Now Alfonso had Vince’s undivided attention. Lifting his eyebrows in anticipation, he wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Yeah, why?”

“I know someone who might get you a good deal.” Alfonso smirked again. “That is, of course, if you’re willing to deal.”

Looking around, Alfonso motioned for Vince to follow him outside. Vince grabbed his tray, standing up and following his friend outside. He wouldn’t get his hopes up just yet. This could be something, or it could be one of his friend’s crap-ass ideas. But curious he’d hear him out.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Rose

At first, Rose worried that Sal and Grace were fighting. She’d heard their hushed conversation as they hurried from the kitchen to their bedroom and back out again. Then Sal was gone. She’d rushed out of the bedroom, ready to comfort her sister if in fact they had had an argument, something so foreign in their relationship. Ever since they’d gotten back together after their breakup, things had been nothing but blissful between them.

When Rose had walked into the kitchen, there was no denying something was wrong. Grace glanced at her then looked away just as quickly. Immediately concerned and remembering how tortured Grace had been during their break up, Rose’s heart sped up. She’d already been tense the entire evening ever since Vincent had hung up on her and hadn’t returned any of her calls or texts, but now this only heightened the stress she was feeling. Sal never left in the evening and never so suddenly.

“What happened? Where did he go?”

Grace began cleaning up the counter and cleared her throat. “Something’s happened, but I don’t have the details yet.”

Confused and growing even more concerned, Rose took another step forward. “Something happened? With who? Is it bad?”

Grace turned to Rose, her expression as concerned as Rose felt. “I don’t know, hon. You haven’t talked to Vince?”

Feeling her insides sink, her heart did a sudden leap. “Vince? What about him? Is he okay?”

Grace rushed to her. “He’s fine…I think. It’s something with their neighbor. Vince’s dad called. All he said was he needed money to help keep Vince out of trouble. It was all so rushed Sal barely had a chance to explain. But he was angry.”

A million things ran through Rose’s head. “Trouble? Did he say what kind of trouble?”

Rose couldn’t even imagine what Vince would be in trouble for that was bad enough Sal would have to be called. She began walking back to her room to retrieve her phone but slowed waiting for Grace to respond.

“I’m not sure…something about drugs.”

Rose’s heart nearly stopped, and she stared at Grace for moment before rushing off to her room. “There’s gotta be a mistake,” she said dismissing Grace’s words.

It couldn’t be. He wouldn’t. Trying again in vain to call him, her call went to voicemail. “Vincent, call me, please.” Her shaky voice finally broke, giving way to what had been building since he’d hung up on her earlier. Only now her heart was breaking. “I just heard about you being in trouble.” She wiped away the tears, feeling a sudden anger start up from deep inside. “They’re wrong, right? Call me. I need to talk to you.”

By the time Sal got home late that night, Rose had cried herself to sleep. The only news they’d gotten was when Sal called to update Grace, telling her he was on his way home and would explain when he got there. Rose insisted that Grace demand some kind of details—anything. She was dying to know what was going on, and Vincent wasn’t returning any of her calls.

When Grace asked, the only thing Sal said was that Vincent had been caught dealing again, and there’d been an altercation between Vincent and the girl’s father who he’d been dealing to. The man was threatening to call the cops on Vincent unless they paid him which to Rose’s relief Sal had. Only he said there was more, and he’d explain when he got home.

The fact that Vincent had been dealing again was enough to break Rose’s heart in a million pieces. What could he have been thinking? Didn’t he know that was something Rose could never accept? Didn’t she mean as much to him as he did to her? Already Grace had that look of disapproval all over her face.

As much as she wanted to stay up and wait for Sal to get home to find out more, exhaustion overcame Rose’s cried-out body. She woke in the morning, sitting straight up when it all came back to her.

Romero was in the kitchen with Sal and Grace when she rushed in after hearing their voices and knew everyone was already up. They all went quiet when she walked in.

“So what happened? Was he really dealing?”

Sal nodded his face stern. “Yeah, he was.”

Filled with incomprehension, she shook her head still unable to believe it. “But he’s not going to jail, is he?”

Sal and Romero exchanged glances then Grace spoke. “No, but he is going away.”

Rose’s breath caught the words taking a moment to register. “What? Where is he going?”

The panic sunk in fast. She needed to talk to Vincent now—hear his side of the story. There had to be some kind of mistake.

“The Army, Rose.” Sal said matter of fact. “He’s enlisting today.”

Feeling the warm tears drop down her cheek, Rose’s eyes went from Sal to Romero and then stopped on Grace. “Why?” The only people she’d ever known of who’d enlisted in the Army were gone for years. Why would he want to be gone—away from her—for years?