August
“You shouldn’t be here, August,” Angelo said under his breath as he walked with me down the hospital corridor.
“Like hell I shouldn’t.” I stormed down the hall, pushing past anyone who attempted to get in my way.
“You know it’s only a matter of time before they’re going to try and arrest you again.”
I laughed, touching my gun for effect. “As if I give a shit.” I noticed a nurse and nearly accosted her as I grabbed her arm. “Sasha Morales. What is going on? Where is she?”
The woman sputtered then shook her head. “In surgery from internal injuries, but she’s alive. That’s all I know.”
“Where?” I barked.
“You can’t see her, sir. You’re going to have to wait.” She managed to jerk out of my hold, racing down the hallway.
“Calm down, August. Bruno is in his room. Talk to him.”
I ran my fingers through my hair, calming my breathing. “What do we have on the accident?”
“Nothing right now. The SUV was broadsided somewhere just after nine. There are no cameras at the intersection and nobody saw anything.”
Which meant no one was willing to talk. “Where’s the SUV?”
“Impound lot.”
“You gotta clean it out. Bring whatever is inside to me. Where is Bruno?”
Angelo pointed to the end of the hall. “Jo-Jo’s already doing that, but Bruno keeps a clean car.”
“That might be true, but there’s a reason he took Sasha out at night.” I had no guesses what that could be, and it was just another troubling issue. “I don’t care what stones you have to turn, find out who is responsible for the wreck. And when you do, hold the asshole for me and no one else. Am I clear?”
“I hear you, Dom. One way or the other we will find out.”
As I neared the door, I hesitated. I’d been the one to place both Bruno’s and Sasha’s lives in danger because of my need to take down a man who had no care for his own daughter. The thought was revolting. All I wanted to do was spend time with Sasha. The fact she was still in surgery with internal injuries refueled my need for vengeance. I only hoped that Bruno could shed some light.
When I walked in, I was relieved that he appeared to be resting without any breathing tubes. His arm was in a cast, but other than severe bruising, I could see no outward signs of trauma. I inched closer, studying the heart monitor. The man looked like he’d been beaten to shit.
“The vehicle is a total loss. From what I heard, they’re lucky to be alive.” Angelo’s voice sounded hollow.
“The bastard is going to die. I don’t care who he is. What did the cops say?”
“Not much. They’re taking measurements and shit.”
Hissing, I touched Bruno’s arm, expecting him to flinch. There was no response. “Go do what you need to do. I’ll sit with him.” I’d taken one of my father’s cars, only providing an update of Dick’s information before heading to the hospital. At least Margaret was safe, but by now, Drummand was well aware of her disappearance.
The battle was in full swing.
“I’ll do what I can, boss.”
I turned my head, gazing into his eyes. “Have someone find the district attorney. Lock him down.”
“You’re sure you want to do that?”
“Oh, I’m positive.”
Angelo gave me a wary nod before leaving. He was well aware I was on the edge. I yanked a chair closer, sitting down and trying to put the pieces together. What could all three powerful and respected men be hiding that was heinous? What could be large enough to expand across the country? Drugs? Maybe. Blackmail? Possibly. My thoughts shifted to the pictures of the young girls. It was a thought but finding evidence would be difficult. Something like that would need to be kept very secret, anyone finding out a damn noose around their neck.
I wasn’t a praying man. My Catholic upbringing meant little to me given my occupation, but I prayed for two people I cared about, hoping that if there was a God, he would hear me. How ironic that someone like Sasha had changed my entire world in just a few days.
I sat listening to his breathing, taking stock of my life. I’d said more than once that I wasn’t a good man, dangerous and incapable of loving anyone. I’d lied to myself more than anything. Sasha’s love meant more than anything to me. More than the money. More than the clout.
And certainly more than being involved with a powerful family.
I had damning suspicions about my father and if I was right, tough decisions would need to be made. At this moment, I couldn’t care less.
“Mmm…”
The sound drew my attention. Lifting my head, I could tell that Bruno was struggling to awaken. I gripped his hand, crouching over him. “Hey, buddy. You gave us all a scare.”
Bruno gripped my hand with more strength than I thought was possible and slowly turned his head, his eyes opening. “Boss. I’m sorry.” While his voice was cracked, the words slightly slurred, his brow furrowed, obviously anticipating my anger.
“You didn’t do shit, Bruno. Some assholes just knew how to find you.”
“Yeah.” He sniffed and allowed his gaze to scan the room. “Is she…”
“In surgery.”
“Came… out of… nowhere.”
“A car,” I said, nodding.
“I only saw headlights.” He blinked several times. “No. A dark SUV.”
“Like yours?”
He nodded once, groaning as he shifted.
“Don’t try and move. Do you remember anything else?”
“A voice. Male. I could swear I recognized it, but everything was a blur. Hissing sounds.”
“Why were you out?”
Once again, his face clouded. “Sasha needed to…” Coughing, he struggled to cover his mouth. The monitors beeped, his heartrate increasing.
“Just calm down.” I grabbed the pitcher of water, pouring a small amount. As I held the straw to his lips, I could see such remorse in the man’s eyes. All my soldiers and capos were on edge the majority of the time, the wrath of myself and my father always weighing heavily on their minds.
Bruno took several sips, finally waving the cup away. “A box. You have to get the box.”
“What box?”
“Secrets. She said they were secrets from her mother.”
What the hell? The look on her face after the press conference. “Where did you go?”
“UPS store.”
“And what about the contents?”
He shook his head slightly. “She never… opened it but I know it was important. She said… to… you.” Coughing again, his blood pressure had increased to the point of danger. I knew the nurses would arrive soon enough.
“I’ll take care of it from here, my friend. Just get better. We’ll talk later.”
“Boss. She loves you.” He tried to smile then his eyes closed.