There were reports of attacks, not just on our families, but on the Irish. The Russians. Other criminal organizations and local gangs alike. There were reports of dealings across the Atlantic in Italy, Russia, China, and more. Bank statements from multiple offshore accounts. Transactions. Everything. I tried to process it all as I scanned them, trying to memorize the more important bits. Even if today’s attempt to lure the Snake out was another bust, at least we would have this.
We’d hit the jackpot even if we didn’t find the Snake.
I’m nearly through the first drawer when the door leading to the hall banged open. I rushed to the doorway, checking the hall. Sienna flew down the corridor, looking panicked. She barreled into my arms, gripping my shirt.
“We need to leave. Now.” She was out of breath, choking on her words. Tears pricked at her eyes. I’d never seen her like this. Instantly, I went on alert.
“What happened? What’s going on?” I tried to calm her down, but she was too much of a mess.
“Dante, we need to leave. Right now.” She started tugging at my arm, trying to pull me away. I almost followed her until I remembered why I was there in the first place.
“We can’t leave yet. I found evidence—hard fucking evidence of everything the Snake’s done the past year.” I wasn’t budging. Not until we got everything we needed.
“Dante, they have my mom and Gemma.” She was crying now, sobs wracking her shoulders. Frantically, she yanked at my arm again, trying to haul me towards the door leading back to the gallery.
“Wait. What?” I pulled her back. “Tell me everything. Slow down.”
Her chest heaved with each labored breath. “There’s no time! We need to go before he kills them!”
My arms wrapped around her, brushing the hair from her tear-streaked face. “Okay. Alright. We’ll go. Come on.”
We turned, heading towards the door, when the first gunshot went off. Screams erupted beyond the door, coming from the gallery. Sienna and I exchanged shocked glances before bolting towards the doors. Another shot went off towards our right as we stepped onto the main floor. People flooded the corridor, rushing towards the entrance. Terrified screams rose up around us as attendees trampled each other to escape the building.
“Time to leave.” Killian appeared beside Sienna, taking her hand to lead her towards another side door.
This one opened into the worker’s area. There was a small kitchen to prepare the food and beverages, a staff room, and lockers. Killian led us past them all, heading towards a back exit. Bursting through the door, our feet pound down the metal steps to the alley. Sirens blare from the main road, overpowering the screams and shouts from the people pouring out onto the street.
Sienna kicked off her heels, swiping them from the ground before she took off after Killian. We sprinted between buildings, the sounds of gunshots and sirens chasing us a block down. When we were finally far enough away, Killian stopped. He fell forward, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
“Does someone want to tell me what the hell happened?” he demanded.
Sienna’s fingers raked through her hair; fear and anguish were written all over her face. She’s breathing hard, shallow breaths, pacing before him. “I don’t know. Dante went to the back, and then I got a call and—oh God.” She groaned, eyes closing as tears slipped down her face. “I think the Snake got to my mother and Gemma.”
“What?” Killian straightened. “How? Where were they?”
“I sent them to California to stay with some of my mother’s family. I guess the Snake found out where they were. They have them both. I heard them on the call. I don’t know if they’re alive or dead or—” She stopped, sucking in a breath.
Killian and I both stood frozen, unsure of what to do. She was inconsolable, pacing back and forth. Finally, I yanked her into my chest, pressing her against me. Untangling her fingers from her hair, I held her, kissing the top of her head. “It’ll be fine. Don’t cry. We’ll get them back.”
Killian shot me a look that berated me for promising something I knew might be impossible, but I didn’t care. My heart broke seeing her like this. I felt her pain so raw and real that it was almost suffocating. She sobbed into my chest, shoulders shaking as I held her.
“Where’s David?” I scanned the street for him.
I wanted to get the hell out of here. Our latest attempt at catching the Snake failed. Again. By now, people had started rushing toward the auction house out of curiosity. No one paid us any attention, which is just as well.
“I’ll call him.” Killian stepped away, pressing the comm in his ear. I barely heard him over the noise on the street, praying David wouldn’t be too far away.
The van pulled up minutes later. Killian hopped into the front seat. I opened the back door, slowly extracting Sienna’s grip from my shoulders. Her phone buzzed in her purse. She ignored me, frantically digging it out. With a cry, her hand covered her mouth, and the phone dropped from her hand. She stood there, shaking, as it clattered at her feet.
Without saying a word, I snatched it from the floor, reading the text that had been sent just seconds before.
Too late.
It was a blocked number,but there was no doubt about who had sent it.
“Sienna,” I tucked the phone into my pocket, “that could mean nothing. It doesn’t mean they’ve killed them.”
She wasn’t listening to me. Her breaths came too fast now, hands shaking. Sienna looked up at me once, the horrible realization of what had happened filling her eyes before they rolled back. I caught her before she hit the ground, stumbling at the force of it. Sweeping her in my arms, I tucked her into the van, leaping in after her.