Chapter 1
You hadn’t thought you’d be able to sleep.
Unable and unwilling to let Billy step outside the confines of your apartment, knowing, just knowing that if you did, something bad would happen to him and you’d never see him again, you’d clung to your oldest friend.
Despite probably being confused by your sudden change of heart, Billy didn’t shove you away and after a few half hearted protests, he consented to staying the rest of the night. He couldn’t stay in Mike’s bedroom, or the living room, so your room it was.
Although you’d practically grown up together, through all the awkward puberty stages and everything more or less, it was still…different to have Billy in your bedroom, a private area that only you and your lovers had been intimate in…
The implications weren’t lost on either of you.
Determined to ignore the… sexual tension whatever it was, you’d quickly showered and returned dressed and ready for bed. However when you stepped out of the bathroom, you found Billy already there in your bed, looking entirely too comfortable. Eyebrows shooting up to your hairline, you were ready to read him the riot act but he beat you to the punch.
“We’re just sleeping,” He ignored your ‘No kidding!’ expression, continuing on as if he hadn’t noticed. “We used to bunk together all the time as kids. I don’t know why we stopped.”
Knowing that you were being manipulated and armed with a plethora of reasons of why it wasn’t a good idea for two grown ass adults to be in the same bed, you opened your mouth and a short yawn escaped.
“You’re tired.” Once again, he pointed out the obvious. “Come on. Don’t be a chicken.”
Rolling your eyes and childishly muttering that you weren’t a chicken, you hesitated only a little as you climbed into bed beside Russo and he covered you up with the blankets and then turned out the lights. Turning on your side so that your back is facing his chest, your eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he kissed the top of your head, careful not to dislodge your bonnet.
What the hell?
“Good night.”
For hours, your eyes stayed open, staring at the wall and the blinds and seeing the moon high in the sky, but exhaustion caught up with you eventually. The next time you wakened, you weren’t even fully coherent but your hand shot out and latched onto something. Blinking several times and trying to come to, you realized that it was still pretty dark outside, guesstimating the time to be a little before five in the morning.
“Where?” You definitely weren’t that intelligible at this godforsaken hour.
Billy knew what you were saying though. “I gotta go, Y/N.” There was a heavy pause. “Frankie’s too impatient.”
Suddenly wide awake and the atmosphere a thousand times more stifling, you fought to sit up, doing so quickly and the blood rushed to your head. Billy steadied you, arm going around your shoulder and his scent filled your nose. “No.”
“Y/N…–” He was going to say something rational or patronizing, maybe both, perhaps a little guilt tripping thrown in the mix to make you let go of him, loose though your hold on him was.
“I said ‘No’,” You repeated, finally a little less dead to the world. “I don’t know what you did and why apparently Frank wants to hurt you…”
“He wants to kill me, and I’d deserve it.”
That sank in slowly.
You blinked as you took a moment to process the solemn words, none of that false confidence and his usual arrogance seeping in the tone, and you understand in that moment that Billy was serious.
Licking your lips, you contemplated your next few words carefully. “I’m going to brush my teeth and wash my face. Then we’ll go into the living room and you’re going to tell me everything.” You said in a too calm voice.
“Y/N…”
“If I return from the bathroom and you’ve left, I will never forgive you.”
His stricken expression made guilt zing through your heart but forcefully, you shoved that feeling down deep.
Over the years, you’d gotten good at recognizing the signs of Billy on the verge of a borderline suicidal plan, a trait that had only gotten worse with his years of service. He could fool just about anybody, but he’d never been able to fool you, not entirely and not for long. Whatever it was that he’d done, you’d accept it and fix this whole thing between he and Frank.
There was no other option.