Page 189 of Beautifully Ruined

He stares at us and starts to shake.

“My friend here never finished what he was offering you earlier,” Enzo says. “Die painfully and slowly by our hands or…”

I hold out the gun. “Kill yourself. The latter option is the best one, FYI.”

His eyes turn bleak as he considers fully the third option that we won’t ever let him have. There’s the slow death by our hands. A slower one in prison because he’ll be murdered. Horribly. Or by his own hand.

“I’ll take the gun,” he says dully.

Enzo takes it from me and puts it in his hand, and he guides it to Joseph’s temple.

I watch, and I don’t even flinch when he pulls the trigger, splattering the wall on the other side with brain matter, blood, shards of bone.

He slumps the gun falling as Enzo releases his soft hold on Joseph’s arm.

We don’t speak as we wipe down the place and clear it of any evidence of us being there.

Then we walk out.

Once we’re heading back to Queens to get Vi, my phone starts to buzz.

I plug it into the car’s speakers, and Zayne’s voice fills the car.

“Guys, I wanted to let you know Gino’s been taken care of.”

Enzo frowns. “He’s still my uncle, dirtbag. How, exactly?”

“Evidence may have been planted, and it might have been made clear to Gino that in order for that evidence to disappear, he should consider this the favor from you both, and any other debts need to be reasonable, something to be negotiated as ineither party can say no to a request. Him to you and you to him. Or, you know, that evidence that might cause Gino a lot of harm and headaches might just reappear.”

Enzo groans, half laughing. “That’s not going to go down too well.”

“I don’t know,” Zayne says, “he asked after Violet, he had a sparkle in his eye. Maybe you’ve got competition, Cade.”

I laugh, but I’m slightly alarmed. “He’s married.”

“She’s a dragon, she keeps his balls in her purse.” Enzo flashes me a look. “I never said that.”

“Gino really doesn’t take kindly to the kind of smuggling Thomas did, and the kind of activities Joseph did.”

“I’ll believe this is over when it’s over,” I say, but I’m not worried. I have Violet back. That’s all that matters.

Enzo waits in the car while I go into the hospital. I assume he’s going to chat to Gino, but I don’t care.

I find Vi where I thought I might, outside of Gianna’s room. She’s half asleep in a chair, and I kiss her, helping her to her feet.

She doesn’t say anything until we get to the SUV and Enzo takes one look at us. “I think I’ll stay and keep an eye on Gianna and her mother, just in case there’s anyone skulking about.”

I roll my eyes. Hiding from the wrath of Gino no doubt. But I nod, and he goes in. At the car door, Violet stops and touches my throat.

“Blood?”

“Not mine.”

“So, you’re okay?” she asks.

“I’m fine. Joseph is not. He’ll never hurt anyone again, though.”

She hugs me tight. “Thank you for taking care of me.”