In the Crossfire

by L. P. Dover

  “Fuck me,” I hissed. “If that’s Michael Corsino, there’s no telling what Anthony will do.”

  “Think he’ll go ape shit?” Ian asked.

  Then it hit me. I remembered what Layla said at dinner about her father doing something drastic if Michael showed up dead. He was capable of anything. “Tonight, at dinner, when I was talking to Layla—”

  “Wait, what?” Ian interrupted. “Please tell me you’re not hitting on that fucker’s daughter?”

  I growled with impatience. “Listen, cocksucker. Anthony had told Layla the other night that he didn’t want her at the gala, but then tonight he asked me to keep my eyes on her when we go. Layla told me she’s afraid he’ll do something drastic if something bad happens to Michael, but I know he won’t do anything with her there. We all know what Corsino’s capable of. If Michael’s dead, I think he’ll retaliate on everyone.”

  “Are we talking grand scale?”

  I had a feeling it’d be more than that. “He blew up a restaurant with innocents in it. What better way to get a message to the other mafia families than to kill them off? He’ll have no competition after that. He already has the sheriff in his pocket. They can blame it on another terrorist attack.”

  “Holy fucking shit,” Ian muttered. I could hear him scrambling around in the background.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m coming to New York. You need my help to get out of there.”

  “No, you’re not,” I snapped. “If you come out here, I’ll kick your ass back to Wyoming. Dad will never forgive me if I get you killed.”

  He scoffed. “Please. You forget that I’m better than you.”

  “More reckless, yes, but I have a higher kill count. Keep wishing, little brother.” I was the oldest by one minute, and I never let him live it down.

  “Fine,” he huffed. “I’ll stay put, but what are you going to do? If you tell Corsino now, he might lash out at the gala.”

  “If I don’t find him before someone else, I’ll lose my credibility. Anthony thinks I can do anything right now. If I help him find Michael, dead or alive, he’ll consider me an asset.”

  “But what if you condemn a bunch of people to their deaths?”

  I had to hope and pray it didn’t come to that. “It won’t,” I said as I wrote down the coordinates of the body. “I’ll figure something out, but right now, I have to go.”

  Ian blew out an angry breath. “Just be careful.”

  “I will.” We hung up, and I pinpointed the exact location of the body. It was in a field about an hour away, right by the Hudson River. A part of me didn’t want to tell Corsino yet, but I had a job to do. The sooner he trusted me more, the sooner I could get rid of him. If he was planning to do a mass killing, I’d put him down first…even if I blew my cover. One way or another, he had to go.

  Taking a deep breath, I let it out slow and waited for Anthony to answer his phone. “Collman?” he said, his voice thick and gravelly, as if he’d been sleeping. “Did you find something?”

  “I did. So you might want to come with me.” It’d be good if Roger and James were with him too. That way I could kill three birds with one stone. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be that easy.

  The line went silent for a few seconds before his voice hardened. “On my way to get you.”

  *

  Instead of bringing Roger and James with him, Anthony arrived with Marco and Dominic. Dominic wasn’t on the FBI’s radar, and personally, I didn’t see him as being a hardcore killer like his father. I had no doubt he’d murdered before; I could see it in his eyes. We all gave up a part of our souls the second we took a life, even if the person we killed was evil.

  With everything going on, I decided it wasn’t the best time to tell Anthony about my visit with Cadoc Cartwright. It’d only add more fuel to the fire.

  We were almost to the field, and everyone was on edge. The tension was so thick in the car, you could cut it with a knife. Once I’d told Marco where to go, Anthony closed in on himself. He hadn’t said a word since we left the city, just sat across from me in the back of the sedan with Dominic beside him.

  “Do you know if it’s actually Michael?” Dominic asked, breaking the silence. He looked like a young version of his father.

  I looked over at him, but Anthony kept his gaze out the window. “No,” I said, shaking my head. “All I know is that it’s the same SUV that he was taken in. Whether it’s him or someone else, I don’t know.”

  Dominic glanced over at his father, and then down at his watch. “We should be arriving soon.”

  We had about five minutes left, and it was one of the longest five minutes of my life. I was about to witness something I didn’t want to see. Yes, I hated the Corsinos, but I couldn’t help but picture myself in their place. If I was about to see the dead body of one of my brothers, I’d lose my shit.

  I recognized the stretch of road we were on, and where the turnoff was that led to the field. “Up there on the left, Marco. You’ll see a small, gravel road.”

  Anthony’s fists clenched, and he closed his eyes as the car bounced along the gravel. We were almost to the river. Marco parked, and Dominic sighed. “Where is he at?”

  It was dark, but the moon gave us some light. In just a couple of hours, it’d be dawn. I nodded toward the area of tall grass. “About twenty feet from the river in that tall section of grass.”

  He got out and I followed him, with Anthony right behind us. Marco caught up to us, and I let him and Dominic take the lead. There was a stench in the air, one I recognized all too well. Marco pushed through the grass and froze, only to turn his head away.

  “Fuck,” he growled, his body shaking with rage.

  I breathed through my mouth as the odor intensified. When the body came into view, it took me a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to what I was looking at. The head, hands, and feet were all missing. Dominic stepped up beside me and closed his eyes. “They mutilated him.”

  The second he said that, Anthony stormed up beside him. The look on his face was utter horror, but then it turned into outright anger. “So help me God, I’m going to kill anyone and everyone who had a part in this.”

  “What if it’s not him?” I asked. “Whoever took him could’ve dumped this body here to make you think it’s your brother.” The clothes were the same ones Michael had on the night he was taken, but that was easily dealt with.

  Anthony kept his eyes on the body. “There’s only one way to find out. He has an eagle tattoo on his left shoulder.”

  Marco slowly knelt down at the body and carefully sliced his knife through the shirt. He pulled it to the side, and there was the eagle tattoo. Without another word, Anthony turned on his heel, and Dominic followed him to the car.

  “What are we going to do?” he asked him. Marco and I joined them.

  Anthony got in the car, and we all followed suit. He pulled out his phone, and put it to his ear. “I’m getting Sheriff Moneta out here to get the body, and have him burned. I don’t want anyone knowing we found him.”

  “And then what?” Marco asked as he started the car.

  Anthony gripped the phone so tight I thought it’d break. “We get our payback. Tomorrow night at the gala.”

  “What are you going to do?” I had to know.

  He shook his head. “Don’t worry about that. All I need you to do is keep my daughter safe.”

  I didn’t like the sound of that. Something had to be done, and fast. I wasn’t about to let him go on a killing spree.

  Chapter Seven

  Layla

  I’d woken up on my father’s couch to the news of my uncle’s horrific death. I wanted to believe it was a bad dream, but the ache in my chest was all too real. The entire day was spent in silence. My father retreated to his study while I hid away in the princess suite, alone. There was no one I could talk to. I couldn’t exactly call Faith and tell her that my uncle had just been butchered by someone I was most likely going to see tonight at the
gala.

  I wished I could go back to a time when I was oblivious to everything around me. I was much happier then, or at least I thought I was. Ignorance is bliss.

  After taking a shower, I put on my robe and walked into the kitchen. I ate a few more bites of the grilled chicken in my salad that I’d ordered through room service earlier, but I could barely taste it. It was hard to eat when all I could think about was Michael. He was like a second father to me.

  Eyes burning, I pushed my salad to the side and hurried back to my bedroom to get ready. The gala was happening in two hours, whether I liked it or not. Once I had my makeup on, I grabbed my dress out of the closet. It was a floor length, midnight purple dress with jewels on the bodice. I’d found it in my mother’s closet after she died.

  “Layla,” my father called.

  I hung my dress back up, and walked out of my room in my spandex slip. Dressed in his tux, he looked at me and smiled, but it was sad. “I wanted to talk to you before we go to the gala.” He motioned me over to the couch, and I sat down beside him.

  The ache in my chest grew sharper. “What are you going to do if Michael’s killers are there?” I asked.

  His gaze hardened. “I’ll deal with them. But first, I need you to promise me something.”

  His tone sent shivers down my spine. I didn’t want to think about what he would do, but I had an idea of what it would be. “What kind of promise?” I countered.

  He squeezed my hand. “When we go to the gala, make your rounds like usual. I need you to pretend that everything’s perfectly fine.”

  Tears built up in my eyes, and I scoffed. “Easier said than done.”

  “I know, cara mia,” he murmured, wiping away my tears. “But it has to be that way. However, there will be a time when I need you to leave, no questions asked. Just get up and walk away.” My brows furrowed, and he lifted a hand. “No questions. Just promise me.”

  The sick feeling in my stomach came back, making it hard to swallow. “I promise, but it might be hard if Julian’s around.” The man was relentless in keeping my attention.

  A spark of anger flashed in his eyes. “You won’t have to worry about that. I’ve asked Bryce to help.”

  “Bryce?” I gasped. “Help me how?”

  He cleared his throat, and looked away. “I asked him if he’d step in if Julian gave you problems.”

  “Seriously? That’s even worse. Does he even know what kind of temper Julian has?”

  A thunderous laugh escaped his lips, and he turned back to me. “Bryce can handle it, trust me. Although, I have to admit, the man has a handle on you. He said you’d never agree to it. Which is why he said he wouldn’t do anything unless you approved it first.”

  That caught me off guard. I’d seen a different side to Bryce last night. He wasn’t anything like I expected him to be, and last night, he had said the same thing to me. A strange feeling fluttered in my stomach, a feeling I hadn’t felt in a long time.

  “Why do you trust him so much?”

  My father blew out a sigh, and he shrugged. “I don’t know if trust is the right word. You can look at a man and tell what his worth is. What I see in Bryce is loyalty, honor, and a strength I’ve never seen in anyone.” I’d seen it too. He wasn’t like my father or anyone I’d ever met. There was something about him that was just…different. I looked away, but my father tapped my chin. “I’ve also seen the way you are with him.”

  I jerked my attention back to him. “What do you mean?”

  He smiled. “You’re comfortable with him. When you’re around other colleagues of mine, you tense up, and I can tell you’re uncomfortable, which is a good thing. I don’t want you comfortable with anyone outside of our circle.”

  “Isn’t Bryce on the outside?”

  He shook his head. “Not in my eyes, especially after he helped us find Michael. Which leads me back to the beginning of our conversation. Do you mind if Bryce steps in if Julian causes a problem? I’m sure you understand what stepping in means.”

  That fluttery feeling came back with a vengeance. Swallowing hard, I nodded. “It’s fine. I’m okay with it.”

  My father patted my hands. “Good. Glad we got that settled. And remember, when I tell you to leave, you go. I want you to pack up all of your belongings before we leave. Because after the gala, you’re headed to the estate.”

  Not that I was complaining—our home was huge and vast—but I didn’t want to be stuck there. “How long do you plan for me to be there?”

  His eyes saddened. “As long as it takes. You’re all I have left.”

  “But I also have a life. I can’t live it alone.”

  “I know, but I’m hoping that’ll change soon.” He stood and headed for the door. “We’re leaving in an hour. Now that you’ve agreed to Bryce’s help, he’ll be here to pick you up.”

  Mouth gaping, I watched him walk out the door and held my breath. When I agreed to let Bryce help me, I didn’t know it meant I had to spend extra time with him. Why did that excite me? The answer was simple…I wanted him.

  *

  The hour went by quickly, and my heart raced the entire time I waited for the knock on the door. I looked at myself in the mirror and pinned up a stray hair that’d come out of my bun. My mother’s dress fit me perfectly, and my makeup was on point. Even the diamond, heart-shaped necklace hanging below my neck glittered in the light. Wearing my mother’s things always helped me to feel like she was close by. The necklace was a gift she’d given me for my eighteenth birthday. I never took it off. I’d give anything to have her comfort now. She wasn’t just my mother; she was my best friend, and the only other person I could share my secrets with. Everything was perfect when she was alive. Unfortunately, nothing about tonight or my life was perfect now; it was all an act.

  The knock finally came, and I took a deep breath. I was nervous about the gala, but mostly scared. My father had something planned, and I knew it wasn’t going to be good. I looked at myself one more time in the mirror, and I took one last glance about the room. It was going to be a long time before I came back to the princess suite.

  My heels clicked along the hardwood floor as I headed to the door. My bags were all packed and sitting off to the side. When I opened the door, my heart fluttered the second I looked into Bryce’s blue eyes. I’d never noticed it before, but there was a ring of gold around his pupils. Isaiah nodded at me and walked inside to grab my bags. He picked them up and carried them down the hall to the elevator.

  “Hi,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound breathless. He looked gorgeous as hell in his black tux that complemented his dark hair that I’d been dying to run my hands through. I’d been around plenty of men over the years, but none had made me feel like this.

  His eyes raked down my body, but then he quickly brought his attention back to my face. “Are you ready? Your father and Dominic just left.”

  I nodded, praying like hell he couldn’t see the disappointment on my face. Watching him look at my body was thrilling, but then reality must’ve struck. I was foolish to think that him wanting to help me was something other than that.

  “I am,” I replied, shutting the door behind me. We walked down the hall, side by side. “Thank you for agreeing to help me with Julian tonight. Just so you know, I can take care of myself. I’ve managed to get away from him so far.”

  There was a hint of a smile on his face. “I know. That’s why I left the choice to you.”

  Isaiah held the elevator doors open for us, and we all stepped in. I stood next to Bryce, and when our arms touched, my skin broke out in goosebumps. Luckily, he and Isaiah both kept their eyes on the elevator doors so they didn’t notice. Even Bryce’s cologne smelled heavenly, which didn’t help.

  When the doors opened, I expected to see the whole Corsino family congregating in the hotel lobby, but that wasn’t what I saw. Instead, it was just my father and his bodyguard Paul, plus Dominic, Marco, James, and Roger.

  I walked out of the elevator, and looked aroun
d, clearly confused. “Where is everyone?” Usually my aunts and cousins would be there, but they were nowhere to be seen. My mother’s family, the Petrovas, used to come, but they cut ties with the Corsinos after she died. I hadn’t seen her side of the family in years, but that was because they all lived across the United States.

  My father looked uncomfortable as he approached me. “They’re not coming, Layla.”

  I didn’t like the sound of that. “Why not?”

  He stopped in front of me and took my hands, smiling as he held out my arms to look at me in my dress. “You look beautiful tonight, sweetheart. Just like your mother.” Squeezing my hands, he leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “We thought it’d be safer if they stayed behind.” He let me go and stepped back. “Ride with Bryce to the gala, and we’ll meet you there.” Then he peered over at Isaiah. “You’re with me.”

  Still holding my bags, Isaiah followed my dad and the others so Bryce and I did the same. It was a good thing he couldn’t hear how erratic my heart beat was. Once in the parking garage, my father got into the back of one of his sedans while Isaiah set my bags beside a charcoal gray Maserati. The back of it opened, and Bryce set my luggage inside.

  “Nice,” I said, walking around to the passenger’s side.

  Bryce came over and opened the door for me. “I thought it’d do.”

  He said it so matter-of-factly, like he didn’t really care about the car at all. It had to have cost over a hundred thousand dollars. I got in, inhaling the distinct scene of new car. “Is there another kind of car you liked better?” I asked.

  Bryce fired up the car, and we followed my father and the others out of the parking garage. “I would’ve preferred something bigger and older.”

  “Like a beat-up ’70s Chevy?” I teased.

  His eyes shot to mine, like I’d shocked him. “What do you know about old cars, Lemon Drop?”

  There was that nickname again. I was starting to like it, even if he did think I was sour. I shrugged. “Nothing really, only that I’ve always wanted one. I asked my father for an old convertible Bronco when I turned sixteen, but he just laughed and got me a brand new Porsche instead. I guess he didn’t think I was serious.”