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I try to force a smile but can’t bring myself to.
“You seem to be in a hurry. What might be the matter?”
“Oh, nothing. I, um . . .” I pause, trying to figure out the next thing to say. “I just don’t like funerals, that’s all.”
“Oh, I can relate. I heard the tragic story of your parents, so I understand. How kind of you to come, and even with a flower.”
When she mentions the flower, I almost lose my will. This is bad, but I can tell she’s only trying to be mean at best. If I’m calm enough, I can get out of here alive.
“Thank you. You’re so kind.”
“Well, be on your way now. I wouldn’t want to keep you from your husband. God forbid I become Frank’s enemy. Oh, and by the way, give that interview a thought. You and your husband even,” she says with a mischievous smile.
I squint my eyes and force a smile. Then I nod gracefully at her and start to head inside.
“My name is Kara,” she calls out before I head into the hall, breathing tidal waves of relief. That was close.
Upon entering the hall, I see that guests are too preoccupied with their conversations to pay attention to a lone woman in sunglasses and a scarf.
With a deep breath, I step into the ballroom where the casket awaits, surrounded by a sea of mourners. My hands tremble as I carefully place the flower in between the bouquet which rests on the casket, my heart hammering in my chest with each passing second. I can feel the bomb’s weight pressing against my palm, a deadly reminder of the task.
But before I can dwell on the gravity of my actions, I slip out of the room and the mansion, just as Frank instructed. The cool night air washes over me, bringing a sense of relief and dread in equal measure. Our plan is in motion now, and there’s no turning back. All I can do is pray that we’ll make it out of this alive, with our secret and lives intact.
Chapter 18
Frank
As I sit in the driver’s seat of the hearse, my hands clenched tight around the steering wheel, a sense of apprehension gnaws at the pit of my stomach. The weight of the plan we’ve set in motion hangs heavy on my shoulders, the knowledge that so much is riding on this one moment filling me with a sense of unease.
I glance at the clock on the dashboard as I wait for Lisa to arrive. She’s supposed to be here any moment now, ready to carry out her part in our carefully orchestrated scheme. But as the seconds turn into minutes, a sense of impatience begins to eat at me, the car’s silence only adding to my growing unease.
Finally, a figure approaches the hearse, her movements shrouded in the darkness of the night. I squint through the windshield, trying to make out her features, but it’s only when she removes her scarf and sunglasses that I recognize her.
“Lisa,” I breathe, a sense of relief flooding through me at the sight of her. “You had me worried there for a moment.”
She gives me a wry smile as she climbs into the passenger seat, the tension in her shoulders palpable even in the dim light of the car. “Sorry,” she says, her voice tight. “I had to make sure no one followed me.”
I nod, understanding her caution. The last thing we need is for our plan to be compromised by some nosy bystander or, worse, an undercover agent from a rival faction.
She looks at me, her eyes searching mine for reassurance. “What about your family members?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. “Will they be safe inside when the bomb goes off?”
I shake my head, a grim expression settling over my features. “They’re not there,” I tell her. “I made sure of it. They’re safe, Lisa. We need to get away too.”
She nods, a flicker of relief crossing her face at my words. Together, we pull away from the curb, the engine of the hearse roaring to life as we speed off.
As we drive through the empty streets, the tension in the air is palpable, the weight of what we’ve done hanging heavy between us. And then, just as we approach a corner, a deafening explosion fills the air, the force of the blast rattling the car’s windows.
I glance in the rearview mirror, my heart pounding in my chest as I watch the side of the mansion erupt in a fiery explosion. The plan has worked, and our enemies have been vanquished in a single, devastating blow.
As we speed away from the explosion scene, we hear the sound of sirens wailing in the distance. I glance at Lisa, her face pale with shock and fear, her eyes wide with worry. I can feel the tension radiating off her in waves, her fingers clutching at the edge of her seat as if holding on for dear life.
“Are you okay?” I ask as I reach out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. She nods, her eyes never leaving the road ahead, her breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps.
I push the accelerator to the floor, my foot heavy on the pedal as I navigate through the maze of streets, dodging cars and pedestrians in a desperate bid to put as much distance between us and the explosion as possible. The last thing we need is to be caught in the crossfire of the chaos that is sure to follow in the wake of our actions.
As we round another corner, I catch sight of a group of people who obviously belong to the rival Mafia families, their faces twisted in shock and disbelief. I can see the panic in their eyes, the fear that grips them as they realize the magnitude of what has just happened. And then, as if on cue, they begin to pile into cars, the engines roaring to life as they set off in pursuit of whoever is responsible for the explosion.
A surge of adrenaline courses through my veins as I realize that we’re not out of danger yet. The rival families will stop at nothing to track the attack’s perpetrators, and we’re at the top of their list of suspects.
