Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74035 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74035 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Nearly silent, we all prepare. Reinforced metal bars on the windows go up. About a month ago, Romeo installed a privacy gate at the entrance after we’d been under attack. He says he feels safer with them up now that there are babies we have to protect.
The front door opens and Orlando strides in, looking ready to kill.
I watch as the large, wrought iron gate clicks into place and armed guards take their places. The more I watch, the angrier I grow. I scowl out the window and turn to Romeo.
“So we hide. Wait to be ambushed.” I clench my teeth and remind myself that I’m talking to my Don and disrespect isn’t tolerated. I want to grab him by the shirt and shake him until his teeth rattle.
Vivia’s out there.
Romeo looks at me sharply. Guess I didn’t hide that anger very well.
“No. We don’t hide,” he says, his own voice tight. “We protect the women and children and our home when we’re attacked. What would you have us do instead, brother?”
“Keep your guard at the gate,” I tell him. “Keep those security measures in place. Then you take your inner circle, your best gunmen, the bravest men you have and you fucking ride out to meet them. Meet them head on. Don’t even let them come within shooting distance of this fucking fortress.”
Mario slow claps from behind me, meeting Romeo’s gaze and not looking at me at all. Tavi blows out a breath and threads his fingers through his hair. He’s got a family of his own here. Santo jerks his chin at me.
“He’s right. And you know he’s a good shot, Rome.”
“Good shot?” Orlando mutters. “Best fuckin’ shot we’ve got.”
Romeo spins around and faces me. “You want to leave here because you think Vivia’s out there.”
“I don’t think, brother,” I say quietly. “Is she here? No. Then I know she’s out there somewhere.”
“Would you think differently if she were here?” he asks.
I think it over and shake my head. “No. No, I would not. I would want to ride out and ambush them. I wouldn’t want them to get anywhere near The Castle so I don’t have to worry about so much as a stray bullet whizzing by these walls or my kids or my wife seeing something they don’t need to see.”
“And if we head out, miss our mark, and they circumvent and come here? We’ve left our home unprotected.”
“We do not miss our mark.”
Romeo’s eyebrows shoot upward and he nods slowly.
“Pull a team,” he says to Orlando. “Take Dario in the lead. Sergio. Take our best guards and most efficient defense, so Santo and Mario go, too. Orlando, you stay here and call in what you hear to us.”
Orlando’s jaw tightens but he nods.
“Someone’s gotta stay here,” Romeo explains quietly, but I know him better than that. He’s making Sergio leave and keeping Orlando here in case Vivia’s got anything to do with this attack. If she does, he doesn’t trust Sergio.
Adrenaline pumps through my veins when I gear up to go out. “Where are they?” There are a few routes someone could take to get to The Castle in Gloucester from Orlando’s North End business.
“Not sure.”
“Let’s start there.” I jerk my chin at Mario. “You could probably find them in seconds.”
He shrugs. “A minute, anyway.”
“Go. Do it,” Romeo snaps. Mario runs to the office at the back of the main floor where he keeps his surveillance equipment and gear. We know we need to at least head south, and if Orlando’s already made it back from the restaurant, they’re not far behind him.
But I can’t keep my mind off of her.
Vivia… where is Vivia?
Are you alright?
Are you safe?
I tell myself she left to save herself. It was the only choice she had. But it doesn’t mean I don’t think of her with every minute of the day that passes.
I may never see her again, and I have to be okay with that. I only had her for a short time. And in that space of time, she grew and sprouted wings, and flew away as she was meant to from the beginning.
Our phones all ding at the same time.
Mario: located them. Three armored black SUVs ten minutes out.
Another text follows of a picture of a map with a crudely drawn arrow. Fuck. That’s more than I expected, and they’re right up the street.
Who the hell are they?
I hear a soft chuckling sound beside me and look over to see Santo grinning. I always thought that motherfucker was a psychopath.
“Alright, dude, what the fuck’s so funny?”
“They’re coming at us with armored SUVs,” he says, still laughing. “That particular model’s easier to tip than just about any other car on wheels out there. Not only that, you have any fuckin’ idea how much bigger ours are?”
I give him a curious look. Last I heard, Santo and Mario worked with race cars.