Confessions and Olivia (Olivia #2) (14 page)

Chapter Twelve*

Mauricio Fahoney drove in a rage towards Lenny's house in his new BMW he was forced to purchase. Lenny was also in the company of Reggie and Jimmy. The Three men that were sent out to kick shit into Calvin.

Lenny’s wife Patricia was beside herself. “Why are you three standing in my home waiting for that cruel son of a bitch?”

Lenny tried desperately to calm her down but it was no use. “He just wants to talk with us that’s all. Go upstairs.”

Just as Patricia was about to take herself to her room, she heard three loud bangs on her front door.

“If he so much touches you Lenny...”

“Get the fuck upstairs Patricia.” Lenny shouted. His anger solely came from wanting to protect his errant wife.

Patricia did as she was told.

Lenny straightened himself out and welcomed Fahoney in with a chirpy but uneasy tone.

“Fahoney!”

Fahoney scanned Lenny, his eyes were bulging out of the sockets. “So, you got beat to a fucking pulp did you?”

Lenny cleared his throat and reached to his bust nose, which was clearly broken.

“It’s nothing.” He shrugged.

Fahoney then barged his way past Lenny and made his way into the living room. He took one sharp glance at Jimmy and Reggie and laughed spinelessly. “I don’t fucking believe this. You two as well? It was one man. One fucking man and you all look like you’ve been in a fight with Jackie fucking Chan. What the fuck is wrong with you men? You’re an embarrassment.” He spat.

Jimmy was the first to speak. “His brother turned up Fahoney.”

“His brother?” He roared.
“And who is he? Mohamed Ali? You men have fought bigger fucking thugs them those two motherfuckers. What is wrong with you?”

“It’s not as bad as it looks, but those
boys got some fight in em. You told us to give him a taste of what would come. You told us not to kill him. That’s what we do Fahoney, we kill, but they were your words. 'Don’t kill him'.”

“Yet
!” Fahoney screamed at Jimmy until the air was blue. “Don’t kill him yet! I still have my boys looking into what that motherfucker is up to. What he’s got on me. And you three, you’ve make a fucking mockery out of me.”

Jimmy shifted on his feet. He sensed where Mauricio was heading and tried to save his
own skin.

“Come on Fahoney, be reasonable. We kicked the shit out of him and left him with wounds to remind him of what’s to come. You said, don’t kill him. You should have let us kill the bastard.”

Fahoney nodded agreeing. “Your right, I should have let you skin the son of a bitch alive.”

“You’re going soft in your old age.” Lenny chuckled to himself thinking it would lighten the mood, but as Fahoney’s face fell, Lenny regretted it instantly.

“Soft? I’m going soft Lenny?”

Lenny began to sweat and tried to dig himself out of the whole he'd just dug. He opened h
is arms and shook his shoulders. “It was a joke, Fahoney, come on.”

Jimmy quickly glanced over at
Reggie. He closed his eyes briefly, shaking his head on behalf of the stupidity of Lenny.

“Fucking soft? How soft is this for you Lenny.”

Before anyone could have moved out of the way, Fahoney had taken a hand gun out of his shirt pocket and shot between Lenny legs, making him cry out in unbelievable pain.

He sank to his knees.

“Tell your fucking wife how soft I was when you explain to her why you can’t give her any more fucking kids.”

Patricia came running down the stairs, panic stricken. As soon as she saw Lenny her high pitche
d scream pierced the men's ears. “What the fuck have you done Fahoney. You evil bastard.”

Fahoney rubbed his forehead irritated. “Jimmy, shut this bitch up. And if you must, take Lenny to the fucking hospital. Tell him the stupid
bastard shot himself. I got other shit to sort out.”

Chapter Thirteen*

I end up knocking on the
door of Mayra mom’s house, Nora. I don't know how I managed to walk here, it's so far, almost the other side of town but I needed the walk. I had to clear my mind.

Any other day I would have been pe
trified to walk down here alone. It’s a rough neighborhood, but if it's good enough for Nora to live than its good enough for me.

The door opens slowly with the person not taking the door off the latch. It's real late and knocking at this hour is completely disrespectful of me but I didn't
know where else to go.

I know Mayra's mom will give me an earful.

It's Mayra that opens the door though. She looks relieved when she notices it's me, but then she instantly turns angry.

"Darling Olivia, what are you doing here?" She's frantic hurling me inside.

"Sit down, make yourself at home. I’ll fix you some nice cocoa and a blanket you look freezing and so tired. Where the hell you been? I told you I be staying here tonight for you to come yes, but not at one in the morning!"

"I’ve been wondering." I mumble absent minded, taking
a seat on the blue fabric couch.

"Mayra! Who the hell would be calling at the house this time of the morning? Tel
l-em to get lost. Idiota!" Nora shrieks from upstairs making grimace feeling bad.

Mayra pulls a face.
"Its Olivia mama, now get back to sleep and mind your own." She makes me giggle. "Mothers ey, you can't live with em and you can't live without." She walks out into the kitchen talking to herself. Even at this hour she’s still thinking of ways to cheer me up. My love for her has just gotten stronger. She seems one of a few people I can rely on right now.

"Here, you drink that and wrap this around you."

I take the mug of coco from her hand but not the blanket. "I’m good May." I smile gently blowing the steam from my mug. She smiles and joins me on the sofa. "How come you knew you would be here tonight May? You don’t sleep here, you don't like it. You tell me that."

She looks away from me, she does this when she’s lying.

“Oh, mama was ill, you know,” she shrugs. “Plus,” she taps my knee, “I didn’t want to stay in our house. I didn’t feel right. Anyway, you’re lucky I am. She would have had your guts calling here like this."

“I know, I’m sorry. I really didn’t know where else to go.”

“What’s happened? I don't like the thought of you walking through these streets so late and alone. I thought you went home?"

“May, I can never go home. Not now. You know that.”

“So you been walking these streets?” she scolds. “Did you see Calvin?” she adds, I think hopeful.

“Yep.”

“And?” She nods for me to continue,

“It was…strange May. A horrible strange. You know, since he left me, every single day I have been waiting and aching for him, wanting things to go back to the way they were. Seeing him, only made me realize how much I love him. But something was different. He seems different and he’s keeping something from me. I don’t know what but I can’t be with him if it’s going to be based on secrets and lies. I gave him back his necklace too. I found it outside our house. I
couldn't bear the thought of it being in Mauricio’s hands if he found it.” I sigh, closing my eyes at the painful thought and continue. "You should have seen him, he looked like he gotten beaten to a pulp and that added to the grief.”

She places her hand on my knee ge
ntly. “Why did he want to see you? I mean, he called to your house to see you?”

“Mauricio text him, he set him up pretending to be me, he ambushed him. Why did I have to fall for him in the first place? None of this would have happened if I hadn’t been so stupid.”

She shakes her head reassuring me in her kind voice. “No, Olivia none of this is your fault. Calvin came to see you to declare his love.”

Her eyes full of joy. But mine the complete opposite.

“I don't think so. When I left him, I gave him a chance to tell me the truth, to tell me what the hell has been going on. He said he never wanted to let me go again. If he loved me, he would have told me right there. He said he wanted to make it up to me for the rest of our lives, but then he couldn’t tell me the truth. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, walking away from him after all this time. But if he loved me he would have taken his chance.”

“Olivia, what more do you need? The man is head over heels for you.”

I take a sip of my cocoa and roll my eyes. “No he isn’t. I can’t be lied to anymore May, I’m sick and tired of it. He's hiding something from me. I asked him over and over to tell me. He said he was afraid he'd lose me if he told me.”

She frowns crossing her arms, sitting back comfortably. Now she’s all ears.

“Hiding what exactly?”

“I don’t
know, but I get the feeling he is and its big.”

“Then that’s your paranoia kicking in.” She clicks with her mouth that she’s solved that one but it’s not true.

“No its not, it's something else. I know it, but he refuses to tell me.”

“And is it worth losing him over? You have never loved any man Olivia and you want to let the love of your life just slip through your fingers again? Just like that? Sometimes people lie to protect the ones they love.”

Is she insane? She's acting like I’m being irrational.

“What else am I supposed to do? Tell me what to do?” I plead. I’m at a total loss.

“I think you know what to do. I know deep down you don't want to live without him anymore. Forgive me, but you’re such a misery to be around. Remember the pain you suffered? You’re still living it because the one you love isn't with you. You need to resolve it, if he lies again, think to yourself; is he lying to protect you? And sometimes people can live with that, like your mom for instance. People can live in happiness knowing that the one they love is protecting them for their own good. But if you really want to know and can't live without honesty then prepare for it, if he says the truth will make you run, then don't, just listen. What can be worse than losing someone you love forever?”

I groan in response to that.
“I’m not my mom, May. My mom’s an idiot. She knows what Mauricio is capable of. She just chooses to ignore it, obviously. Has she been blinded by him?”

Mayra narro
ws her eyes at me. “Are you sure of that? Olivia, none of us have seen his bad side until now. Have we
all
been ignoring it? Or have we just been unaware?”

I sigh. She’s right. None of us new. Now I feel bad for cursing my mom’s intentions.

“But if she did, would it make a difference? I mean, she would never have let Mauricio get away with speaking to you like he did, yet she stood there and said nothing.”

Mayra stays quiet for a moment, then decides to come clean.

“Mauricio put me out.”

I turn my whole body around to face her as my eyes widen in shock. “He did what?”

“Told me I had no business living there anymore.”

“What? Why?” I don't believe this.

Looking down at her hands, I know she’s keeping something from me.

“Why May?”

“Because I helped you out.”

No! That asshole kicked Mayra out of her home because she helped me!

“Olivia, don’t worry yourself about it, please.”

I stand in fury.
“May, you’re a part of the family, he can't do this to you. I knew he was going to have words with you for it but putting you out?”

“Oh he can, and he has. No matter though, it was getting bad at home. I’m actually reli
eved.”

“But
it’s wrong May. That’s your home, your life.” He can’t do this to her. I hate that man!

“It doesn’t matter Olivia. Some things are meant to be. We mustn’t question fate.”

She smiles at me and looking at her, she does seem happier already. Maybe living with Mauricio wasn’t all what it cracked up to be for her either. But how dare my mom let him do this to her.

“What are you going to do? How will I get to see you?”

She stands with me touching my arm gently. “Get some sleep. I get you a bedspread and a pillow.”

“I’m so sorry he made you get out of our home,
your
home! May, you’ve lived with us since I was what? Six? You’re like my second mom. How could my mom let Mercy do this to you?”

She looks at me funny when I call him by his first name, but doesn’t question me. "I don't know what's gotten into him Olivia but I’ve never seen him like this. I’ve worked for your family, like you said, from when you was this high," She indicates from knee high. "And your father has always been a pleasure to work for,” She winces knowing I don't want him to be labeled as my father anymore.

"Mauricio," she corrects herself. “Ever. He knew I would never betray him, that's why I got off lightly, he's doing his nut. He says he can't trust anyone anymore, so had to get rid of me. Said I disobeyed him by helping you out but I would give my life for you Olivia, any day, and if that's what caused my job loss, then so be it.”

I’m so confused by all of this. He’s acting like a different person. My mom has changed and now he’s kicked Mayra out when he has always loved her like his own family.

“What does he want with Calvin?”

She throws her hands up in the
air like he's crazy. “I don't know, he said he had to show you and Calvin who was boss by doing this. He thinks he has some part in all this shit going on but he can't prove it. Anyway, I’ll find another job.”

She’s acting fine
and happy about it but how can she be? She's been kicked out of her home and for what? Just because Mauricio wants to go on a rampage?

"He will
die a lonely old man Olivia." She continues, her voice low while she stares into space.

"Do you have any idea what’s going on
, May? I mean, your around all the time, you’re the eyes and ears, you must hear stuff? I don’t get why he’s linking Calvin to this."

She looks downcast for a second
and hesitates before answering. "All I know is somebody has been messing around in Mercy’s affairs. His business, his deals," she shrugs.

"I don’t know the depth of it, but I no he blamed your uncle Jason at first, he thought it was him because no money was ever taken, thinking it had to be
cops for that reason alone. Messing about in his dealings, leading them elsewhere to other business somehow. His clubs are being done over, one by one and robbed, but the money was always found or burnt. Whoever is doing this, isn’t doing it for the money. They’re doing it to bring Mauricio down. They’re going to bring his name down, his reputation. He knows it’s someone who has a vendetta against him. Whoever it is has done a good job so far. Covering his, or their tracks really, really well. If they carry on your fathers empire, as he likes to call it, will completely go to shit."

I stare with my eyes wide feeling utterly naive. "How is that even possible? What does he actually do May?"
Who is Mauricio Fahoney?

"I’m not sure Olivia, I have no idea how it all works. I’m just the eyes and ears." She smiles winking but she’s holding back.

I frown thinking about it. Someone who wants to see Mauricio suffer? Surly there’s only few people that it could be. I know he isn’t the nicest man to be around sometimes but he has built his reputation up by being a gentlemen and winning people over. Worming his way in here there and everywhere. More than most people love him.

Oh, but how wrong are they? Buying into his act, just like I have all my life. Well he can count me out of his vicious pretend circle. I see right through him and obviously someone else does as well. It won’t be long before everyone else does too.

After what seems hours of watching Mayra’s favorite crime channel, I look over at her when it finishes and she's fast asleep. Its two thirty in the morning and I feel like shit.

I pull away the blanket she gave me and find her cell. Mine has died and I’ve been going over and over in mind whether to call Calvin or not. I’m thinking I sho
uld let him tell me everything. But what if the truth is too much to handle? It can’t be that bad can it?

I pick up her cell and press in his number. The digits I know off by heart.

My heart thuds waiting to expect the unexpected.

I look over to Mayra who's still fast asleep so I take the call out her kitchen.

"Yes." Calvin’s voice answers gruffly.

"Hello, Calvin?" I answer quietly.

"Olivia? Where are you? I’ve been trying to ring you. Don't you ever answer your fucking phone? I was just about to call to your house."

My heart shoots right up into my mouth. "No!" I shriek. "Don’t go there. I’m not home Calvin please walk back. I’m at Mayra’s moms."

"Mayra? Your housekeeper?" He asks oddly.

"Yeah
, long story, just don't go to my house. Please."

I’m panicking so much and the last thing I want is for Mauricio to spot him. He's warned him once already.