Page 8

"I'll figure it out. You just saw a mob hit, Olivia! You need to go."

Banging on the front door interrupts our fighting, and both Joey and I freeze. Maybe if we don't answer, they'll go away. But deep down, I suspect that's not what's going to happen.

A mob hit.

That's even worse than realizing I just witnessed a murder. It was more than a murder.

Mafia.

The Italian criminal organization has been alive in New Orleans since long before I was born. You don't grow up being half Italian-American without knowing about the mob. And it was a frequent argument between my parents. My momconsidered my father a gangster. I asked Grandpa once, and he chuckled, telling me my father was not a criminal, just a dumbass. At the time, I wasn't sure what that meant.

The harsh knocking continues, and after a moment, I hear someone yell, "Open up, or we'll break down the door."

Joey mutters a curse. "Go upstairs. I'll try to get rid of them."

I nod, too scared to argue. Slipping around the end of the bar, I head for the stairs that lead up to the apartment. Grandpa is still napping on his recliner when I shut and lock the door behind me.

I listen as Joey opens the door, straining to hear him talking to the men. He tells them it's just him inside, and I hear as they tell him they're looking for a girl with brown hair. He tells them he's never seen such a girl and they ask to check the bar.

I'm holding my breath as I listen to the sound of their footsteps below. They don't find me downstairs or in the storage room. Finally, I hear them come back into the main section of the bar and Joey asks if they found what they're looking for.

"What's upstairs?" one of them questions.

"Nothing," Joey says coolly. They must not believe him, though, because they ask to check. They're adamant that they need to check up here. Joey is telling them no, but it doesn't matter, because I hear the sound of their shoes as they stomp up the steps.

I'm frozen in place, air stuck in my lungs. They knock on the door and Grandpa startles.

"Who the fuck is that?" he grumbles, sitting up in the recliner.

I try to put my finger over my mouth, signaling for him to be quiet.

"Open up!" the man on the other side of the door yells, and my grandpa stands, hobbling over to me.

"What are you doing crouching there, girl?" he asks loudly, too loudly. And then he reaches over my head, undoing the lock. I steady my back against the door, but it's a futile effort. Once the lock is open, the man on the other side pushes the door, and I slide forward on the hardwood.

I look up, meeting the eyes of two scary men that my grandpa just let into the apartment.

The one in front grins as he looks down at me, and the sight sends a bolt of fear rippling down my spine.

"You're coming with us."

It was stupid to come here. All I wanted was a fresh start, and now I'm absolutely sure that this is how I die.

FIVE

Sam

After my father's murder, I made sure that everyone responsible for his death was punished. So I understand Adrian's quest for revenge perfectly.

Two months ago, after he married my cousin, I had John rough him up a bit and give him an ultimatum. Once he visited me in Orleans Parish Prison, I was able to explain everything I knew about him.

That his father was killed by my uncle because hemightrat out the organization. And if his father had worked for mine instead of my uncle, that would’ve never happened.

I believe in protecting the men who are loyal to me, not cutting them loose at the first sign of trouble.

But clearly, that wasn't enough for him to fully trust me. John called me after he and Adrian arrived at Madi's studio to find they were attacked by one of Damien's men. The girls handled the attacker, but the whole event led to Adrian admitting that he's been playing both sides the entire time. That he married my cousin to have an in with our family, all so he could destroy us in the name of vengeance.

His plan was to film me killing Damien and use it to have me locked up again. Two birds, one stone and all that. I can't help but smile to myself. It's not a bad plan.