Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 96129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Dad’s feet moved again and disappeared out of my line of vision. Anthony turned at something he must have said, reached down and picked up the black duffle bag I’d brought Tommy’s money in, and said something. I thought I read, “Right thing” on his lips. Anthony took one step toward me and said something to the guy beside him. From the way he kept his eyes on me, I knew he was giving him some type of instruction. Would he kill me? Would he torture me? Rape me? Would they do these things in front of my brother? My lip trembled. I bit the inside of my mouth to keep myself from crying. Suddenly, Anthony walked to the back door and walked out, leaving us there. I started crying, closed my eyes, and then I did something I hadn’t done since the night my mom died. I started praying.
36
DOMINIC
We were on the roof of the building across the street, and I was going out of my fucking mind. I tried to drive to the front of the street, but everything within a two-block radius was swarming with cops. I didn’t even know how we ended up here, but I was sure Mikey had something to do with it. Rocco had been talking to him the entire time we were in the car and again when we got up here. I hadn’t even been able to hear what he’d been discussing. I only knew three things: we were on a roof where we had a clear view of Santiago’s kitchen window, Rocco brought the case he kept his sniper rifle things in, and I was scared out of my fucking mind. That last one got me. The last time I’d been this afraid was ten years ago. The first time I went on a job with Dad and his men, I was nervous but never afraid, and soon, nerves gave way to excitement. Some people, like my brother, thought that made me a monster. I wasn’t going to deny it, though. I thought I’d put that behind me, but whoever was responsible for this would soon find out they fucked with the wrong people.
I looked across the street, where Rosie was inside that house, reliving the same damn nightmare we’d been trying to overcome for ten years. I hoped against all odds that it wasn’t the same, that no one had been killed in front of her again, but even if that were the case, it had to feel the same. She had to feel that desperation, the gripping fear that we’d felt when masked men broke into our homes and killed our mothers. My chest tightened. I’d known something was wrong when Marco didn’t answer my phone call. Nico arrived just as the first police officer was pulling up and he was able to take Marco to the hospital.
Now, there were at least a dozen cop cars down there.
“Why the fuck are they outside, congregating like this is a fucking family gathering?”
Rocco was still setting up his gun. When we went to the gun range, he showed up with the weirdest fucking weapons, one being this sniper rifle. I’d made fun of him the entire afternoon, the first time he brought it along and started using little black circles to mark the exact spots he was going to hit. He didn’t even entertain my jokes. “This is part of my training,” was the only thing he’d said, and it dawned on me that while I’d pictured him in the Marines fucking women in foreign countries, this man was actually doing some real shit. Shit you need sniper rifles for. Right now, I was glad for his rifle, his training, and the little obstacle courses I’d made fun of. He hadn’t switched on the red light yet, so I didn’t know where the hell he was thinking of aiming. From our vantage point, we couldn’t see people in there.
“Where are you pointing it?” I asked. “Can you see through that window?”
He lowered his head and adjusted it slightly, still not saying anything.
I sighed heavily, running a hand over my head. “Can I see?”
He stepped away and let me take his place.
“You’re pointing it at the yard.” I stood straight. “Mike says they’re inside.”
“You don’t understand, Dom. If they come out – “
“When,” I said, voice cracking. “When they come out, Roc. Don’t say if.” For the first time in a long time, I felt tears sting my eyes as I said the words. “When they come out.”
“When they come out.” He set a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “It’ll be through the backdoor. The nearest cop is on the other side of the other house right now, and the one standing there.” He lifted his hand off my shoulder and pointed at the officer standing on the sidewalk, waiting. “Will probably get shot.”