Salvatore ran his fingers through his hair.
“She needs time. We’ll help her any way we can,” Finn added.
“It’s not enough, and you know it,” Salvatore whispered and then looked around them. Finn did the same.
“We’ll spend more time with her,” Finn whispered.
“I like her. A lot,” Salvatore told him.
Finn looked at his brother and held his gaze. “Then you picked a hell of a time to decide to date again, or get involved romantically with another woman. Especially one as young and inexperienced as Missy Ann seems to be. Hell, Salvatore, she was abducted, beaten, and nearly raped. Ten more seconds.”
Finn stopped and placed his hands on his hips. He bit the inside of his cheek. He would never forget that day, nor would he forget the sounds of Missy Ann’s desperate screams for help. They were nearly too late and he didn’t think twice when he pulled that son of a bitch off of her and Salvatore reached for the other. They drew guns and started to shoot and he killed one and Salvatore the other. Their next thoughts were to get to Missy Ann.
He swallowed hard.
Salvatore released a long sigh and then looked away. Finn followed his line of sight and locked his eyes onto Missy Ann. She was forcing a smile and then reaching for empty plates to help her friends clear up garbage from lunch. She ate nothing, and that worried him, too.
“I’m ready, Finn. I think we should talk to Billy and Antonio.”
Finn never let his eyes move off of Missy Ann. The sweet, petite blonde with the very voluptuous body had his full attention. He wanted to hold her, protect her with his life, hell, with his body and as he heard his brother’s words and thought about his brothers Billy and Antonio, something clicked.
Maybe together we can help her heal. Maybe she can help us heal, too.
Chapter 2
“Darius, you’re out of your fucking mind. Put it behind you. Your fucking brother, Carlos, knew what shit he was getting into working for Si and his buddies. He sure as shit didn’t heed your warning to get the fuck away from Si and his fucked up shit. You’re willing to risk all you have earned and everything you’re working for to kill two cops? It ain’t worth it, man. I’m telling you it isn’t,” Boston, Darius’s best friend and business advisor, told him.
Darius stared out the window of his penthouse, looking over the city skyline in New York. His heart was heavy. Three months had passed since his brother, Carlos, was killed by two cops, a detective, and a special investigator for the South Carolina state police. Three fucking months of sadness, anger, and it all got to him. His brother wasn’t the smartest guy, but he was making a name for himself. He was establishing his career in being a heavy, and working his way into the Sovolo family. Oscar Sovolo had his own hatred for cops. He would get his support in this.
“Carlos was my brother! Mine!” he exclaimed, pointing his finger at his own chest and looking at Boston with hatred and anger toward the situation.
Boston crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“I’ll do whatever you want me to do, but be smart about this. Carlos wouldn’t want you to lose everything because of him.”
Darius was breathing through his nostrils, his fists by his sides and his heart racing. Boston was right. He needed to be smart. Knocking off cops was risky business. He just couldn’t let Carlos’s death go unpunished.
“Find out everything that you can about that situation in South Carolina. Find out ab
out what went down. Find out everything you can on these two cops, where they live, where they frequent, and who they hang out with. I want everything. Then, we make a plan.”
“It’s going to take some time,” Boston replied.
“Do it. However long, I’ll be patient, because I’ll get the final laugh. I’ll avenge Carlos, and those cops, everyone they’re close to will suffer.”
* * * *
Warner Dawn stood next to Tazer Hayes. They had served together in the military years ago and even partnered on a few missions. Over the past several years a few assignments made them cross paths. Today they were at a training facility in North Carolina that took place a few times a year and was organized by men they both knew.
Since they arrived this morning they had partnered up on a lot of the activities and even now were competing against one another for the most pull ups in a minute.
The buzzer sounded and they both fell to their feet and tried to catch their breath.
“Tazer by one,” the event leader called out and the men all cheered.
“Lucky bastard. You had a half second start on me,” Warner said to him.
Tazer chuckled as he gave his friend a push.