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“It worked out, except for the part where you arranged your five-year-old daughter to marry a gangster.”
She snorts. “As though you wouldn’t have done that anyway? We all marry gangsters, Ave. At least I guaranteed you would end up with somebody powerful, somebody who could earn. You’re on top now, and your children will be on top. That’s what matters. Even your father understood that eventually.”
Chapter Sixty-One
Alessandro
My pocket vibrates as I’m leaving one of my family’s card rooms in North Bover. I answer it, glad to be away from the smell of stale cigarette smoke.
It’s Sal. “Hey, boss, I’ve got some news on that thing with those Irish guys. Would be better discussed in person. You want to meet me at the club, or should I come to you?”
“I’ll come to you. I’m in North Bover. Should be at the club in 15 minutes if I hit green lights.”
“Okay, see you in a—”
The hair on the back of my neck prickles, and I’m instantly on alert. “Hang on, Sal, I might have a situation.”
Idon’t know what it is, but something feels wrong. My instincts, honed over a lifetime of violence, are telling me that I’m in danger. I scan the street around me, searching for a threat.
There’s nothing obvious, but there usually isn’t. And I’ve learned to trust my gut. I pocket the phone, muffling Sal’s voice asking if I’m okay. I’ll need that hand free if I’m forced to pull my gun.
And then the car driving behind me, a beat-up Honda Civic, starts to slow down. I know what this means, and I’m ready for it. I dive behind a parked van, back slamming into it as gunfire splits the air.
The shots are rapid, hitting the wall behind me, the van. Bullets break glass, crunch into metal, kick up powder from the bricks. I stay hidden, knowing this cover is the best chance I have to stay alive.
After at least 20 gunshots, the attack breaks. I spring out from where I’m hiding and unload my pistol into the Honda Civic. More bullets hitting metal, more broken glass. I can’t tell if I wounded or killed anyone, but the engine revs and the car peels out, squealing around the corner in a hurry.
I pant for breath, Sal’s tinny voice still coming from my pocket. My thoughts are a total blur of fear and adrenaline.
I thought this was over.
***
Ava
On my mom’s kitchen counter in front of me, my phone buzzes. I check the screen and see that it’s Alessandro.
“Sorry, mom, I should take this. Hey, babe, what’s up?”
His voice is sharp. “We’re in danger. I just got attacked. No time to explain. I’m sending someone to pick you up.”
The panic in his voice makes my stomach drop. “Are you okay? What happened?”
“I’m fine. I’ll tell you more later. Are you still at your mom’s?”
“Yes, I’m still there. What are we going to—”
“No time, Ave. I love you. Be ready to go.”
“What was that about?” asks my mom, squinting.
“It’s nothing. I have to go. Alessandro’s sending a car.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. I have to pee, I’ll be right back.”
I take a moment to compose myself in the bathroom, splashing my face with water and taking deep breaths. It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay.
