by Evie Harper
“It was. Is.” Dom's voice is guttural.
“No it isn't," I grit out. “You were the last straw for me. You came too late. I have nothing left to give.”
Dom clears his throat. “That’s your fear speaking”—he steps toward me—“but I swear I'll never let you down again. Just please, let me prove myself to you first before you give up on us.”
I step away from Dom and gesture toward my chest. “I thought there would always be this last remnant of hope inside me, because no matter what happened to me—even after Rex almost killed me—I still had this ember of hope for you and me. But how much can one person take? I can’t speak for the world, only me, and I’m done. Hope only leads to disappointment and pain.”
Dom frowns; however, it doesn’t last long. He leans toward me, pushing his shoulders back and becoming more alert, staring at me with strong eye contact. “It can do, but not only that. It can also lead to joy, love, contentment, wonder, and so much more. Good or bad, you have to take the risk. Nothing remarkable comes without great sacrifice, and, baby, you have sacrificed enough. Please take one more leap of faith for me.” He speaks in a steady, low-pitched voice.
Dom demands too much of me, and he’s asking too late.
“No, even if I'm tired, I have more hate for you than I do love.”
Lies.
“That’s okay.” Dom sits on the bed staring up at me but not with defeat like I envisioned. Instead he has the same determination that I’ve come to find in his brown eyes. “We have forever. I'll wait as long as it takes.”
Frustrated, I spin on my heel and head toward the bathroom. Part of me wants to turn around and jump into his arms, but instead, I walk away. Some people find courage from their scars; for me, the pain is too extreme. I won’t risk collecting any more.
Chapter Six
Dom
After changing into a pair of jeans and a gray T-shirt, I hear Dell turn off the shower. I decide to head down to the motel store and give her some space for when she gets out. I’m emotionally exhausted, so I can only imagine how she must feel. My heart is beating, but only just; she ripped me apart this morning. It was unintentional, but it doesn’t mean it hurt any less. My regrets weigh heavier now, but my resolve to win her back is only strengthened. She’s in pain and knowing it’s because of what I did, sends me to the edge of my sanity. But I refuse to fall off the cliff. I will show her I’m here to stay, and I will show her who I really am. I am Brett, just with a different name and this time, know everything, there are no more lies between us.
On my way down to the store, I check the bandage around my leg. It still looks good, hurts like a bitch, but I know if I keep it clean and covered, it will heal well. I check my watch. It's seven o'clock. We need to get on the road as soon as possible. For Della, today is about finding a safe house and when the time is right, meeting friends of mine who can help her. And for me, it's about saying good-bye to a best friend, a brother. Della doesn’t know yet that I made a phone call late last night to Mexico and spoke with her real brothers and her cousin, Joseph, and his partner, Alexa. They will also be arriving in Minnesota today.
I’m dialing a number I really don’t want to but know I need to. It’s the right thing to do. Admittedly, it's the more complicated thing, but the moral thing.
“Dom,” Joseph, Della's cousin answers the call.
“Joseph,” I reply in a hoarse voice.
“You’re on speaker, Dom, with Alexa, and my cousins, Matt, Alex and Will. And before you start, I just wanted to say from all of us how sorry we are about Nick.”
Taking a deep breath, struggling to keep my voice steady, there’s silence for a few seconds before I can finally clear my throat and in a gruff voice say, “Thanks, that means a lot. One consolation is he died doing what he loved. He was at his happiest on jobs and being undercover. He loved the thrill of the life. And, Alexa, I know he would have been proud to go that way, helping you. He cared for you more than he’s ever cared for another woman.”
“I cared for him too, Dom…” her voice comes out strangled, “…so much.” I believe her.
Joey clears his throat. “Jake said you have information for us?”
“Yeah, I do. We found out who the sister is.” Silence ensues for a moment before I go on. “I actually know her. Well, more than know her. She’s my girl. Well, she was my girl.”
“What the fuck?” Alexander, one of Della's real brothers, says in disbelief.
“Yeah, it’s a long story, but the short version is, Serrano, the dumb fuck, told most of his men who it was in case he was killed, and they were supposed to go after Michael and your sister if anything happened to him. So we took a few of the guys out for drinks, and it slipped out easily, like taking candy from a baby, so fucking easy. When I found out who it was, I got on the next flight and headed to tell her. Nick was supposed to let you guys know, but obviously, Michael got to him first.” My last words come out shaky.
“What’s her name? Who is she? Where does she live? Is she happy?” William, one of Della's other brothers, asks.
I chuckle, feeling relief that the subject has been changed and also happy to talk about Dell. “Her name is Della King. She’s twenty-six, and she’s studying business at college. She’s beautiful, smart, and sassy as fuck.”
“Della King,” Alexa says, but it seems she’s saying it more to herself than asking me a question.
“She took that name a few years ago, with her brothers. Her family life is complicated. Della and her brothers are the Portland Street Kings, and while that might not mean much to you all, in Kentucky, it holds a lot of weight. They are known as a ruthless gang.”
“Fuck!” William spits out. “We need to get her out.”
“She’s not trapped,” I quickly state. “Those men are her brothers, and I know you want to find your sister, but be prepared, because I doubt she will ever leave them to come play happy families with you all.” I sigh with regret; that was probably a harsh way to convey Della's devotion toward her family. “See, they came from a bad home, a terrible one.” The brothers are yet to find out their father left their sister with a monster. I doubt they’d be surprised, but I’m not sure that information should come from me. That’s Della's story to tell. “They escaped and grew up on the streets, and to become safe, began standing against those who would hurt them. They had to be ruthless, but they did it out of necessity. They’re a family first and foremost. They’re all she’s ever known, and they have done things, illegal things, to make sure Della had the best life they could offer her. They are why she’s in college. Don’t go thinking she needs saving from them, because she’s loved.”
“So, you're saying she won’t want to know us?” Matthew asks with real concern in his voice.
“I have no idea. I'm just preparing you for anything. There’s another reason I’m calling. Since I’ve come back, shit has hit the fan. And now, Frank Lucini has his sights set on Della and unfortunately, half of that is my fault, and the other half happened just as I turned up.”
“What the fuck happened and what do you mean it’s half your fault? What the fuck did you do to our sister?” William yells down the line, and I can’t blame him for being furious with me, they know how ruthless Lucini can be.
“It’s a long story and I don’t have time to chat with you all on the phone. We’re one day into our road trip to Minnesota for Nick's funeral, but fuck, these bastards have found us once already. She needs your help. You guys hold a lot of weight with Frank and can also take away his biggest business. You need to strike a deal with him, one that will make sure Della walks away from all this alive.”
“Done,” Alexander says quickly.
“I’m coming to Minnesota with Alexa tomorrow. I want to meet her,” William demands.
“I’ll let her know. She knows everything. She's taking it in, but right now, she hates my fucking guts, so I don’t have a clue if she’s happy or not.”
“Fine, but tell her I will meet he
r,” William states.
Shaking my head, I chuckle at his high-handed order. “Yeah, buddy, I’ll let her know, but just a warning, you speak to her like that to her face, and I will kick your balls so hard you’ll choke on them. Hell, she might do that to you first. Remember, she’s used to tough guys. They don’t faze her at all.”
“Before you go, Dom, let us know what she did to get Lucini offside so we know how bad this is,” Joseph asks.
“She killed two Sicilian mafia family members,” I answer and then I end the call.
I may have fibbed about Della killing two Mafia members, but right now, Lucini thinks she did, so all I want is for the O’Connors to bust their ass to save her, not argue over who did or didn’t do what. Lucini is only going to see one way with this: kill Della or get a deal good enough to forget she ever existed.
I haven’t had a moment to tell Dell all this yet. I’m slightly afraid it’s another reason for her to hate me, or she’ll run in the opposite direction when she hears her real brother, William, will be there waiting to meet her. I will tell her though. I just can’t risk her holding me up today. I need to get to that funeral and say good-bye to Nick.
While staying close to Lucini in Mexico—doing jobs for him here and there—one of my best friends, Nick, appeared in town wanting to help an old flame. We both promised to help the O’Connor brothers find their sister and bring down their father. Never in a million years would I have thought that sister would be Della. When I heard, it was all the reason I needed to go back to Portland and see her. Something I fought against strongly, but knew I wouldn’t be able to fight forever. I was always going back to her. I just hoped it would be after I fixed my fuck-up.
Reaching the store, my eyes automatically peer through the glass windows into the parking lot to seek out the green Dodge. Parked in the same spot, an old beat-up, red Camry is parked next to it, and on the other side, is a sleek silver Mercedes Benz.
I take the aisles one at a time, slowly picking out things for the long five-hour trip ahead of us; bottles of water, chips, and a Milky Way, knowing that’s Della's favorite chocolate. My hands are full, so I decide I have enough and take it all to the counter. I pop a note down and wait for my change, but the old guy is painfully sluggish, even just moving off his chair feels as if I’m watching a slow-motion movie. While I wait for the change, my eyes drift back to the parking lot. Both the old car and flashy car are still there.
“Fifteen-fifty, son,” the man states in a gruff voice.
Placing my fingers on the note, I push it toward him, and again my eyes wander back to the parking lot. What’s an expensive car like that doing at a motel like this? On our way through town, Della and I passed quite a few suite hotels, even one just down the road.
“Thirty-four fifty change, son.”
Thanking the man, I take my change and the bag and walk out of the store.
Heaviness sits in my stomach, and I’m not sure why. Again, my eyes seek out the parking lot and that damn Mercedes. Why the hell does that bother me so much? I don’t know anyone who would drive such an expensive car, except— Chills race down my spine. Fuck!
Except the mafia.
Without thinking, the bag and change fall from my grasp and my body propels forward. Reaching the stairs which lead to our first floor room, I take two steps at a time. My gut churns with fear. It's such a familiar feeling, as if I’m back at the tracks, seeing her lifeless body on the ground, running to her to find out if she’s still in this world or not. In a split second, regrets fly through my mind: Why didn’t I change cars? Why didn’t I park the car around the back? Why didn’t we just keep driving through the night?
I reach our room, and already I can see the door is closed, but the handle is turned at an odd angle and just below is a large booted indent that wasn’t there before.
My body tenses, ready for the fight ahead, but before I can get inside, the door swings open, and I’m met with a man a few inches shorter than me, mid-forties, and he’s aiming a handgun at my head. I recognize his expensive jacket and crew cut from the gas station; he’s Paulie's back-up.
“Get in the room,” he demands. His tone is low and dangerous. His eyes dare me to rebel as if he were desperate for a reason to kill me.
Stepping into the room, I search for Della and find her lying on the bed with her hands bound. Her shirt is completely ripped down the middle, exposing her black bra and bare skin. My eyes move up to her face, and I notice her lip is bleeding, and her features are marked with fear. My body goes into hyperdrive. I clench and unclench my fists, and my nostrils flare with rage.
Paulie's deranged laughter fills the room as he stands over Della with a butcher's knife. He swings it as he gestures to me. “Come on in, Dom. You’re just in time to see the show.”
Chapter Seven
Dom
Show?
This fucker actually thinks I’ll stand by and let him hurt Della.
“Greg, tie him up and put him next to this bitch. I want Dom to watch very closely what happens to those who fuck with the Lucini family.”
As Greg comes up behind me, I lift my left shoulder to trick him, but swing my right arm around and knock the gun out of his hand. It flies across the room and lands in the bathroom doorway. Greg attempts to throw a punch, but I duck and come up quickly, hooking him with my right fist. I then uppercut the prick. He falls to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
Sensing movement behind me, I spin and bend, assuming Paulie would be swinging the knife at chest height. Feeling the heat from behind, I shove my elbow backward as hard as I can and get lucky, striking one of his ribs. Paulie grabs at his chest, as anyone would, struggling to inhale and exhale from bruised ribs. Aligning with his head perfectly, I swing a right hook, striking Paulie in his right temple. His eyes roll backward, and he slumps to the floor in a heap.
I’m breathing heavily, peering down at the two unconscious men on the floor. My heart races to the same beat my fists are thumping with pain. I stand still for a few moments making sure neither one of them gets back up. I need them out cold while I untie Della, and we get the hell out of here.
“Holy crap,” Della breathes, “that was incredible.” She gazes at me with awe in her eyes. “You were so fast.”
Breaking through the thick fog in my mind, Della manages to wake me up from my fight-or-die stance. Relaxing only slightly, I walk to her to remove her restraints and reply, “Once a marine, always a marine.” Zip-tie. Looking around me, I find the knife Paulie dropped and place it carefully between Della’s good wrist and her cast. I slice upwards until she’s free.
She tosses the thick plastic to the ground, sits up, and attempts to hop off the bed. However, I stop her, cupping her chin and turning her face left and right, checking out her cut lip. “Which one of them did this to you?” I’m barely able to keep my voice steady.
“Greg. Asshole didn’t like me kneeing him in the balls,” Della answers with fire sparking from her irises and a sly grin.
Quickly cupping Della’s cheeks, I kiss her forehead as pride and relief spread through my chest. Pulling back, I find Della’s lips parted, and her right hand lifted and softly touching my neck. Her eyes shine with a deep yearning, and it causes everything else to fade away, and my sole purpose becomes this moment, and fulfilling all her desires.
Her eyes flicker around us, and immediately, her desire turns to a brutal glare. Della yanks her hand back, and her face hardens, yet her eyes don’t change. The truth in her soul can’t be hidden, can’t be controlled, not like her features can be. I almost smile.
“Pack up our stuff and go straight to the car. Do not check-out. The car keys are in the side zipper of my bag,” I instruct and Della nods stiffly and jumps off the bed.
Searching both men for more zip-ties, I find four more in fuck face Greg's coat pocket. I tie his legs together and then his wrists. My gaze flicks to Della who has both our backpacks on her shoulders, and she’s racing out of the hotel room.
I’m about to reach the door when I hear a groan and glance over my shoulder to find Paulie waking up. He struggles and then realizes it’s useless. “You’re a dead man, Dom.”
I know I shouldn’t stay or talk but if there’s a chance Paulie thinks this chase will only be a dead-end, I have to take it. “The O’Connors are making a deal with Lucini for Della’s life, probably as we speak, so you’re on a fool's errand, Paulie. You may as well stay in Aurora and do some sightseeing and wait for Lucini’s call to head home.”
“Or maybe I’ll get to her first? That would be a shame, wouldn’t it?” Paulie's voice is calculating, as if he’s already thought of his next step.
Lowering my body and balancing on my knees, not caring the skin around my graze is pulling and stinging, I hover over Paulie in a threatening stance. “I’d never set out to take on a cartel, but for her, I’ll dedicate my life to wiping out the entire Lucini line if I have to. Starting with you.” Thrusting my hand around his neck, I squeeze. His eyes gape open, and his face quickly turns red. “The deal will be struck,” I growl. “If either of you motherfuckers come for her again, you’ll be meeting your maker.” I reluctantly release his neck and Paulie begins to splutter, gasping for air.