I laughed. “Sorry to hear it. I guess they won’t get a baby announcement.”
“Probably not. I think that would kill my dad.”
“Are they religious?”
“I guess so. They’re just old fashioned, really. My dad thinks I should have become a nurse or a vet or something like that.”
“Then he’d love it if you became my stay-at-home mob wife.”
She cracked a smile. “Yeah. Maybe.”
“You can raise the kids. Do yoga all day.”
“Sounds nice.”
“You’d love it. I’ll go crack skulls, you stay home and change diapers.”
“Great. We’d make an amazing team.”
“Raising babies and kicking ass.”
She laughed as I slowly came up toward her building. Instead of parking, I cruised slowly past.
She cocked her head, confused. “That was my building back there.”
“I know,” I murmured.
There were two thugs standing near the front entrance, two guys I recognized. Both of them were Ernesto’s boys.
What the fuck were they doing? He was supposed to stay away from Cassidy for the time being. He had no reason to post guys right outside her apartment building.
Unless he was going against orders.
I went around the block and parked a few buildings down from her place.
“Stay here,” I said.
“Why?”
“I have to do something.” I looked at her seriously. “Just stay here.”
She nodded. “Okay. Fine.”
I got out of the car and shut the door. I strode over toward her apartment building, fingering the gun I had tucked into my waistband. I didn’t know what these guys wanted, but I wasn’t messing around.
They didn’t see me coming. The first one was named Leo, and he had his back turned to me. He was thin with curly dark hair. The other guy was Ollie, and he was too busy talking into his cell phone to see me.
I went right up to Leo and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned, his face angry. Ollie looked up and gaped as I punched Leo in the nose, sending him sprawling.
I felt bone break as Leo toppled to the ground. Blood spurted from his wound. Ollie dropped his phone and came at me, roaring like an idiot. I easily stepped back and dropped an elbow into the back of his neck, sending him straight to the ground.
Leo was back on his feet, and he was pissed. He threw a few punches at me, but I danced away, grinning to myself. My heart was pounding, and I was loving this shit. People on the other side of the street were staring, but that didn’t matter to me.
The only thing for me right in that moment was the fight. I fucking lived for the fight.
Leo came at me hard, and I blocked his right hook. I stepped close to him and dropped my shoulder, pivoting my hips. Using his momentum, I threw him over my hip.
I grunted as Ollie tackled me from behind. I hit the ground hard and saw stars for a second before managing to roll onto my back. Ollie reared to hit me, but I was too fast. I slammed my elbow into the side of his face. I twisted again, shoving him off me, and scrambled to my feet.
Leo came at me, yelling. This time, I was going to end it. He punched at me wildly, and I easily dodged him. I caught his right wrist and pulled him close to me. Then I slammed my forehead into his nose. He grunted, and I did it again and again until he fell to the ground, unconscious.
I could feel a smear of blood on my face, but I didn’t care. Ollie backed off, his eyes wide with terror. I walked calmly up to him and punched him three times in the face until he finally dropped to the ground, groaning and bleeding.
I spit next to him. “Tell your boss to fuck off, or else I’ll do worse.”
“Fuck you, Rafa.”
“Get your fucking friend out of here.”
Ollie slowly got to his feed, unsteady. He managed to revive Leo, and both men limped off as I headed back toward the car.
Cassidy was staring at me as I approached.
“What?” I asked her.
She climbed out of the car. “You have blood on your face.”
“Oh.” I took a handkerchief from my pocket and wiped it off. “Better?”
“No. And what the fuck was that?”
“Those were Ernesto’s men. I suspect they were here to harm you.”
“You suspect?”
“I don’t take chances.”
She gaped at me. “That was scary, Rafa.”
“You’re fine now.” I tossed the handkerchief aside. I didn’t even know why I carried one. I guess it felt right to have one when I was wearing a suit. “Come on. Let’s go.”
“Okay,” she said softly, and followed me toward the building.
The crowd had dispersed already. I didn’t know if someone had called the cops or what, so I was in a hurry to get inside. It was a bad idea to be standing out on the sidewalk when the cops showed up after a fight.