AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Me too,” Nick chimes in. “I just would have ripped his pants off and made sure the whole thing was gone.”
Nick would do exactly that. I was being careful though.
“I don’t want apologies,” Vincent declares. This is the same shit brewing from a while back and while we need to be careful, we also need to make sure we don’t allow anyone to step on our turf and mess with our people, especially our women.”
I’m happy to hear that. “What do we do now? Think they’re going to come for us?”
“I do, just not the way we think.” It’s now Vincent looks worried. “Tobias is about games.”
Fuck don’t I know. “That fucker needs to die.”
“I agree, but he has too much weight of importance. Can’t just kill him without putting a mark on our backs.” He sighs. “It would be hell to pay if we did that. The Antonellas would wipe us out same as De Lucca threatened. The fact that it was him the De Lucca’s got to take out Antonio says a lot.”
I already told them the details of how Tobias killed Antonio from the little more I managed to listen to from Charlotte.
I couldn’t bear to hear the whole thing or acknowledge that it was because of his special relationship with Antonio that he was the perfect candidate to end him.
It was Vincent I’d spoken to first. As I did I tried to leave out all the gory parts –the abuse on Charlottes part. Just out of respect for her. It wasn’t something I felt she wanted everyone knowing.
Vincent guessed what happened though and was the one to say it outright once I’d calmed down. Salvatore and Nick guessed too. I suppose it was obvious what must have happened to her from how I behaved.
At least I never mentioned that there were others like Tobias.Fucking clients.
I haven’t asked Charlotte who the others were because I don’t want to put her through anything more emotional than what’s already going on that will hurt her.
The calmer version of me hopes she’ll tell me one day, or talk to me whenever she needs to. Tobias is who I’m worried about. I’m not gonna lie and pretend I’m not worried about that sick fuck because I am.
I am because he wants her.
“He’s obsessed with her.” I say more to myself than to them. Salvatore tenses next to me and no one comments. “Tobias is obsessed with Charlotte.”
I lean back into the chair and it creaks under my weight. I allow my gaze to drift out the floor to ceiling window and settle on the Chicago skyline set against the onset of night.
It still looks lively, but there’s something ominous about it. Something that has always spiked my nerves because of the uncertainty nights in Chicago bring.
“Has she said anything more?” Vincent asks, cutting into the silence.
“No, it’s enough, she’s said enough. He paid for her, Vincent, and did it again. The fucking tape nearly made me hack his head off.” I burned it and burned the camera too, praying the sick fuck hadn’t made copies. I wouldn’t put it past him to be lying about it, the same as I haven’t put it past him to be plotting for me in his hospital bed.
“We gave him the money. That’s all he’ll get, no more. No one owes him shit.” Vincent grits his teeth and I’m glad again that he sounds like he’s ready for battle. He’s changed. I see Frankie in him, he’s talking like Frankie. He would say the same things.
“No we don’t owe him shit. In fact he must know too that we know he killed Antonio. He would have known Charlotte told me.” I was sure of it even if she didn’t say it was him I would suspect it.
Vincent nods. “The family are making it look like a burglary. The wealth and power is what they were after and they got that so I don’t see any threat on Charlotte coming from them. It’s just this motherfucker.”
“Yeah, and he might think she owes him for keeping her alive,” I add. “This is all so fucked up, it really is.”
“We just need to be ready. All of us. This guy is one sick fuck, if he chooses he’ll come for all of us. We’re each other’s weakness because we’re brothers. Boys, if you see anything out of place we check it out, anything at all. We need to be ready for his games.” Vincent looks at all of us then focuses on me. “Watch your back Gabe and keep your woman within your reach at all times.”
“Don’t worry about that, I plan to,” I assure him.
* * *
I wishI could keep her right next to me.
I really do but that would suffocate her.
Fear makes me want to put her on a plane to St. Lucia and take her far away from here, but that won’t work.
