We continued on our way, enjoying the sunshine and cooler breezes. At times, we got separated from each other by people going faster or coming toward us, but, for the most part, we managed to stay together.
I caught a stray thought from someone behind me, thinking about the woman in the purple hat with the blond ponytail. With a shock, I realized it was me. I glanced over my shoulder but couldn’t tell who it came from.
Cole walked right behind us, so I sent him a smile. Was it him? He dipped his head but kept his attention on the people around us. I couldn’t pick up anything specific from his thoughts, so it didn’t seem likely. As we continued, I listened closely to those around us, but never heard anything about me again, so I let it go.
At the middle of the bridge, we stopped for more photos of the kids, with the buildings of New York in the background. We even got Cole to take a few great shots of our whole group before we continued.
We stopped again at the second tower, where I got a fantastic photo of the kids. Then I snuck a clandestine shot of just Savannah and Miguel. I didn’t know if I’d ever show it to her, but I couldn’t resist capturing the moment, and the joy on their faces.
It relieved me that they were having such a great time. So far, Savannah hadn’t spilled the beans, but there had been a few times when she’d wanted to. Luckily, she’d managed to hold back, but I picked up her strong desire to tell Miguel at some point, and I knew I’d have to be extra vigilant.
As we continued toward Brooklyn and the end of the walk, I picked up another thought about the woman in the purple hat. Only this time it seemed closer, and there was more to it. Keep your focus on the hat. When the crowd gets here, that’s your chance. Move fast and strike hard.
My heart rate doubled. What did he mean by that? A large group of people were coming toward us. Was that the crowd he was thinking about?
Knife out. Almost there… almost… Now.
I lurched sideways, shoving into Chris and tumbling into the railing. A sharp sting across my upper arm caught my breath. To my side, I caught the movement of a man pushing through the crowd and swearing up a storm in his mind.
With a shout, Miguel’s bodyguard shoved through the crowd after him. Then he thought better of it and turned to check on me. “Are you all right?”
I nodded. My arm hurt, but, other than that, I was okay. He continued forward, worried about Miguel.
“What was that all about?” Chris asked. “Oh crap.” He was thinking about my arm, so I glanced over my shoulder and lifted my elbow. Bright, red blood ran in a steady stream down my arm and dripped from my elbow onto the boardwalk.
I caught several thoughts from the people behind me, all of them horrified by the copious amount of blood and thinking that someone had stabbed me, right there in front of them. I broke out in a cold sweat, and my ears started to ring. Chris placed his arm around my waist, telling me not to look at the blood.
Alerted by Cole, Syd and my kids gathered around, blocking me from the curious stares of the crowd. With my ears buzzing, I barely heard Syd telling Jackie to hand over the scarf she’d just bought. He wrapped it around my arm to staunch the bleeding, and I let out a cry of pain.
“Don’t worry Shelby,” he said. “It’s not too bad. Just a flesh wound. You’ll be fine.”
“She gets queasy at the sight of blood,” Chris explained. “But she’ll be fine. Just give her a minute.”
“What the hell happened?”
I glanced at all the faces around me, not sure which one of them had spoken. Then I realized it was only a thought, and I didn’t need to answer. A kind passerby handed Syd an unopened bottle of water, and he made me drink half of it, then he used the rest to wash the blood off my arm. Soon, my hearing went back to normal, and I could finally breathe again.
“What the hell happened?” There it was again, only this time, Syd said it out loud.
“I’m not sure,” I answered. “But I’m okay now. Let’s get off the bridge.”
“The Brooklyn Heights exit isn’t far,” Maggie said. “We can get off there. I think there’s an urgent care facility close by.”
“Okay.” I straightened, and Chris put his arm around my waist for support. Josh came to my wounded side, thinking that he’d block me from curious onlookers. He’d also make sure no one got close enough to bump or touch my arm, since it looked bad enough already. The blood had already seeped through the scarf, but at least it wasn’t running down my arm… yet. If it did, he’d have to take off his belt and make a tourniquet. That should do the trick.
Not wanting to hear more about that, I zeroed in on Syd. He followed directly behind me and was appalled that someone had hurt me on his watch. He bit his tongue, to keep from asking me questions, and couldn’t wait to find some privacy so I could explain what had happened. Regardless, he’d seen enough to believe this wasn’t an accident. Joe was going to be livid.
I noticed Cole walking beside Miguel, with Savannah walking on Miguel’s other side next to the railing. His self-recrimination came through loud and clear. He could hardly believe that guy had tried to kill me in broad daylight.
If I hadn’t moved right when I did, his knife would have hit me in the back and gone straight to my heart. It was a classic kill strike—hard and fast. No doubt, a professional, and I was the target. At least Miguel was safe, but that didn’t excuse him. I was the boss’s niece. He should have done a better job protecting me.
The throbbing pain in my arm drowned out my capacity to concentrate on anyone’s thoughts. Instead, I concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, grateful for Chris’s strong arm holding me up. We finally came to the exit and left most of the crowd behind.
The staircase ended below the bridge, and our little group continued down the walkway toward a green space. We found a bench along the sidewalk, and I sat down, while Chris and Syd looked up the urgent care facility on their phones. It wasn’t far, but Syd called for an Uber to take me.
Not wanting to wait for my explanation, Syd pulled Cole aside and asked him what he saw. I knew the minute Syd heard the details, because his head jerked up, and he caught my gaze, thinking that my premonitions must have saved my life.
He was right about that. I glanced at my kids and took in their forlorn faces. I felt bad that our fun outing had been ruined. “Hey,” I said. “Let’s not let this ruin our fun. Why don’t you guys get some ice cream? Dad can go with me to get bandaged up, and we’ll meet you there.”
“Are you sure?” Savannah asked. She didn’t want to leave me, but, if I was fine, she didn’t want to miss the ice cream cone with Miguel.
“I think that’s a good idea,” Maggie said, wanting to salvage the outing. “Syd could go with you. We have Cole to protect us. We’ll be fine.”
“Sure,” Syd agreed, thinking that maybe he’d get some answers if the kids weren’t around. He caught the bodyguard’s gaze. “You okay with that?”
“Yes.”
“All right. I’ll text you when we’re done.”
With a wave, they headed off, Cole more vigilant than ever, and I knew they’d be safe.
“So what happened?” Syd asked.
I explained that I’d had a sudden premonition that someone was coming from behind to stab me. Syd gave us the bodyguard’s point of view, and Chris’s eyes widened. “You think this was a hit?” he asked.
“Most likely,” Syd said. “But why is Shelby the target?”
“Uh… I can explain that.” I told him about my run-in on the boat with Tony, Hawk and Ramos. “I’m sure Tony told Milo that I was there with a cop, but I’m confused about why he’d target me. I mean… Uncle Joey was pretty clear about the conditions of his arrangement."
“That’s true,” Syd agreed, thinking Milo was an idiot, and Uncle Joey was not going to take it lying down. No, this would probably lead to something much worse, another war between the families.
Crap. That was the last thing we needed, especially with the police and my case. Maybe it
wasn’t Milo. Could he really be that stupid? But who else could it be? Even more important, why would Milo put a hit on me?
Our ride came, and we all piled in. The urgent care facility was only a few blocks away. I had to explain what had happened, which meant a police incident report had to be filed. While Syd took care of that, the nurse took me into a special room and took off the scarf to see the damage.
She was thinking it was pretty deep, so I’d need stitches, but nothing too serious. I sat down in the chair and tried not to faint while she cleaned it up. The doctor came in and got right to work. The numbing shots were unpleasant, but, after that, I didn’t feel a thing. Twenty-two stitches later, he was done, and I could breathe again.
After getting bandaged up, the nurse handed me some ointment, along with a few bandages and a paper with instructions. She asked if I wanted to keep the scarf, but we both knew it was a lost cause, and I told her to throw it away. It had come in handy, and I’d have to get a new one for Jackie sometime before we left.
That had taken a lot longer than I thought. By the time I was done, Syd had already called Uncle Joey. From Syd’s thoughts, I knew Uncle Joey had been furious. The rest of it was a little muddled, so I asked him what was going on.
He blew out a breath and tried to smile. “Maggie and Jackie and the kids are already on their way back to the hotel. Joe wants us to return right away.”
“Okay. Is everything all right?”
“No. But… once we get back, I’m hoping you can calm him down.” He was thinking that he’d never seen Joe so upset. This was a deal-breaker, and Joe was fit to be tied. He just hoped I could talk some sense into him before the bodies started piling up.
My stomach tightened with dread. Holy hell. I didn’t think things could get any more complicated, but this was beyond my experience. “I’ll do my best.”
Uncle Joey was a reasonable person. Sure, he was cold and calculating when he needed to be, but he wouldn’t do anything without looking at all the options. Now I just needed to figure out what they were, and how to stop Uncle Joey from killing anyone. No big deal, right?
By the time we arrived back at the hotel, my arm had stared to burn with agony, and I needed some pain pills something fierce. It was late enough that Miguel had already left to get ready for his performance, and Josh and Savannah had crashed in front of the TV in our room. Maggie had joined them, and I was grateful she liked playing the part of their grandmother.
They seemed to like her just as much, and I knew this relationship would continue far beyond this moment. Just like a real family, she was part of their lives now.
After telling them the gory details of my visit to the doctor, I asked Maggie if she had any pain pills. “Of course, dear. They’re in my room. I can get them for you.”
“I’ll come with you,” I said, since the main reason I’d asked was to get some time alone with her. She led me to her room down the hall, and I sank into the chair in the corner. Her room was much smaller than our suite, with only a queen sized bed and a bathroom, but it smelled just as good.
She handed me a glass of water and some pills, which I quickly swallowed. I set the glass down on the round coffee table and rested my head against the back of the chair.
“Come lie down on the bed and rest for a minute,” Maggie said, fluffing up a couple of pillows. “You’ve had a rough morning.”
How did she know that’s just what I needed? I did as she asked, relaxing my head into the soft pillows and closing my eyes. “That feels wonderful. Thanks.”
She lay down on the bed beside me, thinking how much she’d enjoyed her time with my family. My kids were great, and Chris was such a good sport, putting up with this crazy charade. I was darn lucky to have him. “So what’s going on? I’d like to know what Joe’s done now.”
I huffed out a breath. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” I told her everything, only leaving out the ghostly serenade and the part where Milo Bilotti had killed her grandparents and her fiancé. After I got done, she shook her head, thinking that this was how mob wars got started in the old days. Joe had to respond, even if it would hurt them all in the end.
“I want to find out who killed those women,” I said. “And I want to know if you think Uncle Joey will let me do that before he takes his revenge against Milo. I mean… if you think about it, wouldn’t turning the Bilottis over to the police be better than starting a war between the families?”
“Of course.”
“Okay. That’s what I’ll tell him.”
“As much as I hate to say this, I’m not sure that plan will work,” she said. “The Bilottis have a lot of connections. Putting them away has been a goal of the police for years. To an extent, they’re untouchable.”
“But the police have never had me,” I said. “I can do it.”
My conviction surprised her. How could I be so sure? Rather than question me, she nodded. It had been a long time since someone believed so strongly in their abilities. She admired that. She just hoped it didn’t get me killed. “Because of your premonitions? Is that how you got out of the way in time?”
“Yeah.” All at once, I wanted to tell her the real reason. That I could read minds. Then she’d understand. My phone rang. “Hello?”
“Babe,” Ramos said. “I heard about your brush with death. Are you all right?”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
“Good. Manetto needs you. Can you come down to the office?”
“Sure. Give me ten minutes and I’ll be down.” I put my phone away and realized my arm didn’t hurt quite so much. Glancing at Maggie, I said, “Thanks for the pills. I’ve been summoned by Uncle Joey, so I’ve got to go. Thanks for listening to me. It really helped.”
“Anytime. Good luck. Don’t let Joey walk all over you.”
I smiled. “I’ll do my best.”
I hurried back to my room and had to knock since I’d forgotten my key card. Chris let me in, grateful to have me back where he could keep an eye on me. He shuddered to think someone had just tried to kill me, and he didn’t want me out of his sight.
“Sorry, but I have to go downstairs and talk to Uncle Joey.” I held up my phone. “I’ve been summoned.”
“Mom,” Savannah said. “What’s going on? Did someone really try to kill you?” She’d overheard Cole talking to Uncle Joey over the phone on their way to get ice cream. Cole had explained that I’d been targeted, and I’d barely escaped with my life. Right after that, Uncle Joey had ordered Cole to bring them straight back to the hotel.
I caught Josh’s gaze. He was wondering the same thing, and I hated that they were worried about me.
“I think so, but it didn’t work because of my premonitions. Now Uncle Joey wants to talk to me about it so we can decide what to do.”
“But why did they target you?” Josh asked. “Is it because of the mob here in New York?” He knew Miguel had a bodyguard for a reason. Now it looked like we were all in danger.
“That has something to do with it,” I said. “Uncle Joey has no interest in doing business here. But one of the families was making threats, so Uncle Joey straightened them out. Now it looks like things are escalating, and we need to find out why.”
“Is he going to send us home early?” Savannah asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. But I wouldn’t rule it out. He doesn’t want anything to happen to any of us, so it might be better if we left. It all depends on what happens next.”
I picked up that both of them were concerned about leaving Miguel here. If we were a target, then he was even more at risk. “Look, Uncle Joey’s doing his best to make things safe for Miguel, and figuring this out will do that. I’ve got some good ideas that I’ll share with Uncle Joey on how to take care of it, so it’s not all bad. We’ll figure this out.”
Savannah gave me a big hug. It hadn’t even fazed her that I’d answered her thoughts about Miguel, and I knew I’d dodged a bullet. Josh had noticed, but, by now, the way I knew things seemed no
rmal to him.
“Okay. Be careful,” Savannah said.
“I will sweetie. I’m just going downstairs. After we’re done, I’ll come right back and let you know what’s going on.” I glanced at Chris and Josh. “Okay?”
“Sure,” Chris said. He turned to the kids. “Let’s order some sandwiches and watch a movie or something.” That was the perfect thing to say, and they both agreed wholeheartedly. I left while Chris picked up the phone for room service.
As I stepped onto the elevator, I tried to put my aching arm from my mind so I could concentrate on my plan. Hopefully, Uncle Joey would like what I had in mind, because I was determined to go through with it whether he liked it or not. It was for his own good, so how could he say no?
CHAPTER 11
I knocked on the office door before pulling it open. Uncle Joey and Ramos sat inside, and both of them jumped to their feet. Ramos wanted to pull me into his arms, but he held back, knowing Uncle Joey needed to hug me more. He’d never seen Uncle Joey so upset, and he hoped my presence could calm him down.
Uncle Joey held me like something fragile, then he stepped back to examine the bandage on my arm. “I’m sorry to hear this happened. How’s the arm feeling?”
“It’s sore, but not too bad. Just twenty-two stitches.”
Anger seethed inside him. “I never expected this, or I wouldn’t have let you go without better protection. I still find it hard to believe that Milo is such a brazen idiot. Sit down and tell us what happened.”
It was a relief to tell them the whole story without leaving anything out. “The first time I heard the attacker thinking about me was at the first tower on the bridge. After that, I didn’t hear a thing until he was thinking about stabbing me in the back. Luckily, I avoided him by stepping to the side, but he still got a piece of me.
“Did you see his face?” Ramos asked.
“No. He wore a baseball cap and ran away too fast. Did Cole get a good look at him?”
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