Page 67 of Volatile Vice

“Yes, and I’ll be gone a long time. Probably about a month. I just wanted you to know so you won’t try to get in touch with me.”

Amonth?

My God, so much can happen in a month. I know Vinnie doesn’t want to interact with me until after he’s taken care of everything with his family, but some small part of me was hoping he would follow his heart and come back to me. If only for a discreet tryst every now and then.

But a month? That’s so long.

“You there?” he asks.

“Yes.” I bite my lip, searching for the right thing to say. “I… I’ll miss you.”

He says nothing.

I understand. He thinks the phone call may be monitored.

“Is this a…work trip?” I ask.

His voice darkens. “It is.”

“Can you tell me where you’re going at least? I mean, I assume they have cell coverage there. We can still talk.”

He pauses before responding. “I’ll be very busy, Raven. And no, I can’t tell you where I’m going.”

The phone clicks off.

Sadness sweeps through me. It seems every time I interact with Vinnie, he breaks my heart a little bit more. He didn’t even say goodbye. Much less that he loves me. A lump begins to form in my throat, and I feel my bottom lip quiver.

But I swallow it back. I’m lucky to be alive, and I don’t have time to waste on sadness.

This is my life now. A big man with guns who follows me everywhere. A super security system at my home.

This is my life.

But it’s better than death.

22

VINNIE

Isit at the airport, getting ready to board my chartered flight to Bogotá.

My stomach feels sick, and I’m racking my brain to think of ways to get out of this when my phone rings.

“Is this Vincent Gallo?”

“Yes, who’s this?”

“This is Officer Jett Davis with the Austin Police Department. I’m afraid I have some bad news about your mother.”

My heart drops into my gut.

My mother?

Did my Grandfather really take out his frustrations toward me on his own daughter?

Oh, God. Oh, God…

“Shit. What happened?”