I walk slowly, feeling more than a little like I’m walking into the waiting jaws of some beast. The other women are climbing into the cars when I hear a roar of engines revving in the distance. I look toward the road and see a small formation of black cars racing toward the house. Vince.
Frankie and the men by their cars all reach into their suits and into their waistbands, pulling pistols free and racking the chambers. My heart thuds in my chest and I take a hesitant step back. I yank Aria’s arm and drag her toward the porch of the Colonial while the men are distracted. We take cover behind one of the pillars and watch from relative safety as I see Vince step from the lead car, pulling a pistol from behind his back. He looks like a vengeful angel. Beautiful, dark, and deadly.
He walks straight passed the raised guns as if they can’t touch him. He comes within a few inches of Frankie. The rest of Vince’s men have all stepped out of their cars and have their guns trained on the men with Frankie. I feel like at any moment they could open fire. I think Vince’s men must know their women are in the cars though, and they couldn’t dare shoot toward the cars the men are using as cover without risking hitting their women. If this turns into a gunfight, Vince is going to die immediately and his men are either going to have to butcher their own wives or die. I bite my fingernails.
“The fuck is this, Frankie?” asks Vince, pushing his brother even though he’s holding a pistol. I cringe, expecting Frankie to raise the gun and shoot Vince for that.
“This is what had to happen. First you get Jackie killed, then you start taking reckless risks that could put our whole family under. You had to be stopped. And fuckin’ Pops was babying you. He never would have handed the reins over to me. If I wanted to make it, I was going to have to make my own way.”
Vince shakes his head. “You make me fuckin’ sick. I’m your family.” He shoves Frankie again. A few of Frankie’s men level their guns and take a step toward Vince in warning. “You fuckin’ cocksucker.”
“Careful,” says Frankie. “Even Vincent Citrione isn’t bulletproof.”
Vince just sneers. “That how you’re going to do me? Outnumbered, outgunned, betrayed? You going to be able to sleep at night if you pull that?”
Frankie cocks his pistol and raises it to Vince’s head. “I think I’ll manage.”
Police sirens catch everyone’s attention.
Vince swears. “Pigs first, then each other?” asks Vince.
Holy shit. Is Vince really going to try to fight the police? This could ruin everything. I have to get his attention. I take a deep breath and run out into the courtyard. “Vince!” I shout.
He turns, looking at me like I’m the only thing of interest in the world, even when a dozen guns are pointed at him and a swarm of police cars are closing in.
“Don’t fight the police. Trust me,” I say.
He furrows his brows for a moment, then nods.
“The fuck does that mean?” Frankie asks Vince.
“No idea,” says Vince. “But I trust my girl. Boys, put up your guns. Get out of here if you can.”
Vince’s men hesitate, but tuck their guns away and get in their cars. By the time the police arrive a minute later, Vince is the only one of his crew left. Police pour out of their cars, guns raised.
“Freeze!”
29
Vince
I brush off my sleeves when they give me my suit back from evidence. I always swore against ratting, but fuck it. The Anastasios deserve every fuckin’ thing that’s coming to them. I gave them everything I knew in exchange for immunity. Auribella is waiting for me outside and I pull her into a tight hug, kissing her neck and laughing. “You fuckin’ fox. I can’t believe you pulled that off.”
She pulls back, flashing her beautiful smile at me and laughing, cheeks burning red. I don’t think there’s anything I’d be happier in the world to see than her face right now. I kiss her, not giving a fuck that people are gawking at us as I practically maul her in public. I slide my hand over her tight ass and squeeze hard. She laughs into my mouth and surprises me by squeezing my ass in return. She’s hungry for it.
“Hungry?” I ask.
She gives me a confused look. “I didn’t realize they hadn’t fed you. I already ate…”
“I’m not hungry for food. I want to spread those beautiful legs of yours and lick your pussy until you scream my name.”
She blushes deeply and bites her lip. “Do you just say what’s on your mind without thinking?”
I think for a moment. “No. There are some other things I’m going to do to you, too. That’s just where I will start.”