“She was conscious when we were shooting. It doesn’t matter that we saved her. She could blab. She could sell us out.”
My father’s hands come down on my chest and then shoulders, shoving me into the seat in front of his desk. My breath is caught in my throat and adrenaline courses through my blood.
“That’s enough Jack!” He yells at Jack but his eyes are on me. I can feel them boring into me, but I’m not looking back at him. My eyes are shooting daggers at Jack. I fucking told him to shut his mouth. I don’t give a shit that he’s the under boss. Pops knows it. Jack’s days are numbered. I won’t allow it. I won’t allow anyone to keep breathing if they so much as think of touching my girl.
I shove my Pops away and sit back in my seat, crossing my arms. I can’t turn my face neutral. I look pissed cause I am pissed. But I’ll bide my time, I’ll wait. But I’m not going to let him live.
“You need to calm down Dom; just think this through.” My father’s voice is calm and even. My brows furrow and I glare at him. He can’t be fucking serious. A look of shock crosses his face, “Between you and Jack. Just calm down, think it through.”
My tense shoulders relax slightly. I nod my head. He means me fucking up Jack. Thank fuck. I don’t know what I would do if he was talking about my doll. I swallow thickly and spear my hands through my hair and then grip it while I lean back in my seat. I stare at the office ceiling.
I just can’t get the image of her hanging there out of my head. Her face is bruised. Her eye, her cheek. She obviously hit her head more than a few times trying to balance herself on the edge of that industrial, steel sink. But it’s more than that. The bruises, the blood, they really fucked her up. All because of me.
She’s in my bedroom. My old bedroom at my parent’s house. Just a few doors down. She hasn’t woken up yet and that scares the shit out of me. Her skin was ice cold and pale. When the doctor stripped her down I saw the stab wounds on her legs. They didn’t show any mercy. Tears prick at my eyes, but I will them down. It’s all because of me. Cause I couldn’t keep my dick in my pants.
Jax is down stairs playing with Gino. I’m glad the two of them hit it off. Jimmy brought some remote controlled monster trucks over and the two of them are crashing them into each other. He keeps asking for her though, looking around all worried. Ma’s got it taken care of though. I’m sure as hell not letting him see her like that. I don’t want to scare him. I have to protect the little guy as best I can. Luckily Paulie’s the only one those fuckers managed to hit and it was only his leg. Doc took care of that with a quick stitch. A few days off and some whiskey will have Paulie good as new.
“What you need to be worrying about is De Luca and his gang.” Pop’s voice rings out through the office.
They fucking got away. They were waiting, ready to ambush. But they didn’t expect the numbers. They fled like the cowards they are. We got one. But you can’t question a dead body. We know their territory though. We know where they hang out. It’s fucking over.
“If I’d been there I would’ve told you guys to split.” Jack decides to chime in again. Silence greets him. He’s not the boss. He knows it and so does Pop’s. But for some reason, my father lets him get away with that shit. “Someone always needs to be outside.”
“If we’d split, they wouldn’t have run. But, we wouldn’t have had the numbers.” I finally look back at him. “I made that call, and I’m fucking good with it.” I sit forward in my seat. “Pop’s was there,” I look at my father, “if he wasn’t good with it, he would’ve said so.” My father sits back and nods once in agreement. “If we’re going to go in for the kill, it’ll be on our terms. We were only there to get Becca. Nothing else.”
Pops squeezes my shoulder and walks around to sit at his desk. He sinks into the wingback chair and then clasps his hands and rests his elbows on the mahogany desk. His fingers steeple and rest at his lips. “We had to lay low because of you Jack. We don’t now.”
I shake my head. “I’m not ready. I’m not going anywhere until I know she’s alright.”
“Since when do you come on hits Dom?” It’s not a question. Well that’s not quite the question he’s asking anyway. He knows there’s no way I’m not going after them. But I never have before. I don’t work the streets. I have my own business. I’m only in this family because he runs it. I have my bookie business and that’s good enough for me. I work the familia’s books and that keeps me in, but that’s it.