Mickey said nothing, suddenly surging forward to the basement door. The boxes had all been pulled away, and the dread in his gut twisted up tighter. Panic was seeping in, making his muscles electric and light, and he bolted down into the basement, his chest heaving.
No.
No, no, no.
Although he heard Roger calling for him, it sounded far away. All Mickey could focus on was getting to his grandfather’s room as quickly as possible.
It couldn’t be. No, it just fuckin’ couldn’t be.
He kicked open the door with a snarl, and he froze in horror at the sight before him.
Pops was in bed, nestled comfortably amongst his pillows, and he appeared to be sleeping.
Mickey already knew the truth, though.
The moment he saw him, Mickey knew he was dead.
Chapter 16
Mickey dropped down beside the bed, his fingers shaking as he reached for Pops’ hand. He was so cold, and Mickey was overcome by a blinding despair. He kept squeezing Pops’ hand, wishing it wasn’t true and that this was a horrible nightmare.
But it was real.
His grandfather was dead.
“Fuck.” Roger stood at the doorway, staring at Pops in bewilderment. “No. It can’t be. He’s…? He’s not… is he?”
“He’s dead,” Mickey said flatly. He worked to bury the pain down deep, trying to wall it off so he could think straight. “Smothered. He’s already getting cold.”
“How the fuck did they find him?” Roger hissed. “What about the rest of our people? My fuckin’ mother? My brother?”
“Shut up! I don’t fuckin’ know!”
Someone could have followed them, or maybe the nurse decided to share her information for a price and it cost her her life.
There was a noise upstairs, and Mickey’s mind instantly refocused. They weren’t here alone now. This was a trap, he realized. Whoever had killed his grandfather knew they were going to come here to see him.
The text message.
Popsnevercalled him Mickey.
Was that meant to be a warning? Was Pops even still alive when that was sent?
No matter.
There was only one immediate priority:
Revenge.
“Stay here,” Mickey ordered, rising up from Pops’ bedside and taking his guns in hand once more. “Call Cold. Tell him what’s happened and make sure everyone else is safe.”
“But Mickey—”
“Shut the fuck up and do what I fuckin’ tell you to.”
Roger held his furious gaze, unblinking, and he nodded obediently. “Yes, sir.”
“Good boy.”
