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“Listen,” he says, shaking his head. “I know you. You know me, but that was years ago, right? Years. Almost a decade. A lifetime. So, let’s keep this professional, okay, Lexi? Let’s not play any games.”
He turns to me, this small, nasty man. I can’t believe I was so scared of him once. I can’t believe what I did—what he made me do.
Alone forever.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I tell him.
He nods. “Right. Good. Let’s keep it that way.”
He marches from my office and slams the door behind him.
CHAPTER 2
Colt
“Easy,” I tell Shadow, crouching next to him as I watch the suspect dragging the hostage through the parking lot. The man looks around, searching for any sign of trouble, as Shadow vibrates like a rocket ready to explode. “Easy, boy. Soon.”
The suspect bundles the other, smaller man into the trunk of a car. Then I click my tongue, and Shadow erupts into action. He sprints across the parking lot and leaps at the kidnapper, sinking his teeth into the thick protective wadding the kidnapper is wearing. The man laughs at first, then calls for help when he realizes Shadow isn’t playing games.
“Back,” I call, and Shadow instantly spins and returns to me.
The assembled crowd of schoolchildren, teachers, police officers, and Marino Family men applaud as I approach Luca. “I hope he didn’t do too much damage.”
Luca grins, seeming like his old self since things worked out with Ruby, but less cocky, less ironic, and more genuinely happy. “Liar,” he laughs, then looks down at Shadow. “What’d I do to you, eh, boy?”
“You give the speech,” I tell Luca.
Luca nods. “You stand in the background and look intimidating.”
Luca and Elio have been hosting a series of “fun days” for the students in underprivileged neighborhoods as part of the Marino Family’s outreach programs. That’s why there are so many Family men here, ensuring nothing bad happens to ruin the Marinos’ good reputation.
As Luca gives his speech, I notice some kids glancing at me, looking afraid, stunned, and curious. The presence of the mafiosi and the kids bring back many memories—sharp, jagged, stabbing recollections—that I do my best to push down.
As far as I can tell, Luca and Elio are good men—I’ve done my research—but I can’t shake the fact that they belong to a mafia. Still, I’m here, so I should quit whining.
After the speech, Elio approaches me. He’s got that same happy glow to him as his younger brother. Luca’s told me how tough it was for Elio to find happiness, always with a hint in his voice as if he’s saying, You could too, Colt. But they don’t know what I did. What I left behind. The blood on my hands.
“Thank you, Colt,” Elio says, offering his hand.
I shake it and tell him, “The answer’s no. I won’t take payment for this.”
He chuckles. “You’re a mind reader. What about for another job, simple protection at the docks? Will you take payment for that?”
“Depends what I’m protecting.”
“Tasers,” he tells me. “For women in the poorer neighborhoods.”
I laugh gruffly. “Are you lying to me, Marino?”
“I know it sounds silly, but it’s the truth.” He leans closer, lowering his voice. “There have been whispers lately. Has Luca told you?”
I shake my head. “We mostly just give each other concussions in sparring.”
Now it’s his turn to laugh gruffly. “Yeah, I’ve heard. There’s a new Family in town, the Serpentes. They’re small-time, but they’ve been nipping at our heels to provoke us into a response. With you and your hound watching, there’s no way they’re sneaking up on us.”
“The Serpentes,” I mutter, my head feeling like it’s cracking, my throat getting tight. “The Snakes.”
“I know. It sounds made up, but it’s their genuine name, apparently.”
It is. I know that for a fact, but I can’t believe they’d be messing with the Marinos if they knew I was involved with them. Or maybe things have changed. Perhaps the past doesn’t want to stay dead.
Elio narrows his eyes. “Have you heard of them?”
There’s no way I’ll explain what I did to the Serpents or what they did to me. “I’ll take the job,” I say, ignoring his question as I turn away.
In my mind, I see Lexi, but that’s nothing new. It’s wild, but it’s not new. I’ve seen her almost nonstop ever since our brief meeting. It makes no sense. I should be able to shut it down, but I can’t.
Now, there’s somebody else, too, as if a second person is pushing through Lexi’s skin. It’s her, and she’s screaming.
CHAPTER 3
Lexi
“So, how was work?” Mom asks almost the moment I’ve walked through the door.
Since Ruby married and moved in with Luca, Mom and Dad have been way more attentive to me. I can’t say it’s a bad thing. I’m just not used to it. I’m also not used to seeing them so happy and in love without the specter of an argument or a disaster looming.
