Chapter 5

Chapter Five

B rogan watched Enrico stumble out of the bar. He turned and laughed with the bouncer for a moment before handing over his drink. He stumbled down the sidewalk towards his car.

My lips parted as a thought struck me. I thought Brogan didn’t have a car.

Then, he pulled out into light traffic. We came near Enrico while he fumbled with his key fob. It was just a little twitched of the wheel. Brogan checked to make sure no one else would be hurt, and the cops weren’t there before running right over Enrico.

The SUV bounced as the loud mouth blow hard crunched under the tires.

Brogan didn’t speed. When I asked him why he wasn’t getting the fuck out of there, he said never to break two laws at once.

We parked on a side street with our masks on and strolled back the way we’d come. We split up and met at his motorcycle. I swung up behind him and set my hand between his legs.

Brogan didn’t resist. He put his own helmet on and started it up. We drove straight to my house. My stomach dropped when I saw Vincenzo’s car .

He must’ve heard the motorcycle. Vincenzo stood on the front porch and glared at Brogan. He glanced to me.

“Let’s not make this messy.”

His nostrils flared. “Aureliu said you were acting different around him. I didn’t want to believe you’d do this to me.”

“I’m sorry, Vincenzo. It started. Before we closed it. This was only the second time.”

He scoffed as he started down the stairs. I wriggled off the engagement ring and held it out on my palm.

“Don’t try coming back to me when you realize he’s going nowhere.”

I sighed as he plucked the ring away and kept walking. His car started and peeled away. Brogan took my hand and encouraged me up the stairs.

“We need sleep.”

I didn’t go into work with him. I’d crack under Tristan’s questions and I was aware that my facial expressions came with subtitles. No part of me was ready to discuss Brogan.

But I was ready when he got home from work and I shared my plan to end the life of Paolo “The Jackal”.

Brogan agreed to do it my way, but he came with me. We wore balaclavas in all black. The heat of my hand warmed the gun. Brogan rubbed my shoulders and kissed my neck. I wouldn’t be the distraction he feared. I gently pulled away and focused on the nightclub.

The bass from the music rumbled over the street. There was a short line to get inside with a no-necked bouncer guarding the door. Purple velvet ropes kept the small crowd in line.

Paolo liked nice things, so he had a flashy car. He was also cheap, so he parked behind a building in the alley across the way.

Paolo staggered out of the club with the top three buttons of his black shirt unbuttoned. He shook his short, shaggy hair out of his hard, handsome face. Two women in short dresses and platform heels stumbled out after him.

“Tell the women to run,” Brogan murmured in my ear. “You can change your mind.”

Paolo grabbed the back of one girl and dragged her closer while her friend laughed. A shiver ran down my spine as I felt Paolo’s hand on my neck — forcing me down.

“Halaesa?”

“I’ve got this,” I said as I rushed forward.

I kept my hood up as I stuck close to the buildings. I caught my reflection in a storefront and scowled. I looked like a ninja.

I reached the alley and reversed a step as Paolo mauled one of the women and the other checked his pockets for his keys.

My feet moved quickly. I didn’t give it a second thought. If my choices were between killing him and having him touch me one more time, I’d kill him twice.

The gun caught in my pocket. The nuzzle wouldn’t yank from the fabric. One of the women saw me coming and gasped. Paolo’s head shot up. His eyes found me wrestling with my hoodie and he lunged.

The retreating heels of the women echoed away as my lungs emptied with a grunt. Paolo fell on me with his hands on the gun. He was going to wrestle it away and shoot me in the stomach. I’d die a slow and painful death.

Paolo’s eyes went wide as he was lifted off me. A similarly dressed ninja point his gun at Paolo and hit him point blank. Paolo crumpled. I caught my breath on the asphalt. Brogan grabbed my shoulder and forced me upright.

“We need to go now,” he said.

My mind remained dazed as I took in my grand fumble. I typically stayed away from self-pity. It followed me all the way home throughout Brogan’s reassuring thigh squeezes.

“Halaesa?” Cabbrieli called.

My heart leapt as I was blindsided. Cabbrieli walked into the foyer and came up short.

“Hey,” my brother nodded to Brogan.

“Tim O’Conner. I’m the new chef at Rigoletto .” Brogan held out his hand.

Cabbrieli shook it. “Cabbrieli.” His eyes darted to mine. “Vinnie said you ended your engagement. He was causing a scene at Ten Shots’s.”

Only four remained. Mansueto would be next. I’d talk to Brogan about it as soon as we got away from Cabbrieli.

“Nothing happened. I lost feelings,” I explained.

Cabbrieli eyed Brogan again and then darted his eyes to me. “Convenient timing.” He sighed. “I’m on orders to lay low. You should, too. Rif, Gian, and Little 9 were killed in different ways in one single week. This week it’s Enrico and The Jackal. No one is taking credit.”

“I’ll stay home for a few days.”

Cabbrieli’s posture relaxed. “I appreciate it, Halaesa.” He cupped the back of my head and kissed my brow before walking away.

Brogan followed me into my bedroom. I undressed in the closet and chose a tank top with my underwear. Brogan chose his boxer briefs.

We laid in one another’s arms with his fingers running up and down my spine.

“The Jackal hurt my sister before he killed her. They were both just kids,” he whispered. “I know I’m not coming back from this because I have no regrets over ending his life.”

“Assuming I do?” I scoffed. “I might even vandalize his grave.”

He stroked my hair. “We’ll see how you feel once you get everything you want.”

“What did I tell you?” Vincenzo said to me in a dead sleep.

“What are we doing in here?” Aureliu argued. “She dumped you. That’s the chef from Rigoletto. Have some respect for yourself.”

My eyes snapped open. Brogan stared at the side of my face. We both wondered where the nearest gun could be.

I twisted away and held the sheet to my chest. “Get out of my bedroom! This is low.” I glared at Vincenzo. “I don’t want you so you try to force me?”

Vincenzo’s face contorted. “They didn’t believe me!” He gestured wildly at the few men gathered.

Cabbrieli walked into the room with his gun drawn and my stomach dropped. Instead of siding with me, he stood beside Sergio. Mansueto was next, then Severino, and Eufrasia. Aureliu stood beside Vincenzo, looking like eh wanted to slap him around.

Severino’s drooping eyes roamed over Brogan’s face. Brogan sat up beside me looking wary.

“Where were you last night, Halaesa?” Severino asked. “Paolo was murdered. What do you know about it?” he demanded.

“We went out for dinner and came home. Check my bank account. I paid for dinner,” I lied. As soon as they left we’d leave the state. I’d have to convince Cabbrieli.

“And yesterday?” Mansueto slyly asked.

“Here.” I shook my head. “You and I made a deal.” I looked to Severino.

“That was before my men started dying,” he argued. “You get a new chef and the men I trust most are dropping like flies. You’ll talk because you won’t like what’ll happen if you don’t.”

A cold sweat burst on my face as I looked to Cabbrieli. His brow furrowed and he met my eyes. He still had his gun in his hand.

It happened in a blink. Brogan dove off the bed to the wall while hooking his arms around me, so I went soaring with him. Several loud pops exploded .

The smell of gun powder lingered as Brogan slowly lifted from my back. He’d rolled us to the far side while the bed was shot to pieces. Feathers and cotton floated around them. Cabbrieli raised his hands, as did Aureliu.

Through the falling debris, Agent Seli rushed into my bedroom with a half dozen other agents. It took my mind several seconds to catch up to what I was witnessing. She helped me to my feet and looked me over while others checked pulses and disarmed my brother and Aureliu as dust floated through the air thick with death.

“Help!” Vinnie shouted from the floor. “Someone shot me!”

“They were going to kill her,” Aureliu said point blank.

Agent Seli sighed and ran her eyes over my face. “We heard.” She brought over my robe. “You look alright.”

“I’m fine,” I rasped as I put on the robe.

“No, you’re not.”

Brogan kept the sheet wrapped around his waist as he stood. I moved beside him and hugged his middle. He patted my back.

Agent Seli went to Aureliu, and he unbuttoned his shirt. He averted his gaze from Cabbrieli when he took out a microphone button.

“If he hadn’t come forward, we never would’ve had audio in here. We never would’ve started today if he had waited.” Agent Seli patted his arm. “Taking out someone as high as Severino comes with consequences. We’ll be in touch.”