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Taylor stares at me, her pink pout parting with astonishment.
“It wasn’t?”
I shake my head.
“Unfortunately, no. Violence is part and parcel in our world, and so yes, attempts have been made before.”
Taylor gasps, her face going sheet white.
“But who was it? And why were they after you?”
I sigh, my shoulders slumping.
“To be honest, we don’t know at this point. My best guess is he was a henchman from another crime family hired to do the dirty work, but the intelligence isn’t concrete at this point. But he’s dead,” I say in a grim tone. “My shot caught him square in the chest, and he was likely dead before he hit the floor.”
The beautiful brunette stares at me.
“Holy cow.”
I nod before smiling mirthlessly.
“As you can imagine, I’m a wanted man in New York now. Murder is a serious crime and there’s no way we could have stayed and dodged an investigation.”
Taylor stares at me.
“But you’re innocent! That guy shot first, while you were in your own garden.”
I shrug.
“Prosecutors don’t care about that kind of shit. Besides, the Feds have been sniffing around my operation for years now, and this would give them the perfect opening to start digging away. Can you imagine that? Subpoenas, depositions, and that shitshow coming to town? I don’t think so.”
Taylor pauses, staring at me.
“But it’s okay because you were trying to legitimize the business, remember? They would see that. You have to get credit for doing the right thing.”
I shake my head slowly.
“You’re sweet, honey, but it’s not enough. Not when I did the wrong thing for so long. The Feds would be all over me, and would likely tear everything apart brick by brick. Literally, I think they would tear apart my houses and clubs brick by brick looking for whatever it is they want to find.”
The beautiful woman nods, her expression shuttered.
“I see. So what happens now?”
I take her small hand in my own, my heart racing. It’s do or die, and suddenly, I know what I want. The only question is if Taylor wants it too.
“Sweetheart, here in Moldova, I have connections. This country isn’t exactly on the best diplomatic terms with the United States, so I can relax a bit here. I’m not saying that we’re dodging the American government, but in some ways, I am. I just need some time to lie low as things blow over.”
Taylor stares at me.
“Yeah, but does a homicide investigation ever blow over?”
I sigh because obviously, my woman’s smart and I’m not going to be able to pull the wool over her eyes.
“Probably not. You’re right. Cases can go cold for years, or even decades, but American law enforcement is tenacious, and they’ll keep on the trail. So yes, I can’t return to New York. Likely not this month, this year, and potentially, never again.”
She stares at me.
“So what does that mean?”
