Page 14 of Blood in the Water

I snatched my phone up and pushed my way out of the car. “Nothing, princess. We have to move.”

We couldn’t use our phones anymore.

Max put a hit on us.

The Dons knew Max would take out Luciano the entire time.

Who the fuck could we trust now if not our very own kind? Who the fuck would protect us when all Five Families were now our enemies? And who had the manpower to keep us safe if there was a hit on our heads?

Someone in my phone had to be an option. I couldn’t give up. We could get through this. I wouldnotlet Max fucking win.

My fingers scrolled through my contacts as I grabbed the duffel, grabbed Leona’s hand, and pulled her down the road. She stumbled behind me on those ridiculous heels but followed without another word.

Who thefuckowed me enough to take us in despite everything? Who would risk it when we were both clearly on the hit map?

My eyes caught a name and paused.

Colin Byrne.

Jesus. The Irish?

Would they take us in?

The Irish and the Italians had always been enemies. I only knew Colin because of his sister, and I only knew his sisterbecause we’d crossed paths on the streets when we were kids. I’d kept in touch with her throughout our teen years until our falling out five years ago. But Colin owed mebig timebecause of that.

The Italians wouldn’t rush into the Irish territory unless they were certain they could take us out.

The Irish had enough manpower and firepower to protect us from future hits, at least until I could get us to the West Coast and out of the country.

My thumb hovered over Colin’s name. I couldn’t risk calling him from my phone, not when we were being tracked.

Quickly, I memorized his phone number, took the SIM card out to snap it in half, and then threw the phone to the ground and crushed it under my foot. I pulled Leona’s phone out of my suit jacket pocket and did the same.

“My phone,” she murmured sadly as she stared at the shattered device. I squeezed her hand. Better to lose all the shit on it than die.

“Sorry, princess. It’s not safe.” I pulled her down the road, and we left the mangled cars and dead bodies behind. I couldn’t do anything about them now, but the sooner I had a phone, the sooner I could call in my favor and hopefully get us to a safe house within a few hours.

The Irish were our only hope.

6

CASPIAN

Eighteen hours later, we were stashed away in one of the Irish safe houses near Philadelphia.

Colin had been surprised to receive my call, but with the favor he owed me, he couldn’t exactly refuse. I had saved his and his sister’s lives, meaning he owed me two lives in return. Life debts were not something you turned your back on. Ever.

Colin had quickly arranged for some Irish men to smuggle us out of the city in the back of a refrigerated meat truck while we crouched in boxes full of frozen pork. In the cold, I’d needed to keep Leona practically plastered to my body so she didn’t freeze to death in that dress. At first, she’d resisted, but eventually, she passed out in my arms until we’d had to switch transports on the outskirts of Philly.

Colin himself had met us there to drive us to a safe location. I’d filled him in on the situation, and he’d dropped us off with food and supplies. He’d warned me about his sister but promised we’d be safe until we could get out of here on a plane.

I’d been watching the front street through the slits in the heavy blinds ever since, tensing at the movement of any car that looked even remotely suspicious.

It could be nothing… but it also could be Max.

My hand tightened on my guns.

God, even hisnamemade me want to roar, tear the walls down, and rip into someone with my bare hands. That motherfucker. Thattraitor.