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  When he lifted his head, I didn’t even realize I was crying. He moved back up to me and held my face.

  “We were always us Gio, and I love you too. I never stopped.” It felt like a relief for my soul.

  He smiled down at me. “I never stopped either. Next time will be better. I promise.”

  I had to laugh. “Next time?”

  “Oh yes, and the time after that too.”

  “How many kids do we plan to have Gio?”

  “Let’s just play that part by ear.” He chuckled.

  All of that sounded like the best plan to me.

  Chapter 20

  Gio

  “You sure you don’t need me there?” Claudius asked. His voice came across all staticky on the phone.

  I frowned we were at the place. Across the street from the Double Tree entrance, on the roof of the complex’s shops that adorned the street adjacent to the hotel.

  We were here ready to strike. Claudius had called me for the fifth time today wanting to know if I needed backup.

  “Boss, for fuck’s sake. I’m fine.” I knew he’d want to come, but Ava had just given birth to their son. When I’d called him to round up the boys, he was in the emergency room. It was Luc that had to do the rounding up. The baby was only two days old. His wife, Ava, was still in hospital and Claudius thought he could come to Philly during his break and help me sort shit out here, then get back to Chicago for dinner.

  “Gio, don’t screw with me. I could be there in two hours by jet.”

  Dante rolled his eyes, because he knew Claudius.

  “I have enough people here man.”

  We had a team of five of our best guys that included Donny and Lois who were with me, and Saul who was back at the house with River the new kid and Patrick his cousin. Both had just got out of the army.

  Split between here and there was a team of ten of our foot soldiers. Men with muscle, men from Chicago who would mess up these guys and show them how we rolled. It was actually overkill if I was honest.

  “Gio, you better call me if you need me, you hear?” His crude voice crackled again. “Why in the ever living fuck would you leave Alex here? You call for back up and leave him here? Seriously?”

  “Someone has to watch your back boss.” I smiled.

  Claudius and Luc were like two peas in a pod. He would never admit it, but he was too reliant on Luc. Luc wasn’t in the business anymore. It was just us and that was why I felt Alex should stay and keep watch. One of us had to.

  “You prick. Fine. I’m on standby. Over and out.” He hung up and I put the phone back in my pocket.

  He was fully updated with what was happening here and I felt I had this under control. Even Gibbs was here ready to go. It was more than enough people. Now to tackle the task at hand.

  “You ready?” Dante asked.

  I nodded. Us two were going in, everyone else was staying either here on the roof or out at the back of the hotel in the loading bay where the deliveries came in.

  Some were to stay here to keep an eye out and the rest was to snag the get-away guys.

  Dante and I were going to get Mr. Torrez, usher him out the back and take him on a little ride.

  The secret squad located him in room five. He’d arrived yesterday at noon. The password for anyone knocking on his door was VIBE.

  “Let’s do this.” I told him. “Guys, eyes like an eagle.” I said to Donny and Lois.

  “Yes boss.” Donny smirked.

  I had to admit I loved the sound of that. Not nearly enough as I loved hearing Lyssa tell me she loved me. Her love gave me strength for today.

  I looked to Gibbs. I wasn’t sure if he should be here, but he insisted on coming. “Gibbs, just–”

  “I’ll be fine. Go.” He interrupted.

  I nodded and with that set off with Dante.

  We got into the hotel fine. So far so good. I was surprised that the place wasn’t more guarded. We just walked up the stairs to the first floor where the room was and still there were no guards or anything. I was guessing they wanted to hide this guy in plain sight.

  The secret squad worked in secret and often times we were several steps ahead of our target. The hitmen worked a little like them in terms of the way they tracked a target. The difference being that when they got their sights on a specified target, they would just take them out. We used them when we were sure we had to do that. It was why we relied more on the squad, because they delivered the intel to us. We took that in hand and decided what we wanted to do with it.

  Room five was at the very end of the corridor.

  Dante glanced at me as we got to the door.

  I couldn’t believe a terrorist was just on the other side—

  my leverage. Like Claudius I really hoped this could be all done by dinner.

  Play it by ear.

  I knocked on the door and we waited.

  “Yes,” came a voice from the other side.

  “Vibe,” I replied. I didn’t think I needed to say any more than that and I didn’t. The door opened revealing Emilio Torrez inside.

  He looked exactly like his mugshot. Dark spiky hair and a full beard, not too tall, but built with a long scar across his left eye and his cheek. There with him were the men I thought I would see. Six of them, who looked like my own guys.

  The thing was we were ready for this.

  The reason why we were positioned on the roof was because it was directly mirroring this room.

  Lois was a Sharpe shooter with Donny coming in at a close second to him.

  We’d left them with Gibbs and rifles for just this reason.

  I had my own passwords too which were more like signals for lack of a better word. I wore a mini microphone so they could get the signal when I gave it.

  “Hello Emilio,” I said to him with a smile.

  He looked me over. The men all stood up like they were ready for action. Good.

  I had them exactly where I wanted them.

  “Who are you guys?” Emilio asked.

  Time for the signal.

  “We are pissed at two o’clock, four and five,” I replied.

  Before they could process what I had said two shots pierced through the windows and got the two guys that were standing at two, four and five o’clock. The shots all hit them in their heads. Before they could even register that they’d been hit they went down, blood running from their wounds.

  Three down and now a more manageable three to go.

  Emilio tried to run for it, but Dante got to him, sending a punch to his jaw that knocked him to the ground. I went for the other guys. Assholes came at me firing shots. I whipped out my piece ending the first with a bullet to the head and the next with a bullet to his throat.

  Dante shot the last with one of his Berettas.

  Emilio wasn’t backing down though. This asshole wanted to fight and that was fine by me.

  We came in and got him, but I wasn’t about to throw him over my shoulder kicking and screaming.

  I pulled out the sedative Gibbs got for me and jabbed it in his neck.

  In mere seconds he was out like a light.

  With part one over it was time to move on to part two.

  I was doing that part alone.

  I walked into the police station right up to the receptionist with an envelope I’d addressed to Captain Baily Donovan.

  Inside the envelope was a selfie I’d taken of Emilio in the dungeon we’d placed him in. Jade came through for us with her own spin on things. In the selfie was the massive head of her pet anaconda right behind Emilio in the tank.

  “I’ve left my number inside.” I told the receptionist. “Please tell him it’s an emergency. Life or death urgent.”

  The way she looked at me when I said that was classic.

  I must have been back at Lyssa’s for five minutes when my phone rang—caller unknown.

  “Hello.” I boomed into the phone.

  “What do you want?” Came Bailey’s cold hard voice.

&
nbsp; “Captain Bailey Donovan. We haven’t been formally introduced. I’m Gio Bianchi, I have a very strong belief that you killed my best friend.”

  “I don’t fucking care about you or your friend.” He snapped.

  “Aww that was the wrong answer, but then I didn’t ask the question yet did I?” This guy was pushing my buttons the wrong way. “I want a confession. His name was Marshall Carson. Meet you at your warehouse by The Hook at six. Confession for Emilio. You coming?”

  He growled. “I will see you at six.”

  “Don’t try any funny business. If you do, I know the feds will have a field day with my new present. I’m sure they would just love to know too about the corrupt police captain.”

  In the last day the secret squad were able to dig up a whole host of shit on Bailey. All manner of crap on him. This guy had not only enabled drug smuggling, but was rubbing shoulders with known terrorist organizations and funding sex trafficking.

  “I will see you at six.” He repeated.

  I hung up. I didn’t know anyone was listening to me, so I was shocked when I turned and saw Paul standing in the doorway.

  “You’re not just going to trade are you?” he said.

  “Nah.” I shook my head.

  Me trade. A simple confession for a terrorist worth billions to Bailey. I don’t think so. Not at all. Paul knew that and I was damn certain Bailey knew that too.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Blood for Blood, Paul.” It was the declaration of war.

  It was here.

  Chapter 21

  Lyssa

  There were so many men around the house. It made me nervous. The guy with the gold teeth gave me the creeps and freaked Matthew out too.

  Saul. His name was Saul.

  Scary gold teeth, spiky hair and that same badass attitude the other guys sported.

  They were all here. Even Dante who I’d heard so much about over the years in the past, but had never met. Seeing him with Gio and looking at him with tattoo of his cross showed the bond they had as friends, brothers.

  Gio was planning this big thing and it was happening today.

  Dante was going with him, along with Gibbs and a few others. Staying here was Saul, Donny and Lois three of their best guys. The house was surrounded and there were other guys on the lookout.

  It just made me feel uncomfortable though.

  I was in the sitting room seated on the large sofa with Matthew and Dad.

  We were told to stay together.

  When Gio came in I knew it was time for goodbye.

  Matthew left my arms and rushed over to Gio.

  “Hey buddy, you okay?” Gio asked.

  “I don’t know. It feels like something’s about to happen.” Matthew spoke the same words I felt.

  I couldn’t settle myself or the sensation that came with all of this. It would help if I knew more, but Gio was sticking to his guns and keeping me right out of business.

  “Don’t worry. It’s going to be cool. I’ll be back later and we can talk motorcycles and engines. I was thinking of changing the back wheel on my bike too. We can do that together.” Gio smiled down at him.

  Not even talk of motorcycles could shake Matthew’s mood though. I knew what he was like when he got like this.

  He was worried and scared. The last time he got this way was when Dad had his surgery. The poor guy cried the whole time Dad was gone, thinking he’d never see him again.

  Matthew answered by closing the space between them and hugging Gio’s legs.

  “Don’t go.” He said.

  I had to get up when I saw that. “Sweetie come here. Your da—”

  My God, I must have lost my mind. I almost said Dad. In my head I’d already had the conversation, but not in real life just yet.

  Now was definitely not that go with the flow time, or even playing it by ear.

  It wasn’t any of that.

  I looked to Gio.

  “You guys stay in here okay?” He told me, then looked to Dad. “Paul, so help me God you keep them in here and you stay together. If you go to the kitchen, all of you go together, if you go to the bathroom you go together. Capisce?”

  “Yeah capisce, I promise.” Dad nodded.

  “Gio, I’m not liking that you haven’t told me much. You went out earlier and now this.” My lack of knowledge was scaring me.

  He went out for a few hours and came back here just after lunch. Then even more guys came to the house and it was clear they were setting up some kind of operation.

  He looked down at Matthew and lifted his gaze back up to meet mine.

  “I have some leverage that these guys want. I don’t want any trouble here. It shouldn’t come, but if it does … I want to be ready. Okay?”

  I nodded. “Okay. We stay together.”

  “If anything happens you run to the basement. Saul’s changed the lock, so it locks from the inside. The doors metal so it’s safe on that front. You guys get down there if you hear anything weird no matter what it is.”

  God, I hoped nothing like that would happen.

  I hugged him and he put his arms around Matthew and me.

  “It sounds dangerous. Come back to me.” I whispered.

  “You know I will.” He promised. He kissed me then placed a kiss on Matthew’s forehead. He then crouched down and smiled at him. “Little guy I want you to take care of your mom for me. Make sure she’s not scared. If she gets scared get her to laugh. It’s a good trick.”

  Mathew smiled at that idea.

  One last look over us and he was gone.

  He closed the door behind him leaving us in the sitting room.

  While Matthew curled up on the armchair reading his Spiderman comics I hugged a cushion to myself. Dad sat still holding his head down.

  “Are you okay Dad?” I asked.

  I knew he wasn’t. If anything the way the last week played out had to highlight just how helpless he’d become.

  “I’m not Lyssa. There was a lot I should have done that I didn’t do. And, a lot that I did back then that I regret.” He shook his head. “I’m going to talk to Gio when he comes back. I can’t let you talk to him about something I did.”

  “Dad,” I straightened up. “You know he probably won’t take the truth too lightly.”

  “I know, but that’s something I have to worry about. You’re always taking care of me. You put your life on hold for me, you took charge when I fell apart. Lyssa, I couldn’t express the grief I felt over losing Marshall. I felt like a failure to the both of you and I literally lost my mind. I lost my damn mind and it wasn’t until you made that deal with Frankie that I actually came back to myself. Back to my senses, but it was too late. This morning I contacted a friend of a friend of mine who works for a property development company. He said he’d be interested in the house. It’s one of those cut the red tape deals so it won’t be something that drags out. I will take care of Frankie Santora myself.”

  I swallowed hard and moved over to hug him.

  “Dad, I’m so glad. Thank you for sorting that out.”

  It was great news, but I understood why he looked the way he did.

  “No, Lyssa, don’t thank me. None of it should have ever happened.”

  I opened my mouth to say something, but the words trailed off when I noticed something weird in the wall. It was like it moved or the space around it shimmered.

  I got up and moved closer.

  No it wasn’t the wall of the space. It was smoke…

  Smoke coming from the little vent by the plug socket.

  I bent down to get a closer look hoping we didn’t have a gas leak like last time. When that happened we had to stay in a motel while the gas company fixed the pipes with the leak and declared it safe for us to come back in the house.

  It didn’t smell like gas.

  The smoke started coming out quicker and smelled like roses. Roses and jasmine like at the spa in one of those steam rooms.

  When the smoke turned
green I jumped back, but the room spun around and I nearly fell over.

  “What is that Mom?” Matthew came up and asked.

  “Lyssa,” Dad jumped to his feet.

  Bullets sounded from outside and the door burst open. Donny came in, but he was walking like he was drunk and the side of his face had sagged like someone who’d had a stroke.

  “Get to the basement now.” He ordered barely able to talk.

  Outside the door the whole hallway was filled with this green smoke. It kept coming in and more gun shots sounded outside.

  Donny grabbed me and Dad took Matthew.

  We got out to the kitchen and I could see shadowy figures of men against the frosted glass trying to get in.

  Oh my God, we were under attack.

  “Go,” Donny said, his face had fallen completely and he dropped to his knees before collapsing unconscious. That green smoke was some kind of shit that would knock us out and cause some kind of neurological reaction like a stroke.

  “Lyssa come on.” Dad called out.

  I ran but my legs couldn’t carry me. There were people coming in the house.

  Dad opened the door to go into the pantry which led to the basement, but

  I couldn’t make it.

  I just couldn’t. My face started to sag too and my whole left side went limp. Dad turned back and tried to help me.

  “Come on Lyssa, come on.” He gasped while trying to lift me, but failed. Dad was barely able to walk, much less run on a normal day. He could barely carry himself around, much less pick me up and carry me.

  “Dad take Matthew and go to the basement.”

  “No,” he winced.

  “Mom, please come on.” Matthew was crying.

  I fell to the floor when my legs gave out.

  “Go, please. Dad … take him before you … Inhale … please … Please take my baby.” I couldn’t talk anymore.

  As more bullets sounds outside, I thanked God that Dad took hold of Matthew and continued on to the basement.

  It was only when I heard the basement door close that my breathing stilled.