"Okay," I say. "Then we do it your way." I don’t like doing it like this. There are so many things that could go wrong. And it's not like we will just lose a game or get kicked out of the playoffs. This shit could cost me my whole brother.
I let out a breath and glance down the hall again. Julia... She has no idea that Mikey and I are setting everything in motion.
But that’s good, she doesn't need to know everything right now. She deserves one more night of peace before everything detonates, and she becomes the main target of her father’s wrath.
I watch Mikey grab the hoodie off the chair, the one she wore earlier, and tuck it into his bag. Then walk towards the door.
"Hey," I said softly. I turn and look at him.
"If this ends with him coming for us hard…”
"You know it will," he says. "But this is the way we get him to show his hand."
“But regardless, just know I love you.” I let the words fall out. We don’t say it enough to each other, but that man walking out that door is the other half of my soul, and there isn’t a damn thing in this world I wouldn’t do for him.
“I love you too,” Mikey whispers, and he is out the door.
As soon as the lock clicks into place, my soul shatters, and a tear slips down my face. That might have just been the last time I get to see my brother alive, and that’s not something I thought I would ever experience.
Chapter 24
Mikey
Ipull up to the warehouse and put the Jeep in park. This place looks worse the second time. I can see more of the structure rotting away, and all the rust on the metal.
I grab the burner phone and my bag, then step into the cold air. My boots crunch on gravel as I walk toward the entrance.
I am hoping with everything in my body that this works. I need this to work.
I push open the already cracked metal door and step in before I hear a slow clapping echo through the space.
"Michael," De Luca's voice carries through the warehouse. "Always punctual."
He stepped out from behind a stack of crates, looking immaculate as always. He has a dark coat on with polished shoes, and not a speck of dust on him, even though we are in a place full of it.
Two men flank him, and three more fan out behind me. I don't turn around, but I can feel their stares on the back of my skull.
"I told you I'd bring her," I say evenly.
His head tilts to the side. "I don't see her, but I do see you brought something."
I slide the bag off my shoulder and drop it at my feet, and slowly unzip it. I pull out Julia's hoodie--My hoodie that she was wearing-- and her phone.
I place every piece down on the ground carefully.
De Luca's eyes sharpen at the items and then look back up at me.
"She ran," I say. "She panicked. I tried to stop her." I twisted the lie in just enough truth to make it believable.
He steps closer, looming over the items, studying them like they are an ancient artifact. He lifts the hoodie and presses it to his nose briefly.
"She always did hate being caged," he murmurs under his breath. His gaze snaps up to me. "Where?"
"I don't know," I say. "Not exactly. She talked about leaving the city. Said she couldn't breathe here anymore. Said she has been planning this for a while."
He smiles at me, then. You can tell he is not pleased.
"You failed to control her," He says, dangerously soft. "That was your only task."
