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She laughs. “Fun, right? It’s like meditation to me. You just focus on the target, and everything else melts away.”
I shoot a couple more rounds, my aim improving with every shot. And my comfort, too.
“Do you think I’ll need to use one of these?” I venture.
Avery shakes her head. “Not if Nero has anything to say about it. Damn, you should have seen him around the club this morning. Guy’s just about ready to start a turf war as retribution for that black eye of yours.”
I don’t know whether to feel guilty for that, so I focus on my aim instead.
By the end of the morning, I’m feeling confident I could at least hit something right in front of me. “Good enough,” Avery says. “Time for lunch.”
She drives us to a fast food place, and we eat in the car, devouring burgers and shakes, getting greasy wrappers all over the interior of Nero’s Porsche.
Avery smirks, looking around. “Good thing you’re here, Princess. He’d kill me to see this mess.”
I pause, chewing on a fry. “How long have you been… Working with Nero?” I ask, wondering the right way to ask about her involvement with the Barrettis. Or even if there’s a right way at all.
Avery slurps her milkshake. “My whole life,” she replies, matter-of-fact. “My dad was one of Roman’s guys, so I grew up in this world. He was killed when I was younger, and they looked out for us after that. My mom used to help run the legit businesses, they always need names without a criminal record,” she explained, “for the liquor licenses, and taxes. She… Retired, a few years back, so when I turned eighteen, Nero brought me in to take over.”
I can tell there’s more to the story, but I don’t push. “So you’ve known him a long time.”
She nods. “I know he’s got something brewing, something big. But these Kovaks… They don’t fuck around.”
I feel a chill. “Is he in danger?”
Avery gives me a dark smile. “He’s Nero Barretti. Every morning he wakes up, a dozen people want him dead. And that’s on a good day.”
Back at the house,we walk inside to see that Nero is in the living room, with his lawyer, Miles. They are in the middle of what looks like an intense conversation when we come through the door, but it’s cut off immediately.
They both fall silent.
“How did it go?” Nero asks, looking to Avery.
“Not bad,” she replies.
“Are you kidding? I was amazing,” I joke. “If there are any paper targets coming to get me, they better watch out.”
Nero cracks a smile. “Good.” He nods. “But it won’t come to that. I’m keeping my guys here 24/7, indefinitely.”
But what about you?I want to ask, but I keep my mouth shut.
“Anything I need to know?” Avery asks, her gaze moving to Miles.
“Like what?” he shoots back good-naturedly. “You already know everything.”
“Damn right I do.” She smiles, and her whole face softens for a moment.
I blink. Is something going on there?
But just as quickly, her cool-girl attitude shutters into place. “I’ll give you a ride back to the club,” Avery says, heading to the door. “The long way round, via Atlantic City.”
“Hey!” Nero protests. “That’s a valuable machine out there.”
“Relax,” Avery rolls her eyes. “I won’t go over one-twenty.”
She and Miles exit, leaving me alone with Nero.
He moves over to me. “How are you feeling?” he asks, searching my face.
