Chapter 14 - "A Plan Begins and the Beginning of the End"
Johnny rubbed his eyes and tossed his jacket in the direction of the chair as he came into the apartment. He didn't even pause to look into the room before he headed down the hallway so when Lulu's voice called out to him he was startled. He wasn't expecting her home in the middle of the day and to see her sitting on the couch with a frown on her face was like a sock to the gut. He wasn't prepared to have a showdown.
"You were out last night." It wasn't a question. They both knew she already knew he hadn't been home.
Johnny's eyes shifted from Lulu to the front door. He wasn't sure why he had the impulse to head right back out the door. He could see the hurt on her face and he knew that he was the cause of it. Not only that, but he also knew that he wasn't going to make it any better in the near future.
"Yeah. I went to see Claudia," Johnny said.
"All night?" she asked.
Johnny knew guilt was written all over his face. No he wasn't with Claudia all night. He just didn't want to come home and face Lulu. It was too complicated but yet it was so simple. He was supposed to love her and he did. He truly felt more than he could explain. She'd taken a chance on a reckless, dangerous man and broke through a layer of walls that he kept firmly around him. She helped him believe that he could make his own choices. He owed her for that. He owed her better than what he was giving her.
"I went to the Zacchara safe house to check on some things," he explained.
And why wasn't that love enough? Why did he feel himself pulling away from her? Was it the secret about Michael that put the distance there or was it something else?
"Why?" she had to know what was going on with him. This was killing her because it felt so final between them. The gap just kept getting wider and wider and she had no idea how to stop it or if he even wanted her to try.
Johnny stepped closer to Lulu. He could see the lines on her face. Worry. Anger. Sadness and he knew he was the reason. He was always the reason these days. Even without considering the secret he kept, they fought more and listened less. They were fundamentally different. Maxie once told him that he needed someone reckless and impulsive like him. Was that true?
"I'm still working on trying to figure out what my father is up to." Johnny answered.
Lulu nodded and said softly, "for Maxie."
Johnny turned away for a second in guilt before meeting her eyes, "He's going to hurt her, Lulu."
Lulu looked alarmed, "How do you know? Maybe he's just…"
"I know," Johnny said simply.
His increasing occupation with Maxie made her uncomfortable, especially considering how fragile their relationship was right now.
"And the other night at the night club? Was your dad there too?" Lulu challenged him.
"No," he answered honestly, "but I didn't think she should go alone."
Lulu came around the couch to stand directly in front of him, "Johnny, if things are this bad then I really think you should go to Mac about this. Maybe he can help you and I know he's going to want to protect Maxie himself."
"Maybe you're right Lulu," Johnny admitted, "but even if I do go to Mac, I can't just walk away from this and you know it."
"Because it's your father or because it's Maxie?" Lulu wanted to know.
Johnny let irritation flow through him. It honestly felt better than the guilt that had taken root in his stomach since Michael's shooting. "What are you accusing me of?"
Lulu sighed, "I'm not accusing you of anything."
"You know what my father is capable of and I can't just leave her set in his sights. He's too dangerous and most days I feel like I'm the only one that can stop him," he argued.
Lulu felt her body shake. "I understand in my head what you are saying and I don't know but part of me loves you even a little bit more for it. I just….I just think that whatever this is, this mission to save Maxie is…"
Johnny knew what she was going to say but how could he explain what was really going on? "Is what I have to do, Lulu."
"Okay, I'm going to ask you one question and whatever your answer is I just want the truth," she said and then took a deep breath, "are you falling for Maxie?"
Johnny opened his mouth but before a sound came out his cell phone sounded between them. He pulled the small device out of his pocket and checked the number. He gave an uncomfortable glance to Lulu before clicking the button and grunting out a greeting.
"Johnny, I've got something for you," Milo informed him.
Johnny's eyes shifted to Lulu who was standing there listening to his side of the conversation. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand.
"Shoot," he invited.
"She received her flowers as usual. This time when she read the card she immediately grabbed her purse and went to the ladies room," the bodyguard recounted.
"And?" Johnny prompted.
"She took her purse so she could use her cell phone," Milo said.
"So you don't know who she called or what she was saying?" Johnny asked.
"Well since she gave me the slip that one time, I didn't want to take any chances," Milo responded. "I bugged her phone. Jason said it was okay."
Johnny blew out a breath, "Right now I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that because I know exactly what she's going to think of that. Who did she call?"
"Your father," Milo stated.
Johnny felt his stomach twist in a knot, "And what did she say?"
"He wanted to meet her at a small out of the way Italian restaurant in the Zacchara territory for dinner tonight," Milo summarized, "but she said she couldn't get away from work long enough for that. If he wanted to meet her, it would have to be at the Metro Court Dining Room."
Johnny's mouth curved in a little half grin, "So see was too smart to give him home field advantage. What did he say?"
"He agreed to meet her at seven o'clock tonight," Milo said.
Johnny checked his watch and started to pace around the room, "Good. That gives me time to make some arrangements. Thanks for calling me."
Milo's next words sounded uncertain, "Do you want me to stay on her?"
"She'll try and give you the slip. Let her think she did and I'll take care of it," Johnny said.
"You got it," Milo agreed and hung up the phone.
Johnny pushed the "end" button on his cell phone and looked down at the floor. He knew he needed to answer Lulu's question but the answer would only bring more questions. She deserved more of a conversation than he really had time to give her right now.
"Lulu, I…" he began.
She held up her hand to stop him, "Don't tell me. The 'she' from your call is Maxie."
"Yes. It was about Maxie," Johnny said softly.
Lulu challenged him with her eyes, "Then I guess that answers my question."
"The hell it does, Lulu. This is more complicated than that," Johnny's frustration echoed in his words.
"Complicated or not, Johnny, I see you getting sucked into a fight with your family that you told me that you were going to walk away from," Lulu felt her heart breaking with her words. She knew what ever happened from this point they really were just going through the motions but she just couldn't be the one to say the words. "I don't know if it's the fact that you are fighting against your dad that is pulling you in so much. I don't know if there's just something inside you that feels like you need to win against him or if it really is all about Maxie…"
"I haven't been unfaithful to you, Lulu," Johnny offered.
Lulu looked at him, "but that's not exactly what I asked is it?"
Johnny shifted, "Look, I can't…we can't have this conversation right now. I have to go."
Lulu nodded, "and save Maxie. I know."
She turned and walked back to her room as Johnny stood by the front door. Damn, why couldn't his life be simpler? He grabbed his coat off the chair and headed back out of the front door. He knew this argument was going to get worse after tonight but there was no way around it. He knew that just like he knew how it would end between them and end it would. The only saving grace of the whole situation was that at least he knew that Lulu wouldn't get dragged into the Michael situation. At least that was a blessing.
Johnny looked at the cell phone in his hand and dialed a number from his contacts. "Ricky? I'm going to need a favor that only a member of the Zacchara organization can do for me. Are you up to it?"