Rachel Dyken - Entice

Nixon pulled her into his arms. “We’re blood. We protect blood.”

When he released her, I stepped up to him and held out my hand. “Blood in. Blood out.”

Luca and Frank shook our hands, repeating the sentiment as each of us kissed one another’s cheeks.

I’d never been one to think about the whole patron saint thing, but in that moment, I pulled out the cross that I’d made when I was fifteen. It had Saint Paul scribbled across it.

“May God protect us,” Nixon mumbled, making a cross motion with his fingers in front of him.

Frank nodded. “He protects the just.”

Mil leaned against me. “And those who rape little girls, sell their virginity, or worse yet, purchase it for their own gain? What does he do to them?”

I squeezed her. “He gives them their just reward.”

Luca nodded. “An eternity in hell.”

“Ready?” I whispered in her ear.

“Yeah.”

“I love you.”

She nodded and then wrapped her arms around me. “I love you too.”

Stepping away from her, knowing it was entirely possible it would be the last time I’d be in her arms, was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. It was necessary. I was going to war — for her. And even if I died, I’d die with peace, knowing my last action had been saving her from monsters and demons. My last battle cry… would be her name on my lips.

Mil

Frank pulled the black Escalade up to the curb and waited as all of us girls piled in. We were safe with him. He wasn’t just Trace’s grandpa; he was the boss of the Alfero family. He was also old enough to let the younger generation run in, guns blazing, but not too old to not be able to protect us. He was in his seventies but looked more like his fifties.

“You girls will listen to me,” he said, his voice slightly accented. “You will not run into the building when you hear gunshots. You will not cry when you see blood. If need be, you will kill. You will kill swiftly. You will kill smoothly. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” we mumbled in unison.

“Do you all have ammo?”

“Yeah,” I said.

Trace and Mo repeated the same thing.

“And knives?”

Mo grinned. “My specialty.”

“Fantastic.”

Weird. It was like he was proud that we were heavily armed and ready to kill on a dime. What a life.

I sent a quick text to Joe, telling him what was going on. Not to put us in more jeopardy, but because I figured that the guys would need all the help they could get.

Me: If you don’t hear from me in 40 minutes. Come to this address, guns blazing.

Joe: How many men do you need?

Me: Every last one you have.

Joe: Should I be concerned?

Me: We found Campisi. I wouldn’t be against you bringing hell to his doorstep.

Joe: And to think I wanted to kill you a few days ago.

Me: Um, thank you?

Joe: It was a compliment. Keep in touch, boss.

“Do you trust them?” Trace whispered next to me.

I nodded. “Right now? We have no choice but to trust them. And if they turned on us, they’d bring four of the most powerful families down onto their heads. They have more to gain by joining us than going against us.”

Trace squeezed my hand. “Good thinking.”

Mo leaned forward so that she was touching both of our shoulders. “Girls, I love you both but I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Nerves?”

Mo shook her head. “He could be dead.”

“He’s not dead,” Trace reassured her instantly. “You know Tex. He’s smart. He’s very, very capable.”

“That’s just the problem,” Mo grumbled. “He talks way too much.”

“But he’s good, right?” I asked lamely. “I mean, he can hold his own?”

The girls both burst out laughing.

“What am I missing?”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Mo said. “It’s scary as hell that they have him. My heart hasn’t stopped racing since I saw the exchange, but Tex kills people. It’s what he does.”

“Don’t they all kill people?” I asked confused.

“They do.” Mo nodded. “But to Nixon and Chase, it’s a necessity. Nixon likes hitting things, Chase likes shooting things, and Tex? He’s like an artist. It’s not a profession to him. It’s a lifestyle, something to perfect. He would do well as a gun-for-hire because nobody could trace him.” Mo laughed. “I remember the first time I watched the stupid Jason Bourne movies I asked Tex if he was taking special serum.”

We all giggled.

“Is he?” I asked.

“Negative.” Mo shook her head. “Though he did say they should make a serum out of his genes.”

“Of course.”

“Almost there, ladies.” Frank said from the front seat. “Be sure to keep alert, and remember, shoot first, ask questions later.”

“You’re a great grandpa.” Trace patted his shoulder.

“Trying to soften me up before battle?”

“Never.” Trace swore. “Just glad you’re finally okay with me shooting things.”

“Well, let’s hope those lessons with Nixon paid off. A shotgun is a hell of a lot different than a pistol.”

“Me and Annie will be just fine.” She patted her own gun and smirked.

“You named your gun?” I asked.

She nodded. “Makes it seem less violent.”

“Women,” Frank muttered under his breath.

Tex

We arrived at our destination. A nice little warehouse that had a possessed-looking bird on the side of it. The paint was chipping and, as I’d predicted, the location was next to water. Great. Were they going to drown me or just shoot me? I wonder if I’ll be given a preference? Probably not.

“Out.” The man opened the door, pointing the gun at my face. I lifted up my hands and blew him a kiss.

I strutted in the middle of the two remaining men. They knocked three times on the door. It flew open and I was pulled inside. A bag was put over my head — it smelled like the man I’d just killed and had to sit next to for a few minutes. Lucky me. Even in his death, his stench was haunting me.

“So,” a gravelly voice said. “This is—”

“The man who shall not be named.” I tried to sound bored. “But everyone just calls me Tex. I wonder if they’re afraid of the curse.”

“The curse?”

“Yeah, the one that says that whatever family who is responsible for my death has blood that can’t be cleansed from their hands — their souls will rot in hell for eternity. Their children, their families — completely killed off.”

“Lies,” the voice spat. “We made that up for our pride.”

“Oh, so now he admits it.” I shook my head. “Really, Pops, you think you could come up with a better story? I mean, I’m a freaking legend because of that curse. Why couldn’t you have given me magic powers or something?”

“You do talk a lot.”

“One of my many flaws, other than being sired by the Capo himself.”

Air whooshed by my ears, and then the bag was pulled from my head. I could actually — for the first time in my entire existence — get a look at the bastard who’d abandoned me; I could look directly into his cold icy eyes.

He glared.

I glared right back and then forced a smile. “My apologies. Did you want me to cry?”

“No.”

“I might be able to conjure up a tear if one of your guards gets a feather and starts tickling me, but I think that would be frowned upon.”

“Your mouth will be the death of you.”

“Funny, that’s exactly what that guy’s mom said when I screwed her last night, though I think it was the other way around. Something like my mouth will be the death of her.”

The guard I’d pointed at just glared then rolled his eyes. “Thinks he’s funny.”

“I know I’m funny.” I winked. “Thinking has nothing to do with it. I’m freaking hilarious, and the longer you listen to me talk, the shorter the time is before you die.”

“Me?” My father laughed. “Who’s going to kill me? You? Your little friends?”

“My little friends. It almost sounds like a play date, only with guns, and knives, and well… Chase does have this weird bomb fantasy, but whatever.”

“They will come for you,” my dad said coldly. “And I will end what I should have ended years go.”

“Just out of curiosity…” I leaned forward. “What would that be?”

“The list is quite long.” He scratched his face and took a step forward into the light.

He was a large man, and by large, I meant large. Over three-hundred pounds and at least six-and-a-half-feet tall. His dark hair was thinning around the crown of his head, and I could tell he hadn’t shaved for a few days.

“Been running, Pops? Or have you just let yourself go now that Mom’s finally left you.”

“Your mother is dead.” He said it so matter-of-fact that my first reaction was to laugh, and then I wanted to cry because I’d never met her, and I’d been so freaking close that it destroyed me to know I would never see her smile.

“So?” I shrugged, lying my ass off. “I didn’t know her.”

“You look like her.”

“She must have been very attractive.”

“She was a conniving bitch.”

“Ah well, I’m more of a conniving ass, so I guess I must have inherited that from your side. Can’t have it all, looks and smarts. How would that be fair?”

“Sir?” One of the guards rushed to my father’s side. “A car pulled up to the restaurant a few minutes ago. We think it’s them.”

“O-oh, them,” I mocked. “Tell me Nicolasi doesn’t make you want to shit your pants right here, right now, and I’ll let you shoot me.”