AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I simply shake my head. There’s nothing else I can say.
“Right now, Dad needs to be in prison awaiting trial for the murder of Miles McAllister. It’s the only thing that’s appeasing Declan at the moment, and according to Grandpa, we can’t be working at cross purposes with Declan.”
“Fuck them all,” I say.
“Sav, you know I agree with you, but for now, I have to play the willing grandson. As far as they know, I’m seeking their forgiveness for my betrayal, and I’m going to have to prove myself.”
My heart slams against my sternum. “By doing what?”
He draws in a breath, and before he speaks, I already know the answer.
“No, Vinnie. Don’t.”
He looks up to the ceiling and then darts his gaze around the room. He rises. “Let’s go outside.”
“Outside?”
“Like I said, I trust the security guys, but I don’t want to take the chance. Come on.”
We leave Dad’s office and go out the French doors leading to my parents’ large manicured lawn out back. Vinnie and I walk out into the middle of the yard, close to the pool house.
He nods to a camera mounted near the gate to the pool house. “They can see us out here, but they can’t hear us.”
“Won’t they wonder what we’re up to?”
“Yes, which is why I’m going to make this brief. As far as the camera knows, you’re showing me around the back lawn, the pool house, everything else.”
“Vinnie, it’s all the same since you left.”
“Yes, but I’ve been through a lot, and perhaps my memory has failed. That’s what I’ll tell them if they ask, but they probably won’t ask.” He takes my arm. “Come on.”
We walk around the yard, stopping every couple of steps to make it look good.
“I have no intention of taking anyone’s life,” Vinnie says. “But that is what they’ll expect of me.”
“Then how will you prove your loyalty?” I ask.
“I’ll fake it.”
I shake my head, my mouth dropped open.
He nods slowly, breathing evenly. “Yeah, I don’t have the details yet. But I’ll get some blanks, send whoever I’m supposed to take care of out of the country. I don’t know the specifics, Sav, but I promise you I won’t kill anyone.”
I want to believe my brother. With all my heart I do.
“Vinnie, please promise me one thing.”
“If I can.”
“If you can’t figure out how to fake it, then run like hell. Go back to Europe. Do whatever you have to do to?—”
“Sav.” He grips my shoulders and stares into my eyes. “I will not abandon you again. Do you hear me? I will not. Don’t worry about me. I got this.”
“But Vinny?—”
He releases his grip. “I’ve got a plan in motion to put them off for a few months. I’ll say I need to be educated in all the inner workings, and I’m out of practice with a firearm so I need to get up to speed.”
“I just saw you shoot a few days ago. You’re hardly out of practice.”
