When I lowered the glass for a moment, I noticed I couldn’t hear any music coming from the club. Or see Roxy anywhere either. The question must’ve been written across my face because Jen answered, “Don’t worry. Roxy left long before you guys came in.”
I felt relieved by this, though I wasn’t entirely sure why. Roxy didn’t seem to care for Dean anymore so why would it matter if she did see him carry me inside?
He carried me inside— I witnessed a murder.
A dull ache pulsed between my eyebrows as I made my way down the hall to my apartment. Xavier drove me home and complained the entire way from Downtown Brooklyn about how far away I lived from The Den.
When I walked through the apartment door, pulling the keys roughly from the doorknob, Aiden’s laughter floated down the hall, blending with what sounded like an action scene playing on the television. I didn’t feel like talking, not when I was just managing to push what happened tonight aside. And failing miserably. How was I meant to act normal about this when two people were murdered?
“Oof. Someone had a rough night,” Aiden chuckled as I wandered into the living room, shoulder bag hanging from my fingertips as I dragged my feet to my room.
Kira, who was asleep beside him given the late hour, smiled at me in welcome until she got a good look at me. The smile faded and she uncurled herself from Aiden’s side on the couch. “Is everything okay?”
I managed a smile, but it felt wrong. “It’s been a long night.”
She frowned. “Did you want to talk about it?”
“Babe. The movie,” Aiden muttered, motioning to the screen where American Psycho was paused with Christian Bale’s face on the screen.
“It’s fine. I just want to go to bed...” I moved on before Kira could say anything else. Aiden pulled her into a hug anyway as he pressed play.
I shut my bedroom door softly, blocking out the world beyond as I headed to bed. Dropping my belongings on the floor, I collapsed onto the plush bedspread.
Sleep came slow and restless.
Chapter 41
Dean
Their deaths would be used as a reminder of what could happen if any of us stepped out of line. Antonio warned us of this time and time again, telling us his fighters were supposed to get along like a family unit. Petty arguments and disagreements were bound to happen, but threatening the life of a fellow fighter was something Antonio was against. Killing within his ranks was not allowed. Unless of course, you were Antonio.
It was why he had that rule about leaving the fighting to the pit. To keep the peace amongst us and take our frustrations out on someone else. While making him money at the same time. He didn’t like the idea of us fighting if he wasn’t getting anything from it.
He had no issue weeding out problem people and glossing over their murders with expensive gifts or fancy parties.
Cocktail parties.
I leaned over the engine bay of the Cadillac, tightening bolts and double checking everything was working alright. There was nothing wrong with it, I just felt like I needed to be doing something instead of sleeping.
Antonio called me to The Den tonight because he wanted to discuss some minor details for the Winchester job this Sunday night, going over driving routes and where I was to park the van. He left me in the basement to memorize the details on a hand-drawn map of a warehouse while he went to a second meeting outside the basement. Mentioning it was a two birds, one stone kind of night.
I didn't realize it was a meeting with Frank and Greg until I stepped outside to smoke. But I found Lily instead. Soaked to the bone and shuddering as she eavesdropped.
When I approached her from behind and spotted what she was about to witness, I made it my responsibility to make sure she didn’t scar herself beyond repair. I just hadn’t expected her to faint right into my arms after that talk with Antonio.
All color had drained from her face before her body went limp. I caught her around the middle and her body arched back, head going with it before I scooped her up, bumping my arm up gently under her head so that her face rested on my chest instead of hanging upside down.
She murmured to herself as I carried her inside. Incoherent words with a crease in her brow. I knew I should’ve stayed with her after getting her to the staff room, but I figured that she should wake up to someone who didn’t have a direct connection to Antonio. To give her a chance to come to terms with what happened.
It was the least I could do after what she had done for me.
Lily had saved me (again) but I couldn’t remember a single fucking thing from the resuscitation. Including when she would’ve put her mouth on mine to breathe life back into my lungs.
The next time an opportunity like that arrived, I planned on being conscious for it—
I just witnessed a double murder, barely flinched as Frank and Greg had their brains blown out, and that was what I was kicking myself over? Never mind the plan to not get too close. I was failing that miserably. Like a moth drawn to a flame.
The soft squeaking of wheels pulled me from my thoughts, and I looked across my shoulder to where my mother stopped just outside the garage door. A small smile on her tired face but a sadness in her eyes. She was aware something had happened tonight, but I never told her the details of these things. They were my burden to bear, not hers.
