AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Now hear me out. There’s no way it was Bianchi’s men—I would have seen them, or Chase and his team would have caught them on surveillance. We’re ready and waiting for them. But the kid had a hit put on him inside hiscodingclass where only the professor and students were present—where only people who know or are learning tech. The work was sloppy and risky, definitely not a pro.”
Chase gasps. “Oh, fuck! It’s a kid!”
“And the kid is also our hacker,” Butch says. “It’s why the hacking isn’t up to par—we’re dealing with an amateur. There’s always a trail, though it’s encrypted.”
“Sonofabitch,” Gauge shouts. “We’ve been looking in all the wrong places.”
“Pretty Paolo recruited a kid to spy on Josephine and I. Makes sense to recruit a kid to do some hacking as well. Their young, vulnerable, and easy to manipulate,” I say bitingly. “Chase, start checking the surveillance to see who was coming and going in the building before and after the shooting. Cameras were at every entrance and exit. We should be able to make an accurate list of suspects.”
“On it,” Chase says. “I don’t understand how a kid could have accessed our system? Even a skilled hacker would have difficulty. But a kid? Fuck.”
I frown. “You still think this was an inside job? We’ve investigated our entire crew, inside and out. It can’t be any of us.”
Chase gives me a baffled look. “Unless the hacker was able to get inside my head to gain access to all our security blocks, I don’t see how it’s possible. You’d have to be looking over my shoulder to enter our system. It’s that buttoned-up. But I agree with you—it’s not one of our team members backstabbing us.”
“We’re going to get to the bottom of it, Chase. Don’t worry. This fucker can’t stay hidden forever,” Ziggy says confidently.
I can’t believe this is happening, but I should have. “I should have known better,” I say miserably.
Gauge gives me a scrutinizing stare. “Why do you say that?”
“Bianchi was running his mouth off at the tailor’s and Paolo tried to warn him to hush. I knew he was either warning his boss to control his temper, or to not reveal too much about the hacker and their spy on the trail.” I groan. “This is on me. I should have put more security checks in places after our encounter with Lorenzo.”
I shake my head. Lorenzo and his goons are the fucking worst—using kids to do their dirty work. Kids are precious and should be protected. Tom is a kid. This hacker and a potential hitman is a kid. When I see Lorenzo again, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop myself from strangling him with my bare hands.
“Stay put, Tony. I’m coming to you. Tom is my responsibility and I failed him,” I say.
Gauge puts his hand on my shoulder. “We all failed him, Atlas. This is not on you alone—it’s on us.”
I know my brother is trying to make me better, but he’s wrong. “My crew, my ward, my fault. Or am I not named appropriately?”
Gauge gives me a sympathetic look. “You’re our leader, but we’re still a team. We’re in this brotherhood together.”
He’s right. I nod to appease him, but I still hold the weight of Tom’s attack on my shoulders.
Ziggy raises an eyebrow. “Ward? You recruiting the kid into the family or something?”
I look at Chase and his intel team. “If he pulls through, then yes, I am. We need more tech help. You guys need the manpower. Tom is one of us regardless of the little bastard peeping on my woman. He was forced and was a victim too.”
Chase raises his finger. “I second that notion.” The rest of my men nod in agreement.
“I’ll ride out with you,” Gauge says. “Let’s go see Tom.”
* * *
Four hours later, Tom is rolled out of surgery into a recovery room. His parents and little brother sit around his bedside, crying and waiting for him to wake up.
The next twenty-four hours are crucial. One bullet went clean through, but the other punctured his right lung. Traumatic pneumothorax is no joke. Because of the severity of the injury, a chest tube has been put in place and will remain there for several days until the lung begins to expand. Infection is a huge risk, even with antibiotics being pumped through his veins.
I don’t pray often, but I’m praying now in the church chapel by myself. Gauge is stationed outside Tom’s room, keeping watch.
If this kid doesn’t pull through…I shake away the negative. It does nothing but cloud the mind, and right now, I need my wits.
Tom’s family was terrified when we entered the room. I don’t hold it against them—we’re big, rough-looking dudes. I explained that I run a security company, how we don’t take well to kids getting shot up in our community, and that we’ll watch over him until the suspect is in custody. This seemed to calm his parents’ nerves, and they thanked us for our protection. I refused to implicate Tom by telling his family of his recruitment into the mob—they have enough to worry about.
I sent Tony home to shower and rest. He didn’t want to, but he was covered in Tom’s blood from being the first responder on the scene. It was a reminder of what happened to the kid. Tony doesn’t need that fucking with his head.
I contemplate calling Josephine and giving her an update, but I hesitate. She could panic and I don’t want her worrying any more than she already does. She’s getting stronger every day, but after what happened with Jacob…I’m more protective of her. I want to shield her from all the ugly of the world. I know my woman. She will blame herself for this happening to Tom, though it’s all Bianchi’s doing. I don’t want this weighing on her. I’ll tell her tonight when I get home and have her in my arms when the flood of emotions crashes over her, to hold her together when the damn breaks.
