Janey’s eyes widened in confusion. “Huh?”
“Why did you shoot the man, Janey?”
Janey shut her eyes and looked down, then in a quiet voice, she replied, “He shot Ace.”
“If you didn’t pull that trigger, what would have happened?”
Janey opened her eyes then, “I know what you’re trying to do,” she said in a defeated voice. “I appreciate it, really I do. But it doesn’t change the fact that I killed someone.”
“You saved my life, Janey.”
Drew watched as Ace went over to Janey. Emily stepped back to give them space.
“A third shot would have ended my life for sure. If you had not pulled that trigger, I would be dead.”
Janey flinched at his stark words. Then she began to shake. Without another word, Ace pulled her into his arms and held her.
Seeing his friend’s arms wrapped around Janey made something twinge in Drew’s gut. He knew it was perfectly harmless, Ace was totally crazy about Sierra. Still…he could not help the wave of jealousy and possessiveness that passed over him. He squashed it ruthlessly.
After a few moments, Janey stepped back. She wiped the tears that were streaming down her face.
“Thanks.”
“What we’re trying to tell you, Janey, is that you’re one of us now and we take care of our own,” Emily said. “And this is not just because of Drew over there. You saved Ace’s life and pulled Sierra away to safety. If that isn’t deserving of a freaking medal, I don’t what is.”
Janey let out a small laugh through the tears that didn’t seem to want to stop flowing.
“So you want to go to Broken Arrow? Then you’ll go to Broken Arrow and you’ll have the best damn security escort while you do that.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Drew felt his heart swell with pride. His Janey had earned her place among his friends. The friends who had been his family for over five years. He couldn’t be prouder of her if she’d climbed the Himalayas.
“And I like the idea of baiting them. We can’t keep playing this waiting game. It’s time to go on the offensive.”
Emily’s statement immediately sucked the joy out of Drew.
“Stop looking like that, bro, you know it’s the only way,” Ace chided.
Easy for him to say now. He had gone ballistic when Sierra had tried something similar only a few months ago. Still, he knew they were right, dammit!
“We’ll have to plan every single detail. Nothing must go wrong.”
“Nothing will go wrong, Drew,” Tamika said. “We’ll make sure of that. Right, guys?”
“Absolutely,” Ryan said.
And Drew knew he had to be satisfied with that.
“Okay then. Let’s go to Broken Arrow.”
Chapter Thirty-two
Mikey stared at the picture on his phone. It was so different from the one he’d seen months back on his wife’s laptop. The hair was different and so was the face, to some extent. But the eyes were definitely the same person.
“You can change every damn thing, but you can’t change your eyes, bitch. I’ll always be one step behind you.”
Still, it explained how she’d been able to hide from them for so long. Good thing his man had changed his strategy for watching the Silver Shield man, after the run-in he had in Jacksonville. Using different people to follow him had been a genius plan. Totally thrown him off the mark.
And look how that turned out.
“Led us straight to the target.”
He was still staring at the image on his phone when it rang. It was his man in Florida.
“Yeah?” he snapped into the phone.
“Ah, w-we lost her.”
Mikey was silent. He wanted to believe that it was a prank call, but they all knew that calls like that could end their lives.
“How?”
“They got to the airport and flew private. They just took off. They didn’t log in their flight.”
“They’ll log it in soon. Wait around and let me know as soon as you get the info.”
Mikey ended the call and stood staring out into his backyard. In a strange way, he was calm. He knew deep down that he had her and this time, she couldn’t escape him. He would prefer not to have an altercation with the Silver Shield people, not because he couldn’t take them down.
He snorted at the thought. But mostly because it would draw too much attention and the Feds were already all over them. But he was ready to take them head on, if that was the only way he could get to the woman.
“Stay calm, little brother. You shall soon be avenged,” he murmured to himself.
He called up the two men who were next to him in rank.
“Get the men on standby. We are going fishing.”
**
Maria Vitale stood in the laundry room, her hands holding on to the sheet she’d been folding. She did not know what to do. The women of her family did not interfere in their husband’s businesses. They were loyal and supportive and remained willfully ignorant of some of the darker things their men did.
As a child, she’d seen her father as the equivalent to God. He could do no wrong and he’d loved them with everything he had. He’d also had a small army of men who were willing to do his bidding, but she’d attributed that to the fact that he was so nice.
She’d grown older and she’d heard the whispers. Words like mafia and criminal lord had filtered into her consciousness. Then she’d begun to see that it was not love that made those men eager to obey her father, but fear. Maria had been confused. Fear was the least emotion she associated with her dad.
Until that night when she turned seventeen. She’d snuck out of the house to attend a night club. She’d been raped that night, but the events that unfolded afterwards were what stayed in her mind.
Uncle Tito was her bodyguard, the man her father had mandated to follow her everywhere and keep her safe. She hadn’t understood why she needed a bodyguard. They were rich, but nothing like Bill Gates. So she’d devised various means of escaping the watch of her bodyguard.
That night, she’d given him the slip as well. By the time he caught up with her, the harm had been done. Her father had sent for her. He was in his study with Uncle Tito, her brother, Johnny, and two other “uncles” that hung around the house.
He didn’t say anything to her. Just berated Uncle Tito for being lax in his duty, then to Maria’s utter shock, she heard a muffled sound and Uncle Tito went down. There was a big ugly spot on his head were blood was gushing out. She’d looked up in horror to see her father holding a firearm.
She’d immediately begun to retch. It was too much for her. She was dry heaving and the tears were not coming. Her brother led her away to her room.
She remained in her room for an entire week, too shocked to eat or speak. A week later, her father sent for her and gave her the keys to a sleek new car.
They never spoke about the incident, either the rape or Uncle Tito’s murder. But it forever changed the way she saw her father and those around him.
The sound of a door opening and shutting jolted her out of her reverie. She slowly folded the bedspread and carefully placed it in the basket. She knew that for people like her, there was no way out. She’d lived all her life, repressing the thoughts, the questions, the fears…
And it had worked for the most part.
But now…now, she was beginning to question once more. She understood why her husband was mourning his brother. Thomas had been all the family Mikey had. But if she were honest? Deep down inside, she was glad that Thomas was gone. Glad.
He was nothing like Mikey. Or like how Mikey had been before his death. These days it was almost as though the spirit of Thomas had settled on Mikey.
There had been an ugly streak to her brother-in-law that scared her. The kids had also kept their distance from him; her daughter especially. She had caught the way he looked at her daughter, with a predatory gleam in his eyes. She’d tried to call Mikey’s attention to it, but that was the first time her husband
had hit her.
So she’d warned her little girl instead and together they’d worked out a way to avoid him.
Somehow, she was grateful to the unknown lady who had taken him out.
And that brought her to her dilemma.
She picked up the basket and walked out of the laundry room. She needed to place each person’s clothes in their respective closets.
As she walked into her daughter’s room, she paused and felt her face lift in a smile. It was as bright and colorful as the inhabitant of the room. Maria was determined to keep it that way. No one was going to snuff out the joy in her daughter’s life the way they’d snuffed hers out.
She could not let that innocent woman lose her life simply because her husband would not see his monster of a brother for who he was. Taking a deep breath, she decided to pay a visit to her sister-in-law. Johnny’s wife would know what to do.
**
Slim stared at the man seated across from him in the visiting area. He had to admit, the guy had tener cajones, lots of balls.
They sat staring at each other in silence. He had nothing better to do, so he was willing to wait out the young man.
“You’re probably surprised to see me here,” he said.
Slim shrugged. “You walked into El Torero, nothing you do can surprise me.”
El Torero was his Spanish restaurant in Chicago. It was also where he planned all his operations from. Anyone who knew anything at all, knew that El Torero was in the heart of the Abrantes Dukes territory. It was not possible for an enemy to walk out of there alive. Yet this man had not only walked out, he’d threatened them too in the process.
Slim had not forgotten. But, he was a patient man.
The man grinned, but it didn’t last long. When it faded, his eyes were hard and cold. Slim almost bit back a sigh. The man would have made a great boss.
“We have a problem,” he said.
Slim laughed, “I think you might be the one with the problem.”
The man conceded the point with a nod. “You’re right, and I’ve come here to ask for your help.”
Slim could not help it, he lifted an eyebrow in surprise. It seemed the man might have learned some humility. He definitely wasn’t the cocky bastard that had marched into El Torero several months ago.
He knew what the problem was, of course. He’d had a visit from his wife just that day. Mikey, the hot-headed buffoon, had gone ahead and thwarted his order to bring Babe in to handle the woman.
Slim had no problem with doing his time. Hopefully, he would be out for parole soon. He fully intended to have his businesses rolling and functioning when he got out. He was not going to tolerate any mess ups.
So he raised one side of his mouth in a facsimile of a smile. “I’m listening.”
Ace stared at the man. Coming here, this way, had been a risk. For all he knew, there could be a marksman waiting for him as soon as he stepped out of the prison gates. But coming here had also been a last ditch effort to avoid a bloodbath.
“We need you to call Mikey to order. This thing is getting out of hand and it might lead to consequences neither of us want.” At this stage, he did not mind pleading.
“This has nothing to do with me,” Slim said.
Ace knew he was going to be difficult about this. He sighed.
“Look, your sister, Mikey’s wife? She’s not doing too good.”
He now had his attention.
“What does she have to do with this?”
“She reached out to the woman the other day. She’s feeling sorry for her, but beyond that, Mikey has been treating her like hell.”
“She told you that?”
“Not me. She spoke with Janey, that’s the woman Mikey’s trying to kill. She said Thomas tried to molest her daughter.”
The expression in Slim’s eyes changed. He leaned forward, concerned.
“Are you fucking with me?”
Ace sighed, “I really didn’t want to come here. God knows you scare me.”
The other man snorted. Ace ignored it.
“We can handle Mikey, you know we can. But if there’s a way to resolve this that doesn’t involve bloodshed, we’d rather take that path and I know you can help. Will you help us?”
Slim’s eyes narrowed. “I have no reason to help you.”
Ace nodded. “You’re right. But think of your sister. If this thing blows up, will she survive it?”
Slim laughed. “You don’t know Maria. She’s a tough bird.” He sat back and folded his arms. “I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do to help you.”
He didn’t sound sorry at all. In fact, he sounded damned glad. Ace sighed.
He’d known that this could go either way. He’d hoped that Slim would order Mikey to step down, but he didn’t seem of a mind to do any such thing. Ah well, it had been worth a shot.
“Alright then, guess we’ll go get ready for war,” he said.
“A man has the right to avenge the death of a family member,” Slim said with quiet intensity.
“I guess you’re right,” Ace said slowly.
He stood up to leave, not exactly satisfied with the outcome of the meeting. He’d known it was too much to expect, but he’d hoped that Slim would give his commitment to reining Mikey in. Well, he’d done his best. They were prepared to meet Mikey in battle and it was going to be ugly.
He turned to leave with a keen sense of disappointment.
“That woman, Janey…Maria talked to her?”
Slim’s quiet voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned back to the man.
“Yeah, they were on the phone for hours,” he said with a shrug.
“Hours, eh?”
“Yep.”
Slim nodded twice.
“Then you better make sure Mikey does not know where to find her, and he can find almost anybody.”
Ace smiled briefly, then walked out.
Slim watched the man walk out of the visiting area, then walked back to his cell. In a strange way, he liked the man. Ace. Would have made a damn good underboss. Too bad he’d chosen the other side.
He thought about his sister. He remembered vividly the day she’d snuck out for a party. As a teen, she had been a rebel. A delightful one. She’d been so full of life and sunshine that everyone just indulged her. Until the day she’d been raped. He remembered the look on her face after their father shot the man that was supposed to have kept her safe. His sister had changed after that day. She’d become withdrawn, quiet. It was almost like a flame had been snuffed out.
Over the years he’d tried to get her to talk. About anything. But she’d closed up. It was a constant source of frustration to his wife. Maria was still sweet and loving, but the color had been leeched out of her life.
But it seemed after several decades, she had finally found someone to open up to.
He took out his cellphone, the one the prison guards turned a blind eye to and placed a call.
“Babe, I’ve got a job for you.”
Chapter Thirty-three
Janey got off the phone with her sister and stood staring into the horizon. She’d been back in Broken Arrow less than two days, but it already felt different. Strange. She knew the problem was with her. She’d changed.
Broken Arrow no longer felt like home. It didn’t help that she no longer had a home, or a business for that matter. She glanced around at the cream and beige walls of the Bed and Breakfast they’d rented. Her siblings had offered her their home, but she’d declined.
She did not want them caught between the cross-fire. At that thought, she shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. She had no idea if she was still going to be alive at the end of the day.
Janey shrugged. She’d been living that way for the past three months, never sure of the next day. It was a tough way to live, but it also helped her appreciate her life more.
These days, she focused on the simple things and didn’t care so much about other people’s opinion of her. She was also learning to love and acc
ept herself. There were worst things in life than being Janey Moore.
Suddenly, she felt her spine tingle and smiled. Drew must have entered the room, although she’d been so deep in thought that she hadn’t heard the door open. And that was another thing…she felt safe enough to relax with the Silver Shield people around. Drew especially.
She felt him cross the room and stop behind her. Then he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. With a sigh, Janey relaxed and rested her head on him.
“Hi, baby,” Drew said, kissing her neck.
Janey felt goose bumps spring up on her skin. The way she reacted to this man still took her by surprise.
“Hey,” she murmured. She felt so content standing there in his arms.
“You okay?”
She shrugged. “It just feels so weird being back here again,” she admitted.
She felt him nod, then he rested his cheek on her head.
“Driving into my parents’ home felt the same way,” he said.
Janey turned in his arms and looked at him. She lifted a hand and traced the outline of his face. Her heart swelled with love for him.
“Are they okay?”
He smiled wryly. “Yeah. They were worried about you though.”
“They’re sweet,” she said with a smile.
“How is your sister?”
Janey felt her smile grow wider. She’d spoken with her sister twice already since she came to Broken Arrow and was excited to find that she was getting better.
“She’s doing okay,” she said. Then added, “Abe seems to be taking really good care of her.”
“Hmm…” He drew her closer and touched his forehead with hers. “I’m glad I have you all to myself.”
Janey’s arms went round his waist. She still couldn’t believe that this incredible man loved her, but she would take it. She was done with questioning her feelings or his.
Suddenly, Drew’s face clouded over. “What’s the matter, my love?” she asked.
He stilled and his eyes became intense. He leaned forward and captured her lips, closing the gap between them.
After a long and emotionally charged kiss, he lifted his head.
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