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“Jake, please tell me… is something going on?” I ask again, because now I am really starting to be concerned.
“Yeah, baby girl, something is going on. I just need you to have my team with you the entire time today. I should be there tonight, okay?”
I smile at that. I get to see him tonight, and that makes me giddy with excitement.
“Okay, I promise I will stick to them like glue,” I say, hoping to relieve him of some stress.
“Belle, I lo…” he starts but gets interrupted as I hear voices in the background. “I’ve got to go, see you tonight.” The call ends, and for the rest of my drive, I wonder what he was going to tell me.
33
Jake
New York is getting cold, and at the memorial, it is solemn. I stand to the side of the church, watching the crowd. Dante is doing the same from the other side of the church, while Marco, Frankie, Sebastian, and a woman he brought along with him, who Dante tells me is his girlfriend, sit at the front.
I recognize her from Sebastian’s club a few months ago. He was mesmerized by the sight of her, so I am not at all surprised that he found her and now they are together. She seems like a nice woman, very friendly and approachable. Not at all what you would think a mob girlfriend to be.
As my eyes roam over everyone, I stand here thinking of Belle. She hasn’t gotten back to me yet on the headshots I sent her earlier, and I really wish she would. I contacted my team who said the minute she arrived at her event venue, she was bombarded by people needing direction, so she went straight into work mode. I can only assume she hasn’t had a chance to look at her emails. I can’t help worrying about her, and I am itching to see her tonight and have her in my arms. The only place I know where she will be safe.
This memorial is at the largest Italian church in New York, and it is a full mass service, so it is taking hours. I can see Dante on edge, looking at his team. I don’t like the feeling in the air. It is thick with an undercurrent that makes my skin crawl. If we get out of here in one piece, it will be a miracle.
I did as Dante suggested and have Marco and Frankie both carry weapons, as well as wearing a bulletproof vest under their clothes. Given the cooler weather, they are wearing coats, so it is easier to hide the bulk of the vest underneath, but I know they are not the only ones here wearing them. Sebastian is probably the only one crazy enough not to be wearing one, and also the one most likely to get a bullet to the brain too.
Alf and Sofia are also here but sitting further back in the pews. They do not want to be here but understand the importance. They also wanted to support Sebastian and Frankie. Alf and Sofia have been more like parents to them than their own, so it is understandable that they wanted to make the trip. It just makes my job harder, trying to keep my eyes on everyone. Especially when half my brain is on Belle.
The plane ride here was quiet. All of us lost in our own thoughts and nervous energy. I have been over the memorial plan so many times in the past few days that I know I can run on autopilot, so I spent the flight thinking about Belle and how soon I can get to her.
After spending the night strategizing, the boys and I will meet in Boston on the tarmac as soon as we fly back. Dropping Frankie, Alf, and Sofia back to their place before Stephen, Marco, and Shaun all come with me to D.C. Both to capture the two assholes who got away from us and to also protect Belle. We are all on edge. We are all out for blood.
The church organ starts playing, bringing me out of my thoughts, and I roll my shoulders, twist my neck, and stand taller, knowing that the end is near. The whole service took closer to three hours rather than the two we were expecting, and it was delayed by forty-five minutes. It is now late into the afternoon, and I am on edge. I thought I would be halfway to D.C. by now. As the organ plays, guests slowly retreat out of the church. There are hundreds of people here, so the procession takes a while, yet another thing that is annoying me.
Once we step outside, Sebastian puts his woman in a car, and she leaves quickly and quietly. Marco and Frankie stand outside next to him and Dante, as people surround them, paying their respects. Dante and his team are tight, though, and look after all three of them.
As people line up to come to pay their respects, I shuffle Alf and Sofia out, and they are already back in one of our black escalades, which has been waiting for them, along with a driver and a security guard. I am glad I am able to have security teams located around the country—all on standby for an event such as this. Their car pulls away from the curb and soon we will be right behind them.
Now I just need Marco and Frankie to get into our car, and we can make our way back to the airport to board our private plane and get the hell out of here. I am itching for this to be over and to get back to Boston where we all feel safer. At this rate, I won’t get to D.C. until closer to midnight, and that doesn't sit well with me.
I walk closer to them, wanting to get them to start moving. As I step up to them, it is then I notice a few things happen at once.
Sebastian greets a man that looks slightly familiar, and I recognize him from one of Dante’s files. Shaking hands with Sebastian, the feeling is tense, and I know in my blood that shit is going to go down.
Looking around, everyone seems normal, things seem calm. I look over at Dante, and I can tell he feels it too. He is standing by Sebastian and glaring at the man. The man then steps away, gets into his waiting car, and leaves. A false alarm maybe?
Just as the car pulls away, Dante’s cell phone starts ringing. He answers and his face drops, then he talks to Sebastian. I move in quickly and grab Marco and Frankie, pulling them behind my body and start walking them toward the car. We are halfway to the car when Sebastian screams and starts to lose his shit. Dante and his men spring into action, and they all race into nearby cars.
In the rush, my eyes meet Dante, and he nods to me. I push Marco and Frankie into the car with force and we speed away from the curb.
I sit in the front of the car, while Frankie and Marco panic in the back. I get a call on my cell. Looking at it, I see it is Agent Jai finally calling me back. I need to speak with him, but I can’t answer, I need to focus on the here and now. We are all in potential danger, and I need to get us onto the plane.
Ignoring his call, I dial ahead and call the pilot to get him to start the engines. We are not waiting around; we want wheels up as soon as we get on board.
Frankie is crying in the back seat, and Marco is soothing her. I am not 100% sure what happened back there, but I know it isn’t good. If Sebastian’s face is anything to go by, I know the streets of New York will be running red tonight.
We reach the plane, and Alf and Sofia are already on board. The three of us race up the stairs, and the plane instantly moves, just as the cabin door is secured.
We get to our seats and buckle in as the wheels lift from the tarmac, then we are airborne. We are all panicked, but I let out a sigh of relief to be in the air.
While the others try to call their contacts in New York to find out what has happened, I quickly check my emails and grow frustrated that Belle hasn’t gotten back to me yet. I try to call her quickly, knowing that I need to focus on the here and now, but it goes directly to voicemail. Leaving her a quick message, I then dial my voicemail and listen to the phone message from Jai.
