Step Bride: A Bad Boy Mob Roman(85)

I was probably fucked either way. There was no doubt in my mind that the cops would come down hard on Colm and the Mob. There was no way they didn’t notice the increased violence and strife; I was sure they had informants in our ranks, if not a few undercover people. All of that meant that when the heat came down, I was going to get thrown under the bus.

I cursed under my breath. That bastard Colm would probably get to take over my territory while I rotted in prison, or maybe he’d pass it on to one of his cronies.

Up the street, back the way I had just walked, I heard a dog bark. It startled me, and I glanced out around the corner. In the distance, I saw a young girl coming toward me, black dog pulling at the leash. I looked quickly away, not trying to linger too long on her. But I knew it was her, it had to be her. She matched the description even though I barely got a good look at her. Young, blond, walking a dog. I didn’t bother trying to get any more features; I didn’t want to see her, didn’t want to know for sure that I was about to kill a real person.

I reached back and slipped the gun from my pants and slowly checked it. Full clip, safety off. I held it behind my back, glancing around the area one more time to make sure that the coast was clear. I slipped farther back into the shadows, away from the sidewalk, and waited.

It felt like an hour before I heard her shoes banging on the concrete as she came down the steep hill. I gripped the gun harder, my hands beginning to shake. What if she saw me before she passed and got spooked? What if the dog attacked me? I shook my head, trying to get my shit together.

I had to be strong. I had to follow orders. I had to, for Richie’s sake, and for my people.

I stared down at the ground, at the dirt and pebbles, and watched an ant struggle across the uneven ground. The little black speck made its way toward my feet. I heard the girl descend into the underpass, heard the dog sniffing and walking ahead of her, but I kept my head down and blended into the shadows. I stared at the ant, praying the girl wouldn’t notice me, my hands shaking, sweat forming and dripping down my back. Silently, I kicked the small black speck away, but I didn’t crush it.

Once she was a few feet beyond me, I pushed away from the wall and walked up behind her, the gun gripped in my hands. I held it tight, maybe eight feet away, and stared at the back of her head. There was something strange, something familiar about it; I couldn’t figure it out, but I could have sworn I knew her. Trying not to think too much, I held the gun up, finger covering the trigger, hands shaking like mad, but it wouldn’t matter: I was too close to miss.

I had to pull the trigger.

Fuck, I had to kill her.

Otherwise, Richie was fucked.

My people were fucked.

Colm would burn everything I loved to the ground, and his people would spread the ashes across the city as a message to those that defied him.

As I tensed my finger, the dog suddenly looked back at me and started to bark.

“Petey, stop it,” the girl said and began to turn back.

My eyes went wide, terror springing into my chest. I didn’t think it was possible to feel more afraid, more broken and confused, but it was. Adrenaline spiked in my core, causing me to feel almost dizzy. Time slowed down, and I made my decision faster than I even knew possible. Before the girl could turn fully, I whipped the gun behind my back, out of sight.

As she faced me, I felt something break inside my chest. I felt something change forever, something shift in my world. I knew I wasn’t going to pull the trigger, and could never pull the trigger again for a man like Colm. I knew my life just got that much more dangerous.

I worked my jaw, trying to find words, eyes wide and heart racing.





Chapter Six: Ellie


“Liam? What are you doing down here?” I asked, laughing.

He looked as surprised as I felt, although he was sweating and a little pale. Still, he was as handsome as always, with a chiseled jaw and a certain presence about him. Petey barked some more, and I pulled softly at his leash.

“Stop, Petey, calm down,” I said, and he looked up at me.

Liam didn’t say anything. He looked like he was trying to formulate words, but nothing was coming out. Something felt weird about the whole situation, and I wondered what the hell he was doing down in an underpass with nobody else in sight. I hadn’t seen him as I was walking, which meant he must have been hiding somewhere out of sight, or maybe he had come from a path I hadn’t noticed. I stared at him quizzically.

“Liam?” I asked again, taking a step closer.

Suddenly his shocked and confused expression melted away, replaced by his large, cocky smile.

“What, are you following me or something?” he said.

I laughed. Petey barked again, and I kneeled down next to him and began to gently pet his shoulders, calming him. Liam did something with his right arm, maybe dropped something behind him, and then came a little closer.