by Hamel, B. B.
“As for the man himself, I’ve got guys near him right now,” Gian said. “Nobody’s close, but we can move in when you want.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t want violence. No soldiers killing other soldiers. I want Roy dead, and I want to do it myself. Nobody else gets hurt.”
“Big Bruno?” Gian asked.
I glanced at Bea. “What do you think?”
“He went to the Healy family,” she said with a slight shrug. “That makes him a traitor.”
“Big Bruno too then,” I said. “Anyone else that we’re aware of?”
“No,” Gian said.
I leaned back in my chair and looked up at the ceiling. Hector continued pacing, but slower now that he had a problem to work with. He’d spread the message through the ranks and make sure everyone understood exactly what happened and why, and hopefully I wouldn’t have too much dissent after the fact.
But I couldn’t let Roy live past this day. If I didn’t finish it now, then he’d be able to gather his strength and challenge me. He’d know that I was coming for his life, and he’d hit back with as much firepower as he could muster.
Fucking bastards. I was so angry at them all, at Roy, at Mags’s father, at myself.
I should’ve seen it from the start. Mags was the one to figure it out in the end. I was too busy thinking about how to seduce her, how to get her in my bed, how to taste her lips and pussy, how to fuck her, how to make her mine. Too busy lusting after her to do my damn job.
Not today though.
“Hector, go get prepped,” I said. “But hold off until we send word.”
“Understood,” he said, and left the room.
Bea stood up and stretched. “I’ll make coffee,” she said. “You look like you need it.”
“Thank you,” I said.
She left the room and quietly shut the door. I looked at Gian and he slowly shook his head.
“What a fucked-up situation,” he said.
“Is Ash okay?” I asked. “She’s safe?”
“I sent her out of town,” he said. “She’ll be all right. She’s got the nanny to help with the boy.”
“Good.” I nodded slightly. “Make sure they’re safe. I don’t want any blowback.”
“If shit goes right, it won’t matter.” Gian stood and stretched. “Fuck, Dean. I knew you taking over the family would be a pain in my ass, but I didn’t think it’d start this soon.”
I waved a hand at him dismissively. “Get the fuck out of here, you lazy asshole. Get your guys ready, but don’t make any moves yet. I need a few hours.”
“You got it,” he said, drifted to the door, and stopped. “When this is over, what are you going to do about Mags?”
I drummed my fingers on the desk. I’d been thinking that same thing ever since I realized what was going on, and I just kept coming back to the same conclusion.
I didn’t want to let her go.
“I’m a good Catholic,” I said. “Marriage is for life.”
Gian snorted. “Pretty sure they’ve got annulments for that.”
“I think that only applies when you haven’t consummated the relationship.”
He rolled his eyes. “Good for you, I guess. But just be careful, is all I’m saying.”
“I like the girl,” I said softly. “I plan on keeping her.”
“Good.” Gian nodded then left.
I found Mags sitting out back with her feet in the pool. She looked about as exhausted as I felt. An inflatable gorilla floated past and she nudged at it with her foot.
I crouched down next to her and touched her shoulder gently. “You doing okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine.” Her feet swished up and down in the water. “Just wondering how it got to this, you know?”
“I know,” I said softly. I sat down and took my shoes and socks off, rolled up my slacks, and sat with my legs touching hers. She leaned her shoulder against me, and we sat there for a little while as the sun rose. The water was cold on my skin and goosebumps rolled up my arms, and I wanted to stay in this moment for as long as I could, before the violence, before whatever would come next.
Right now, we were safe, and it felt good.
“What’s going to happen to my dad?” she asked.
“He’ll disappear,” I said, hoping Mattias already took care of him. “You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”
She glanced at me, her lips pulled down into a frown. She opened her mouth to ask me something, and I wouldn’t lie to her, although I knew the truth would be bad. Instead though, she closed her lips again and shook her head, letting out a long breath.
“I don’t want to know,” she whispered down to the water. “Whatever you do, just don’t tell me.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” I said, smiling slightly.
She kicked her legs up and let the water run off them and lowered her feet back down. “If I hadn’t married you, do you think all this would’ve happened?” she asked.
“Something like it,” I said. “Roy would’ve made his move. Your father would’ve still been a bastard.”
“But maybe he wouldn’t have sold me out.”
I nudged against her. “If I could change that for you, I would.”
“I know,” she said, and tilted her chin up toward me. “It’s strange. I didn’t want to marry you, but you’re the only person in this whole thing that ever gave a damn about me.”
I touched her cheek gently, but didn’t kiss her. I wanted to badly, wanted to pull her into the water with me and swim laps with her naked body but I had to keep myself focused on the task ahead.
“Something bad’s coming,” I said, voice nearly a whisper. Wind blew through the trees nearby, and I remembered the afternoon spent swimming in this pool while a string of nannies watched me, most of them old ladies, at least one of them fairly young and hot and also weirdly German. I didn’t have a lot to do back then when my father didn’t give a shit about me and let me roam the house and the grounds more or less however I wanted. I’d swim then go for long hikes back on the trails, and the nanny would follow, and sometimes I’d try to lose them in the woods and hide away in burrows and up trees for hours.
I didn’t hide anymore. But there was that instinct still in me from when I was a boy to climb a tree and stay there. Safety was in a tree, hidden from my father, from my life.
“I know,” she said. “I’m afraid.”
“Before it happens, I want to give you this chance.” I took her hand in mine, leaning closer. “If you want to leave, you can go right now. I’ll give you a divorce, and I’ll pay you as if you kept your promise for five years.”
She pulled her hand away. “What are you saying?”
“I’ll pay you,” I said. “You can leave, right now, if you want. It would be safer for you if you left this all before.”
She stared at me, mouth open, and I was torn in half, one part wanting her to take the money and run, to have a normal life, to grow up and be happy, and the other wanted her to stay so badly it made my stomach twist in knots. I couldn’t force her, not after what her father did, not after what her uncle tried to do. She deserved so much fucking better than those bastards, and I wanted to give that to her.
I wanted to give her the chance nobody else would.
“No,” she whispered, and I felt a flood of disappointed relief hit me. “I can’t just walk away right now. I have to see it through.”
“This is it for you,” I said. “You can run away, be rich. Live a normal, comfortable life. Meet some nice young man.”
“I don’t want any of that,” she said.
“What do you want then?” I asked softly and touched her cheek with my fingers.
She leaned into my hand. “I want revenge,” she said, and stared into my eyes. “I want to see my uncle pay for what he did to me. And you won’t leave me behind when you do it.”
I leaned forward and kissed her plump lips lightly then pulled back to stare into her eyes.
“Okay then,” I said. “Let’s go kill him.” I pulled my legs out of the water and got to my feet. I held out a hand and Mags hesitated, but she took it. I picked up my socks and shoes, and together we walked back to the house, holding hands loosely, as the water dripped from my shins and the grass tickled the bottoms of my bare feet, and the cool air conditioning was freezing on my soaked ankles, but none of it mattered.
We had death to deal, Mags and me.
20
Mags
Mid-morning, sun halfway up the sky. It was bright and nearly blinding. Clouds drifted in slow wispy waves and the wind stayed dead. The humidity was just starting, and I thought of all those Philly summers I barely survived, sweating my ass off in that dirty little club, in that awful little house with my selfish, terrible father.
I’d never have to do any of that ever again.
Dean parked his car on a quiet South Philly block in the East Oregon neighborhood. A trolley line ran down the street and cars were packed on either side. “The bar up there at the corner,” he said, nodding up ahead of us “You see that fake stone shit and the weird peaked roofs?”
“Yeah, I see it,” I said. “Looks like a German beer hall, sort of.”
“That’s your uncle’s place,” he said.
“Are you sure he’s in there?” I asked. “It looks like it’s closed.”
“It’s open,” he said. “It’s always open, even when it’s not. Roy’s in there most days, in an office upstairs.” He leaned forward, running his hands over the steering wheel, peering at something. “I’ve got two cars full of guys parked near here, ready to go.”
“Is it going to be dangerous?” she asked. “He’s not expecting you, right?”
“No, he’s not, but he’ll be suspicious if a bunch of guys show up suddenly. Roy keeps an office up this narrow staircase behind a heavy metal door, so fighting’s going to be rough. We’ll have to get up the steps and break down that fucking thing before the cops show up.”
I chewed my lip and shook my head. “Sounds impossible,” I said. “How long’s that going to take?”
“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “But we’re bringing enough firepower. There’s no other way out, so once he locks himself inside, he’s trapped.”
“Are you sure?” I pressed.
“I’m positive,” he said, and grinned. “We picked up his lieutenant, Big Bruno, and he wasn’t shy about ratting out his boss in exchange for his life.”
I let out a sharp breath. “Someone’s going to get killed,” I said.
“I hope so,” Dean said.
“I have a better idea.” I grabbed at the door and pushed it open.
“What are you doing?” he called out as I climbed onto the sidewalk. I hurried away, walking fast, heart racing up into my throat.
This was dumb, very dumb and impulsive. As soon as I started toward that bar, I immediately wanted to get back into the car and pretend like I hadn’t been a total moron. Dean jumped out and chased after me, but I walked faster and crossed the street. The bar was right up ahead, two doors down—
Dean’s hand grabbed my wrist. “Stop it,” he hissed. “What the fuck are you doing, Mags?”
“Trust me,” I said, turning to him. “Let me go right now. Someone might see.”
“Mags,” he said, shaking his head.
“Trust me,” I said again and touched his chest. “Give me five minutes, then follow.”
His jaw clenched, but his grip loosened. I pulled myself free and ran for it. He chased, but it was too late—I grabbed the door and ripped it open. He didn’t follow as I stepped into the cool dim interior.
The floors were wood, the walls wood-paneled. The hostess station was empty, and I turned left toward the bar where a young guy with a thick beard and too many tattoos on his neck wiped down glasses. He seemed surprised to see me.
“We’re not serving for a few hours,” he said. “If you want to come back then.”
“Sorry,” I said, giving him my best polite smile. “I’m actually here to see my Uncle Roy.”
That made him stop wiping. He slowly put the glass down on the bar top. “What’s your name?” he asked.
“Maggie,” I said. “Tell him Maggie’s here. I want to talk.”
He nodded once and walked away. I sat down on a stool and looked around. The place tried too hard to be a German pub: swords crossed on the walls, beer steins lined up along shelves, lots of exposed wood, lots of old-timey light fixtures, a few shields and helmet with vaguely German-looking relief carved into them. I had no clue what my very Italian uncle was doing with all this German crap, but it didn’t matter, not anymore.
I shifted in my seat, starting to get nervous. I expected Uncle Roy to come down right away, since he thought I was dead. I figured it would draw him out and make things easier for Dean, but the longer I waited, the more I started to think maybe I was tipping Dean’s hand by showing up like this, maybe Roy would realize that this was a trap. He was a smart man and paranoid, and he might already be in the process of sneaking out the back.
If that happened then all this was for nothing and Dean’s family would go to war with itself.
I stood up, suddenly dizzy. If I screwed all this up then I couldn’t live with myself. Too many people had gotten hurt and too much was at stake. I took a step forward, about to yell for Uncle Roy out of desperation, when the bearded guy returned from a back hallway.
Followed by my uncle.
He looked surprised to see me. He stopped dead at the end of the bar and his eyes were wide for one long, agonizing second. I sat back down on my stool and he plastered a smile as his face as he walked to me with his hands spread wide.
“Mags,” he said. “What a pleasure. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
I didn’t know how to answer. I hadn’t thought this far.
My plan was simple.
I wanted to walk into the bar and lure him out of that office so Dean and his guys didn’t have as much fighting to do.
And now I’d gotten about as far as I thought I would.
“I need to talk to you about my dad,” I said, the words coming out in a rush.
Uncle Roy’s face softened. “Of course you do, honey,” he said. “Is everything okay?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. I’m trying to figure something out.”
“What can I do for you?” he asked.
I wanted to say, aside from trying to kill me?
Or maybe say, aside from selling me like trash?
But I needed him here. “Did he know?” I asked softly. “When you convinced him to marry me off to Dean. Did he know the whole time?”
Uncle Roy tilted his head, that fake smile still plastered on his ugly face. I hated those squinting eyes, that broken nose, that double chin and awful, twisted teeth. He looked like a rat that spent half its life feasting, and was now old and bloated.
“Know what?” he asked, spreading his hands. “You’ll have to be more specific.”
I couldn’t help myself. I had one chance to ask him, and I needed to take it. Dean was going to come any second, and I had to know.
“Did my dad know you were going to have me killed?” I whispered.
Uncle Roy slowly lowered his hands and his face slackened. “Mags—” he started.
Then the door burst open and Dean came in first, gun raised.
I threw myself to the floor. Uncle Roy shouted something as gunfire erupted. The bearded guy behind the bar took a bullet to the head and slumped down. More men came in after Dean, spreading out into the bar. Shouts from the back room, more gunshots. Uncle Roy kicked over a stool and turned to run, but he didn’t get far. Dean sprinted past me and grabbed Uncle Roy by the back of the neck and threw him against a wall, smashing his face hard against the plaster.
Uncle Roy groaned as Dean threw him into a booth. He hit the back wall hard. Two guys came down the steps, and Gian appeared above me, gun raised. He shot one, but the other returned fire,
and Gian’s shoulder snapped to the side. He dropped down as Dean knelt and began shooting. The second guy dropped.
I scrambled to Gian. “Are you okay?” I yelled over the gunfire in the other room.
“I’m okay,” he said through clenched teeth.
A long, deep trench was ripped down his right arm. It bled freely, and I looked around for something to use as a bandage. He grunted and ripped his shirt, grimacing in pain as Trent knelt down next to me and took over making sure Gian was okay.
I got up and looked around. The place was quiet then and Dean’s men stood around looking keyed up and anxious. Uncle Roy cowered in the booth with his hands up and Dean stared down at him, face impassive.
“You know why I’m here,” Dean said. I walked toward them, and more of Dean’s guys crowded into the room. Some were armed, but others weren’t. I had the feeling they used to be Uncle Roy’s guards, but had given up when they realized their boss was already captured.
“I couldn’t begin to guess,” Uncle Roy said, then showed those awful teeth. “Why don’t you enlighten me?”
“You tried to have me killed,” Dean said. “You sold me out to the Healy family.”
“I would never,” Uncle Roy said.
Dean tilted his head. “Did Big Bruno ever show up to work this morning?”
Uncle Roy opened his mouth then shut it again. He deflated then and he must’ve known.
“How’d you get him?” Uncle Roy asked.
“Grabbed him off the street,” Dean said. “Fucker takes the same route here every morning.”
“Idiot,” Uncle Roy whispered and closed his eyes. “So this is the end for me, then?”
“You chose this,” Dean said. “It didn’t have to go this way.”
“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong,” Uncle Roy said. “I should’ve been in charge of the family. I was always better than you, but your father was insistent. He had some antiquated ideas about bloodlines.”
“My father cared about family,” Dean said. “In a way that you never did.”
Uncle Roy grunted and his eyes glanced toward me. “You want to know the answer to your question?” he asked.