Chapter 20 One of Them

Mila

Tonight's the night. I'm going to tell my dad about Foster and me. It's probably going to get ugly, but I'm ready to fight for him. I love him and it's time for me to stand up to my dad. Foster's right. If he truly loves me, my dad will see how much Foster means to me and he'll want that for me. I send Foster a text.

Me: I'm going to talk to my dad tonight.

No response.

Me: I love you.

No response.

Hmm. He usually replies right away. I set my phone down and look around my room. Before I face my dad, I need to talk to Donnie because some of the things he did and said aren't sitting right with me.

I open my door and I'm about to walk down to Donnie's room, but he's coming up the stairs toward me, fast. "I was just looking for you. I need to talk to you."

He doesn't look up as he slips past me into my room. He closes the door and when his eyes finally meet mine, they are dilated and red .

"What's wrong with you, Donnie?"

He leans forward on his toes and pushes his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "I'm fine."

"You look upset."

"I'm fine!" he yells at me.

"You don't look fine." He looks like he's on drugs.

He shakes his head and glances back over his shoulder at the closed door. "Listen. I need to talk to you about Foster."

My heart beats fast when he mentions Foster's name, but this is good. Time for us to air it all out. "I wanted to talk to you about some things too."

"He's a cop," he says, his voice quick and short. He checks all the corners of my room.

Is he crazy? "No, he's not. That's ridiculous."

"So don't talk to him, okay? Don't tell him anything."

"Anything about what?"

"Anything about me or Dad or our family, all right?" He points his finger at me and jabs the air. "He's a fucking pig, and he's using you to nail Dad."

"Nail Dad for what?"

"Nothin'. "

"You look pretty upset over nothing." I sit at the edge of my bed and study Donnie. Greasy hair covers his eyes. His clothes are wrinkled. He's under some serious stress. "Is this about you being a bookie? Are you selling more than pot? Did you know Foster's been collecting money for Dad? Are you involved in that?"

His brow furrows and his chin juts forward. "See? He's a cop. He has you fishing for dirt."

"He doesn't have me doing anything. I've been attacked by Rocco twice since the fight, and I have a right to know what's going on."

He scrunches his brow. "I gave Rocco his money back."

"When? Because he came to my room saying you still owed him."

He shakes his head and paces the room. "It doesn't matter. You need to stay away from Foster. He's going to ruin everything."

"Ruin what?"

He doesn't answer and runs his hands through his hair.

"Is this about Ricky's death? And Mom's?"

His head snaps up and angry eyes lock on mine. "Shut up."

"Foster said I should ask more questions. I've been afraid to, but now I want to know the truth. "

I haven't told anyone, but I've been doing research on my dad and his friends. I discovered Renzo's family is suspected of being part of the infamous Gambino crime family. I thought those old mobsters were all in prison, but I guess the tradition never faded on the streets of New York.

"You trying to tell me he's not a pig and he's saying you should ask more questions about your dead brother and mother? He's a cop or a spook."

"What's a spook?" I ask him.

"FBI," he says like I'm supposed to know all this lingo. Could Foster really be a cop or an FBI agent? I've spent so much time with him and Henry. There were no signs he was doing anything other than fighting and working for my dad. "Do you have any proof he's a cop?"

"I saw his badge," Donnie says, his voice cagey and unconvincing.

"Really? Show it to me." I hold out my hand and he stares at it.

"I don't have it with me!" He's getting angry at me, but he's saying some pretty absurd stuff with no proof. I'm catching him in a lie and he hates it.

"Well, show me a picture of Foster wearing a badge because I know him, and I know he doesn't have a badge."

Tap-tap-tap .

We both look toward the noise that came from my balcony door.

Tap-tap-tap .

We're standing frozen staring at each other. Through the sheer curtain, I can make out a tall figure standing out on the balcony. He's about Foster's height.

"Is that him?" Donnie asks.

"It could be. I'm going to ask him about all of this." I take a few steps toward the door.

"He's gonna lie to you. He won't blow his cover for anything."

"Let's let him in and ask him."

"No!" His quiet yell stops me and draws my attention back to him. He's pointing a gun at me.

My stomach plummets. "Donnie! What the hell? You have a gun?"

"Get rid of him. Don't tell him nothing, Mila." The threat in his voice is terrifying.

"Put that away, Donnie. You're not going to shoot me. I'm your sister." We're scream-whispering at each other. He's acting like a psycho.

"I'll shoot him . Get rid of him or I'll shoot him. I swear to God, I'll kill him right here in your room." The end of the gun shakes as he points it toward the balcony .

I gasp and look at Foster's silhouette through the curtain again. He's still there waiting for me to open the door.

Knock . Knock . Knock . His pounding becomes insistent. I have to answer him.

Donnie runs to the closet. "I swear to God, I'll shoot him from here. Get rid of him fast. Get him out of here. If he's still here in five minutes, I'll kill him. I don't care anymore. Don't test me."

The tension and rage in Donnie's voice tell me he's serious. My stomach clenches and bile rises in my throat. Foster is in so much danger. I have to protect him. I have to get him out of here fast to protect him. Could he really be a cop? I'm so confused.

We have to talk about this all later. Alone. I have so many questions.

But right now I have to save him. I have to send him away.

Donnie hunches down and hides in the closet. His eye peeks through the crack.

This is going to hurt like hell, but I have to do it.

I'll call Foster after he leaves, but first I have to get him out of here as fast as I can.

I approach the door and move the sheer fabric aside an inch.

"Let me in." He taps on the glass again .

I don't move. I can't let him in when Donnie has a gun and wants to kill him.

"Mila. Let me in."

"No." I shake my head.

"Open the fucking door. Now."

"Foster. Please, just go. I'll talk to you later."

The door rattles when his fist strikes it.

My hands fly up to mess with the lock and the alarm sensor before I open the door an inch.

I'm going to tell him to leave, but he jams his hand through the gap and slams the thing open. "Step back."

I shuffle out of the way and stare at him. I'm frozen in fear and can't move. His face is all red and swollen like after a fight. His hand is bandaged.

"What the hell is your problem?" he asks me.

"What happened to your face? Why is your hand bandaged? Did you have a fight tonight?"

He shakes his head and talks fast. "Your dad had Rocco and a bunch of guys ambush me."

"Ambush?" My dad had guys attack Foster? Is that why Donnie looks so upset?

"Nevermind about that. I'm fine. "

For a brief moment, my mind remembers the night I found out he lied about being the waiter in the pool and how betrayed I felt when he showed up at my father's apartment for dinner. He'd been "working" for him for months and didn't tell me. My mom told me to be wary of men, but Foster has proven himself to me over and over. But now Donnie and my dad have me doubting everything.

"Donnie said you're a cop." I feel terrible accusing him, but I want to hear what he has to say.

He looks to the ceiling and rolls his eyes. "Your brother is lying." He holds his arms out, palms up. "Do I look like a fucking cop?"

He doesn't look like a cop but he doesn't look like a fighter either. He's so clean-cut and well-groomed. "Donnie says he saw your badge."

"No one saw my goddamn badge because I don't have one." His hands fall and slap on his thighs.

I want to believe him. I really do. We don't have time for this right now. He needs to get out of here or Donnie will shoot him. I sit on the end of my bed, hunch my shoulders, and stare at the floor. "You need to leave right now, Foster."

He drops to his knees in front of me and reaches for my hands. I pull them away, and he plants his palms on either side of my legs. "I'm everything I told you I am. Haven't I proven that to you?"

I nod but I'm really confused and scared .

Foster's words come back to me. Trust me in the future. If shit comes up again, remember, I'm the one being honest and telling you the truth.

I believe him. I really do. I don't trust Donnie at all, and I'm furious my dad sent Rocco to beat Foster up.

"Listen." Foster draws me back to him. "Your dad knows about us. He's been setting me up for a fall. He wants me to kill Renzo or he'll kill me."

"What?" I gasp and my heart sinks.

"Your dad threatened me. Told me I have to kill Renzo to be with you. If I don't, he'll kill me."

Oh Lord. This has all gone batshit crazy quickly. "I'm so confused. Please just go."

His hands grip my upper arms and shake me, not hard, but enough to get his point across. "I'm not lying. Your dad is making his move. I'm getting out of town until the dust settles. Pack a bag and come with me."

I glance to the closet, to the balcony door, then back to him. "I can't leave with you right now. Later…"

He stares at me in shock. He thinks I'm not giving him a chance. He thinks I don't believe him. He grabs my wrist and holds it up. The bracelet falls down my arm .

"See this? I was seventeen. I didn't have any ideas about being a cop. I had no vendetta against your dad. It was you. I wanted you. Why can't you see that?"

I look from the bracelet to his eyes. "I'm sorry. Please just go. We can talk later."

"Later? This has to happen right now. There is no later." He takes a deep breath and blows it out slowly. "You think if I was going undercover I'd pick a name like Foster Dunham? All this woulda been a helluva lot easier if my name was Tony Romano. I'm telling you your dad asked me to commit murder and threatened my life. You need to trust me, and we need to get out of here. If we don't go now, we'll be so deep in the Mafia, we'll never get out. I've already got you. I don't have to try to be accepted by him anymore. I have your heart."

Oh my God. It's true. I believe him. I believe my dad threatened him and he's in the Mafia. It's hard to accept but I believe Foster.

"You do have my heart." I start to cry. I can't say what I want to say in front of Donnie, and I hate that I'm hurting Foster.

"You need to listen to it right now because you know in your soul, I love you. You love me."

He thinks I don't love him. "I can't leave right now. It's too dangerous. Please, go. We'll talk later."

He sits next to me on the bed. "Reality check time, Mila. Renzo's father killed your brother."

I curl inward and wrap my arms around my stomach. It's like he's pummeling me with a sledge hammer of truths I don't want to hear.

"Renzo's father killed my brother?"

He nods. "Shot him in cold blood while he slept. The ultimate sin in the mob is to go after a man's family. Your dad has been on a blood vendetta since that day, and you've been afraid of the dark ever since."

My mouth drops open but no words form. I'm speechless. All the years are playing out in my head again. Little pieces of information that fit with this story. The stuff I read in the papers matches what he's saying. Renzo's father died a month after Ricky.

"He's a murderer," Foster says. "Or a serial killer."

Oh my God. Donnie is listening to all this in the closet. Foster accusing my dad of murder is all he needs to justify his claim Foster's a cop. I can't keep my eyes off the closet, afraid a bullet is going to come at us any minute.

He grabs my arms and forces me to look at him. "You need to face the truth. Your mom left him because his crimes were escalating. She lost a son. She was furious at him for getting involved with the mob. She tried to leave with you and Donnie. He caught her and she's dead too. Now you're afraid to leave because you think he'll do the same to you. "

I drive my hands into my hair and pull. "You're saying he killed my mom and Renzo's dad? That means he wouldn't hesitate to kill you either."

"Now you're starting to get it." He nods.

I stand and turn my back on him. On Donnie in the closet. I know he wouldn't shoot me in the back, but he would shoot Foster, but Foster's not going to leave without me. I have to do or say something to get him to leave.

"I'm not a cop," he says softly to my back. "I'm a guy who fell for a girl a long time ago and I thought I was getting my chance with that girl. But if she's the type of girl who doesn't trust me, maybe I don't want her after all."

Bitter pain burns in my gut. I hate to hurt him but I need him to leave. If he thinks I'm betraying him, he'll leave. I can explain it all later.

"This is your chance at freedom. We could be together. I'll keep you safe. You'd give all that up to protect your father? The man who beats you till you have bruises and pulls your hair till your scalp burns?"

I shake my head. He's right and I want to tell him but I can't in front of Donnie. I have to make Donnie and my dad think I am still on their side until Foster and I can leave safely.

"Your precious charities? The ones you bust your ass to make sure they bring in the big bucks? All a front for his money laundering operation. "

I gasp and pull my hands to my chest. "Oh my God." All that work I've done for charity was a scam?

"Ask the charities how much of that money they really see. It's hard to believe someone could be that cold-hearted to use his daughter to steal from charity, but Vaughn Bianchi has a heart of ice. Get your bag and let's get the hell out of here. We'll work this out once you're safe."

I turn and stare at the closet. I can't bear to look at the pain in his eyes. "Do you have any evidence of all this?"

"No. Just my word," he says quietly. He's hurt I'm not saying what he wants to hear. But he doesn't understand. I have to stay on good terms with my dad and Donnie until we can make a move. Right now is not the right time. "I'm not lying to you," he continues. "I'm leaving my life too. I'm losing Henry. I'll have to sell my bike. I'm leaving my fighting career behind. All of it because I love you like some lost fool. You are a fucking pawn in his warped game and you play along like the willing victim. It's sickening."

Ouch. He's right. I did play along but I didn't know. "You have no idea what I'm going through."

He runs his hands through his hair and tugs on the back of his neck. "I absolutely do. I've been living this life with you for a while now. You gotta make this choice. I can't force you. It's not a wine cellar or an elevator ride. This is forever. You have to own it. Get your bag and let's go. "

My lips tremble and a tear falls from my cheek. This is killing me but it's the only way I can get him out of here. I point to the balcony door. "Go now, Foster. They'll kill you too."

With that, his eyes change. The love is replaced with a dark ache and pain of betrayal.

"If it was just me, I'd stay and take my chances. My life alone isn't worth that much. But add you? For you, I'd run. For you, I'd do it because I want you to have your freedom, a family, a place to put your ugly dogs."

His words are killing me, but if it takes him getting angry at me, I have to let it happen. "They're not ugly."

He steps up to me and places his hand gently on my hip. "I've had a lot of people say they want me to be part of their life. They said they loved me. Said I had pretty eyes. In the end, they all chose their family over me. None of them ever came through for me except Henry. I gave up on wanting more for myself than him. But with you, I felt hope. Hope that I could give you a life you loved. Hope that I could finally make my own forever family. With you."

He kisses my lips, which are wet with tears. It's a gentle kiss. It's a kiss goodbye.

"You're pulling the rug from under me, babe. Thought you were different, but you're one of them. I didn't see it before, but you're one of them. I don't need you. I don't need this shit. "

"Foster…" There's so much I want to say but I have to wait. He needs to go now and I'll tell him later.

"What?"

"I love you, but please leave. Right now. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Nothing hurts more than this." He lets me go and moves to the door.

With one hop, he's outside, down the fire escape, and safe. I let out a long breath it felt like I was holding that entire time.

Donnie walks out of the closet and I glare at him. "Is all that true? Did Dad kill Renzo's father and our own mother?"

"Of course not. He's a pig. He's a good liar. He needs to back the fuck off or dad's gonna ice him."

"Dad does that? He ices people? He's in the Mafia?"

"Are you really that stupid, Mila?" He cocks a knee and tucks his gun into his jacket pocket.

"I'm not stupid. I trusted you. I trusted my dad. My "family." I really didn't know."

"Yeah? Well you don't know nothing now either. So keep your mouth shut and stay away from that fucking cop."

He stomps out the door and down the stairs. I hear the front door slam .

I grab my phone and text Foster.

Me: I'm so sorry. Meet me at your apartment. We'll talk there.

He doesn't respond.

My dad isn't home.

I grab my keys and my purse and race down to my car.

I'm at Sky Tower within fifteen minutes. I bang on Foster's door.

It feels empty and there's no answer.

Me: I'm here. Open the door.

Unknown: Failed to send.

Me: I'm at your apartment.

Unknown: Failed to send.

I send ten more messages. They all fail to go through.

Oh my God. I have no way to get in touch with him.