“As I can be.” I do a check of my weapons before sliding on my coat, and Mac hands me over the USB drives I need. Jax and Damon are doing the same with a few of the men we brought.
We all load up into vehicles heading toward the Espositos. They live on an old plantation; the main house sits back far from the road, a gate blocking the front entry. I get dropped toward the back.
Ronan stops me before I can jump out of the SUV; his dark eyes lock with mine, and he gives me a firm nod that I return in understanding, and I shut the door and take off toward the wall.
“Check.” Mac’s voice comes through my earpiece.
“Check,” I say back before I scale the wall.
“We have their systems online,” Mac tells me a beat later. No other update comes through, letting me know that the Espositos’ men that patrol are in their normal locations. The first two are easy to take out.
I creep in on the property, closer to the house. They have one of those giant bush mazes next to the garden and greenery that the back of the house overlooks. The third guard patrols back and forth. The gravel that surrounds the outer part of the maze isn’t easy to walk on quietly, even with how light I am.
My foot slips off a rock, and the guard spins around to face me as I draw my gun on him. He’s twenty paces in front of me. Ineed a few more seconds so that Damon and Jax can clear out a few of the other guards that are in earshot.
“Don’t,” I warn him.
“Are you a fucking girl?” He steps closer, and I click the safety off so that he can hear it. “Right, you have to have a gun to come and play. Why don’t you fight me like a man?” he challenges. I want to roll my eyes at him, but inside I clock the time on my watch.
“Because I’m not a man.” I fire, the silencer muffling the sound of the bullet hitting the dead center of his forehead. Sometimes I forget what a good shot I am. Pretty impressive, if you ask me. I watch as he crumples to the ground with a loud thud. That was the sound I was worried about. Those big fuckers land hard. I grab him and pull him into the entry of the maze so he’s out of sight.
I start moving again and make it to the back of the house undetected. Everything is all quiet. I give a soft knock to the back door. It’s where servants come and go. The door creaks open to reveal a handful of women, and I slip inside. So far, everything is going to plan.
“How are you ladies doing?” I ask. Nina speaks first; she seems to lead the group even though Tommy’s wife and daughter are with her. She runs the house and all the other servants.
“Good, but we’re all antsy.” I nod in understanding. I reach into my coat pocket, pull out the USB drive, and hand one to each of them.
“Everything you need is right there.” None of them need to go into deep hiding. Anyone that would hunt them down will be dying tonight, but it’s best for them to get out of the city and start over. That’s what the USBs will help them do. Everything is already set up for them, including housing and lush bankaccounts to help them establish new lives. They all wanted an out, and we’re giving them one.
In this world, you’re often born into this life, never given a choice. We are simply giving it to them, and they gave us all we needed to help make sure no one follows after them. The very women that the men in these families used and abused are now their downfall. Loyalty is not given; it’s earned.
“Thanks for your help getting us out.”
“There is nothing to be thankful for. I thank you,” I tell them. “I know this was hard and likely scary, but it’s over now.” I look to Nina. “You know the way. There is a van waiting. You won’t see them, but I promise we have eyes on you.”
One girl suddenly hugs me, and I stiffen but relax and give her back a pat. “Go ahead,” I say as I hold the door open for them. With that, they head out in the direction of the waiting van.
“The birds have flown the coop.”
“You were so sweet,” Mac says, and I roll my eyes. “Don’t roll your eyes at me.” I glance around.
“There are cameras down here?” I look again. This was a blind spot, or it was supposed to be.
“No, I just know you.” There is no missing her smugness.
“I want ears,” I tell her, and she clicks it over for me so that I can hear. I keep moving through the basement and stop, checking each area as I go, making sure it’s clear.
“I want Luigi.” Paxton’s voice comes through loud and clear, and I know he’s speaking to Tommy. The head of the Esposito family. He’s a piece of shit. It had been so easy to get his daughter and wife on our side.
My internal alarm goes off. With how he worded that, it makes me think Luigi isn’t in the room with them. We know he’s on the property. I press my back to the concrete wall and keep listening.
“You’ve been married one day to a Marino, and you think you can issue demands?” Tommy scoffs. “We weren’t even invited. The marriage was bullshit. None of us are even going to recognize it. You’re not one of us.” He spits out the last part in Italian. “This isn’t our way.”
“I have been telling you for years things needed to change,” my father says. “You think I don’t know the dirty deals you were trying to run through Paxton’s father?”
“You’re a fucking rat,” Tommy bellows. I catch a slight slur to his words that I know are aimed at my husband.
“Maybe I am.” I smirk at the casual lack of care Paxton speaks with, knowing it’s going to enrage them. It works because I hear a clatter before Gerardo, the head of the Severini family, tries to cool Tommy down.
