Page 10 of The Mafia Assassin's Redemption-

What if he found me? Dragged me off? Killed me?

I looked for Mom, too, but she wasn’t there. I hoped she ran far away. When the bad men took Daddy, Mom was dragged off. And?—

I know she escaped. I know it.

So many parts are missing from my memory, though.

We went to start a new life in Ireland, but then the men came. Then the monster.

He shot Daddy.

I saw him. Saw Daddy. The hole in his head. I could see through the smoke and the coat the monster threw on me.

When I shot him, I hoped for something terrible. Unforgivable.

Back then I thought it was unforgivable. Now I know better.

I’d hoped he was dead.

I didn’t even know my finger was near the trigger.

But I know he didn’t die because monsters never do.

They hide.

And then, in the dead of night, they come back.

I open my eyes and stare at the big corkkboard covering my wall. Everything about the criminal Quinn clan. Things about a mysterious killer. A strange man. Pictures of men who look like him.

I don’t remember much.

Just that he was a giant. And he had curling black hair.

Blue eyes like midnight and a lilt to his dark voice.

And he told me he’d take care of me. That means kill, even I knew that at ten years old.

But now I’m grown up.

At twenty-two, I’m older than my years. I’ve lived a life. I’ve trained. I know guns. I know how to fight hard and dirty.

One day, I’ll find this Quinn.

And when I do, I’ll kill him.

THREE

torin

“Where the fuck are you going?”

My youngest brother, Declan walks over to me, Clawzilla, our black cat, perched on his shoulder. I remember when he was just a hissing scrap of fur. Now he’s big and his body is defying gravity right now because he’s bigger than Dec’s shoulder.

I wouldn’t cross Clawzilla, but he likes naps more than maimings.

“Out.” Because I can’t tell him the truth about where I’m headed.

Arnold, our German shepherd, trots up. He’s a big, gorgeous dog now, his intelligent eyes looking up at me. He makes a small, questioning whine.