Gangster's Girl (Complete)

Chapter 16 - Part 1

I hated how Angel was still foremost in my mind the next day. It was like no matter what I intended he was starting to get under my skin and I didn't know how to stop it.

Just memories of the day before were enough to get me hot under the collar. Did he feel that way when he thought about us together? It did make me wonder.

But when I stopped outside the front door all thoughts of Angel faded away and the only thing on my mind was Bruno. I was going to pay my respects, it was the least I could do. With a handful of sunflowers I waited for Jack to bring the car around.

Jack arrived with the car and got out to open the car door me.

"Thanks Jack," I murmured as I slid inside. I put the bunch of sunflowers on the seat beside me.

A heaviness settled in my chest, I hated going to the cemetery but it was the least I could do after what had happened and how Angel had kept it from me. I needed to pay my respects, even if it didn't feel like enough it was all I could do now.

The trip to the cemetery didn't take long. When the car entered the cemetery the heaviness in my chest intensified, it was difficult to take a breath. I was transported back to the day when I felt like my whole life had been tilted on its axis. The day I had buried my mom. I remember Angel beside me as I had considered what my life would be without my mother.

It was easier to look back on it now but at the moment, it had felt like the end of my world. I took a heavy breath as we drove down the main main before Jack took a side road.

Rows and rows of graves. I hadn't visited my mom's graves sight in a while. To ease my guilt I promised to stop by hers before I left.

When the car stopped I got out with the flowers when Jack opened the door for me.

He walked me down to where Bruno was buried. When he stopped at gravestone I read Bruno's name. Memories of that night raced through my mind, making it difficult not to want to hyperventilate. Jack stood off to the side to give me some space.

"I'll be fine here Jack. Go back to the car." I didn't look at him but I felt his hesitation to leave me.

"You can watch me safely from the car." This time I lifted my eyes to meet his. I didn't want an audience. It was too personal to share with someone else.

He looked between me and the gravestone before he nodded. He retreated back the way we came as I let out an emotional breath.

I got a little tearful as I bent down to place the flowers on the gravestone.

"I'm so sorry Bruno." I took a deep shaky breath and exhaled. I felt so much guilt for getting him into trouble before he died and when I remembered how he had looked so scared when he had been shot I squeezed my eyes closed. A solitary tear slid down my face.

I stood and bowed my head slightly, my eyes fixed on the headstone of his grave.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner but I had no idea." It was still difficult to contend with the fact that Angel had kept this from me.

I was torn between my growing feelings for Angel and the burning resentment of how he kept treating me like I wasn't strong enough to handle the truth.

I hadn't slept much that night. My muscles ached with tiredness. I couldn't stop thinking about what happened, it cycled through my mind on repeat. This morning I had overheard James and Angel talking briefly about a 'cleanup'.

I knew what that meant. They had to cleanup the room and take care of the body of the man who James had shot. The one I had intended to kill.

I let out a shaky breath, feeling emotional that the guy who had taken his life had been taken care of.