I knew the time was ticking by, it seemed the less time we had the faster it went, I guess that’s life.
I was looking at two more minutes, maybe less, with my lover, my friend, and all I could do was clench his shirt in my hands and twist, somehow willing him to stay on the ground rather than get up and walk towards certain death.
“Normal.” Tex moved to his feet, helping me up. “Giving the woman you love two hours of your time, because you can’t imagine spending your minutes, those precious seconds, any other way.”
Tex kissed my mouth hard, nearly bruising my lips before stepping back and kissing my nose.
“Time’s up,” he said gruffly.
“We’re no longer friends.” I said it as a statement, not even a question.
“For two hours I was your lover, your friend, your everything.” Tex looked away. “For the rest of eternity—I’m now your enemy.”
“I hate life.”
“Don’t.” Tex grimaced. “It will be easier to just hate me instead.”
“But—”
“We’re done here, Mo. Go back inside.”
“Tex—”
“I said.” His jaw popped. “We’re done, now go back inside and go to sleep.”
I kept the blanket wrapped around me and grabbed my clothes, a sense of loss washed over me as my feet padded against the cold grass. Each step I took was like trying to run through cement. My heart was beating, but all I felt was pain. A sob escaped my mouth as my feet touched the back deck, I turned around one last time to see his face.
To get my goodbye.
But he was already gone.
As if the Tex I knew had never existed in the first place.
I hung my head and cried. I cried for the boy I knew, the boy that turned into a man. A man who was forced to make a choice, his past or his future. I cried because I knew the Tex I’d loved, the one who’d held me so tenderly in his arms, was never going to come back.
He would have to go all in.
Tex no longer existed.
No, now he was Vito Campisi Jr., and the world was about to feel his rage, I only hoped my family wouldn’t be shredded in the process.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience—Julius Caesar
Tex
I LEFT THE OLD ME with Mo for safekeeping. It was the only way I knew I could get in the car and meet Phoenix. So as I took those few steps towards the front of the house, I allowed myself to grieve the man I had been— And mourn the man I was becoming.
I thought of Mo’s smile of how that one tiny thing changed my world from dark to light.
I imagined her lips, her moans, her body, how welcoming she’d always been to me.
And lastly, I thought of her pure heart, her soul, how she was willing to fight demons on my behalf, knowing full well she was defending the very monster she feared.
She was strength.
She was everything.
When I reached the front of the house I turned around and gave it one last glance. I was leaving as Tex, and I’d be returning a Campisi. Whatever Phoenix had to say wasn’t going to end well in my favor, but if I could protect her, save her, I’d do anything.
Anything.
“Goodbye, Mo,” I whispered into the air and took a deep breath before grabbing the keys to one of the Ducatis and hopping on.
The reign of Alfonso was going to end—and it was going to end by my hand. Alive or dead. Retribution was coming.
With a smirk I took off towards the bar.
****
By the time I reached my normal watering hole, I was numb, not a good numb either but the type of numb you feel when you know you’re about to do something that’s irreversible.
The point of no return was officially my theme song.
Each step towards Phoenix meant a step away from Mo.
And I hated that I had the strength and courage to go forward, wished in that second that I was a bit of a coward, willing to steal her away and live in peace on some godforsaken island. Hell, I’d catch fish for the rest of my life with that woman.
But that’s the thing parents don’t tell kids, teachers candy coat everything, no adult in my life ever prepared me for reality. Nobody ever said that the life you see on TV is rare—bloodshed? That’s the norm. The picket fence? That’s what you get if you’re lucky.
I wasn’t lucky.
Never had been, never would be.
The scent of cigarettes hit my nose as I pulled open the door to the establishment. My boots clicked against the floor as I made my way to the bar. It was near empty except for Phoenix.
“Water?” I pointed at his glass. “Please tell me that’s vodka.”
Phoenix shrugged. “Sorry to disappoint.”
“Admit it.” I took a seat on the bar stool. “You found religion or something.”
“Nah, just my soul.” Phoenix lifted the water to me and nodded. “Now, about our plan.”
I held up my hand. “Something tells me one of us needs to be intoxicated for this.”
He nodded. “It may be wise to have a bottle of whiskey handy.”
I reached behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels and two shot glasses. “How deep are we going in, Phoenix?”
“You’re a Campisi.” He stated the obvious. “The question is never how deep, you should know that by now. What you need to know, is how to move the pieces in your favor so strategically that nobody knows you’ve won until it’s already happened.”
“I’m shit at chess.”
“Bull.” Phoenix snorted. “Your IQ makes me feel like a three-year-old sometimes.”
I rolled my eyes and took a shot, wincing as the dry liquid poured down my throat, giving me no relief, just a burning sensation of dread in my empty stomach.
“So, let’s hear it.”
Phoenix drummed his fingertips against the counter top. “You need to send a message.”
“To Alfonso?”
“To everyone.” Phoenix’s eyes flashed. “Not just Alfonso but every damn family at The Commission, word needs to spread so fast that you’re freaking trending on Twitter within two seconds, get the picture?”
“Mass murder by Tex Campisi trending on Twitter, right, that would be the day, okay so the only way to do something that… extravagant is either put fireworks in Alfonso’s ass or—”
“Kill them,” Phoenix snapped. “You have to kill them all.”
“All?” I swallowed.