AllFreeNovel
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“Bro,” Carlo says, coming over the second I step into the room.
“What happened?” I don’t let go of Molly’s hand when we’re inside. Nobody seems surprised to see her. The mood is heavy, and I fear the worst.
Carlo’s voice drops. He glances back at Maddie, but she’s not paying any attention. “They hit him.”
“The Irish? But Finn’s dead. We killed him. That doesn’t make any sense. They’re too busy fucking fighting each other.”
“No, not the Irish.” He stares at me and his eyes are red-rimmed, his jaw hard. Pain and anguish spill out from every pore. “The Russians. Fucking Aslanov. We were so busy picking off the Irish that we left ourselves open.” Carlo takes a slow breath like he’s barely keeping himself under control.
“We’re still trying to piece it together, but from what I understand, they trapped his car and lit it up. They shot the fuck out of it.”
“And Renzo? Did he make it?” I don’t know what I’ll do if my brother’s dead. It’ll be like the world is over, and so much will be left unsaid.
“Renzo’s alive, but barely.” Carlo’s expression darkens and he looks away. His voice trembles. “Dante fucking saved him.”
“That’s good. Dante’s a good guy.” I look around. I haven’t exactly been the friendliest to him lately because of all the Molly shit. That’s another bridge I want to make sure doesn’t end up burned. “Where is he?”
Carlo closes his eyes. He takes a shuddering breath. An ugly feeling washes over me. Gian steps forward and puts a hand on my arm, and my stomach sinks down into the floor.
“He’s dead,” Gian says.
I barely process. It doesn’t make sense. “Dante? What?”
“He died saving Renzo’s life.”
“What the fuck?” Rage flows through me like poison in my veins. Dante was a friend, a good fucking friend, and lately I’ve been pushing him away. It’s like my world tilts sideways. I’ll never be able to tell him I appreciate how he kept Molly to himself, and even though he was frustrating as fuck about the whole thing, at least he had my best interests at heart. I’ll never get to thank him for that.
“He was driving,” Gian says. “They hit hard and I guess Dante threw himself on Renzo to keep him alive. They tore him up, but if he hadn’t done that, Renzo would be gone.”
“They had another car.” Carlo visibly gets control of himself. “Renzo did, I mean. Another follow car with guards. They chased the Russians off before they could finish Renzo off, but they couldn’t save Dante. They barely got Renzo here in time. It’s fucked. Absolutely fucked.”
“I’m sorry,” I say and I feel Molly push herself against me. It’s comforting, but only a small drop in a sea of misery.
Dante and I weren’t on good terms. He tried warning me against Molly, not because he had anything against her or because he was being a prick, but because he worried about me. He didn’t want shit to get blown up. He was trying to avoid the exact situation I find myself in.
I never told him that I appreciated that. Hell, I never fixed shit with him either.
And now he’s gone.
I’m floating as I move into the room. I sit with Maddie and give her a hug.
“I’m happy you’re here,” Maddie says and rubs her eyes with her sleeve. “He would’ve wanted you here. And you too, Molly. God, poor Dante. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, Maddie, it’ll be okay.” I say the words, trying to be strong, but they ring hollow.
“I’m so sorry,” Molly says and hugs her tight.
“We all are,” Allegra adds.
I lean back in my chair and let the girls try to keep Maddie calm. Outwardly, I’m holding it together, but on the inside I’m cracking to pieces.
Dante is gone. A good friend, murdered on the streets. And Renzo nearly died. He still might pass. If he goes right now, we’ll never get the chance to fix our relationship, just like I’ll never get a chance to talk to Dante again. My brother will die thinking I’m a traitor and hating me, just like I hated him only a day earlier.
Now I can see how we’ve both been stubborn pricks, just like Molly said.
Fucking Dante. I still remember when he came into our little group. The rough, scrappy bastard became Renzo’s best friend, and we haven’t been able to get rid of him since.
Now he’s gone and it kills me.
