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The feeling is unexpected. But every piece of my being wants to run out of my hiding space and drag Cinnamon into my arms. To take her as my own.

And it is that which scares me the most.

Her scream pierces the air, but I know better than to look.

Aware that he must be fucking her now, by the sound of flesh on flesh.

I’m not an Aldente, not anymore. I can’t just take what I want.

It is that thought that causes me to jolt away.

But before I do, I send her the text.

JOHN: Hey it’s your neighbor John just checking on you.

Except she never gave her neighbor her number; it was the web designer she sent it to.

But I don’t care right now.

My mind is a motley of jealousy and need.

Her moan causes me to jolt, but I don’t stop, continuing through the woods.

She’s safe enough.

As soon as I make it back to the boardwalk, my phone vibrates in my pants.

There’s excitement followed by immediate disappointment.

I see that it’s the Captain.

It’s late.

This can’t be good.

“Captain Amaretto,” I clip into the phone, greeting him.

“Get your ass to this address. It’s outside our jurisdiction, but we are taking a lead.”

Anxiety drops into my gut.

“Sir?”

“Sumac and Cacao are already enroute. It’s one of the fucking families. We need to put a lid on this before it bubbles into an all out war.”

“Who was it?”

The emotions swirling within are contradictory.

At war.

The piece of paper burns a hole in my pocket. The one I stole from Cinnamon. The one I hadn’t let go of.

With a single name.

“Julienne Napolitan,” the captain confirms.

She really did it.