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“Fair enough, Dante. Just remember, Viper Mob can offer you more than just revenge. We can offer you a future.”
We’ll see about that.
I opened the briefcase, reached into it, and pulling out another large gun. This one was heavier, its pieces more robust. I started assembling it, the familiar motions of putting together a weapon somewhat soothing in the midst of the uncertainty surrounding me.
A minute later, the gun came together with precision.
Once assembled, I checked its mechanism before sliding it into an inner pocket of my trench coat.
The coat hung heavier now.
I remained silent, pondering Anthony’s words yet again.
I never even wondered what I would do after I killed Francesca.
That realization rattled me.
Did I think I was going to die or something? Or maybe. . .I didn’t care as long as she died first.
Now I had Zuri and Carmen. There was no other option, but my going back to them alive and safe.
Meanwhile, Anthony’s promise of a future with Viper Mob was tempting, but the shadows of my past loomed large.
Could I really work with them? Or would it be more bullshit like Crimson Mob?
Anthony looked at me. “Once we get to Shadow Heights, what’s your play? With the bounty on your head and the whole city watching, there will be obstacles.”
I leaned against the seat. “We’ve got the men.”
“Do we?”
“Marcelo gave me seven, but if you’re the leader of Viper Mob then that means more men have been with us this whole day.”
Anthony smirked. “You’re a smart man.”
I gazed at him. “How many are with us?”
“Fifty.”
I blinked and checked the rear view, only seeing green cars and a few black ones. “They all can’t be following us.”
“No. A tracker is on this car. When we move, they move.” Anthony nodded. “I didn’t want to scare you earlier, so I kept them quiet.”
“You also weren’t sure that I wasn’t psychotic and would simply decide to kill you.”
“You’ll find, Reaper, that I can handle myself.” Anthony chuckled.
“I imagine you can.”
He let out a long breath. “Did you ever wonder why my brother Rocco was in prison to begin with?”
“I didn’t.”
“We figured out some bullshit charge to have him temporarily assigned where you were.”
I tensed. “You wanted him on the inside with me?”
“Crimson Mob has been difficult to take down, but I figured there was someone on this Earth that could truly help me get rid of that bitch for good.”
I hit him with an odd look. “Your plan was to have Rocco befriend me and then get me out to help?”
“It was.” He sighed. “I had to admit that I wasn’t sure he could do it. My father and I visited him twice and both times he fucking complained about the food and how scary it was in there. But then the fight happened.”
I gritted my teeth.
“And I was happy to hear that you handled these mysterious thugs that were trying to beat up my brother.”
The idiots were trying to get me, as I was trying to get them.
I chuckled to myself. “What a great coincidence.”
“Smart men create coincidences.”
“They do.”
The rest of ride continued to be smooth.
Anthony, usually more animated, had settled into a contemplative silence. He turned on the radio, filling the car with the sound of a classic rock station, but he didn’t sing along this time.
His demeanor was focused, almost as if he was mentally preparing for the impending confrontation.
And as we drove, I found myself lost in thought, reflecting on my reunion with Zuri. The moment I saw her, all the pent-up emotions of the years spent behind bars had come flooding back. Seeing her after such a long separation was both exhilarating and overwhelming. Her presence had reignited a sense of purpose in me, a burning need to protect and provide for my family.
Zuri’s face, her smile, the way she looked at me with a mixture of joy and relief, played over in my mind. There was an unspoken understanding between us, a shared history that went beyond words. The brief time we spent together had been a balm to the wounds of my past.
Carmen, too, had been a revelation.
Meeting my daughter for the first time had been an experience I could never have prepared for. Her innocence and warmth had touched something deep within me, awakening a paternal instinct I hadn’t known I possessed.
The way she had accepted me without question, the imaginative tea party we had—it was a glimpse into a life I had missed, one I was desperate to be a part of.
The thoughts of Zuri and Carmen filled me with longing.
They were my anchor, the reason I needed to survive this night and put an end to Francesca’s reign.
I’m a father now. Soon, I’ll be a husband.
Chapter 17
Best Friends
Will I get my revenge tonight?
I gazed up into the dark, expansive sky, taking in all the snowflakes fluttering down.
