Sweat was pouring down my face.
“Did you get the text?” Phoenix scared the hell out of me as he walked into the weight room and held the bag. I continued punching.
“You mean the text with all the pictures?”
Phoenix nodded slowly.
“You know I have a good memory, man. Six of Alfonso’s men are going to be dead by my hand come this Thursday.”
“And the other fourteen?”
I paused, allowing myself to catch my breath before landing a right hook then a left to the bag. “They’re all old.”
Phoenix sighed. “Kind of the point, Tex.”
I stopped punching and hung my head. “You’re asking me to cleanse the old to make way for the new.”
Phoenix released the bag. “How do you suck out poison? Fast or slow?”
“Why are we sucking poison?”
His eyes flashed. “Answer the question.”
“Fast, you have to get as much out as you can otherwise the person loses time.”
“So you shoot fast… you suck out the poison. The slower you go about it the more dangerous it becomes. Kill them all, Tex. Not one lives. That list, if it ever gets back to you, to me, to us?” he cursed and ran his hands through his hair. “It’s almost like treason, you know?”
“Yeah.” I chewed my lower lip. “I’m well aware of what we’re doing.”
“That’s why they can’t know.” Phoenix grabbed the back with his hands. “Now hit.”
Right, left, right, left, I hit until I was completely spent. Until sweat poured down my face into my eyes.
“Good.” Phoenix stepped back. “Some of the targets will be out tonight. I’ll text you the address. Watch them, memorize their movements, their mannerisms, even drunk they’ll show you their tells. But don’t let them see you.”
“Got it.”
“And Tex?” Phoenix stopped halfway to the door.
“Yeah?” I wiped my face with a towel. “If I’m in the line of fire… I won’t hate you… just know. I would never hate you. Rather I die than any one of those bastards live.”
I swallowed. “Phoenix… were they a part of it? I have to know.”
“It’s not a personal vendetta, Tex.” Phoenix swore and slammed the wall with his hand. “If it was I’d be the one doing the shooting. Just know… those men… they were with my father and with yours. If they don’t die… that prostitution ring stays open. If they don’t die, those weapons keep coming up from Columbia. If they don’t die, it will be our heads. They won’t stop until they’ve hunted us all down.”
“I wish there were another way.”
Phoenix let out a large exhale. “Don’t we all?”
“One more thing.”
“Dude…” Phoenix hung his head. “I’m tired.”
“What would you do?”
He turned, his eyes pensive. “What would I do?”
“If you knew you only had four days to live.”
Red stained his cheeks before he cleared his throat and rocked back on his heels. “Whatever I’d miss the most, I’d do every damn day until it was time.”
“Even if it was twirling like a ballerina?” I joked.
“Right.” Phoenix barked with laughter. “Especially if it was that, I could dance circles around you, don’t make me prove it.”
I held up my hands. “Nobody needs to see that.”
He chuckled.
“I’m glad you’re not dead, man.”
His face turned serious. “Say that after Thursday.”
I was quiet as he left the room. Only then did I whisper, “I will. I swear it.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
And when you fall down… you pick yourself up… and try again.
Mo
I
WASN’T USED TO LYING
to people that I loved. Usually I only lied to people I didn’t know. Decision made, I gripped the knives in my hand and strapped them to the inside of my thigh. I slid my black knit dress over my head and grabbed my over–the-knee Chanel boots. They’d always had a bit of space on the top so it was easy to sneak weapons. I’m sure clothes whores everywhere were proud of my accomplishment, slipping another two knives into the top, just in case.
I grabbed my black leather jacket and shrugged it over my shoulders, then cracked my neck.
My .45 was lying on the bed. With determination I pulled the gun into my hands and loaded it then pulled back the safety. I needed to be ready for anything.
Lastly, I looked in the mirror.
I didn’t really recognize the girl staring back at me. She seemed afraid and I refused to feel afraid.
Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes and focused on my own mission. If the guys were going to play blind to what was going on that left me and only me.
Regardless of where tonight led me, even if it meant I was stepping into my own grave, or maybe into the realization that Tex had never been mine to begin with? I’d at least have answers, I’d have peace knowing I had done every single thing I could in order to secure my happiness, my family’s safety, and maybe even Tex’s.
When my eyes opened.
I saw.
Me.
Mo Abandonato, twin to one of the most powerful mob bosses in the country, in love with the freaking Godfather, daughter to a slain bastard and best friend to the De Langes, I popped my neck, the Alferos, and the Nicolasis. God help me.
I would do my job.
After all, a made man is made by his first few kills, by his ability to pull the trigger without hesitating.
I was finally at that moment.
And it felt good. It felt freeing to let go of all the drama, all the heartache, and focus in on the bigger picture.
The Commission and Tex’s sudden shift, along with his and Phoenix’s plans.
I sent a quick group text to everyone telling them I was going out for a run and opened my window, jumping out onto the grass with a small thud.
Tex was getting ready to leave, that much I was sure of. I’d lied to the girls about shooting, knowing I would miss my chance to tail him if I stayed.
I ran over to the black Mercedes and jumped in. It was newer, not familiar to Tex who always saw me drive the Range Rover, even though the Mercedes was actually my car.
I quickly pulled out of our lot and drove around back so nobody would see me, then inched through the gate and waited at the end of our property, by the cows.
Within minutes Tex sped by in the Range Rover, sunglasses on and attention totally focused in on everything straight ahead.
I smiled as one more thing clicked into place. I’d been counting on him driving the Range Rover. My plans would have been totally shot had he not driven that car.
A moment of pure genius had washed over me as I realized that the same tracker stupid Phoenix had injected into me was amongst all the gear Nixon had in the gun room, as I liked to call it. It was only too easy to slip one between the backseat of the SUV and download the app on my phone.
I waited a good five minutes before taking off.
And what do you know? Tex had stopped around fifteen miles later at a pretty upscale restaurant and bar called, Tapas.
I parked across the street a few cars back and waited. It was now or never and I had all the time in the world.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
Too many men involved meant one thing. Elimination.
Tex
I
WAS GOING TO OFFICIALLY
kill Phoenix. The men I was supposed to be tailing? Complete and utter fools. No, really. They poured in and out of the restaurant, drinking, sucking down cigars like they didn’t cause cancer and laughing loudly.
Each of them was too involved in conversation to even look down the street. Did they really think they were safe here? I didn’t recognize any faces, though Alfonso did make an appearance once when he came outside to smoke a cigar and talk to the circle of men.
They were all in their late fifties to early sixties. It made me sick to think of what they were involved in.
It didn’t bother me in the least that I’d be the one introducing them to the Devil. After all, they’d been in charge of one of the worst prostitution rings known to the Cosa Nostra.
It had started with the De Langes and I thought it had ended the night I killed my father.
I was wrong.
As Phoenix so nicely pointed out by way of Luca.
Two men were constantly reaching behind their heads, scratching at their upper backs, twitchy. Meaning, they were used to distracting with their hands while they used the other hand to pull out a gun. I made a note of it on the photographs I’d brought with me.
Another man’s eyes were downcast as he tossed dice in the air, up and down up and down, waiting, ever so patiently. He’d be the first to pull a gun, the last to die. His movements were smooth, fluid.
Another man found everything hilarious—he was most likely drunk, stumbling all over the place and hitting people on the back, a slight limp made him an easy kill. Probably had a broken kneecap at one point in his life.
I continued watching, memorizing their movements like a musician would memorize music. That’s what it was to me, watching people was an art, it was studying each breath, each step, each slouch. People were easy to read. They were my antelope and I was the lion.
Finally, most of them shuffled in after about two hours of constantly walking in and out of the restaurant. They’d most likely drink red wine, toast to what I’m sure they assumed was a new era for the Campisi family underneath Alfonso. After all, everything fell into place. They scared me into hiding—or so they thought, after threatening me and Mo, and by doing so, secured themselves an invitation with the rest of the American Mafia.
To them, it was finally a homecoming.
To me? It was a really fancy funeral.
Time to go.
I started the car and looked in my rearview mirror.
“Well shit.” I licked my lips and slammed the steering wheel as I watched Mo. She was looking at my car and at the restaurant. My body shook with terror. She had no idea the danger she’d put herself in, or the absolute chaos that would happen if she were caught. Everything Phoenix and I worked for? Gone. Done.
I needed to draw her away from the restaurant.
With another curse I pulled out and started speeding towards my bar.
Mo followed at a fast pace but stayed a few cars back.
The minute I pulled up to the restaurant I peeled around the parking lot and parked out back, dust shot up from my sudden acceleration. Turning off the car with a jerk, I ran around the building and watched as she pulled in and looked around.
“Gotcha.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
If you try to sneak up on a boss… make sure he isn’t aware of it.
Mo
W
HERE HAD HE GONE?
I licked my lips and leaned over the steering wheel. His car could be parked out back, but that meant he was probably going inside the building.
I could go home.
But facing him sounded like a better idea.
So I swallowed the anxiety building inside of me and reached for the door handle, slowly pushing it open.
Until it was jerked out of my grasp.
And a menacing Tex was filling the space between me and the outside world.
“Have fun on your little stakeout?” he asked calmly.
“Did you?” I retorted.
He leaned his muscled arms against the top of the car and bore down on me. “Oh, I’m about to.”
Before I could move or scream or do anything he jerked me away from the car and tossed me over his shoulder. I tried to reach for my gun but it was impossible with the way he was carrying me.
“Put me down!” I snarled.
Tex ignored me as he waltzed into the noisy bar and carried me through the main area towards the back.
“Everything okay, boss?” The bartender asked.
“Perfect.” Tex’s grip on my body tightened. “I may be a while.”
Oh, hell.
I squirmed against him but it was impossible to move. I needed to wait until he set me down before I reached for anything.
Remembering all the training the guys had given me—specifically Tex, I let my body go limp in his arms.
With a grunt his grip released just as we stepped into a dark room, the door slammed behind us. I kept my body relaxed.
Tex’s grip loosened even more as he set me on the floor, trying to steady me with his hands so I didn’t fall over. I teetered towards him like I was going to pass out, then as fast as I could, I knelt and jerked two blades from each boot.
The lights were off as moonlight filtered through the only tiny window in the corner of the room. I could see Tex’s teeth but nothing else. I backed away and held up the knives.
“Mo.” Tex’s gravelly voice sounded exhausted. “Put the knives down.”
They flickered in the moonlight as he approached until I was almost back against the wall, the only place where the light was shining enough for me to see him and him me.
“You’ll have to take them from me first,” I sneered.
Tex’s solid face cracked into a grin. “Oh sweetheart, I would love nothing more.”
He moved so fast I almost didn’t get out of the way fast enough as his hands came for mine. I fell down to the floor and sliced his jeans with each knife then rolled away. Dust caked my legs and boots.
Cursing, Tex looked down. “Mo, these were my favorite jeans,” he said in a sarcastic tone filled with mock hurt.
“I think I improved the look.”
Tex lunged for me, gripping my hands and jolting one knife free while I held the other in my right. I twisted into him and used all my strength to hit the inside of his ribs. Grunting he stumbled back only enough for me to move a foot before he gripped my leather jacket in his hands. I twisted out of it, and reached for my gun with my left hand.
Tex threw the leather jacket to the ground and smiled. “Fine, you wanna play? You want to beat the shit out of me? Will that make it better, Mo? What the hell can I do that will convince you how much I loathe you?” His eyes flashed. “We don’t exist anymore, Mo. Sorry but that’s the world we live in. You think I wouldn’t hesitate to kill you? You think I care if you hate me? So what? Hate me. So what? Shoot me. But at least make it a fair fight. Drop the gun, drop the knife, we both know I helped train you. Come on, Mo…” The more he taunted the more pissed I became, but I knew what he was doing, egging me on, using that as a tactic to get me to snap and spring at him so he could display my weakness.