Robbie
I am getting too old to be fucking Dina in the positions I want her in, but that’s not going to stop me. My back aches slightly as I stir. I don’t know what annoying sound is pulling me from my deep sleep, but it makes me angry. I open my eyes. I’m spooning Dina, naked, and we’re lying away from where most of the wet spots are.
By the looks of it, I dehydrated the poor woman.
I realize it’s my phone going, and I extract myself from her and grab
it.
“What?” I snap, but as quietly as I can.
I hear shouting and chaos in the background as my brother Daniel’s calm voice comes over the speaker, “Get to the pub, now. I need you,
Aiden, and Callum.”
I get out of bed and hang up because I don’t need to be told twice. I’m not going to disturb Dina. I throw on jeans, socks, work boots, and a white vest. I grab the shotgun from my closet and leave the room, sparing just a moment to look at my sleeping goddess.
I could wake her and tell her where I’m going, but she’ll probably insist on going with me, and I can’t place her in that kind of danger. No, I will give my life to protect her.
As soon as I’m outside on the street, I can hear the noise at the pub. I march over there, shotgun in hand. I glance to my right as Jarryd falls into step with me, a machete in each hand.
We don’t take threats to our brothers lightly. Even my wee softhands baby brother will defend us to the death.
When I walk in, I pause. Ronan and Daniel are behind the counter, and most of our men are pressing around, shouting at Ronan. They accuse him of betraying them. They shout that he has sided with the enemy and now that enemy is killing them. That he does nothing while they die. That he isn’t fit to lead. Someone raises a baseball bat, and I raise my shotgun, shooting a hole into the ceiling.
“For fucks sake, Robbie, I’ve just had that fixed,” Ronan grumbles and the air feels less tense.
Everyone’s eyes are on me. “Ronan not loyal to ya? Is that what you think? Ronan has spent his entire life, every decision, and every cent on this family of which he counts each of you. When you fall, he weeps as though he’s lost his own brother. He’s always chosen us, and he always will. Times are fucking changing, and sometimes you have to play a defensive move to advance. Everything he has chosen is in the interest of this family without a thought of himself. He doesn’t hide in some rich, high-walled estate like the other families. He’s here, living with us. You stand here and accuse my brother of betraying his family when only last night you sat here while he blessed the food he had made for you. He feeds you, clothes you, looks after your families.”
I can see a lot of regret among the faces looking at me; some still angry, but a lot are coming to their senses and losing the mob mentality.
“Ronan is furious for all fallen brothers and their families. He hurts for them. He knows they were there because they served the family as we all do. We all take care of each other, but don’t you for one fucking minute think Ronan won’t find the cunts that did this. They will not have a quick death. Ronan will show them the might of the Irish and teach our new
partners what torture actually looks like.”
I look around, and a few of the men are still grumbling. I don’t give a fuck. “I’ve spent all week looking into who it can be, who is attacking us. It’s not just us lads. It’s men from each of the families. Someone is doing this, and you know I’ll find them, and when I do, they will fucking pay. They will pay over and over, a hundred times, for every life of our family they’ve taken from us.”
A silence hangs in the air before one of the lads in the front turns to
Ronan. “Sorry, Ronan. We was just upset, we was.”
Ronan nods. “Aye, it’s fine, lads. These things happen, and we must communicate as a family. Go home, spend some time with your wives and children, and if you don’t have a wife, go find one. We’ll sort this out in a jiff.”
The men grumble their apologies as they file out and mumble to me that they trust me to be true to my word.
I nod, standing there with my shotgun in the crook of my arm.
Jarryd lights a cigarette, passes it to me, and I take a deep drag.
“You could have been president,” my baby brother says once everyone is out of earshot.
“He could have, but thank God he isn’t,” Daniel says, removing his hand from inside his jacket, where he no doubt has a gun.
Ronan sighs, crossing his arms. He leans back and looks at me. “I’m surprised the shouting didn’t rouse you from your sleep, and Daniel had to call. Where are Aiden and Callum?”
I look around. “Sorry, I thought Daniel would call them to get them down here. I didn’t think to call them. I was on a mission.”
“A mission for Freedom. What are you, William Wallace?” Jarryd jokes.
“Call me a Scotsman’s name again, and this shotgun is going up your ass,” I growl, and my baby brother shifts to move closer to my other brothers.
Daniel looks at me. “When should I have called them? I barely had time to call you, you little shit. Late night?”
“Work.” I don’t elaborate; thankfully, Daniel and Jarryd take the hint. Ronan, on the other hand, gives me a strange look and tilts his head.
Fuck, he knew I was going to speak to Dina. I clear my throat and stand straight. “I should go get showered and changed for work. I’ve got a lot to do today.”
I turn to the door as it opens and see my best friend standing there. Aiden looks pale and is holding his hand over his stomach, blood seeping down his front.
It’s as though time freezes. It feels like we’re standing still for hours, but it’s probably a second or two before Aiden starts to fall forward.
I drop my gun and sink to my knees to catch him before his head hits the ground. I look into his eyes. “It’s okay. We’re going to get you to the hospital.”
His eyes search mine desperately. “Italians.”
He breathes the word before his eyes close. We scramble to get him to a car, and the four of us race with him to the hospital. We get him onto a gurney and rush in after the doctors, who take him straight for surgery.
I pace up and down until Ronan grabs me by the arm and forces me to sit down. Daniel is speaking with the doctors who are friends of his so they don’t call the police. I can smell Aiden’s blood on me, and I’m worried. He may have seen who the traitor was. He could tell us who did this, if nothing else. But most of all, I hope my best friend survives.
I take out my phone, unable to sit still. I need to check on Dina and let her know what’s happening.
Her phone rings, and I frown until she picks up, her voice calm and cool, “Robbie.”
“Dina. Aiden’s been attacked. Whoever is doing this is close to the family, which means we have a huge problem.”
I hear the click of a gun in the background of the call as she says,
“Yes, we do.”
The phone line goes dead, and I take off.
Dinara
I hang up, drop the phone onto the bed beside me, and turn to look at the end of the gun Callum is pointing at me. The sheet is pulled over my naked body and tucked under my arms. He snuck into the apartment while I was asleep, and this is what I woke up to.
He let me answer that call from Robbie because it was a power move. He is toying with Robbie and me.
“I knew he’d fuck you,” Callum laughs a little manically. “I knew he was obsessed with you. You’re going to be the downfall of the Irish, and I won’t let that happen. God, Robbie is so predictable. I can guess his every move.”
“This isn’t what you think, Callum.” I keep my voice calm so as not to startle him. “I’m not here to betray the Quinn family.”
“The Quinn family has already betrayed us by siding with our sworn enemies. Our families are meant to be at war. It’s the natural order of things. This getting along and existing peacefully should never have happened, and families outside New York have noticed. It’s only a matter of time before New York belongs to my new partners. Then, we will move on to the territories outside New York and own the states. From east to west, north to south. We will be unstoppable.”
I shake my head. “It’s the natural order of things, but you’re siding with Italians anyway. Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?”
Callum glares at me, his rage rolling over me like six-foot waves.
His face goes red as he speaks again, “You can’t win a fight without an arm. We’re not fucking each other. We’re just business partners. When this is over, the men will be loyal to me, and I will overthrow these little assholes just as easily as I’m going to overthrow Ronan Quinn and his pussy brothers.”
Painstakingly slowly, my hand slides inch by inch toward Robbie’s pillow as I hold Callum’s attention. “His brothers are much more formidable than you make them out to be. You may want to reconsider your position.”
“Never! Ronan sold us out. My partners and I are going to make quick work of him and any man who stands beside him no matter how long I’ve known them or how we’re related.”
My hand is almost to the pillow when Callum looks around. “The family we’ve temporarily partnered with will make quick work of the Sorvino, Volkov, and Quinn coalition. When the dust settles, there will be a new head of family.”
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Callum. When the heads of the families find out about this, you’ll be tortured and killed along with the Baldocchi family members who have dared to defy them. You seem to think they’re weak, but they’re not. They’re stronger than ever.” My hand slowly slides under the pillow. I’m praying his gun is still there where he keeps it, and he didn’t take it with him.
Callum laughs and shakes his head. “This isn’t a game to me, Russian. This means everything. I have given up everything to see this happen.”
Callum tilts his head to the side and sighs, and at the same time, my fingers find Robbie’s handgun. I feel the safety is off and wrap my hand in position as Callum speaks again. “I’m going to enjoy watching Robbie grieve for you. I do love watching him suffer.”
“I would say the same, but once he learns you’re a traitor, I don’t think he’ll care you’re dead.”
Callum knits his eyebrows together, confused, and I whip the gun out and shoot him in the chest. Reflexively, he pulls his trigger, catching me in the arm.
I yelp as he falls to the floor. I look at him, a trickle of blood coming out of his mouth as he gasps. I keep the sheet tightly wrapped around me and get up, kicking his gun away. I pick up my phone and text Robbie.
Stay where you are. I’m good.
Problem sorted.
Chat later.
D
I throw my phone back onto the bed and kneel by Callum’s head. I lift his head and put it in my lap. “Callum, is anyone else working with you?”
He looks up at me. I can see the life ebbing from his eyes. He smirks, and I reach over and press my finger into the hole in his chest. He coughs and splutters, trying to cry out in pain. I look down at him coolly. “Is there anyone else working with you?”
“He’ll betray you, just like he betrayed us.” I can barely hear him before he lets out a last breath. His dead eyes stare at the ceiling, and I drop his head unceremoniously to the floor.
The pain in my arm intensifies, and I check the wound in the mirror. That bullet is firmly in my arm, and I will have to go to the hospital to have it checked out.
With some difficulty, I find some clothes that will fit, and I get dressed. Hopefully, nobody recognizes Robbie’s clothes. We need to be more careful about keeping our secret, now more than ever.
I take my phone, order an Uber, and go outside to wait for them. I don’t want to draw too much attention to myself, so I have Robbie’s hoody on, just without my arm in the sleeve. I get in the cab and order him to take me to the hospital as fast as possible; I’ve already tipped him a thousand dollars.
The guy checks his phone for a second and then takes off. I’m pleased he isn’t an idiot.
We are at the hospital in record time, and as I get out, I see Robbie outside having a cigarette. I walk toward the entrance, but he spots me and walks toward me. I shake my head and veer behind a hidden section.
“What happened?” he asks loudly.
“Keep your voice down,” I say sternly, and he frowns. “You can’t show concern. You can’t worry. You can’t act like we’re together or interested in each other. I’ll explain another time. Act like you’re mildly curious at best if you see me inside.”
Without another word, I turn to leave, and he gently takes my good hand. “Just tell me who the fuck it was.”
“Callum,” I say quietly. “And he’s dead.”
I walk away from him toward the ER, not looking back, although I know Robbie is probably aching to come after me.