Page 81 of Burn Falls

“Is everything all right?” Annie asked.

“I said to go back upstairs,” Malone ordered. After a moment of hesitation, Annie turned and did just that. When she was out of earshot, he asked, “You going to kill me with my wife upstairs? She saw your face.”

I couldn’t do this. I didn’t know what the consequences would be, but killing someone because they were a rival, wasn’t what I wanted to do. Especially since he was going to be a father—something I’d never be now that Renzo had taken that from me.

I stood and downed the rest of my drink. “It’s your lucky day, Malone.”

He balked and then breathed out a sigh of relief. “So what now?”

“Today it was me ordered to take care of you. Tomorrow it will be someone else. My advice to you is to pack a few bags and get you and the missus the fuck out of here.”

“You want me to run because I opened a casino?”

“It’s because you opened a casino in competition with the devil. He won’t let it go, and hewillkill Annie with you watching before he takes you out.”

Malone stared at me. “Why are you telling me this?”

I moved to the door. “I’m warning you to never make a deal with the devil because once you sell your soul to Satan, you’ll never get it back.”

“So, you’re just going to run me out of town?”

I knew what this decision meant for me. I needed to get out of town and far away from Renzo too. “You can do what you want. I’m giving you a break because despite Renzo killing my unborn child, the woman I loved, and my family, I still work for him. I won’t do the same to you.”

“Won’t he kill you then?”

“Not your problem, Malone. Go upstairs, pack a bag, and leave at sun break. Never travel at night.”

“Never travel at night?”

I closed the door behind me, not telling him anything further, and walked back to the car where Athan was waiting.

“Well?” he asked as the door slammed shut.

“I need to get out of town and fast.”

“You didn’t do it?”

“He has a pregnant wife.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

We were silent as we stared out the windshield of the car.

“Renzo’s going to kill you.”

“If he can find me.”

“What?” Athan snapped his head toward me.

“I need to run.”

“You don’t think he’ll find you?”

“Do you think he’ll leave his empire to find me?”

“I don’t know, D …”