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It wasn't really dead.I sat up in bed and gasped. "You remember, don't you? Impossible to forget," she murmured.
I bit my fist before grabbing my laptop. If they weren't dead, then they were out there somewhere. "I miss you," she whispered. "My husband has been extra grumpy lately," she continued.
I bet he was. That was a multi-million dollar plane the Ringleaders burned, not to mention the fact that Grace was put in danger. A pang of guilt ripped through me, but the feeling didn't last. They were alive. Alive!
"I won't let him do anything stupid, though. We're starting to realize that this is bigger than what we're used to."
I started checking flights out of Mexico to Sydney. I realized when I got here that Alessandro found that little breadcrumb. "We have to be careful, you know. We have more to lose now."
I stopped searching to listen to my best friend. What was she talking about? "I'm pregnant," she whispered. "I'm going to be a mom."
I clutched my chest. A baby? My best friend was going to have a baby. Warmth and happiness filled me in that moment, and I had to bite my fist to keep the love I felt from flowing from my mouth. I wanted to be there for her every step of the way. I wanted to support her.
But then my thoughts were interrupted by the crushing reality that I couldn't break like this. I couldn't reach out to her. I couldn't risk her and the baby growing inside of her. If I had my way, I'd listen to her voice on repeat. I'd fall asleep to her words and wrap myself up in the familiarity she offered. But I couldn't be weak. I couldn't risk her.
"Are you still there?" she asked while sobbing. I didn't want to cause her pain. I hated that I was doing this to her. But the alternative was worse. “Nix, I can’t do this without you. I’m so fucking scared. I know it’s selfish, but I need you to come back. Whatever it is, we can tackle it together. Just come home. Let me help you. Let us save you.”
I wanted to do that, I really did. I wanted to be there for all the milestones. Sunshine’s kid would undoubtedly have a piece of my heart, and who else would teach it all of life’s greatest lessons? But knowing she was pregnant just solidified my resolve. I wasn’t just keeping her, Grace, and Alessandro safe anymore, I had her unborn child to think about too.
“Nix? Please just answer me,” she cried out. “I hate being away from you. We’re family, Nix. You’re the only family I have left, the only family that means anything to me. Please just come home.”
I opened and closed my mouth, trying to think of the words to say to provide comfort. Truth was, nothing felt right. At the end of the day, my hands were tied. There wasn’t much I could do. The Ringleaders were everywhere. Even a quick phone call was too risky.
"Banana Split," I said. She would know what that code meant. She would know that I was in danger. She would know that I'm doing what I have to do. It was a phrase we once shared when she was on the run, and I had adopted it for my own miserable predicament.
"Banana Split, my love," she whispered before hanging up. I knew what she meant.
Banana Split was just another way of sayingI love you.
I love you, too, Sunshine. And I'll find a way out of this if it kills me.
Chapter Seven
Alessandro
I tried to lean back in my seat, but the economy chairs on our flight left little room for comfort. I guess I had become accustomed to flying private on Gavriel Moretti's jet. I didn't grow up with a silver spoon, but I quickly adapted to the lavish lifestyle my employer offered. I was pissed that some psycho blew it up.
The woman’s manic eyes and haunting words stayed with me long after we left that fiery scene. Maybe I was too cocky. I thought we were safe. Being a part of the Bullets gave me a false sense of security. Sure, the Moretti name had many enemies, but it was rare one of them was brave enough to actually do anything. Ever since I left Santobello, I went about my day convinced I was untouchable because of my association with the Bullets.
Today taught me otherwise.
I thought I had a good handle on the situation. I thought I would easily put Grace on a plane headed for home where she would safely wait for word from me. But I was wrong. We weren’t safe. Even though I wished we had more time to investigate, I knew that Grace and I couldn’t stay in one place for too long. Despite her injuries, we needed to move.
Even though it wasn’t ideal, I didn't care that we were crammed into the back of a gigantic plane flying over the Pacific or that we had to pay a ridiculous amount of money for these shitty seats. I didn't even care that there was a screaming two-year-old three rows in front of us that kept throwing shit my way. No, I was too thankful that Grace and I were alive to be pissed off about trivial things. She was asleep in the seat next to me, and her skin smelled like char and smoke. Her frizzy red hair framed her scratched face. She breathed softly next to me, and I was enamored with the sight of her rising and falling chest. Alive. She was alive. We were okay.
I made an executive decision the moment that private jet exploded, knocking us onto the concrete. There was no way in hell we'd be going back to the States. We had to go ghost. Grace whimpered in her sleep, and I adjusted the thin airplane blanket around her shoulders. The idea that something could've happened to her on my watch was clipping at my emotions. It all happened so fast, and yet the moment seemed to move in slow motion. We almost died.Shealmost died.
Hot fire and groaning metal still rang in my ears. Her body looked so frail when it slammed against the hard concrete. I had her blood on my dress shirt.
It was then I realized that Grace was more than an obligation. Grace had wormed her way into my heart and set up camp in my soul. She was a friend. A confidant. Someone I shared my loneliness with. And I would burn the world down before letting our enemies get to us—even if I had no idea who or what our enemies were.
The Ringleaders send their regards…
What did that even mean? The woman that blew up our plane sounded insane. I had my theories, of course. Phoenix was involved with some crazy ass group. When we worked together for the vigilantes, we came across some shady characters, but nothing like this. I briefly wondered if the Ringleaders were targeting Gavriel, but he had never heard of them before. One of the first things you learn when working for the mob is that you should always be aware of your enemies. Keep them closer than close.
How could we face a faceless enemy? Whowerethe Ringleaders?
"Alessandro?" Grace whispered while blinking. I could barely hear her over the flushing of the toilets behind us and the roar of the engines.
