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Michael
“I still can’t believe that your Rose is Rosaleen O’Leary.” Dominic whistles low as he straps a string of flash grenades to his chest. “Talk about coincidence.”
“Or fate,” Raphael adds, slipping two extra clips into his vest and holding out another pair for me.
I store the clips and ignore them both, focusing on the task at hand. Which is to get Rose and Liam back, safe and unharmed, and put Patrick O’Leary six feet under.
Beside me, Dad also gears up while Uncle Leo stands in the doorway with his arms crossed over his barrel chest. He's upset, watching each of us like a hawk. “You need all the help you can get, Dante. I don’t understand why you’re not taking me.”
Dad looks at his brother. “Because I need you here, guarding Alice and the estate in case Patrick has something else up his sleeve.”
“You’re taking my son with you. I should be there.”
“And I’m taking both of mine.”
Uncle Leo scowls but says nothing back. Mom appears behind his shoulder, and when he sees her, his scowl deepens into a frown before he walks off in a huff. Dad watches him go with a dark look, but it’s fleeting and gone the second he turns to his wife.
She reaches up and cups his face. “You come back to me tonight. Do you understand me? The devil does not own your soul. I do.”
Dad pulls Mom close and proceeds to devour her mouth in a way that leaves Raphael and me exchanging an awkward look. But if Rose and I can look that happy together, with that much passion after decades of marriage, then I too will happily kiss her in front of our kids.
Kids.
The idea makes my heart skip at the thought of that kind of future with Rose. Tonight, we’re fighting for more than the present. We’re fighting for the future.
As expected, Patrick and Igor did not come alone.
“I count at least a dozen outside,” Dominic announces as he scans the front courtyard of the church through night vision binoculars.
“Body armor?” Raphael asks.
“Standard stuff,” Dominic answers. “Nothing we can’t handle.”
“Patrick is not stupid. He knows we’re coming. Which means the element of surprise is not on our side,” Dad says. “Still, though, stealth is our best option until we can make our way inside the church. We don’t want to risk Patrick harming Rose or Liam.”
My eyes remain trained on the church. Somewhere inside is Rose and our son. I can feel them close by as if my body is tuned into theirs. And maybe it is.
“I’ll get him out, brother,” Raphael assures me with a squeeze on the shoulder.
I nod. Raphael is to find Liam and get him to safety immediately while Dad, Dominic, and I rescue Rose. The strategy sounds simple enough, but nothing ever goes to plan.
I move like a shadow through the night, bringing death to every enemy in sight.
The first slice of my blade into an unsuspecting guard’s exposed neck sets the demons in my soul loose, and I let them run free. Each kill feeds them into a frenzy, narrowing my focus to the main objective. The only thing that matters.
Get to Rose.
She is my salvation. I know that now. I’m an addict, and she’s my favorite drug. She’s the only one who can quiet my demons and soothe my soul. The only one who can bring me peace among the chaos. Like the eye of a hurricane, she’s where I find rest when the storm rages on outside.
The last Irish soldier falls to the ground. I stand panting above him as the life drains from his eyes. My hands are wet from the blood of my enemies, and my soul darkens even more from each kill, but it makes no difference. I was doomed long before tonight.
“The door’s locked,” Dominic whispers when we approach the church doors.
I peer over at Dad, who appears deep in thought. We don’t have long, and every second we wait is another second Rose has to spend in this torment.
“Raphael, you take the back entrance and find Liam,” Dad orders. “Meanwhile, we’ll cause a distraction to draw attention away from you. When you have Liam, you get out, no matter what. Do you understand?”
My brother nods solemnly. He doesn’t like the idea of leaving us behind very much, but knowing my brother, he’ll send in the cavalry to help us if it comes to that.
