Page 22

Chapter twenty-two

Cillian

T ensions are high when we pull up behind Farina’s property. Sawyer is setting up while we gather everything we can carry on our bodies. It’s your usual fanfare of guns, knives, and what look to be grenades strapped to Abel and Liam’s vests. These men are quite fond of explosives.

“I’m in,” Sawyer calls from one of the vans we took here. “And good news is, we’re out of camera range.” He’ll be staying in the van for this operation. He’s cut into all the camera feeds so he can be our eyes and ears until we have all these assholes neutralized.

“Jesus, is anyone else concerned that he wasn’t sure of that until just now?” Luca asks.

“He’s a little shit who likes to fuck with us,” Liam says, coming up to our small group and clapping Luca on the back. “But don’t worry, he’s the best at what he does. If he wasn’t, I would have dropped him in the jungle and left him for dead years ago.”

“I can hear you, asshole,” Sawyer says through the comms in all of our ears.

“That’s why I said it,” Liam replies. “Comms work.” Liam holds up a thumb along with every other member of his team.

Finn, Eoghan, Luca, and I, along with the Black Roses who came with us, all raise our thumbs in confirmation as well. Barrett and Wyatt stayed behind with Enzo, Alessia’s personal guard. It was the one thing Finn asked so he would feel comfortable leaving his wife somewhere other than safely nestled in their fortified penthouse in Boston, and the men agreed to guard the women with their lives.

We’ve split into groups of five. Cash is the only member of the MC with us to make the tally of each group even.

“I’ve known Nova a long time,” Cash says to me.

I nod and triple-check every last knife and gun on me.

“She’s a good girl. Big heart.”

“Yup.”

“Don’t break it,” he says, holding my gaze when I finally look up at him. Little does he know, she’s the one with the power to break me, not the other way around.

“This is all very adorable and heartwarming, but we have some Italians to kill,” Eoghan says through the comms.

Liam walks to the center of the group. “Time to go in, boys. Let’s go over this one more time. My team is Alpha. Finn, you’re Beta. Ozzy, you’re Gamma. That’s how Sawyer will be referencing you and your team until we get in the house and cut the power. Then, he’ll be blind. Is everyone familiar with the night-vision goggles?” We all nod. “Good. I want everyone to test them.”

We do as he says as we pull them over our eyes and look around to make sure we have a clear field of vision.

“Jesus, this is a far cry from how we usually handle things. This is like a full-on tactical assault or some shit,” Eoghan says.

“It is,” Liam says. “We’ve run this sort of operation all over the world, and if you keep to the plan, we’ll all get out of here alive.”

Eoghan shuts up and listens intently to the rest of Liam’s rundown.

“We know there are six guards out there. Three close to the house and three more closer to the perimeter of the property. Beta and Gamma will walk the perimeter and take them out before splitting up. Gamma, take the back of the house. Beta, take the front. Alpha, we’re going to go to the house where the other guards are sleeping and neutralize that threat before entering the main house through the back patio door. We don’t know how many guards are in the main house, if any, but if we don’t have twelve dead bodies in the next ten minutes, we can assume some are inside with Farina. Tony is also in there with two of his own. My guess is that he’s hiding out until they figure out what to do.”

“Good thing we’re answering that for him,” Finn says.

“Once the guards in the other house are taken care of, we’ll meet you inside. I want in Farina’s office, where he hopefully keeps the information on the pieces of shit he works with. Everyone clear?” We all nod. “Alright. Be quiet, stay low, and don’t get your dick shot off,” Liam finishes.

We step into the trees lining the Farina property and begin our sweep. It’s pitch black out here, so I’m pretty damn grateful for the state-of-the-art goggles that allow us to see what’s moving around us. Within five minutes, we spot a group of three men in the distance. One is smoking while the other two walk beside him, all three with automatic rifles slung over their shoulders. Our two teams stop, still in the cover of the trees, and wait for them to get closer.

Ozzy motions for Jude and me, and we flank him on either side. He holds three fingers and begins a countdown. When the last finger is down, we aim, and each of us fires a nearly silent shot into the guards. Jude’s bullet hits the one smoking square in the forehead, and he lowers his weapon with a smug smile on his face.

“Show-off,” I whisper as we head toward the dead guards.

Linc, Braxton, and Knox pull the bodies into the trees so that the guards who are walking the house don’t catch sight of three motionless bodies on the ground.

We wait behind the trees with the dead bodies until we see a guard walk around to this side of the house, staring at his phone. Great work ethic, asshole. He leans against the wall of the house and props up his foot against the brick behind him.

“Where are the other two guards, Sawyer?” Finn asks.

“Other side of the house, but closing in on your right. You have about one minute.”

“You think you can hit a target that far?” I ask my boss.

“Are you…?” Finn looks at me then toward the man staring at his phone, thinking he’s about to get some sleep. When Finn raises his rifle, he lets out a breath and fires. I see the shot hit the man in the chest, and he falls to the ground.

“Don’t ask stupid questions, Cillian. It’s beneath you.”

“The other two are about to find their friend,” Sawyer says into the comms.

We make our way toward the house with Linc and Knox leading the group. The second the other two guys come around the corner, both men fire their weapons. One is hit in the chest and the other in his head.

“Like fish in a fucking barrel,” Linc says as the five Black Roses veer to the back of the house, and the rest of us take the front.

Once we’re all in position, Sawyer gets back on the comms. “I’m going to disable the alarm and cut the power in three”—four beeps sound at the front door, and I see the light on the keypad turn green—“two, one.”

The lights inside and outside around the entire property go dark, and I open the door, stepping into the large house, thankful once again for the night-vision goggles that allow us to see in the dark.

There’s a giant marble table in the center of the foyer and two staircases on either side of the large room leading up to the second floor. Two hallways lead out of the foyer, one to the dining room and kitchen and the other to an office and the servants' quarters—according to the building plans Sawyer was able to find. Thankfully, Farina doesn’t keep live-in staff any longer since his daughter and wife are hardly here except for holiday gatherings, where he tries to impress the other families. To the right of us is a large room that looks like a library and to the left is a formal living room. From the plans, I know that the patio has a separate entrance, and the Black Roses will be coming in from the hallway off to the left. As soon as I see Ozzy peek his head from around the corner, I breathe a sigh of relief. That side of the house is clear.

They’ll be staying down here and clearing the downstairs while we sweep upstairs. Eoghan, Finn, and I begin walking up the steps on the right while Luca and Cash make their way up the other side. When we meet at the top, the duo moves down the hallway on their side and we do the same. No one is behind the first door on our left, so we move to the next room. The house is silent and the only thing I hear is my breathing before two soft pops sound.

“One of Tony’s guys,” Luca whispers through the comms.

When we enter the second door, there’s a man sleeping on his stomach. I walk around the side of the bed to get a look at him. It’s not Tony, so I put a bullet in his head before he has a chance to open his eyes. The third room is also empty which leaves two more on this side of the house.

“We’re clear,” Cash says.

I open the fourth door, and sleeping on his back is the piece of shit who had Nova in his grasp. I remember the fear in her eyes, the shiver of disgust that rolled through her when he had his hands on her. The rage I felt seeing him paw at her, thinking he was going to get away with her.

Eoghan walks to the other side of the bed, with Finn standing guard at the door. His handgun is pointed at Tony while I walk up to the man and raise my weapon, bumping the suppressor against the center of his forehead. His eyes pop open, and he lies in bed—motionless.

“Morning, fucker.”

Tony, being the dumb shit he is, quickly turns in the opposite direction, but the fist to the side of his head stops him and he collapses back onto the mattress.

“Why do these dumb fucks always try to make a run for it?” Eoghan asks, shaking out his hand. Luca and Cash pop their heads into the room and take in the scene.

“One room left,” Luca says, and Finn turns, leading Cash and Luca to the last door while Eoghan and I keep an eye on the soon-to-be-dead man lying unconscious in the bed.

Moments later, Finn is dragging a very pissed-off-looking Massimo Farina from his room.

“You’re dead. Every single one of you,” he spits as Finn and Luca haul the man toward the staircase.

“You’re not the first to threaten me, Farina, and I doubt you’ll be the last,” Finn says.

Eoghan and I grab an unconscious Tony from the bed and make our way out of the room to the staircase behind Finn and Luca. When we get to the bottom, Liam and his team, as well as the rest of the Black Roses, are scattered around the large foyer, watching Farina struggle and spit down each step.

When we get to the bottom, Eoghan and I unceremoniously drop Tony to the ground while Liam walks up to Finn and Luca, who are holding tightly to Farina.

“Massimo Farina, I presume,” Liam says, looking the man up and down.

“Who the fuck are you?” Farina spits back.

“Liam Ashcroft.”

“Never heard of you.”

A sly smile spreads across Liam’s face. “Then I’m doing my job right. You and I are going to have a little conversation, and you’re going to decide how painful it’s going to be.”

“I’m not telling you shit, asshole.”

“Oh, Massimo, that’s what they all say. And yet I always get my answers.” Liam nods toward Abel and Kingston who step forward and take Farina from Luca and Finn, then head down the hallway to Farina’s office. “Come now, let’s chat,” I hear Liam say with an almost gleeful tone to his voice.

Tony begins to stir at my feet, and I take a step back, staring at the man as he comes to. He looks around at the rather large group and groans, realization hitting him as he catches his bearings. He knows he isn’t getting out of this alive.

I’ve seen my boss ruthlessly murder people after torturing them. Nothing quite as gruesome as what he did to Orlando Farina, Massimo’s son, but if I were a different kind of person, I’d probably have nightmares until the day I died. I’ve never been one for the dramatics. Any time I’ve taken a life, it’s been in the service of my family and over quickly. But I can definitely see the appeal of torturing a man who’s hurt someone you love before taking his life.

“Hope she sucked your dick good, Cillian. There’s no way you're walking out of this alive.” Tony’s full of bluster and he knows it. Doesn’t mean he isn’t going to try to get under my skin while he can, though.

I cock my gun and point it at his head. “Who else knows about Nova and Harper?”

His laugh is almost maniacal. “Why should I tell you shit? I’m dead either way.”

I smash the butt of my gun into his nose, which immediately explodes with blood running down his naked chest.

“True, but I get to decide how painful that death is.”

“Fuck you.” He spits a mouthful of blood at my feet.

I nod a few times then casually raise my gun and shoot him in the hand.

“Motherfucker!” Tony yells, cradling his hand against his chest.

“Who knows?” I yell.

“Get fucked!” His face has gone pale, and beads of sweat gather across his forehead, but he’s still being a stupid, stubborn son of a bitch, so I raise my gun again, this time firing into his kneecap, and he screams.

“Hurts like a bitch, doesn’t it? You know, Liam has a guy who can keep you alive for at least another day. Think of it, Tony, twenty-four more hours of me putting bullet holes in you. Maybe I’ll practice my knife skills while we’re at it. It’s been a minute since I’ve filleted human flesh.” I raise my gun and point it at his other knee. “Who knows?” I yell again.

“Fuck, man. No one. No one knows except Massimo. I’m the only one who handles the skin trade.”

I had a feeling that was the case. This is new territory for Farina, so it makes sense he was keeping his circle small for the time being.

I fire into his other knee anyways.

“Goddamnit, I told you what you wanted to know!”

“I know, but I like to see you suffer like those girls would have suffered.”

I watch him for a few moments. He’s a sniveling, bleeding mess, barely able to keep himself upright. And the sight brings me more satisfaction than any sane man should feel. Guess that says a lot about me.

I raise my gun once more and point it at his head. “See you in hell, motherfucker.”

And I pull the trigger.

Brain matter smears on the wall behind him as his lifeless body slumps to the floor.

“Goddamn,” Eoghan says from beside me. “Remind me not to piss you off.”

“I do. Every damn time you feel the need to needle me for your entertainment.”

“It’s brotherly affection.”

I roll my eyes. “Wouldn’t mind if you weren’t so brotherly toward me then.”

Eoghan’s hand covers his heart with the dramatic flair only he can pull off. “Cillian, that hurts my heart,” he says, wearing an exaggerated pout.

So I smack him in the back of the head. “There's your brotherly affection.”

“Ow. Why does everyone always feel the need to hit me in the head?” he gripes, rubbing the spot.

“Jesus, Eoghan. Stop being such a damn crybaby,” Finn says, shaking his head.

Just as Eoghan is about to open his mouth, probably to bitch some more, Liam walks out with Farina being dragged behind him by Kingston and Abel.

“Get what you need?” I ask.

“Of course,” Liam replies with a cocky grin on his face.

I look at Farina—who has a few more spots that are sure to bruise on his face than what he walked in there with.

“Great. Let’s get this fucker back to Shine. My father-in-law would like a word with him,” Finn says, then walks out the front door.

Liam and his crew stayed behind—along with Braxton and Cash. They’re on cleanup duty, then Cash and Braxton are going to introduce Liam to a certain pig farmer who doesn’t ask questions.

It’s odd seeing a man like Massimo Farina tied to a chair with darkening bruises around his face and arms. We didn't run in the same circles, but any time I saw him, he was always dressed to impress in a three-piece suit with an air of authority. I’ve always thought he was an asshole, but at least he had a good tailor.

Eoghan and I stand inside the small room in the basement of the Black Roses clubhouse to keep watch on Farina. It’s not like he’s going anywhere, though, or doing much of anything except glaring at us from his one eye that hasn’t swollen shut yet.

We didn’t walk through the main room of the clubhouse, so I haven’t seen Nova. The next time I lay eyes on her or talk to her, I want to be damn sure all of this is over and tell her she’s free to live her life, find that little beach town, and open her bar without having to look over her shoulder or worry that the boogeyman is going to jump from the shadows and take her again. That particular boogeyman is dead, and this one is well on his way to meeting him in hell.

The door opens, and Finn walks through, followed by Mario Amatto, Finn’s father-in-law.

According to Finn, Mario has been waiting for the day to end the Farina line. It would have caused a war ten years ago that Mario wasn’t prepared for when he suspected Orlando killed his son Gio. Mario had no definitive proof back then, and he would have had the Farinas and the Cataldis to contend with. Now is a different time and an entirely different circumstance. The Amattos and the Monaghans hold the power in this territory. Mario knew Massimo’s day of reckoning would eventually come.

And that day is today.

“Jesus, Massimo, you look like shit,” Mario says, snickering to himself.

“Should have known you’d align yourself with biker trash, Mario. You already did with the Irish scum.”

Mario chuckles. “They’re pretty smart for scum. They have you tied up here, don’t they?”

“Fuck you.”

“Yeah, yeah. Fuck me.” Mario waves his hand as though he’s beating away an annoying fly. “You know,” he starts, taking off his jacket and laying it on a chair on the other side of the room before rolling up his sleeves. “I’ve waited a decade for this moment. The point in time when you would have to answer for what you did to my family. Answer for your part in taking my son from me.”

I’ve seen Mario several times throughout the years. Usually at family dinners and celebrations where he’s the doting husband and father. This is the first time I’ve been here to witness him as the ruthless Mafia don. I must say, I rather like this side of him.

“Your son-in-law killed Orlando!” Massimo yells in a rough voice.

“He did. But that was for what he did to Alessia. This is for what he did to Gio. What you knew about and helped him cover up. This is between us, father to father.”

Mario slips a pair of brass knuckles from his pocket and slides them over his fingers. When he walks over to Massimo, he unleashes his rage, hitting the man in the face until the skin is broken and bleeding. Fuck, I think I might even see some bone.

“You took from me, from my family. Something we can never get back. My wife lost her son, my daughter lost her brother, her protector, and you knew what Orlando did!”

Mario grabs Massimo by the chin. If the man hadn't let out a groan of pain, I’d have thought him unconscious.

“You took and took. Then you tried to take girls and sell them to other monsters just like you and your dead son. You were never going to retire an old man and die peacefully in your sleep, Massimo. But fuck, I’m glad I get to be the one to end you.”

Mario grabs Massimo's hair with one hand, pulling his head back while he takes the gun from his holster with the other, pressing the metal against Massimo’s forehead. “Tell your son I said hello.”

Then he fires.

The room is silent as Mario stares at the dead body of the man who allowed so much cruelty and was responsible for so much heartache for the Amatto family and others.

When Mario turns, he walks over to the sink in the far corner of the room and washes Farina’s blood from his hands before putting his jacket back on and turning to face Finn, Eoghan, and myself.

“I’m going to give my daughter a hug and go home to my wife. I trust you will have this cleaned up?”

Finn nods. “Of course.”

Mario walks to the door and opens it, but before stepping through, he turns to Finn. “Thank you for calling me, son. It’s been a while since I got my hands dirty.” He looks toward Farina again. “Damn, that felt good.”

He smiles at Finn, who is wearing his customary smirk, before walking out of the room.

Ozzy enters moments later, looking from the body in his basement back to Finn. “Leave it for the prospects. They need to earn their shit. Go be with your women,” he tells the room. As I move past him, he says, “Yours is out back.”

“Not my woman,” I reply, but Ozzy just shakes his head.

“Whatever you want to tell yourself.”

Instead of answering, I walk out and head to the back patio where Nova and Harper were sitting this morning. When I find her, instead of a cup of coffee, she’s sipping on what looks to be a whiskey 7, and Harper is nowhere to be seen. Probably sleeping like any normal person would be at this hour.

“Hey,” I say in greeting as I walk over and have a seat next to her. “Little early to be drinking, no?”

“Maybe if I’d been to sleep yet.” Nova lifts the glass and takes a sip before handing it to me.

When I take it, our fingers brush, and it could be the exhaustion creeping in, but I swear I see a hitch in her breath at the contact.

Sipping from the glass, I wince. “Yeah, I much prefer it on the rocks.” I set the glass back down next to her and lean back in my chair. “Everything is taken care of. Finn will have a meeting with the remaining Farina capos, but no one knows anything about you and Harper. Seems Tony was the only one who handled the skin trade.”

Nova nods and settles back in her chair, mirroring my position. “It feels weird to say thank you for killing someone for me, but thank you.”

I give her a soft smile. “Yeah, it sounds weird when you say it like that.”

I have no regrets about tonight. What I don’t tell her is I would hunt down and kill anyone who was a threat to her and her future.

“I’m going to ask one thing from you,” I start, and Nova looks at me with skepticism in her green gaze. “I want you to let me take care of the jewelry.”

She opens her mouth to argue, but I shake my head and hold up a hand, which she looks ready to cut off at the moment.

“Listen, I’ve been thinking about it. Moving it anywhere close to New Orleans is too risky. It was risky a month ago, it’s risky now, and it’ll be risky in another month. I have plenty of connections in this department and can make sure it’s never traced back to you.”

Nova sits in the chair and chews at her lip while she considers everything.

“I’ll set up an account for you and send you all the information. I’ll make sure if anyone digs into where you got your money, it will look like an inheritance from some rich, dead grandfather or something.”

She’s still silent.

“Please, Nova. Let me do one last thing for you. You know my plan is better.”

A small smile graces her lips. “Well, you are the criminal mastermind.”

A chuckle escapes me. “So I’ve heard.”

Nova stands. “I feel like I can finally breathe. You know what I mean?”

“I do.”

“That’s thanks to you.” She smiles again, and it’s like the one I saw earlier. It’s lighter. She’s lighter, and the fact I had any part in that, big or small, makes those dark parts of myself a little lighter, too. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“It is morning,” I reply.

Nova shakes her head. “I’ll see you later today, then.”

She walks back into the clubhouse, leaving her drink on the table. I finish it for her, no use wasting good whiskey, and remember every time I kissed her with this exact taste on her lips.