Page 28 of Forgotten Comeback (Parisi Family #5)

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

Gavin

“Morning,” I tell my brothers, closing the door behind me.

Inferno tosses a newspaper across his desk, and I grab it. The front page photo is of Ace’s engulfed in flames. “‘Natural gas leak caused explosion at an abandoned building,’ blah, blah, blah, ‘no fatalities reported.’” I read aloud.

“The fire marshal made this call without an investigation. That tells me he’s on the Parisi payroll,” John announces.

“What of your meeting with Sal? I hope you didn’t fuck him up too badly. We still need him,” Inferno tells me.

I shake my head. “Didn’t get the chance. Sal ghosted me, and I have no way of contacting him, other than showing up at Fabio’s restaurant…”

“What about Mia?” John asks.

“That bridge is burned.” No way I’m sticking my dick in that woman again.

“So that leaves us with the Kat Stefanos angle,” John says.

“Why didn’t you tell us your ring girl ‘friend’ was close with Kat?” Inferno asks me.

Arms crossed, I demand. “Who told you this?”

“Dominic,” Inferno says.

My teeth grind back and forth. Should’ve followed my instincts and killed that motherfucker. “I don’t want Taylor involved.”

“Too late,” Inferno tells me. “Dominic’s going to use Taylor to lure Kat away from the beach house and grab her.”

“Is your head in the game?” John asks me, pinning me with his gaze.

“Is yours?” I counter, ignoring Inferno’s subtle warning look.

“Always,” John answers smoothly. “Just want to make sure we’re on the same page.”

“Same chapter. Same verse,” I lie.

Taylor

Clocking out after my shift, I walk by the pit boss’s office, and he calls, “Taylor, just a second.”

“What’s up?” I stick my head in his door.

“Could you work an extra shift next week? Katerina’s no longer with us, and I need to get the schedule ironed out.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, my eyes going wide.

“She took another job,” he tells me.

I try to wipe the shocked expression off my face. “Sure. Put me down for an extra early shift.”

“Thanks. I’ll get the schedule sent out later this evening.”

Nodding, I hurry to the employee parking lot and text Kat.

You’re no longer working at the Diamond?????????

No response.

Why the hell is Kat being so sketchy? I mean, yes, I’ve been sketchy about the whole Gavin/Mia thing, but this is different!

Arriving home, I’m in no mood for a lengthy Mrs. Parker encounter; thankfully, the woman’s nowhere to be seen as I dart across the street and unlock my door.

Tossing my keys and purse on the table, I enter the kitchen, jumping like a scared cat.

“Shit!” My hands cover my mouth before dropping them.

“Dominic, what the hell are you doing?” Kat’s ex is seated at my kitchen table.

Glass covers the floor, along with dirt from a planter he used to break my window.

Dominic rises, pointing a gun at me.

Gavin

I hop the fence and keep low, reaching Taylor’s back door stoop. Mrs. Parker’s lifeless body is splayed face down, and an eerie calm washes over me.

Dominic’s a dead man.

Climbing through the broken window, I land softly in the kitchen.

“Don’t give me that ‘hey girl’ bullshit! What’s this I hear about you no longer working at The Diamond?” Taylor says from the living room.

Silence.

“Good thing I’ve got the time. Get your ass over here; I’m ordering takeout.”

Silence.

“This evening, not next week because something ‘came up.’”

Silence.

“So you’re naked with a man; I knew it!” Taylor jokes, but her voice is strained.

Silence.

“You’re still a tease.”

There’s a pause before Taylor says, “Kat’s on her way. Dominic, nothing good will come from this. It’s not too late for you to leave. I won’t call the cops, I swear it,” she pleads.

He doesn’t respond.

“Use your head! If you really want her back, this isn’t the way to go about it.”

“Always thought you were smarter than me,” he rages. “Always in Kat’s ear about me. Why is that, Taylor? You jealous? Want a taste of my dick?”

“Dominic, put the gun down—”

“Oh, that’s right. You can’t make up your mind whether you like dick or pussy. Always been a little off in the head, haven’t you, Taylor? I’ve never fucked a certifiable bitch before. Does crazy pussy live up to the hype?”

Taylor’s muffled cries have my vision shading crimson.

I grab my gun from my waistband and storm to the living room. Dominic’s pinned Taylor on the floor, but he looks up when the red dot of my sight dances around his temple.

“Get the fuck off her.” I’m dangerously close to losing control, and I try to rein in the madness.

“What the hell are you doing here?” He scrambles up, and Taylor scoots back on her ass away from him.

“Following orders,” I lie, my finger twitching to pull the trigger. “I’m in charge of this operation now. Put your gun on the floor and kick it over to me.”

“I was just fucking around,” Dominic grumbles.

I’d love for him to give me another reason, but he does as I command, and I squat down, grabbing his gun and shoving it in my waistband.

“What the hell is going on?” Taylor says with a shaky breath, and I grab her arm, yanking her towards me.

“I like you, but for the next little bit, I’m going to treat you like I don’t,” I whisper in her ear.

The doorbell rings.

“That’s Kat,” I say quietly, aiming my gun at Taylor.

And I thought the woman hated me before; betrayal flickers in her pretty eyes.

“Taylor, let Kat inside.”

Taylor

My mind’s reeling. Dominic would’ve raped me if Gavin hadn’t stopped him.

But mi lady, my ass! Gavin’s got a fucking gun pointed at me!

I open the door to find my friend with a bottle of wine. “Told you I was coming,” Kat says, stepping inside.

Dominic, I mouth silently.

“Oh my God, Taylor, this isn’t about Dominic!” Kat says, exasperated.

I cut my eyes, and she looks over my shoulder, her eyes going wide.

“What are you two doing here?” she asks.

“We’re here to take you ladies on a little trip.” Gavin appears.

“No thanks.” Kat shifts toward the door, but Dominic’s blocking the exit. Fight, flight, or freeze; my body unfortunately chooses the last option.

I watch in slow-motion as Kat swings the wine bottle, connecting with Dominic’s forehead. He tumbles to the floor.

“Come on!” Kat grabs my hand, lunging for the door handle.

Click.

My body trembles violently as Gavin grabs my other hand, digging the barrel of his gun into my temple.

If this is Gavin liking me, then what the fuck does his hating me look like?

“Nice KO,” he comments nonchalantly, and Kat drops my hand. “My only critique is I would have liked a full extension on that swing—just like your punches—but kudos to you for the quick thinking. Just not quicker than me.”

He moves the gun from my temple, and I sigh in relief.

Bang.

Dominic flies back before slumping on the floor; brain chunks and blood spatter my front door.

Gavin moves the gun back to my head as bile rises in my throat.

“See, that trip I was telling you about? It wasn’t a request,” he tells Kat.

“You’re making a big mistake,” Kat says calmly, but her trembling hands give her away.

“Let’s go,” Gavin barks. “Out through the back. Kat, you first. Hands on top of your head and keep them there. You try anything else, I’ll put a bullet between Taylor’s eyes.”

Kat’s feet are working, but mine aren’t. Why aren’t my feet working?

Gavin growls, practically dragging me to the kitchen.

“Lie down on the floor on your stomach and put your hands on top of your head,” Gavin orders Kat.

“Let’s talk about this,” she begs.

Gavin digs the gun harder into my temple, and Kat complies—sliding to her knees and onto her stomach.

A piece of duct tape is slapped over my mouth, and I’m shoved into a chair. Gavin roughly grabs my wrists, and the cold feel of plastic is now on my skin.

Things feel fuzzy, like this is a dream. Is this a dream? Or am I having a psychotic break?

Something wet touches my cheeks; I’m crying.

“If it’s me you’re after, let Taylor go,” Kat says.

Gavin secures Kat and drags her out the door. “No!”

Kat can scream. Why can’t I scream?

He returns with a gasoline container.

I can’t ask him what he’s doing, because I can’t talk. Why can’t I talk?

He grabs me and hoists me over his shoulder, walking me outside.

My vantage point is the ground; wait, was that Mrs. Parker’s body?

I’m tossed on top of Kat, and we both let out mumbled groans.

Gavin mutters something before closing the trunk, but I don’t catch it.

Could be minutes, could be hours, but the vehicle lurches forward, and there’s a loud boom that has my teeth rattling.

This has to be a hallucination, because if it’s real life, Gavin just blew up my house.