by Nicole Fox
“But she’ll come back, right?” Evie asks.
I have to tell her.
I have to fucking tell her that her mother is not coming back.
But those gray eyes hold me hostage for a moment.
“I don’t know, Evie.”
Her bottom lip wavers more. “Doesn’t she miss me?”
I’m convinced that, if Sonya were to show up suddenly in the next hour, I might have to wrap my hands around her fucking throat and choke her to death.
She lied to me.
She abandoned our daughter.
She deserves to pay for that.
“Of course she does, Evie,” I say immediately. “But she’s… she’s very sick. Give her more time.”
I feel like an asshole for lying to my little girl.
But I can’t break her six-year-old heart. Not when she’s just started to get comfortable around me.
“Okay…”
“And until then, you have me,” I point out.
She smiles. “And Charlotte?”
Fuck.
I nod. “And Charlotte.”
“Where is Charlotte?” Evie asks, looking around as though she expects to find Charlotte hiding behind the rose bushes. “She’s been gone so long.”
Under any other circumstances, two hours wouldn’t be anything.
But Charlotte has been a constant in my home for so long now. I feel like I’m missing my right hand.
Evie clearly feels the same.
The thought snakes into my head: what if I don’t see her again?
What if she disappears from my life like Sonya did?
I feel anger. I feel frustration. I feel pain.
Most of all, I feel determination.
Because no matter what, I know I will get through this period. I will make sure Evie is safe and protected. I will figure out how to be a father.
With or without Charlotte.
But it’s become very clear to me that I have a preference in that matter.
And I can’t fucking ignore it any longer.
“She’ll be back soon,” I tell Evie. “How about we go and get changed for lunch?”
“Okay.”
We head into the house and upstairs.
We make a pit stop at my room first, so I can throw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Then we head to Evie’s room.
As usual, everything is clean and neat. There’s a maid that comes in a few times a week to tidy up, but I know that Charlotte is always on top of things regardless.
Evie is picking out something to wear when a call comes in on my cell. One glance at the screen tells me it’s Adriano.
“Hey,” I say after picking up.
“The warehouse on Eastern,” he says urgently. “The Polish have moved in on it.”
“What the fuck?” I growl. “The warehouse is heavily guarded.”
“They’ve brought some heavy-duty firepower.”
“Fuck.”
“I’m gonna need back-up, Lucio.”
“I can’t be there,” I say, the words wrenching from my lips.
“What!?”
“Evie’s here.”
“Where’s Charlotte?”
“Out.”
I hear an explosion in the background. The line gets muffled for a second and I know Adriano is moving. The moment I hear his breathing again, I speak.
“The men are on their way,” I say.
The line goes dead. Immediately after, I call Raffaele.
“Get the men down to the eastern warehouse,” I command. “Now.”
“How many of them?”
“As many as you can spare,” I tell him. “Leave the bare minimum on the compound.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s not a goddamn negotiation, man. Move out now! That fucking warehouse has three separate shipments. And we need them all.”
“Yes, boss.”
I hang up and whirl around at the sound of my name.
“Lucio?”
I whirl around to find Evie staring at me with wide eyes. She’s changed into shorts and a green t-shirt with a picture of a koala bear on the front.
“Hey, tesoro,” I say soothingly, but I don’t think I do a convincing job of smiling.
“What’s wrong? You sound mad.”
She looks older somehow. More withdrawn. It’s as though she’s feeding off my energy.
“Nothing,” I reply brusquely. “Stay here for a second. I’ll be right back.”
“No!” Evie gasps, moving forward and grabbing my hand. “Don’t leave me.”
She’s sensed that something is wrong.
“Evie, you’re fine. Just hang around in your room for a—"
“No!”
I grit my teeth, trying to swallow the annoyance and frustration that tunnels up to the surface.
She’s only a child. She’s scared. I scared her.
Of course she’s choosing to cling to me.
But I’m very aware of the fact that her presence is hindering me from doing my duty as the Mazzeo don. And it’s a reality I find hard to reconcile.
“Please don’t leave me.”
Fuck.
If I don’t want to be like my father, it starts now.
It starts with sacrifice.
Patience.
Understanding.
“Okay,” I say, turning my hand in hers. “Don’t worry. I’m right here.”
My phone pings, and I look down to check the message. It’s from Raffaele.
We’re en route with four dozen men. There’s another dozen still on the compound under Antonio’s command.
Good. Onto the next order of business.
I scroll through my contact list, and stop when I reach her name.
Charlotte Dunn.
I growl and put my phone away without calling her. I look at Evie, who seems to be searching for reassurance from me.
But I have no fucking clue how to give it to her.
Then the alarm goes off. It’s the keening wail of the interior security system.
Which means one thing…
Someone’s forced their way onto the compound.
“Fuck.”
“Papa!” Evie cries as the alarm keeps blaring. She runs into my arms.
I lift her up and hoist her onto my shoulder as I rush out of her room, leaving the door open. We head straight to the armory where I keep my weapons.
“Where are we going?” Evie whimpers. “I’m scared.”
“Be quiet,” I snap. The panic is unravelling my plan to be patient and understanding. “Not another word.”
I don’t tell her what I’m thinking—that I’m scared, too.
I’ve never been scared of a war before.
But I’ve never had something to lose before, either.
When I get to the armory, I set Evie down and turn to the gun cabinet mounted on the wall. I pull out two of my most powerful guns and a few rounds of ammunition and start to load up.
Evie’s eyes go scrunched shut. Her hands are up, covering her ears, but she doesn’t say a word.
“Come on, Evie,” I tell her. “Follow me.”
She shakes her head. I bend down and look her right in the eye.
“I know you’re scared. This is scary, but I’m gonna need you to be brave for me. Okay?”
“Where’s Charlotte?” she sobs.
“She’s not here,” I tell her. “We’re in this together. You and me, tesoro. Now, follow me.”
The moment we’re out of the armory, I make sure to lock the door. Then I slip the key into my pocket and we head towards the staircase.
“Stay close to me,” I order. She’s obedient, but shaking like a leaf with terror.
My chest clenches agonizingly.
The alarm is still screeching. I can barely hear my own thoughts over the invasive sound.
Where’s the breach?
If I can determine where it is, I can steer clear of the area.
Normally, I would be thinking th
e exact opposite. I would be heading wherever I thought the enemies were.
But Evie’s with me and I need to make sure she’s safe.
I grab my phone.
There’s a missed call from Antonio, but when I call back, he doesn’t pick up.
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath.
I feel Evie brush against my back. She’s sticking close, but she’s also distracting me. I’m not moving as fast; I’m not moving as confidently.
A harsh thought rips through my head: She’s a crutch I need to get rid of.
The moment the thought finds its way into my subconsciousness, I feel the guilt.
But I don’t have time to dwell.
“Papa, I—”
The word comes shakily from Evie’s lips, but a gunshot drowns out the rest of her words.
It’s still muffled. A few rooms away, perhaps.
Her eyes go wide and she lunges for me, her hands wrapping around my waist. I tuck the second gun into my waistband and use my free hand to snatch her up.
She buries her head in my neck. I feel her whimpered breathing on my skin and it chills me to the bone.
More gunshots.
They’re coming from below. Bottom floor, if I had to guess. We’re on the third.
Which means I need to get on the offensive quickly.
If they manage to trap us up here, it’s going to be me and Evie against who-the-fuck-knows how many men.
My body goes cold as I realize that I have only a force of twelve men on the compound with me. I sent the rest away to help Adriano with the attack on the eastern warehouse.
Which is clearly a fucking diversion.
“Motherfuckers,” I growl.
I think about locking Evie in her room. Then I’ll be free to deal with this shit unencumbered.
But one look at my daughter’s face tells me that’s not a good idea.
I’ve spent months trying to earn her trust. And if I leave her now, I will undo all the progress we’ve made. Perhaps it’s insanity, perhaps it’s wisdom, but I don’t think it’s worth the risk.
“Evie,” I say, dropping down to one knee in front of her. “Remember what I just said? I’m gonna need you to be brave now, okay? Like me. Like your papa.”
She nods, her eyes wide with terror.
“And I’m gonna need you to do exactly as I say. Do you understand me?”
She bites her lip. “I want Charlotte.”
“I know,” I soothe. “I know. But she’s not here. I’m all you’ve got. So what do you say: are we in this together?”
She gulps, and then nods.
I’ll fucking take it.
I grab her hand and lead her down the stairs.
I can sense movement two rooms down. They’re working their way up the corridor.
Thankfully, the alarm masks the sound of our movements. I rush us into the farthest room down the corridor—the library.
It’s expansive and open, lined with floor-to-ceiling windows that look out on the courtyard.
But there’s a huge bookshelf and a few sofas spaced around, which will provide us with some cover.
I scan the area in a matter of seconds, my plan taking shape quickly.
I set Evie down and rush towards the bookshelf. It’s pressed against the wall, but with a huge surge of effort, I manage to tug it away far enough to form a hideout.
“Evie,” I say, gesturing her forward. “Get behind here.”
“But…”
“What did I tell you?” I ask fiercely.
And then suddenly, the alarm stops.
The silence is almost deafening.
Until footsteps start to pound like thunder.
“Now!” I whisper, gesturing to her to get behind the shelf. “Hide-and-seek, okay? You stay there until I come find you.”
She scampers behind it.
I press my finger to my lips. She nods slowly and I give her a wink.
Then I recheck my ammo. I have enough rounds to take down a small army. The only question is if I can fire them off fast enough.
I glance out the window, noticing a few bodies lying in the drive.
They don’t look like my men, but I can’t be sure from this distance. I can’t rely on anyone else.
It’s just me and my daughter against the world.
The footsteps are getting louder, but it doesn’t sound like a big group of men are approaching.
I strain my ears.
Two men? Maybe three?
I dart behind the sofa just as the door flies open.
It’s a trio of attackers. I cock my gun.
I hear muttering in Polish, but I’m not interested in anything they have to say.
I spring out from behind the sofa, squeezing off a triple shot so fast that all three bodies hit the ground in quick succession.
Not even one man had enough time to retaliate.
But I don’t want to celebrate just yet.
Not when I hear still more footsteps coming fast down the corridor.
I have enough time for a glance back at Evie before another two men burst into the room.
Lunging to one side, I pull the trigger twice more. One man slumps instantly, a bullet in his skull.
I catch the second in the collarbone, but it’s not a kill shot. He screams as he falls, and I pounce over to him, my gun poised right between his miserable fucking eyes.
His eyes go wide as he takes me in.
“You’re Lucio Mazzeo?” he gasps through the pain.
“No,” I reply, letting my cruel grin spread so it’s the last thing he ever sees. “I’m your goddamn executioner.”
Then I shoot him in the fucking face.
I get about three seconds to feel the glorious adrenaline rush of the kill. Of ending the life of the bastards who dared come into my home and threaten my daughter.
For those three seconds, I’m invincible.
It ends with the subtle pop of a silenced pistol close behind me, followed by the searing explosion of pain in my arm.
I crumble onto my knees and roar. The wound isn’t serious, but I don’t have time to respond to whoever fired the bullet before their gun cocks again.
“Don’t fucking move.”
I freeze.
“…Or your little brat will eat a fucking bullet.”
Somehow, one man has managed to slip through my grasp.
He’s on the other side of the room.
With his gun pointed at my terrified daughter.
Evie’s cowering at his feet. He’s got one brutish hand wrapped around her pigtails. I burn with the hottest rage I’ve ever felt.
How dare he come here?
How dare he touch her?
But I need to be careful. I can feel her fear from here.
“I’m not planning on hurting her,” he says convincingly. Then he glances at Evie. “Come with me, kid. I’ll take you to your mother.”
My blood runs cold. What the fuck kind of mind game is this supposed to be?
“My… my mommy?” Evie’s confused voice cuts through my raging thoughts.
“Yeah,” the Polish soldier replies fervently. “Yeah, I know where she is. And she’s really sad without you. Come with me and you can see her.”
“Evie!” I bark. “Don’t listen to him. He’s lying to you.”
“I’m not lying,” he insists. “I know your mommy. She really wants you to come back.”
I can’t let this happen.
There’s only one thing left to do.
“Evie, your mother is dead!” I roar.
Evie flinches violently and her eyes fill with tears almost immediately.
There’s a moment where everything hangs in the balance.
Where the whole world holds its breath and waits to see what happens next.
And then it all comes crashing down in the worst way I could’ve imagined.
“No!” she screams back suddenly. “No, Mommy’s not dead. Mommy’s not dead.”
The Polish soldier
is momentarily distracted by her reaction. His gun is still raised, but his eyes are focused on Evie.
Which gives me the opportunity to take aim.
The bullet buries itself in his chest a full second after he glances back at me.
His gun falls to the floor and it feels like time is moving as slow as molasses.
I lunge for Evie, but I already know deep in my gut that the gun is going to go off the moment it hits the ground.
“Evie!” I bellow. “Get down now!”
46
Charlotte
The cab driver comes to a stop just before turning into the uphill drive that leads to the compound.
“Something wrong here?”
Before he can answer my question, I see what he’s seeing.
There are several vehicles camped in front of the compound gates, which looks like it’s been blown apart. Jagged, twisted metal lies on the ground, still smoking.
“Fuck.”
“Miss, is this really your address?” he asks, turning around in his seat to get a closer look at me.
“I, uh… yes,” I sigh, pulling out my purse and grabbing a fifty-dollar bill.
It’s about thirty-five dollars more than the cab fare here, but I don’t care. I have to get into the compound now. I practically fling the money at him as I get out.
“Miss, you sure?”
“Keep the change.”
The cabbie’s bushy eyes furrow in concern. It’s honestly kind of touching.
“I don’t think you should be going in there,” he says. “It doesn’t look safe.”
“I have to,” I say grimly. “You can go.” I dash out of the car.
“You left your groceries in the car!” he calls after me.
I wave even as I start running up the hill. “Keep it!” I yell back. “Dinner’s on me.”
My eyes are focused on the compound’s façade.
Something happened. Something bad.
An attack, if I had to guess.
The Polish, if I had to guess again.
And somehow, they’ve managed to breach the walls.
But how?
The compound has been under high security for months now. Where are all the Mazzeo guards?
I slow down as I approach the gates, but there’s no way for me to sneak up there without being seen. No way for me to know if any of the attackers are still on the scene, either. It’s spookily silent.
I can’t see anyone, so I’m hoping the action has moved all the men into the main body of the house.