Chapter 17
Andy
When I wake in the hospital, the good drugs must’ve worn off because my side hurts like a sonofabitch and I’m not sure if I’m hallucinating because my mom is sitting with Sienna and it looks like they’re sharing yarn and a crochet hook.
Standing at the door to my hospital room, Jack is the first to catch my eye. “Glad you’re awake. I was afraid I’d lose my job if I let my boss’s brother die.”
I try to think of a snappy comeback but my brain is fog and my throat too dry to talk. I point to the water and suddenly my mom is there, putting the straw to my lips. “How do you feel, son?”
I cough for a few, throat on fire. “Like a guy that just got shot.”
Jack snickers. “You should see the other guy.”
I moan. “Oh no, don’t tell me. Peter’s not dead?”
“Nope. He’s a few doors down. But get this, in the ambulance he cried like a baby and confessed to everything. Now, he’s got his lawyers to make a deal for some hard drive he said left hidden in his safe.”
At first, I smile, then it widens until my face hurts and I start laughing. “That’s fucking perfect!”
Jack, my mom, and Sienna look at me like I lost my mind but my brain is on fire, whirring in lawyer-mode “If Peter has the hard drive, there’s no reason for the Buonannos to come after Sienna. The only witness protection will be for him.”
Blue eyes widen and she grins right along with me. “That’s awesome but I have the hard drive.”
“We’ll make sure he gets it. Give me my phone, I need to call New York.” I wheel and deal with the DA until I’m sure Sienna is safe.
After I sleep, I wake with one more question on my mind. “Have you called Dahlyla, luv?”
Sienna looks up from her game of sudoku. “Yeah, but she hasn’t answered.”
“Can you ask Jack to find her?”
“Sure, but why?”
I don’t say but I got my reasons. Weak and full of painkillers I can’t keep my eyes open.
When I open my eyes again, Jack tells me his news. “Dahlyla’s been arrested.”
“Really? For what?” I scoot next to Sienna and grab her hand.
Jack purses his lips. “She was Peter’s get-away driver. She has ties to the Buonanno’s.”
Sienna shakes her head back and forth, letting the news sink in. “She was always nosy but I thought it was because of the insurance. She must have guessed I had the hard drive.”
“Did you ever tell her about it?” I hold my breath, if she knows, it changes everything.
She shakes her head, no, blond locks flying. “Hell, no. After Peter died, I stuck it in a safety deposit box and never mentioned it. Frankly, I rather hoped if I ignored it, it would disappear. What did she want with it?”
“If she was working for the Buonannos, I would guess a good deal of cash.”
