Bang! The guy aiming at my other half drops. However, I’ve now gained the attention of his pals. A bullet pings by my feet and a piece of pavement flies up to cut my cheek.
Holy mother of God.Heart thumping, I fall flat, roll under the nearest parked vehicle, and scramble deeper under cover. I don’t move until sirens sound. Then, I rest my head on the oily blacktop and pray. Once or twice, I believe I hear my husband’s voice shouting directives.
He must be still alive.
“Police. Put down your weapons.” The amplified voice sounds a lot like my dad so I scoot back and exit from under the van with my hands in the air.
“Daddy?” My eyes water.
Arms up and palms lowered, my father indicates for his men to stand down. “Don’t shoot. She’s my daughter.”
“Where’s Suds?” Breathing heavy and sweating profusely, I creep between the giant holes in the street.
“Here, sugar.” My partner, face black with grime, stands near Fialko and a couple other dark-haired young men.
Vladimir is there too, holding a waving Stacy.
When my husband opens his arms, I run to him, blinded by my tears. “You are such a fucking hypocrite. You’re the danger magnet, not me.”
“Takes one to know one.” His white teeth gleam against the backdrop of his sooty face.
“Don’t ever scare me like that, again.” I reach around his chest and bury my nose into his smoky neck. “Promise me.”
“Only if you do.” He looks up to my dad, face full of hope. “I don’t suppose you want me to come to the precinct for questioning?”
My father, the police chief, moans. “If you start rambling, I don’t care if you are my son-in-law, I will shoot you. Understand?”
“Copy that, sir.” Suds winks at me and whispers into my ear, “Maybe I can beat my world’s record.”
I poke his chest. “I wouldn’t. I don’t think Daddy was joking.”
Chapter 10
Suds
Seeing how it’s Halloween, I decline representation. I didn’t do nothing wrong. Sam is the one I’m worried about. Killing is a terrible thing and I wish to hell she’d stayed uptown.
The world’s rambling record is waiting to be broken but my father-in-law insists I shut my mouth until my attorney arrives. I’m guessing he told his daughter the same thing but I can’t be sure because they separated us.
“I’m Deke Fialko, your lawyer.” Around midnight, a man in torn clothes with a greenish-gray complexion walks into the room and we bump elbows.
It’s sort of hard to take the zombie seriously until he shoves a thick card under my nose.
“Jack sent me. Excuse the face paint. Kids. You know how it is.”
“No problem. Thanks.” When we sit, I ask, “You related to him or something?”
“Yeah, he’s my second cousin.” He grins. “So, I understand you’re famous under interrogation. What do I need to do to keep you talking all night?”
“Coffee and donuts. Just keep it coming.” A thoroughbred, I’m chomping at the bit and raring to go until Chief Russo walks in the door.
He sits across from me and glares. “There will be no long-winded shenanigans tonight. I’m tired and want to go to bed.”
A sea of groans sound from the hallway and the young guard in the room curses under his breath. Me? I fucking love a challenge.
“Yes sir. No rambling.”
“Good. We understand each other. Now, briefly tell me what happened today. Concisely, got it?”
