Using his body like a bowling ball, I lifted just enough to keep Vincent from dragging his feet and rushed the group.
They scattered, but not nearly fast enough.
I caught one of them as I dropped their boss.The butt end of my borrowed knife hit him at the base of his skull, repaying him with a fucking headache, or maybe even a concussion that would kill him.I didn’t care at this point.
I stabbed a second guard who stepped into the fray.His gun popped off twice, tearing at the ceiling.I wrested it from his grip and leveled it at the room.“Move.I dare you.”
Vincent raised both hands.
His guards, however, didn’t.The one at my feet groaned.I danced away, knowing it was deadly to remain too close as he got his bearings.“Here’s how it’s going down.You’ll answer to Alfonzo, just like we arranged.If I hear any complaints, all four of you are on the list.Notmylist, the Left Hand’s list.One wrong move and you won’t see it coming.Death is the reward, boys.Life is your gift… for now.”
I slowly edged my way to the door.
“This isn’t over, Devlin,” Vincent warned.
I paused.“Why’s that?”
“You’re an upstart.A bastard.You haven’t proven yourself.You don’t even have the family name.”
“What do I need to do?Kiss your ass?I think not.”
“You can’t even kill Porciello.Do that, and maybe I’ll reconsider.”
“I’m working on it.”
“Work faster,” he got to his feet and brushed his suit off.“Or I’ll let everyone know the Left Hand can’t be counted on.”
As insults go, that one was worthy of death.I crushed the urge to pull the trigger and waste all of them.They’d be better use to me alive.
Maybe.
Emboldened by his boss’s bravado, the one on the floor pulled his handgun.I let my baser instincts run free.
When the smoke cleared, all four were dead.
And I was in a world of shit for killing family.
23
Ellie
None of Allie’s neighbors were present when I got dropped off by the rideshare.I made sure I had all my things and got out to scan the block.
Nothing seemed out of place, except that newer model sedan.My gaze zeroed in on it.
Of course.Bridget Perkins was up to her same old shit.It was likely her who broke in.
Would it be breaking in?I decided it was because she wasn’t employed anymore.Unless she was reinstated?Then the bitch was tromping all over our Fourth Amendment rights.
With that and the shit sandwich of the hassle of public transportation and Ringo being a dick, I wasn’t in the greatest of moods when I unlocked the front door and called out, “Yo, Perkins?You’ve got a lot of nerve breaking into my sister’s house.Get your ass out here so I can kick it.”
Silence.
Huh.Maybe I was wrong and that wasn’t her car?
I pulled a knife from the butcher block in the kitchen just to be on the safe side.“Ollie-ollie-oxen-free.Show your face, Bridget.”I checked the hallway that ran down the center of the house.The living room had a wide arch that connected to it, but I’d been in that room and no one was in it.
The bathroom door was open, so she wasn’t hiding there.Nor was she in the middle bedroom.
