Chapter 4
A tiny squeak escapes my lips and I nearly fall to the floor. My knees give way, but before I go down, Sean grabs my arms. He holds me upright and continues softly. “The cops suspect he’s alive. By the time they got there, the body was gone. Due to the amount of blood they found, their natural assumption was that one of his men killed him and dumped the body. The cops were still going down that path until recently when Campone was caught snooping around my hotel. So, unless they saw a ghost, the man is still alive.”
“He can’t be.” I shake my head and my eyes glaze over as I remember that night. The amount of blood, the way his head hung back and the wound was so deep. “It’s not possible.”
Sean sighs and looks at me with an expression that’s lost somewhere between pity and admiration. Leaning in close, he says, “The cut was too shallow. It’s like aiming for the heart and missing. The guy underestimated what you were willing to do once, but he won’t underestimate you again. And I’d bet anything that he’ll remain dead for a while, letting others do his dirty work, until it suits him to stage a resurrection.”
“How do you know all this?”
He swallows hard, his gaze shifting away and then back to my eyes. “Periodically, our business ventures overlap. I hear things. And I can tell you that if I hear it, my mother has heard it and you sure as hell don’t want to piss her off. If Campone ends up here, you’re dead. If he doesn’t kill you, my mother will.”
He grabs my shoulders and urges me, “Hallie, take your friend and get the hell out of here before Campone finds you.” Sean releases me. “This was a courtesy warning. If you stick around and Bryan is killed because of you, well, you better hope Victor finds you before I do.” His eyes flick over me once, his intentions clear.
I stand there for a second barely breathing. Our eyes are locked, we’re both defiant to the core, but he doesn’t know—Sean doesn’t know about his cousin. Maybe I should take Bryan and run, but I can’t. Not while he’s sick. He’ll need help and hospice care. I can’t give him those things if I run. My voice cracks when I speak. “I can’t.”
“It’s not optional.”
“No, you don’t understand. I can’t leave. I can’t outrun Victor, and I won’t. I’ll take care of this. I’ll finish what I started.” I have no idea how, but I will. If I don’t, he’ll come after me and Maggie. The man is ruthless, he’ll never stop hunting us. I know that for certain.
Sean’s dark brow lifts. “Are you insane? You’ll never get another chance to kill him. He thought you were insignificant before, now he knows better.”
I shove past him. “I’ll take care of it. He won’t come here, and this time when I kill him, he’ll die.”
“Hallie,” Sean almost pleads my name—almost—but I don’t stop.
I head into Bryan’s room and close the door. I stay there for a second and tip my head back, breathing hard. I’ve never even punched a person before this. Now I just confessed to the scariest Ferro of them all that I’m going to take out the city’s most notorious drug lord. Super fuck.
I’m still holding the bag with Bryan’s breakfast. When I tighten my fist, the paper makes a crackling noise and he sits up. A beautiful smile brightens his ashen face. “Hey, Beautiful Girl. Where’d you run off to?”
“To grab some breakfast and get some dirt on your aunt. It’s been an interesting morning.” I smile worriedly at him and hand over the bag.
“Dirt on my aunt?”
I shake my head and sit down next to him on the bed. “Yeah, I figured out why she hates me. She thought I knew something all these years, but I didn’t figure out what I knew until this morning.”
Bryan unwraps his bagel while I’m speaking and bites into it. His green gaze flicks up to mine. With his mouth full, he prompts me. “Well?”
I think about keeping her secret, but I feel no loyalty to her. Besides, Bryan won’t tell anyone. “She’s gay. I caught her with her lover in your mom’s kitchen this morning.”
His jaw drops and the piece of bagel falls out of his mouth and onto the bedspread. “No way.”
I nod and look down at the piece of food. “Shocked much?”
“Hell, yeah. She’s so demure and proper.” His nose scrunches at the thought of his aunt being sexually anything.
“And apparently she likes girls.”
Bryan blinks and smiles. “Well, that explains a lot of things.”
“Yeah, like why she’s still married and allows half-dressed whores to walk around her house.”
Bryan grins. “Of course, everyone likes a little eye candy.”
I bump his shoulder. “Bryan!”
“Come on, think about it. There’s been a mistress in that house since Jon was a baby. It’s the weirdest family I’ve ever seen. My mother wouldn’t have tolerated it. I’ve always wondered why Aunt Constance did.”
“Your dad doesn’t have a live-in whore?”
He tilts his head at me. “My dad doesn’t have time for it. He’s too busy making money to be bothered with relationships or buying ladies. But still, Aunt Connie likes the ladies. Who would have thought?” He shakes his head. “Then what the hell did I see the day we broke up?”
Good question. I sigh and have a pretty good idea of who to ask. I grin wolfishly. “Which room does Constance use when she’s here?”
Bryan looks confused and then his eyes widen. “Are you insane?”
“Only a little.” I laugh and almost pinch my fingers together.