It was Hell.
And I knew she might sleep like the dead.
But I was a live wire. Staring wide eyed at the ceiling, telling my body it wasn’t responding. Forcing my breathing to even out. And lying to myself once again that I felt nothing for that vanilla scented beauty asleep in my arms.
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
Waiting for death—not the best way to spend a sunny day.
Sergio
BY THE TIME WEDNESDAY night rolled around, I was ready to take a gun to Tex—or maybe even Mo. The fighting had gotten worse. How was that even possible? If anything Tex had turned from a cocky disrespectful little shit into a rage-oholic with a serious god complex.
When nobody poured him a cup of coffee he yelled at Mo to fix him something on account of women should serve their men—the bosses.
That earned him a punch to the gut and a threat with a knife. Swear Nixon almost unleashed on him, but we all knew, until Thursday there was nothing we could do, until things played out.
Tex was untouchable.
So I did nothing while he cleaned his guns in front of me then threatened to engrave my name on each bullet just to be sure.
Every time I approached Luca, he told me to leave it. Right, leaving it meant we were all dead, but I’d done everything Luca had asked me to. I’d done right by The Family. In the end, it probably wouldn’t be enough.
Fighting erupted in the kitchen, groaning, I jumped up from my comfortable seat in the living room and made my way towards the yelling.
When I turned the corner I almost walked back to my spot, maybe if I ignored the problem it wouldn’t be a problem?
“You son of a bitch!” Mo held Tex at knife point. “How could you even say that about us? About your family? We practically raised you!”
“Raised me?” Tex roared, his face contorting with rage. “I was your puppet! Nothing more than a pawn in a bigger game! You protected me so you could use me, just like you’re using me tomorrow!”
“Tex.” Nixon looked ready to snap as he took a tentative step forward pushing Mo to the side. “This isn’t you, whoever keeps starting these fights, yelling, attacking Mo. This isn’t the kid I grew up with. You forget, we were raised together.”
“By your sick father.” Tex scowled.
Nixon’s teeth clenched as Chase slowly approached the group. “Actually my sick father, but details.” He waved his hand in the air. “Tex, tomorrow, you end it. Tonight… can’t we just imagine a world where you aren’t pushing us away in order to distract us from the bigger picture?”
“What?” Tex hissed.
Chase and Nixon shared a look.
Damn, things just got interesting. And here I thought Nixon and Chase were just agreeing to Luca’s terms because they had no choice. Leaning against the wall I crossed my arms and waited.
Tex’s chest heaved with exertion as Nixon tilted his head, his eyes calculating. “You’ll always choose Family, Tex. And that’s fine, blood wins out, pretty sure we already had that conversation. But you should know one thing.”
Tex rolled his eyes.
“We’re brothers,” Chase said in a low voice. “Blood does always win, but we’ve shared blood.” He held up his palm. “All four of us.” Phoenix flinched from his spot near the other doorway. “And that means that regardless of the choices you make tomorrow—you aren’t joining the enemy—you’re defeating him, because the minute you take your spot, you’ll finally be home. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t still here, living, breathing, fighting for you.”
Nixon slapped Chase on the back and zeroed in on Tex. “Fight all you want man, but we’ll stick by your side until the end. Even if the end means our deaths. We aren’t stupid. It’s possible you’ll have a choice to make tomorrow and if there’s anything we’ve learned about Phoenix’s situation, an honorable death is a good death.
“Nixon!” Trace half pleaded. While Mil stared at the hardwood beneath her feet, Mo had moved around the kitchen and was standing by the girls.
Tex seemed to be weighing his options as he looked around the kitchen and then a smile curved his lips as his gaze met Nixon’s cold stare. With swift movements he walked until his nose was almost touching Nixon’s. The tension was so thick I wasn’t sure if I should intervene or just let things play out. I glanced at Phoenix out of the corner of my eye, his fists were clenched tightly at his sides, if there was going to be a fight… I’d have to save Tex, damn but that felt wrong. I had to keep him alive, at all costs.
Nixon’s breathing was ragged as his eyes narrowed into tiny slits.
Tex grinned smugly then whispered, “Volpe.”
Not what I was expecting.
Nixon’s eyes went wild as they darted back and forth and then with a cruel smile he reared back and punched Tex in the face.
Tex staggered backwards, blood streaming down his chin. He nodded his head once and sauntered down the hall cursing the Abandonato family the entire way.
I scratched my head in confusion. “Did he just call you a fox?”
Chase met Nixon’s stare, they both turned to look at Phoenix who had gone completely still.
“What the hell am I missing?” I asked calmly.
Nixon sighed and then turned around. “Nothing worth discussing. The Commission is tomorrow, I suggest everyone get some sleep.”
Too confused and tired to even prod further I threw my hands in the air and walked down the hall to my guest room. The minute the door closed I pulled out my cell and texted Luca:
Me: Tomorrow’s the day we find out what Tex is made of… Phoenix too.
Luca: Trust the plan.
Me: That’s the problem, I don’t trust anyone.
Luca: Maybe, it’s time, you start. Have a good night’s sleep, things will work out, they always do.
Scowling, I typed back: Absolute power corrupts, absolutely.
Luca: Absolute power corrupts, absolutely, only when we allow it. There is always a choice, Sergio. Never forget that.
Too frustrated to respond I threw my phone against the bed and sunk low into the mattress, my head in my hands. I went through every strategy, every outcome, every plan I’d help Phoenix, Luca, and Frank formulate since the beginning. I’d done the best I could. I’d come out of hiding in order to make sure that the Family was secure, the only issue was, I felt like I had lost my humanity in the process.
I guess that was what happened when you’re a death dealer.
With a grunt I lie back down on the pillow and tried to concentrate on a simpler time, when we were all kids, when war games were something we heard the adults discuss in hushed tones. When battles between families meant nothing to us, when power and greed were abominable.