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I take her to her room and get her into her bed, then read her a story. I have another thirty minutes before midnight once she falls out. I head to my room for a shower.
* * *
Jace
I wanted to stay until Ny’s birthday, but Gio and I need to make these hits happen at the same time. He’s on his way to the address I got for him for Pauly R’s goomar.
Pauly T. is my job. He’s at a restaurant across town. Lucas invited him out under the pretense that he’ll get a shot at running a crew if he does a job for him.
Total bullshit. Lucas has been running things here in the States for Nonno in Ava’s absence, but he would never allow someone like Pauly T. to do anything more than park his car. Riccardo and his minions are all stupid. Riccardo’s arrogance will be his downfall. He thinks he’s controlling things.
He was actually happy to see Lucas step in, never questioning Nonno’s move. I guess it’s because Frances is his pawn. However, the Di Lorenzos are the smart ones here.
Lucas moves as if he’s an adviser to Frances. You would never know he’s an acting underboss. Frances is as much his pawn as he is his father’s.
I’m learning from the best. Patience will get me to my goal. However, first I need to make sure our girl remains safe.
I park the Jag and head for the back door of the restaurant. Apollo, one of our guys, lets me in. He’s still a kid, about fourteen, working his way up in the family.
Lucas likes him. He’s caught Gio’s attention too. I think he has a place for him. Tonight, he’s a dish boy. His main job, letting me in the back door.
“He just went into the john. No one else is in there,” Apollo says as I walk by him.
I nod and keep moving. I know the place well enough. Lucas used to own it. He sold it a year ago and uses it now for business he doesn’t want to be tied to.
I pull my Sidekick to check for a text from Gio. I see the go-ahead and move in on my target. I find the bastard singing drunkenly to himself at the urinal. He looks back at me and chuckles.
“Hey, guy. Almost done.” He zips up and looks over his shoulder again. “Great party out there, ain’t it?”
Instead of answering him, I walk up behind him and wrap my arms around his neck. He tries to fight me off, but I tighten my hold and lift him off his feet. He kicks at the half wall of the urinal, but it’s no use. I snap his neck and drop him to hang over the wall.
I walk to the sink, wash my hands then send a text to Gio.
* * *
Gio
I grunt as I get the text from Jace. I climb out of the Benz Coupe and move through the trees to get to the house Pauly is heading for.
I slip into the back door and shrug my leather jacket off as I scope the place out. It has a modern cabin feel. Nice place. Pauly’s goomar comes from money.
I look up and find what I need. The exposed beam rafters are perfect. I toss my jacket on an accent chair and run at the wall to climb and get up to the rafters. I get up there and perch on the beam then wait.
It doesn’t take long before headlights brighten the house. Seeing the angle I’ll need once Pauly enters the house, I turn, swinging my legs on the other side.
The engine turns off and I ready myself. The key enters the lock and Pauly pushes inside, talking loudly. I drop my upper body down as I pull my guns and start to fire, hanging by my knees and calves. Soon there’s nothing but the sound of my breathing.
I release my legs from the beam and flip, landing on the balls of my feet with my guns aimed at the entrance. Standing up, I holster my guns, and fix my cuffs. Turning, I grab my jacket, toss it on, and head for the back door I came through.
Looking down at my watch as I climb back into the car, I smile. I still have time. I can make it.
“Happy birthday, baby.”
CHAPTER11
Surprise
Nyla
