“Listen, Clara.”
I nod, the terror mingling with a surge of curiosity.
“Those men… they’re our enemies. They’re trying to kill us.”
“What?” I whisper fiercely, my eyes wide. “Why? Who are they?”
“The truth is,” he continues, his grip tightening, “our family isn’t what it seems. We’re… part of something bigger. Dangerous.”
“What are you talking about, Jake?”
Jake’s jaw clenches, his gaze darting around the woods. “We’re the Irish crime family that runs New Orleans.”
I stare at him, my mouth hanging open. “The crime family? Are you shitting me?”
Before Jake can answer, a gunshot rips through the air, followed by a scream.
Mitch. Oh God, Mitch.
“Jake,” I whimper, clutching at his arm.
“Look at me, bug.” Jake grips my shoulders, his whisper fierce. “I need you to listen to me. Okay?”
I swallow hard, my throat tight with fear, and nod.
“I need you to be brave for me. Can you do that?”
“Please, Jake,” I shake my head, my eyes locked on his. That look… I know that look. The look that says he’s about to do something crazy, something dangerous.
“I need you to run, Clara. Run as fast and as quiet as you can.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll hold them off. Make sure they don’t follow you.”
“No…” The word is a breathless plea, a desperate denial.
“Clara Caldwell, you are the heir to the Caldwell Mob. I’m sorry for not telling you the truth sooner, but…”
A twig snaps nearby, and a voice rings out, a mocking imitation of a bird call. “Ah, ah, ah.”
“Shit, it’s the fucking Ravens,” Jake hisses, his face paling.
“Ravens?” My mind reels, trying to make sense of it all.
The footsteps draw closer, leaves crunching under heavy boots. Jake shoves me hard against the tree, his body a shield in front of me. He reaches behind his back, pulls out a gun from the waistband of his jeans.
“Jake.” His name is a broken whisper on my lips.
He glances back at me, his eyes hard, determined. “Run, Clara.”
“No…”
“Now!” he shouts, and I flinch, my heart slamming against my ribs.
The footsteps are almost on top of us. I turn, my legs moving on their own, carrying me away from Jake, away from the danger. Gunshots explode behind me, a rapid staccato of pain and violence. Jake’s voice rises above the chaos, a string of vicious curses.
“Fuck you, you motherfucking pieces of shit! I’ll kill every last one of you cock-sucking bastards!”
