There was a bang as the front door banged against the wall. “Police! Show yourself!”
Nico had to move fast before they came into the room. He leaned down and whispered into the shooter’s ear. “Never show your face again in this town. I’ll find you and I have the connections to do it.”
He went out the window and walked along the ledge to the fire escape around the corner. Nico took the stairs two and three at a time to the ground. He didn’t know how long he stayed there but watched and waited as the police came out of the building with the shooter.
The street was a media circus as tabloids and local news stations hounded the authorities about what happened. Out of the corner of his eye, Nico saw Autumn get into the unmarked car with Hererra.
Nico watched them speed away and let a lungful of air out. He didn’t care who Autumn rode with, as long as she was safe.
He took his phone out and called his building. She could always go to Hererra’s home, but Nico felt she would go to the condo. He never had the chance to give her a key, so the concierge of his building would have to take her to his door.
After he finished his call, Nico ran across the street, dodging the media. He went to the officer in charge and gave his statement.
“You were gone an awful long time, Mr. Scala. Where exactly did you go?”
Nico pointed across the street. “I wanted to see if the shooter was up there or left after shooting at Miss Taylor and myself.” He shrugged a shoulder and gave a half smile. “You know, try to be the superhero.”
The officer grunted and shook his head. “Brave and stupid, Mr. Scala.” He looked across the way where the shooter was put in a patrol car. “Looks like we found him before you did.”
“Appears that way,” Nico murmured. The shooter looked at Nico through the window. A smirk graced the man’s lips before he stared straight ahead.
“You’re a good boy, Nico. Stay away from the life.”
Nico ignored his mother’s voice in his head as he answered questions from police. He found a cab that brought him to his office when he could get away.
His secretary and paralegal were away at lunch. He changed into a fresh pair of clothes he kept in the office. When he sat behind his desk, Nico called his clients to reschedule appointments and make apologies. With that finished, he looked at his phone and scrolled down to Autumn’s number.
He hit the text notification.
Nico: Call me when you get this.
After he hit send, he leaned back in his chair.
Today was a close call. It was why he didn’t date. The women he loved always ended up dead.
There you go with the “L” word again.
“Fuck off,” he argued with himself. He ran his hands through his hair and leaned over the desk.
He decided he would find out who was trying to kill Autumn. It couldn’t only be Scarlett Taylor. And it wasn’t a coincidence Mario was in town on business.
Luna didn’t come to New York for business, nor did any of her soldiers because of the rocky alliance with Casale.
What kind of job was Mario doing?
“What did I tell you?”
Autumn ignored Hererra’s tirade.
“Didn’t I tell you Scala was bad news? Didn’t I tell you it was dangerous to be around him? Did my story about his fiancée not warn you away from him?”
Where the hell did Scala go? He never came back. She had to make up a lie to the police, so they didn’t get suspicious.
“So where is Mr. Scala?”
Autumn shrugged, “I ran into that store over there as soon as it was safe.” She pointed over her shoulder.
Well, she didn’t exactly lie. Maybe she stretched the truth a bit. What she knew was Scala was going after whoever shot at them.
