Peril

DELLA

She jumped when the phone rang, and in that instant recognized how deeply it had sunk, the sense of dread that had settled upon her since talking to Tony. If it were Sara, she decided, she would tell her everything, warn her that the Old Man was looking for her, do whatever she had to do to protect her from him.

“Hello.”

“Hi, babe.”

The sound of Mike’s voice, so firm and familiar, filled her with joy, and she wanted only to know that he was safe and happy and would always, always, come home to her.

“Mike,” she blurted out desperately, “are you okay?”

“What?”

She realized Mike had heard the frenzy in her voice.

“What’s the matter, Della?”

“Nothing, sweetheart. I was just thinking about you, that’s all.”

“Thinking about me?”

“Wondering how you were.”

He laughed. “I’m fine.”

“You’d tell me, right, if anything was wrong?”

“Of course I would. Della?”

“Yes.”

“Anything wrong on your end?”

“No.”

“You sure?”

“Everything’s perfect.”

“Because you sound a little…”

“Mike?”

“Yeah?”

“Could we go out for pizza tonight? All of us?”

“Sure, why not?”

“Good.”

“You’re sure everything’s okay?”

She thought of what she’d done, how she’d talked to Tony, and how she’d tell Sara everything, too, if Sara called. She’d done her duty while at the same time trying to keep Mike and her children safe. A wave of high achievement washed over her, the sense of having looked danger in the eye, maybe even stared it down.

“Everything’s perfect,” she said quietly. “It really is.”