I stand by the buffet table, eating another cupcake, as I ignore my lovesick brothers. Edmon is fawning over Lilah, so wrapped up in whatever she’s saying, I’m sure he’s going to end up stealing her before the party is over. Sienna and Lev are talking in hushed tones while avoiding others, proving that they’re still tangled in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. My father and Stephanie have disappeared. I’m sure they’re already at his place going at it.
Some mafia men they are. Able to ignore what we are and the politics they should play, all because they have some woman with them. I take another large bite of the cupcake as Hunter Volkov walks over.
He glances at me, then at the cupcakes. “Interesting choice, Daniel.”
“A sweet tooth is safer than whatever my brothers have going on,” I say after swallowing. “If I hadn’t seen Lev torture someone in the last few months, I’d say he’d lost his touch.”
“Words hold power. Be careful with them,” Hunter advises me.
I follow his gaze to his wife. Valerie is the type of woman a self-respecting mafia boss would want. She’s strong, knows the value of silence and action, and is willing to merge into the mafia life, kill, distract, and protect even with her own life on the line.
“Your wife is one of a kind,” I murmur.
“Isn’t she?” Hunter grins. “No one is as vicious, smart, and sweet.”
“I love my brothers, but I think they’re too willing to change for the women they’re interested in. Sienna is an artist who would rather ignore what Lev does. Lilah’s a teacher, though she’s plenty volatile when she needs to be,” I say.
“And your father’s woman?”
“Plenty strong in the moment. It’s just the ‘after’ that lingers with her,” I mumble. “Not that she’ll be involved much. My father is determined to embrace his retirement.”
“So that leaves you, alone with romance all around you,” Chase says from my other side. I didn’t notice him at all. He chuckles. “Don’t lose your touch, Daniel.”
“I have my priorities set. I know that being in the mafia isn’t an obligation, it’s a privilege. I get to keep my brothers safe, I get to be the family running Miami, and I don’t for a second think it’s a bad thing,” I reply while puffing out my chest.
Valerie walks over and fits herself to Chase’s side. “Boss man,” she says before stretching to kiss his cheek. “There are some people who want to meet you.”
“So they want to meet you, but you’re being sweet?” he guesses. He puts his glass in my hand. “Whatever you think of your family, remember that we’re all stronger when we have something worth fighting for.”
“My family is all the incentive I need,” I scoff.
Hunter shrugs at me. “Let me give you one bit of advice and I promise I won’t bring anything up again.”
“How can I turn that down?” I ask, because I don’t want to hear more about love when lust is so much more satisfying to fulfill.
“Coming home to someone who can love you knowing everything about you, someone who never cringes away, supports you, understands you ... it’s better than hopping from one bed to another and relying on family to be there for you,” he says.
He takes another cupcake, raises it to me, and heads off on his own. I roll my eyes. These cupcakes are more appealing than falling in love. Lev was right growing up, and so was Edmon–love is a weakness, just like innocence. It clouds the mind, and makes a person second guess things, and second guessing in our world means death.
As it is, we have the cartel attempting to move in–thanks to their desire for revenge on behalf of the Salinas brothers–and issues with the West Coast thanks to Gregor’s inability to control himself and how my family responded. Misha’s still walking around, with a few less fingers and a healthy dose of fear, but still a threat.
Since I’m the one who’s available, the one who doesn’t have any hangups about killing, about pausing my life to deal with what’s necessary in the moment with no need to postpone, it all falls on me.
Speaking of, I check my phone. Earlier, I reached out to a few contacts to verify that everything is fine and that there’s no threat on the horizon. Of course, that’s not what my responses say.
Some dealers were talking about a party to hit.
Lots of action at some richy-rich venue.
Guns purchased. At least a dozen.
Fuck. I walk over to Lev and show him the messages. He nods, gripping Sienna’s hand. He whispers in her ear and she touches her stomach. Sienna leans over to Lilah and they stand up, heading out the side exit.
Nodding once, Edmon walks over to me as if it’s an accident. “Clearing out civilians?”
“Lev’s heading outside to check things out?”
“Da,” Edmon agrees as Lev does just that, playing with a cigarette between his fingers.
Edmon and I apologize to civilians, letting them know that the bride-to-be isn’t feeling well. Plenty leave and for a moment, with mafia men, drunk wives, and ... well Valerie reaching under her dress for something until Lief takes her hand, shaking his head.
Perhaps it was just a few random things with no connection. I almost believe all my informants stumbled on coincidences until Lev comes back in with blood on his sleeve. He sighs. “Sienna’s going to tire of me coming home shirtless. Anyone without a weapon, get to the basement and seal it off until the shooting stops.”
A few people move, fewer women than plenty would think. One woman who’s been throwing back liquor all night and looks like she dyes her hair gray just to enjoy the confusion sighs and pulls out two guns. She looks at another man.
“Do you have the back-up rounds?” she asks him.
I smile and pull out my Glock, eager to join in. Two seconds later, three men come in with guns, shooting. The gray-haired woman doesn’t get up. She just moves to the side and takes out two of them with expert shots.
A soft yelp draws my attention, but I take out number three and notice Edmon up on the second floor. He’s firing elsewhere, at different targets. Great. I cover another entrance, take out three guys, and check the guns as one pants and tries to grab my leg. “Orders.”
“Yeah? Orders should be enough for me to call an ambulance for you?” I ask. I grip his arm and pull up the sleeve of his shirt.
Tattoos talk in our world and his mark says he’s a low level in the cartel. Only three kills. “How sad, dying before you fulfill your potential.”
“We’re far from done. You ... you’ll,” he chokes out.
Instead of following normal procedure and letting him bleed out or die of shock, I slide my gun into his mouth and fire. He’s silent, limp, eyes open as a tear rolls over his cheek. I fire another two shots before locking and barricading the back door.
Once that’s taken care of, I head back to the front with Lev. He’s smoking, at ease, his face stoic. I shoot out two tires on the vehicle standing that’s already got ruined windows and glance at Lev.
“Have you called the cleaners already?” I ask.
“It’s only wave one. With those texts, we can expect more,” he answers.
Still, no one appears out front. I glance around then, glance to the back. “Edmon was taking some hits.”
“Relieve him, Danya,” Lev orders.
“Yes, boss,” I reply.
I head up and find Edmon tallying, finishing, and double-checking. With that, I check the back. On cue, a car pulls up. I wait, see the guns, then take two sure shots. The rest duck, start yelling, fire their automatics. Shit.
Wave one wasn’t strapped like this. The gray-haired woman walks up and puts her hand out to the man beside her. “The AR-15, please.”
The man pulls out an enormous gun and she sighs. “You should go inside. They’re coming in the side entrances too.”
“Thank you,” I murmur, still amazed by her.
“Ms. Polina, they’re reloading,” the man says.
“No fun shooting fish in a barrel,” she says.
Of course, the Polina. Came to get some paintings taken care of and now she’s enjoying the fun–since killing for the top ranks is fun. When you move up and have someone else do the killing, I suppose a certain spark is lost until you’re put back in the field.
Shrugging, I head inside. “All yours, ma’am.”
I head back inside, clearing a few areas that are already packed with men eager to claim a kill. Adrenaline courses through me until I hear pounding at the door I barricaded. Snarling, I unbarricade it, then kick the door open and am hit in the face.
Another yell echoes behind me and I blink a few times, trying to clear the daze before I grab an ankle and take the guy down as he screams insults at me that only sound pretty in Spanish. I raise my bowie knife and slit his throat.
“Not interested in flirting right now. Thanks for the offer though,” I huff.
I rip into three men, take one of their guns, and finish them. I wipe my face from the spray of blood there and huff. I rub my shoulder where I took a bullet. The pain won’t ripple through for a while, which reminds me of the clock until emotions kick in.
Four men down right here, at least a car full taken care of out back, the first car full out front Lev can handle, Edmon ... Shit, Edmon.
I head towards him, but the door to the kitchen opens and two men appear. I shoot one in the foot and he slumps over, reaching for the wound. His head is next. The second man looks around, leaving his gut open. Messy, but simple.
Except I miss when guy three pushes his way out. Guy three is a fucking giant, too. Based on the fact he has a knife and nothing else ... I’m sure he can do more than enough damage with just that. He requires a special approach and I’m more than happy to give it to him.
I take out the guy next to him and he snorts, like its nothing at all.
Standing up, I grip my knife and my gun. He stares me down and grins. “What are you supposed to be?”
“Not much, just a name you’ll never get.” I set my gun down.
He grins at me and nods. “Finally, someone who understands the art of fighting.”
“Art, necessity, whatever it is. You came here, and ruined a pleasant party ... so I’ll make sure to ruin that face too,” I say with a grin.
He comes at me with the knife, but after about three wide slashes, I wonder if all he has going for him is his size. I shove my knife into his abdomen and jerk up. Instead, he puts his blade at my throat and I hear a gun cock behind me.
Stupid me. He’s a damn distraction. I shove the blade deeper and he grunts. I turn with him at the same time I hear the gunfire. But not just one, Edmon’s always around.
The man in front of me gapes and digs his blade into my neck, but it’s not deep enough. I’m sure of that, considering I can still breathe. He drops to the ground in front of me and I fling the knife at the guy that’s still standing, even though he’s gaping like a fish.
A smile turns up my lips. The man drops to the ground and Edmon waves. “I think we’re clear. Ready for the cleaners?”