky looked at me and I shrugged. As we followed him, I glanced over my shoulder but didn't see anything. I wonder what set Daniel on edge like that, I thought. It had to be something big for him to turn icy. With a shake of my head, I pushed the feeling away and focused on getting fries for Ava. Just then, I heard “We Belong Togeth
er” by Mariah Carey begin to play as my phone started ringing. I stopped walking to dig around in my purse, finally pulling out my phone. As my mind registered the name on the screen, my heart stopped. The feeling of shock and guilt returned as I glanced around, trying not to hyperventilate.

  “What’s wrong, Jade?” Skylar asked, looking concerned at my expression.

  “It’s nothing. I think… Never mind, it’s nothing,” I said, attempting to hide the panic in my voice.

  I knew she didn’t buy it; Skylar knew that ringtone was saved for one person in particular. Before she could say anything else, Daniel interrupted.

  “Come on then. We need to go.” Daniel tugged on Skylar’s arm, urging us to keep moving. Distracted, I followed them in silence as I tried to figure out what just happened.

  By the time we got back to my house, Ava was falling asleep. Daniel and Sky grabbed the bags as I carried Ava to the porch. I momentarily paused as I noticed a vase of pink carnations next to the front door. Carefully, I leaned over and picked up the vase, setting it down on the counter in the kitchen before taking Ava to her bedroom. I tucked her in and gently kissed her forehead before quietly leaving the room.

  “Who are the flowers from?” Sky asked as I started to put the items I bought away. Daniel was pacing nervously in the living room, talking rapidly into his phone.

  “I don’t know. There’s never a card with them,” I shrugged before disappearing into the spare bedroom to put Ava’s toys away. After everything was put away, I found Skylar in the kitchen making popcorn when Daniel finally got off the phone. Groaning, he flopped onto the couch and closed his eyes. Skylar brought me a bowl of popcorn and sat down next to Daniel.

  "What's wrong, Daniel?" Sky asked, this time troubled by her boyfriend’s behavior.

  "I haven't been completely honest with either of you. Especially you, Jade," he said, looking at me worriedly as he bounced his leg up and down.

  "What are you talking about?" I raised an eyebrow questioningly.

  "Don't be mad at me. I wasn't allowed to tell anyone," he sighed. "When I said I had talked to Paul that night four years ago, I wasn't lying. At that time, I was a drug dealer for his friend, Alpo. In fact, I dealt with almost the whole Carmichael gang. That particular night, I had a meeting with Alpo and Paul. Alpo was running late so Paul and I were waiting at the pub. Paul was anxious because he was already late meeting with you at Salem. About 11:30, Alpo finally showed up drunk. He stumbled into another man, who happened to be the toughest top man from Ramsey's gang. A fight broke out and things got bad pretty quickly. Paul jumped in to help Alpo out of the mess and that's when everything went downhill. Alpo was so drunk and hot tempered, he turned on Paul and punched him hard, straight in the jaw."

  "Paul stood there in disbelief as Alpo yelled at him for ruining everything," Daniel continued. "'That's why Jade hasn't told you she's pregnant! You knocked her up!' he bellowed. Paul sent him flying across the room. By that time, the police officers had shown up and took them all in. Leo, Paul's uncle, met me at the station and we had to do some damage control to bail Paul and Alpo out. When Ramsey heard his man was still behind bars, he was furious. He swore he would get revenge on Carmichael, no matter what the price was. That's why Paul didn't want you to ask questions. He was trying to protect you, and if what Alpo had said was true, the baby."

  "I don't understand," Skylar interrupted. "Other than the drug dealing, what's your part in all this? Why all the secrets?"

  "After I met you and quit drug dealing, Ramsey offered me a place in his gang. It wasn't anything too important or crazy, he just wanted me to be in charge of shipments. He liked the way I handled my dealings. I refused, told him I was done and wasn't interested in going back. That was the end of it."

  I stared at the man in front of me, anger and shock surely written all over my face as it pulsated through my veins. Something in my mind screamed as his words sank in. He was there with Paul when he got in trouble so long ago, knew the whole truth behind the blood and bruises that haunted my dreams. He never bothered to tell me, even when he knew how broken I was inside because I lost something that couldn't be replaced with anyone else. I had trusted Daniel enough over the last three years to be a friend but now his dishonesty cut me in half. He sat quietly as I tried to make sense of everything he had just told me. That weird feeling came back to me and it was like a light bulb was switched on inside my head. He flinched as my eyes flashed angrily and I took a deep breath.

  "Why did you usher us out of the mall earlier? And don't you dare lie to me, Daniel! I'm tired of it!"

  "I saw... Paul and Alpo... in the food court. I panicked because I hadn't told you yet and I didn't know what they'd do," Daniel said defensively.

  "How could you?! You knew I wanted to find him! He needs to know about Ava. She needs her daddy! Damn it, Daniel!!" I stopped to catch my breath and a thought hit me like a train. He called me while we were at the mall, right after Daniel freaked out. "Wait a minute. You saw Paul at the mall? But that would mean... he still lives in town. So, I’m guessing that he called me to see if it was really me there. That’s why my phone went off after you panicked. Which means he knows about Ava."

  Daniel nodded and I resisted the urge to throw something at the wall to release some anger building up inside my chest, not wanting to wake up my daughter.

  “That’s not how he was supposed to find out about her! Why didn’t you just say something there? Now, I have to figure out how to fix this mess you put me in, Daniel!” I yelled furiously. Just then, my phone began to ring. I held up a finger to Daniel and walked into my bedroom. It wasn't a number that I recognized.

  "Hello?"

  "Jade?"

  "Yes? Who is this?"

  "You know exactly who this is."

  "Alpo? How the hell did you get my number?"

  "I had your number four years ago, remember? Obviously, you haven't changed it." Even through the phone, I could tell he was smirking at me. I sighed.

  "Get to the point, Alpo. I have things to do."

  "Like taking care of your daughter. I know, I saw you at the mall with Skylar and Daniel. Paul saw you too."

  "I know, he called me. And Daniel just came clean about everything. Your point?" I growled in frustration at the reminder.

  "Just saying. He knows that's his daughter. And he still loves you, Jade. It's my fault he wasn't there on time. I'm sorry about that, really sorry. But he was protecting you because I messed up. I know I can't change what happened, but I need you to understand why he didn't want to tell you the truth. And I doubt Daniel came clean about everything."

  "Why are you telling me this now? What do you mean by that?" I gripped the phone tighter, feeling uneasy about the man in my living room.

  "I’ll get to Daniel in a minute. But I wanted to warn you. Ramsey knows she is Paul's daughter. He still wants his revenge on all of us and he might just use the two of you to get to Paul. I want you to be careful. If something were to happen to you or her, I couldn’t live with that."

  "What do you suggest I do?"

  "Talk to Leo Carmichael and we need to find Paul as soon as we can. He disappeared after seeing you today. He's still upset with himself."

  "Damn it. Stupid Daniel," I muttered. "Alpo, do you have any idea where... he... Paul went?"

  "No clue, but we're looking for him. And Jade?"

  "Yeah, Alpo?"

  “What did you name her? Curious minds want to know.”

  “Let me guess, the curious minds would be Paul’s family?”

  “More like his mom,” Alpo said sheepishly. I could feel him grinning through the phone.

  “Her name is Ava Lynn Marie Centofanti,” I hesitated on her last name, waiting for Alpo to realize what I said.

  “Ava Lynn Marie…” His voice trailed off as it sunk in. His voice was quieter when he spoke again. “I know Paul and his mom will be happy about that. You did good, Jade.”

  “Thank you,” I said quietly, willing the te
ars to not fall. “I hope we find him soon. I need to make things right.”

  "We will, I know it. Just… Be careful around Daniel. Don't tell him anything I told you or about Paul. Word from our connections is that he's been working with Ramsey for the last three and a half years. I’m thinking that’s how Ramsey knows about your daughter."

  "Thanks, Alpo. Text me directions to Leo's house and I'll be there after we find Paul."

  "Sure thing. See ya later, Jade. And let that precious baby know her daddy loves her."

  With a click, he was gone. I clenched my teeth and stalked back into the living room. Daniel was back on the phone, probably talking to Ramsey himself. Sky raised an eyebrow in my direction, and I shook my head. I knew I looked like hell, but I didn't care. My daughter was possibly in danger and Paul had disappeared. The promise I made to Ava earlier this morning now felt like a loaded gun ready to fire. I knew I had to find Paul before Ramsey did. The only way I was going to do that was to face the big boss himself, Leo Carmichael.

  I chewed on my bottom lip as I contemplated my options. Alpo told me not to trust Daniel, which I didn't after learning he lied for four years. I made sure Daniel was still on the phone when I motioned Sky to follow me into the kitchen. With Daniel in sight, I took a deep breath and said something I never thought I'd say to my best friend.

  "I need to go talk to Leo Carmichael and you can't tell Daniel about anything I’m about to tell you."

  CHAPTER 6: DECISIONS & CONSEQUENCES

  "What?" Sky's eyes widened in panic, her jaw nearly dropping to the floor as she glanced over her shoulder at Daniel in the other room.

  "I know, I'm just as shocked as you are. This whole thing is about to get even more complicated," I groaned and rubbed my forehead before telling her what Alpo told me.

  I knew the information about Daniel would destroy Sky, but I needed to protect her along with Ava and myself from whatever dangerous threat he actually posed to us. Sky seemed to be lost in thought as she tried to make sense of everything I just told her.