***
"Dude. I swear we didn't know." The guy couldn't be more than twenty-two or so. "We were in a sticky situation and-"
"Where's the money, mother fucker?" I lifted my gun as we stood in a back alley in the middle of the day. Getting caught wasn't my concern. Getting finished was.
"It's gone. We stole it to give it back to someone." His voice broke, and tears spilled onto his cheeks as his jeans darkened from him pissing himself. "Please. I'll get it back."
"You believe that?" I glanced over at Kane, who was leaning against the brick wall behind us.
"Nope. Not for a minute. Hurry the fuck up." He gave me a look.
"Man, please. Just give me some time and I'll-"
"Time's up." I pulled the trigger and tucked the gun in the back of my jeans, grateful for the invention of the silencer.
"I'm hungry. Let's eat and then get out of here."
I looked up at the building we were behind as we walked toward the front. "This place any good?"
"Let's check it out." He held the door open, and a pretty brunette rushed to greet us and gave us a table. We ate our breakfast in peace for a few minutes until all hell broke loose. Someone found the body. Good.
I wiped my mouth with my napkin and let out a contented sigh. "You done?"
"Yeah. That was incredible. We should come here more often."
"To kill someone or eat?" I got up and threw a fifty on the table.
"Both?" He snorted, and I popped him in the gut before walking toward the exit. "Hey, man. I'm really sorry about this morning. It was a dick thing to say to you. You know I loved your sister too. I wouldn't-"
"Shut up about it." I got in the car and glanced over at him. "Women don't survive in our world. My father's tried to tell me that a million times. I've listened until now."
"Who is she?" He pulled down the mirror above his head and checked his teeth.
"Just a girl I met in the city."
"Where?" He glanced over at me.
"None of your business." I turned out of the parking lot and headed back to the house as my phone rang. Unknown caller.
"Debt collector?" Kane chuckled.
"Right." I put the phone to my ear. "Erik Bertinelli."
"Erik." I knew the voice right away.
"Demetri DeMarco. How are you, man?" A smile played on the side of my mouth. Not many people understood the life I was forced to live, but the bastard on the phone did. He was the Underboss of the Castaletta Syndicate out of Chicago, and a mean mother fucker.
"I've been better." He cleared his throat. "We are headed into war with Cooper. I need to know if you and your old man are willing to stand beside us or if you're against us."
Straight to the chase. It's one of the many reasons I respected him.
"My father hates Terrance Cooper and has for years. I've no clue why, but it's irrelevant. We'll stand with you and Joe, of course."
"Good. We're working on a few new things up here. I'd love to have you come up and let me show you." He was offering me goodwill, a favor for standing beside him.
"New things like what? We have our fingers in just about everything at this point outside of drugs."
"And that's where your missing a great margin for your bank account, Erik. A new drug just hit the market, and the kids are going wild for it."
"Zandra?" I smiled as he huffed.
"Still come sometime soon."
"After your war maybe. I could use a break from this fucking place." I ran my fingers through my hair as my throat closed up.
"Something happened?" The concern in his voice was welcomed. He and Joe Castaletta had shown their respects when my mother died and a few months later when we found Delaney's body.
"No. I just need closure on this shit, and it's been ten years. It's still fucking with me, but whatever. I need to leave it in the past where it belongs."
"Or dig a little bit and figure out what the fuck happened. If someone killed my sister, Cat, there isn't much I wouldn't do to find out who."
"And what would you do when you found them, D? Blow their heads off? Would that bring Cat back?"
"No, but justice would be served. Don't fool yourself, old friend. It feels good to know that you've evened the score. Period."
"Right. Let me know when or if you need us."
"Erik. Do you want us to look into Delaney's death? We can without anyone knowing."
"No. Leave it buried in the past. It's over now, and I have to get past it."
"You really don't, but I understand. Just know the offer stands."'
"Thanks." I dropped the call and glanced over to find Kane's eyes wide. "What?"
"Why didn't you take him up on it? You've been suffering over this shit with your sister for ten fucking years."
"Because I'm pretty sure knowing would hurt more than not knowing."
"What? You make no sense." He glanced out the window and made a sound of disgust.
As much as I wanted to redeem my sister's life, I was pretty sure it would end with me killing the only family I had left.
My father.