by K. G. Reuss
But I knew when Cole walked away what would happen.
I hated that I didn’t care. But I just. . . didn’t. Fuck Ian Hall. He deserved what he got.
Deciding he wasn’t worth anymore of my time, I tuned out the rest of the ceremony, opting to think of Rosalie and Ethan. I said a prayer for them. My mind raced all over the place, as it had ever since that awful night. Hell, ever since Rosie had stepped back fully into my life. I wondered what I’d say to Ethan when he woke up. What I’d do if he didn’t. The same with Rosie. Would she hate us? Would she blame me for not protecting her?
“Relax,” Enzo said under his breath as I shifted in my seat.
I had to hand it to De Luca. The guy was always cool under pressure. Even with Ethan, he still had his head in the game, not an ounce of panic slipping from him.
Enzo was the fun, playful guy, but I knew to never underestimate him. He was more than his laughter and smooth talk. Beneath that exterior was the heart of someone quite lethal. I’d seen him handle weapons. The dark look in his eyes the past week warned of his lethality. If I knew him the way I thought I did, he was only getting started.
People shuffled around me as some got to their feet to pass by Ian’s casket. I spotted Juliet in the crowd, dressed in black with a couple of her friends beside her.
I glanced at Enzo and Cole who both noticed her.
“She’s next if she doesn’t stop her shit,” Cole growled, blue eyes narrowed in her direction.
“Easy,” Enzo said. “We don’t have time to worry about that. We said our piece. She said hers. Now, we wait.”
“She’s playing a dangerous fucking game,” Cole continued, eyeing her with distaste.
“She knows,” I said softly. “Let her make her move. Her ass is on the line too.”
“Can’t believe I had to fuck that.” Cole shook his head and let out a disgusted sigh.
“Let’s go. We need to pay our respects,” Enzo urged, giving us a nudge.
“Fuck that. You pay your respects. I already did my part.” Cole jerked away and spun on his heel. He marched from the church without a backward glance.
“He needs to control himself,” Enzo said, narrowing his eyes at the doors of the church.
“He is what he is, and that’s a loose cannon.”
“The boy will learn,” Emilio grunted, moving ahead of us. “He’ll have no choice.”
Enzo didn’t say anything as he moved to join the line.
I cast a look to Daniel Hall. He locked eyes with me, his lips tilted up in a sneer. My mother’s killer. Hatred coursed through me. It took everything I had not to approach him and send him off with his worthless son.
The sneer turned into a smirk as he regarded me. Prison and death had turned him even more heartless.
Guess Ian didn’t fall far from the prick tree.
Four
Cole
I took a hit from my joint and stared out at the graveyard, noting how peaceful it was.
“Smoking is bad for you,” a small voice said from beside me.
I glanced down to see a boy with a mop of dark hair at my side.
“This is weed. Trust me. It helps more than hurts.”
The boy eyed me for a moment before speaking again, “You were there when my brother died, right?”
I froze and looked at the kid again. Fuck. He was Ian’s little brother. Andrew or some shit.
“Yeah, kid. I was.”
“Did he suffer?” the kid asked.
“No.” I shook my head, not wanting to divulge shit to him. Besides, he was a kid and didn’t need to know his brother’s dark details. Maybe keeping him a hero would benefit him.
“Too bad,” the kid murmured, surprising me.
“What?”
“Ian was mean. He hurt us a lot. He hurt Rosalie. My mom doesn’t want me to know what he did, but I saw the paper. I can read. I know what people are saying. I told her to leave and tell on him. I thought she would.” He kicked at a pebble with his polished, black shoe.
“Is Rosalie going to die too?”
“No. She’s going to make it. She has to.”
“I hope she does. I really liked her. She was funny. Sometimes she’d play Xbox with me when Ian would let her. Mom hoped Ian would get better with Rosalie. But he didn’t. He got worse.”
I nodded, not saying anything.
“I’m glad he’s gone.” He said it so fiercely it made goosebumps tear across my skin.
What the fuck kind of monster was Ian?
“What about the other guy? The one Ian shot? Is he going to be OK?”
“I hope so,” I said softly as Enzo and Fox approached.
The kid peered at them.
“Hey, man, what’s up?” Enzo greeted him like they were old pals.
De Luca fascinated me. He was always so put-together. How the fuck he did it was beyond me. Nothing touched the guy. I supposed with a father like his being weak wasn’t an option. Anthony wasn’t exactly known for his sweet side. The man was ruthless. In the past week, I’d seen shades of Anthony shining through in Enzo, overshadowing the funny, playful side we were used to.
At least I won’t be a killer alone. Enzo’s time was coming. We all knew it.
Since everything went down, he’d really stepped into mob boss mode. Usually, Fox ran the show, but Fox had been out of it since that night on the highway. So had I. And with Ethan currently struggling to live, the task of leader fell to Enzo. He was doing a good job of it, even though he annoyed the fuck out of me sometimes.
“You’re Lorenzo De Luca.” The kid’s gaze traveled to Fox. “And you’re Fox Evans. My dad hurt your mom.”
Fox nodded tightly as he stared down at him.
“I’m Andy Hall. I’m really sorry for what my dad and brother did to your family. I was just a kid when my dad hurt your mom. I couldn’t do anything about it, or I would have. I don’t think anyone should have to go through that stuff.”
“No truer words,” Enzo murmured, surveying Andy with interest.
“Thank you,” Fox answered, his voice soft.
I knew the conversation was killing him. Fox had hated Ian, and it wasn’t just because of Rosie. The entire shit with Daniel killing Amy weighed heavily on him. I assumed by default, he hated Andy a little bit too even if it wasn’t the kid’s fault his dad and brother were pricks.
“No. Thank you for helping me and my mom. I wouldn’t have saved him either.” And with that, little Andy walked away from us to join his mother who was coming out of the church, her eyes red and Daniel Hall at her side.
“Wow. What a little weirdo,” I muttered, taking another hit from my joint.
“I liked him,” Enzo said. “Kid has balls. Definitely didn’t get it from his dad or brother. Might actually turn out to not be a piece of shit when he’s older.”
“One can only hope.” Fox’s eyes fixed on the boy and his mom. The mother gave us a slight nod before looking away.
“Whatever.” I glanced over to the people walking to the gravesite. “Can we go yet?”
“No. We finish this when Hall is buried. Closure.” Enzo fixed me with a stern look.
Knowing he wouldn’t let me out of it, I relented. With Enzo’s proclamation, we walked to the gravesite, but halfway there, Fox stopped and peered at the church.
“What are you doing?” I followed his gaze.
“I’ll be right back.”
Before Enzo and I could respond, he loped off toward the church, his head down.
“What the fuck do you think he’s doing?” I murmured.
“If I had to guess, I’d say he’s going to say goodbye,” Enzo answered softly.
“Like he’s going to go talk to a dead body?”
“We all have different ways of having closure. This is Fox’s,” Enzo said easily. “I think you and I need to see him in the ground while Fox just needs to speak.”
“When the fuck did you get so wise?” I snorted at him.
A tiny smirk turned his
lips up. “I’ve always been wise, Scott. I was just keeping it hidden until it was needed.”
“De Luca, if you had any more secrets, you’d set the world on fire with all your hidden knowledge.”
He winked. “Guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
I let out a soft chuckle. “Whatever you’ve got hidden, count me in.”
“I included you the day I met you, Cole. And the only way out is if I kill you.”
This should’ve made me balk. Instead, it only made me smile. The old Cole was dead. My crazy was free in the world. I may as well make use of it.
“Well, buddy…” I clapped him on the shoulder. “Guess we’re in it for the long haul. What do you need done?”
His eyes darkened, and his smirk turned sinister. “Do you still keep the other notebook?”
The Shit List. I nodded.
“I think we’re going to need it.”
Five
Fox
I moved past the people filing out of the church and focused on the mahogany casket in the room. I needed to get there and say what I needed to before I lost my shit. I’d only walked past it earlier, not even bothering to cast it a glance.
“Do you need a moment, Son?” the minister asked kindly as I stopped in front of the casket. They’d opened it.
I swallowed hard. “If I could.”
The minister gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze and stepped away from me, leaving me with Ian’s body. I stared down at him, my heart aching. Not because I was sad the prick was gone. Quite the opposite.
They’d done good with the makeup. The bruises on his face were barely visible now. His dark hair was combed back. I didn’t think I’d ever seen the guy’s hair combed. It was always a mess. He was in a dark suit and tie. He lay there in such a way that if I hadn’t known better, I’d have thought he’d passed away peacefully, rather than from having his neck broken by one of my best friends.
My bottom lip trembled as I stared down at him.
“You son of a bitch,” I whispered, my eyes burning. “You didn’t have to fucking die. If you’d just let her go. Your blood isn’t just on Cole’s hands. It’s on all of ours. You hurt so many.” I stopped talking and wiped at my eyes before continuing, “Your father took my mother, and then you tried to take Rosalie and the baby. I hope your evil died with you. I fucking pray it did. All you had to do was let her go. Why couldn’t you just let her go? Why couldn’t you just walk away?”
A sob left my lips as I stared down at him.
“Rosalie and Ethan will relive that night for the rest of their lives if they make it out of this, and the rest of us will live with the knowledge of what you did to them. It didn’t fucking have to be this way, Ian. What were you thinking? I-I even tried to save you. What the fuck does that say about me?” I wept softly.
“It says you’re a good man.” Enzo’s father rested his hand on my shoulder.
I hadn’t heard him approach. He must have seen me come in and decided to follow.
I looked to him and shook my head. “Am I? It’s all my fault. I’m no better than he is. None of us are good enough for her.”
“None of us are good enough for our women. You’ll spend your life trying to be, though. And that’s what matters.”
I wiped at my eyes again. “I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing anymore.”
“Existing. We all do it after tragedy. Find peace in life, Fox. Not everyone who dies deserves it, but trust me, this one did. Feel your pain, then move on. If you dwell on it, it’ll end you too.”
I nodded and let out a sigh.
“Enzo is going to take over for me someday.”
“I know.”
“He could use you at his side. He could use you now. You boys have grown together.”
I swallowed thickly. “Enzo is one of my best friends. We share everything.”
Anthony gave me a knowing look. “I know you do. That’s why I’m telling you to think about your future, Fox. Enzo’s life won’t be like yours. If you’re going to share everything, that means your lives will merge. Make sure it’s what you want. Don’t live with regrets. Make the choice and deal with the consequences.”
“Rosalie?” I whispered, taking in his features. Enzo looked a lot like him. Tall, dark, muscular, eyes of midnight. Enzo was just coming into his power. Anthony oozed it. The man could command a room with a simple look.
He nodded. “Yes. Enzo is in love with her. You all are. He won’t let her go so easily. Will you?”
“No,” I murmured.
“That’s what I’m saying. If you want her, you get the package from what I’ve observed, because my son will fight to keep her, even from you, Fox. You’re either in or you’re out, and if you’re out, you’re alone. Enzo will not follow. He’s committed to this life. If he needed any prompting, it happened the night Rosalie and Ethan were harmed.”
“I know. I don’t want to take Rosie from him. We’re together.” The words were hard to say because I didn’t even know if Enzo had told him about our unique situation. In that moment, I realized Anthony De Luca knew a lot more than I thought he did.
“Are you?”
“Yes. I’m in,” I said it firmly, my eyes locked on his. I knew being in meant more than sticking around. It meant I’d be part of a life I’d never really considered before. Enzo was my friend. Rosalie was our girl. I’d never make her choose. I’d go where she went, and if that was with us all, then I was so fucking in.
“Good. Come. Leave this monster to the worms.” He rested his hand on my shoulder and steered me from the church where Emilio met us. He offered me a nod, which I returned. I was grateful for the cool air. I felt like I was suffocating.
“I know you killed my boy,” the voice came from my right.
I turned to see Daniel Hall. He dropped the cigarette he’d been smoking onto the ground and snuffed it out with his foot. My body shook. I tightened my hands into fists as I glared at him.
“Just because I killed your mom, didn’t give you the right to take him from me,” Daniel continued, his eyes hard as he glared at me. “The night your mom died, I went to the car to see if she was OK. She wasn’t.” He let out a rasping laugh which had me grinding my teeth. “She was babbling and crying. Begging me to help her. To tell her family she loved them. You can’t help the dead, though. And now, I’m glad I ran instead of calling for help. She died alone.”
“You son of a bitch,” I snarled, launching myself forward.
Anthony caught me before I could punch the piece of shit in the face, and Emilio stepped in front, his back to me.
I wasn’t sure what he said because he spoke soft and fast to Daniel as Anthony tugged me away, but Daniel’s face hardened until he was backing away.
“What the fuck happened?” Enzo demanded, coming over to us with Cole at his side. Enzo’s gaze zeroed in on Daniel before moving back to me.
“Nothing.” Anthony released me and nodded at me. “You good?”
“Yeah.” My voice shook.
“Never let them see your weakness. Keep yourself in check. We don’t need to make a scene.” Anthony rested his dark gaze on me.
“I know. I’m sorry.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “He’s just a fucking prick.”
“It’s OK, man.” Cole clapped me on the back. “Let’s just get this fucking day over with. We have better shit to do.”
“You’re right.”
I peeked over Emilio’s shoulder to find that Daniel had joined Cindy and Andy. She looked like she wanted to run away. Her gaze kept darting around like she was looking for an escape route. Andy stuck close to her side. I had a feeling he might be a good kid and would probably die to protect his mother. I hoped it wouldn’t ever come to that, but if he turned out anything like his old man or brother, death couldn’t come soon enough.
“I don’t think I can do this,” I said softly, glancing to Enzo.
He nodded. “Go see Sunshine. Check on Ethan. Cole and I will finish this. We’ll be ther
e later.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry—”
“Don’t apologize. You had your closure.” Cole gave me an even look. “I’ll ride back with Enzo.”
I nodded and hugged each of them before turning my back and marching away. I hadn’t made it to my Jeep when I heard Juliet call out to me. Groaning inwardly, I turned and watched her approach me in her black dress and high heels, looking like she was a fucking grieving widow.
“What do you want?” I growled at her. “I thought I made myself clear—”
“Is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“One of you got Rosalie pregnant. You guys were cheating on me with her, knowing full well what I have on you.”
“Where did you hear that?” I demanded.
“Read the paper, Fox. It was in this morning’s news about how Ian lost his shit and tried to carve the baby out of her. Is it true?”
“Yes, it’s true,” I snarled. How the hell had it even gotten out? I didn’t think that was a detail the news needed to report.
Her eyes wavered as she stared at me. “Who’s baby is it?”
“All of ours, not that it’s any of your fucking business, Juliet. We’re done here.” I spun to get into my Jeep, but she grabbed my arm.
“We’re not done here, Fox. Not even fucking close. I want what’s mine. You’re my boyfriend—”
I yanked her around and shoved her against my Jeep. She let out a gasp and stared up at me.
“I do not belong to you, Juliet. I don’t even fucking like you. I did what I did with you only to keep Rosalie safe, but that’s over now. I won’t hurt her anymore. You’re out. She’s in. And if you continue to fuck with any of us over it, you’ll be sorry.”
“Because you’ll kill me like you did Ian?” she demanded, glaring up at me, her eyes filled with tears.
“I didn’t kill Ian. I tried to save him,” I snapped back. “He was already dead, which is just as well since he didn’t deserve to live after what he did. He was a fucking monster. You’re not too far behind.”