As quietly as I could, I cracked the door. Rispoli’s back was to me, and he was wearing an orderly’s uniform. My eyes went to the floor. It wasn’t much, but he’d tracked blood in the room. He must have killed someone for that uniform.
He pulled a bloodied knife from his pocket, confirming my suspicion. He pointed it at both boys and ordered Phoenix on the bed next to Angelo. Phoenix looked to Angelo for permission before he moved.
Angelo’s eyes flicked to the bathroom door, and I held a finger to my mouth before he hurriedly looked back at Rispoli.
The motherfucker was going to slit their throats. It was quieter than a gun but not as fast. He was probably gambling on making them feel like he was only going to threaten them, right before he went in for the kill.
“You been talking, you little shit?” He pointed the knife at Angelo.
While he was occupied, I stepped out without making a noise and hit him in the back of the head with my gun.
The boys’ eyes were wide, and I could tell they were hyped up, but keeping it pent up.
I grabbed a pair of gloves from a box on the wall. I slipped them on and took him by the collar, dragging him with me to the bathroom. I shut the door behind me before I drowned the motherfucker in the toilet.
A few minutes later, Umberto came in and shook his head. “This should be easy. We just need to roll him to the right room.”
“Too bad we can’t just fucking flush him.”
He agreed and I shut the door behind me.
Angelo and Phoenix were still in the same spots. Almost frozen to one another.
“Rispoli won’t be bothering either of you.”
They nodded, almost in tandem.
I sighed. “Whatever you do, don’t tell your sister about this.”
Angelo grinned and Phoenix hopped down from the bed.
We left.
CHAPTER14
Mrs. Big
It was official.On all legal documents, because Big pushed them through, and on my license plate. And more than in those ways combined, in the eyes of my husband.
I was Mrs. Big.
It had only been—what?—twenty-four-hours, but he’d changed my name, my address, and the guard around my heart.
It was softening, conforming to fit this new addition inside of it.
My husband.
Once he was in, it was just like in his world. He would never be out.
This change was big, though, and there was a lot of fear in letting go of past hurts and let downs, but when I looked at him, I was never more certain in my life of this one thing:
He was worth the gamble.
Maybe some would say worth the heartbreak that comes with love, because it’s just a part of it. But I had faith that as the years flew by, we would both be in it to win it.
Together, we were home.
I sighed and shielded my eyes from the blazing sun as I looked up at the new house Big bought for us. It was big, like his presence, but I loved that he gave the boys a room to share. They had plenty of space in the house for themselves, but that small thing would keep them close.
