“Wait! Just, just fucking wait.” He sighs. “I have–had–a mistress. I loved her. She got close to me, learned about where I keep my money and how I hide it offshore. Six months ago, she cleaned me out. Every last dime.” He sighs. “But that doesn’t matter. Not now. I’ve already made the deal with Geno for Bianca. He’s brought an army with him. If you don’t turn her over, you’re all dead. Even … even Angelica if she’s in there.”
“You’ve forfeited the right to even say her fucking name, old man. She’s mine to protect.Mine. And neither you nor the Frangiones willeverlay a finger on her.” I end the call.
Gilly gives me a wry grin. “I take it there’s no truce?”
“Get ready.” I press my back to the wall beside the window. “They’re comin–” Gunfire rips through the night, shattering more windows and peppering the entire first floor with slugs.
Gilly hits the floor and wrenches the front door open. I dart out, keeping to cover and edging around one of the cars out front.
Frangione’s men are marching up the driveway, their strides confident.
“Light them up!” I yell to Gilly and the rest of my soldiers.
All hell breaks loose, and when I see Gilly lob two live grenades like he’s pitching a no-hitter, I move my attention to the men farther back. The ones in front turn into a pink mist when Gilly’s grenades hit and explode. I take shots, dropping man after man as they return fire.
A bullet whizzes past my ear, and I duck as a slug embeds in the wall behind me. Propping my gun on the hood, I keep firing until I have to reload. Some of my men have fallen, but I keep firing, keep fighting. I won’t let them invade, not when Angelica and Carina are sheltering inside.
I empty the rest of my magazines, defending my home while more boots hit the ground ahead of me. More enemies swarming toward the house.
“You out?” Gilly yells.
“Yeah!” I dash past the car I was stationed behind and scoop up a gun from a fallen soldier. Pain tears through my leg, and I fall behind another car as Gilly scrambles over to me.
“You all right?”
“Yeah, just winged me.” I check the action on the pistol and start firing again. “Go inside. Get the girls to safety.”
“No.” He’s grabbed another gun, too, and returns fire to the barrage of shots that impact all around us. “I’m not leaving you.”
“You have to, Gilly. Keep them safe.” I gesture toward my leg. “I’d only slow you down.”
“No.”
“That’s an order!” I yell.
Gilly stops and looks at me, his gaze unreadable.
“Go.” I grip his forearm and squeeze. “It’s all right. Go. Tell Angelica I love her.”
“She knows.” He winces as a bullet shatters the side view mirror above us, then shakes my hand. He hesitates only for one more second before dashing into the house.
I reach for another gun, grab it, and peek over the hood of the car. There are too many, all of them being led up the driveway by Geno Fucking Frangione. I’ve always hated that motherfucker, and now he thinks he can walk up my lane like he’s a conquering warlord? Fuck that.
I check the clip, find it almost full, then ram one into the chamber before stashing it in my waistband. I send my love to Angelica and hope she can feel it as I get to my feet, my leg aching.
Geno stops and raises a hand. His men don’t fire.
“You the only one left?” He grins, the scar on the side of his face making him more grotesque than usual.
“I’m the one you came for, asshole. So come get me.”
He shrugs. “Sounds good to me. Once I’m done with you, I think I’ll take your little wife for a spin. Get an idea of what her sister will be like.”
My blood was already boiling. Now it’s molten. “Come on then. Enough talk.”
He nods and pulls out a knife as he strides toward me.
Closer, motherfucker.