AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Give me five minutes.”
“I never said you were coming with me.” I’m talking to the empty living room by now. He’s already getting changed in the adjoining bedroom.
“I swear you’re out of your damn mind. Why would you think I’d let you go alone? You might trust that little shit, but not me.”
There’s no use in arguing, so I don’t bother. I want to get this done and over with. I pull three men together. “I want a man posted at my bedroom door, and one at Tatum’s. We’ll be back as soon as we can. Romero will keep you posted.”
I look over my shoulder to find him leaving the cottage in dark jeans, a leather jacket, and his T-shirt. “Do we have an address?” I hand him the paper and wait as he plugs the address into his phone. “A warehouse. No surprise. It’s in Costello territory, at least. Did he ask Jack for a meeting there?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask questions,” I tell him. I’m halfway to the car, which I’ll be driving. I can’t sit passively for another minute. I’ve done enough of that the past few days to last me a lifetime. This is it. I’ve waited so long, craving the sensation of grinding the man into dust under my heel. That craving has only intensified until now, I want blood. Knowing I’m this close to achieving what I’ve waited for is a heady sensation that translates to a heavy foot on the gas pedal. I’m so close. This ends tonight.
“I’ll take the lead.” Romero’s voice is quiet, low. “Just in case. Stay back until I give you the all clear.”
When I don’t answer, he turns toward me. “Boss. I need you to agree with me.”
“We have nothing to worry about.”
“I’m going in first.” When I scoff, he slaps a palm against the glovebox. “Let me do my job. I’m not going to watch you walk into a trap. I need to check and make sure it’s safe.”
“Do what you feel is best.” I’m not going to fight over something this inconsequential when I prefer imagining Jack’s agony. He kidnapped my little bird. He could’ve killed my daughter. He took her mother from her. He tried to use my unborn child against me. There is nothing painful enough for him–but that won’t keep me from trying to make him feel that pain.
The warehouse sits in a quiet part of town surrounded by tall, boxy buildings with darkened windows. They cast long shadows over an empty street, and I swear I taste foreboding in the air. I couldn’t have chosen a better location for what’s about to happen. I know it is. I feel it. He’s nearby, and every breath he takes is one closer to his final gasp. I slow the car to turn into the fenced-off lot.
We’re a few dozen feet from the warehouse when I roll to a stop. Neither of us speaks as we study the scene: five dark cars sit empty and the wide door leading inside the brick structure sits slightly ajar beneath a bare light bulb.
“I don’t see anyone out here,” Romero muses before removing the Glock from his waistband. “That’s a lot of cars to have nobody posted outside.”
“I’ll call him.” I look away from the door long enough to pull up the last incoming number and place the call. When he answers, I mutter, “I’m outside.”
“Come in.” The door swings open, and Sebastian appears. He looks around for a moment before spotting my car, then waves his arm. He’s smiling like a man greeting long-awaited guests.
“He’s either insane or… no, I’m going with insane.” Romero opens his door, and I do the same. Sebastian eyes the gun visible in Romero’s hand—his brows drawn together with concern, but he doesn’t say a word. A good sign. If this was a trap, he’d tell us we don’t need to be armed. It’s what I would do.
I can barely hear over the heavy thud of my heart by the time we stop in the circle of light thrown off by the overhead bulb. “I told you to come alone, but I figure you two are joined at the hip, so it doesn’t matter.” Sebastian looks Romero up and down, smirking.
“What’s this about?” I demand. “Tell me he’s waiting for me in there.”
He’s still smirking when he jerks his head toward the door. “See for yourself.”
“Wait.” Romero throws out an arm, blocking me. “I’d like an explanation. There’s a lot of cars out there for only a few people to be here.”
“They won’t be driving home. They won’t be driving anywhere. There are two people from Moroni’s side still breathing: Jack, and his oldest daughter.” His eyes gleam while a satisfied smile stretches his lips. “Congratulations are in order. I’m getting married.”
“He agreed to your deal?”
“Big time. He was so desperate to end you after Dominic, he would have agreed to anything. He gave me his daughter, and I was supposed to give him the men and the money to get to you.” He lifts a shoulder. “Whoops. I guess I lied.”
I can’t stand waiting any longer. “I’m going in.”
“One second.” Sebastian’s jovial smile slips, revealing the cunning animal underneath. The sight makes my hackles rise. “I’m going to need a little more than we first discussed when we made this deal.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Romero mutters, shaking his head.
“Out with it,” I urge, ignoring the comment. “What do you want?”
“Everything. I want all of Moroni’s holdings.”
Romero barely stifles a laugh, but I find no humor in this. My impulse is to agree, to give him everything and anything he wants so long as it means putting an end to this. Instead, I think back on the information we compiled on Jack’s finances, his holdings, the properties scattered over the East Coast. Compared to my empire, it’s nothing. An anthill in the shadow of an armed fortress.
