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This turned into a real fucking mess.
My vision becomes blotchy as I gasp for air. Kashmir sticks the barrel harder into my spine, threatening to pull the trigger.
“Patrick!” I shout air, but it’s too late.
Bang!
An unsilenced gun goes off, and the captain falls to his knees holding his stomach. Who’s left standing behind him is Ferraro with a smoking gun, taking time to clean his boots as he shuts the door behind him.
“Quinn’s secret admirer brought company? What do you say, Niko? This has to shave off some of my debt.” He steps over to Patrick, brow slowly furrowing as he realizes who he just shot. “What in fucking hells?”
I elbow the Russian holding me and get to my knees to help Patrick. It’s over at this point. I see it when I’m looking into his eyes.
“Couldn’t let you die like a dog, Arosso.” Patrick grits his teeth, blood leaking through his belly wound to the floor. “My daughter was right about you.” He coughs. “About everything, actually.”
“What the fuck are you doing here, Pat?” Ferraro holds the gun on me, as does Kashmir.
Patrick turns on his back and inches toward the closest wall. I do what I can to help him get comfortable. It’s going to be a slow bleed out with a gut wound like that. Awful.
“All this time, Ferry.” Patrick winces. “We bled together in our early days. You don’t remember?”
Ferraro wipes sweat from his brow, teeth clattering.
“You got into some trouble, I get it. But going after my daughter? Sacrificing your wife?” He coughs. “Let my last words echo for the rest of your days, old friend. Blue brothers, the three of us. Me you and Billy. And this is how it ends?”
This is a goddamn mess.
I clench my jaw, considering if I can charge Niko and force their guns my way. But the truth is, I’d be dead before I made it one step. Doesn’t matter how fast I am. Two weapons trained on me is checkmate.
I’m off my game because of a jumbled head. It’s the same as when I lost my family—my judgement couldn’t be trusted for a long time after that. Well, that’s how it is with Quinn. Leaving her was never going to be okay. But dragging her father into this?
This wasn’t how it was supposed to end.
“You did alright, Ferraro.” Nikolaj cackles, shaking off his dismay of being cornered by Patrick. “I guess you delivered after all. Too bad he wanted the captain alive.”
Patrick struggles to push himself to sit upright on his fists, groaning from the pain. “You—going to be able to live with yourself after leaving your blue brother to die, Ferry?”
Ferraro pulls at his greased hair. “Never meant for it to be this way, brother. Things got out of hand.”
“I’ll say,” Nikolaj cackles again. “Can’t resist a good game of five card. How much are you in the hole? Two big ones, by my count. And the interest ticks daily.” He crouches to look us both in the eyes. “You know what that means, right?”
Don’t you fucking say it.
“Once this guy closes his eyes for good, Yuri isstillgoing to need payment. The blood of your daughter will have to do.”
“Bastard!”Patrick shouts, causing all guns to point at him.
I see red.
Thinking of coming home to my murdered family propped up watching TV… reliving that horrible moment in my head… somethingcracksinside me. The underworld is punishing, and dark, and I can’t escape it.
Then I remember… it can’t escape me either.
I lunge for Kashmir’s weapon and kick out Ferraro’s leg. Gunshots fire in all directions—I feel the vibrations as I hold Kashmir’s arm toward the ceiling and push his head against the wall.
Bang!
Another gunshot goes off, and my leg jerks as a web of pain pulses near my calf. I try to push Kashmir’s hand toward Ferraro, but Niko tackles me.