Page 110 of Arranged Addiction

Cormac nods grimly. “I was skeptical, but that dossier was right.”

“The past just keeps coming back to haunt us.”

“Sooner or later, there won’t be anyone from back in the day left alive to cause us any problems.”

“I can only hope.” I nod to my brother and step past him. “Let’s find some guys and take care of this.”

“Whatever you say, Boss Whelan.”

Chapter 39

Casey

The house looks just like my mother described it in the dossier.

It’s a basic rancher in a middle-class neighborhood. Most of the homes around it have been updated over the years. More than a few have a second floor dropped on top. Decent, newer-model cars are parked in the driveways. It’s the sort of area with a good mix of working-class folks. The sort of place my parents would’ve loved.

“It’s hard to imagine he’s in there.” I stare at the simple house. The lawn’s been well-maintained, but it feels empty. There’s no evidence anyone lives in it, while all the houses nearby have basketball nets, soccer rebounders, kid bikes, and other signs that life keeps moving forward.

“Donnell confirmed it. There are three other safe houses mentioned in the dossier, but this is the only one on Long Island.”

“Was my mother here?”

Declan slips his hand into mine. “I can’t be sure. But it sounds like she visited at least.”

I try to imagine my mother coming out here. I can’t begin to picture what her reasons might’ve been. “I just want him gone.”

“You don’t have long to wait.”

We stand in silence, watching the building from across the street. Dozens of Whelan soldiers are moving into position through the night. Snipers are posted in trucks surrounding the building and watching every single inch of the exterior. Twenty men are spread out around the back with high-powered rifles and full-body armor. From what I’ve heard, they think Senesi is alone in there, but the blinds are drawn tight and nobody can confirm.

“What’s the plan?” I ask after a while. It’s nearing midnight and there hasn’t been any movement at all.

“I was thinking I’d go knock on the door.”

I stare at him, eyebrows raised. “Seriously?”

“He knows he’s surrounded. That makes him dangerous, but he isn’t stupid. I don’t think he’ll try anything desperate.”

“The man’s one of the more prolific killers in the history of the New York underworld. You seriously want to just… knock on his door?”

“Better than standing around here waiting for something to happen.”

“We could always start shooting.”

“Sure, but you want closure. Can’t get that from a corpse.” He starts slipping on a Kevlar vest and tosses me one. “Helmet too. Better safe than dead.”

I follow his orders, strapping myself in with trembling hands. He double-checks to make sure I’m wearing it properly and makes me shove a military-grade helmet on like I’m a little kid going roller skating. Once I’m ready, he has a quick conversation with Seamus and words pass through the soldiers. Snipers prepare themselves and several men move closer to the house, tightening the noose.

“Stay behind me,” he says, striding toward the driveway. “No matter what happens, keep me between you and him.”

I’m too afraid to argue. I stay close, right on his hip, as he approaches the front door. I want to tell him to stop when he reaches out and rings the bell. It’s like we’re shoving our heads into the den of a hungry lion.

But the door simply unlocks and opens a crack. Nobody speaks, and the house seems dead and quiet, except for a light on toward the back.

“Vincenzo Senesi,” Declan calls out, pushing the door open with his foot. He draws a gun with his hands, holding it steady. Behind us, the soldiers come even closer. “You know it’s over. Come out and talk.”

More silence. My heart hammers in my ears. I’m tempted to turn and run away, but I’ll always wonder if I do that. Would my mother have stood her ground? Would she have seen this through? When Declan moves forward into the house, I force myself to follow.