I’m not expecting anyone else to be in Theo’s car, so when voices hit me after I open the door, it startles me.
“We thought he’d changed his mind and got in bed with you instead,” Seb laughs. “I know I would have.”
Stella’s slap rings out through the car. “She’s your cousin, you sick fuck,” she hisses.
“With you, Princess. I meant to get in bed with you.”
I look up to the mirror just in time to see his eyes roll.
“So to what do I owe this pleasure?” I ask them before they start either fighting or fucking, and Theo drops into the driver’s seat.
“You think we were gonna let you do this alone, cous? Nah, we’re in this shit together.”
My entire body lights up, knowing that they’re with me.
“Thank you,” I breathe, continuing to hold Seb’s eyes in the mirror.
“Has Theo told you the plan?” I ask.
“Sure thing. We’re following your lead and just here for emotional support and inappropriate jokes.”
“Appreciated."
While I might not have known that tonight was going to be the night, Theo and I have talked in depth during our nighttime calls this week about what I wanted to happen when they did find him.
As I expected, Theo was all for putting a gun to his head. And at the beginning of all this, I can’t say that I was hugely opposed to the idea. He might be my grandfather, but he’s hurt too many people I care about to put much consideration into sparing his life.
But as each new crime came to light along with all the evidence that Dad and Cruz have somehow been leaking over the past few days, it occurred to me that death would be the easy way out.
He’s spent his life playing with the fate of others.
It’s time to lose all of that control and finally pay for his crimes. The proper way.
“Where is he?” I ask as Theo starts to head toward the other side of the city.
Seb groans at the question, which makes me even more curious.
“He’s with the Italians,” Theo confesses.
“What?” I gasp.
“Clearly he’s not screwed them over yet, and I can’t say I’m surprised they’re willing to protect him—badly, I might add—for a little intel on us. The Italians have been building to make their move for a while. They think we’re not watching them. They’re also stupid motherfuckers.”
“Right, so…”
“They’ve got him in an unsecured apartment building. We can just walk right in.” Theo tucks his hand into his jacket. “Even got the key,” he says proudly, holding it up between us.
“How the fuck—”
“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know, cous. And we fucking know them all,” Seb announces, rubbing his hands together.
“Right. Well…” I trail off, not really knowing what to say to any of that.
The second we pull up, Theo and I get out of the car, leaving the other two behind. They don’t even try to convince me to let them join, which I’m grateful for, because while I might look confident in what I’m about to do, inside I’m shaking like a fucking leaf.
Theo’s hand presses to the small of my back before we get to the main entrance.
“Are you sure about this?” he asks, his eyes searching mine.
“Yes. It’s the right thing to do.”
“You don’t have to face him if you don’t want. We can just sit out here and watch it play out.”
I smile softly at him, understanding why he might want to give me an out. But I’ve made my decision and I’m sticking with it. I’ll regret it otherwise, and I don’t ever want to live with those motherfuckers.
“I know. But I need to do this.”
“Fair enough. Take this then.” He reaches behind him and pulls a gun from his back.
I frown, staring at the weapon as he holds it out for me.
“Is that wise?”
“Trust me,” he urges. “I need to know that you can protect yourself should this go wrong.”
“It won’t go—”
“Just in case,” he says, pressing the gun into my palm.
“Okay.” I’ve had enough lessons with Cruz to know how to handle it, something Theo clearly knows because he doesn’t so much as flinch at giving me a deadly weapon.
I tuck the thing in my waistband, and after nodding at Theo, we head for the building, my stomach in knots and my heart thrashing like a wild beast in my chest.
We come to a stop outside a flat and Theo checks his watch. “We’ve got three minutes.”
“All I need,” I confirm as he pulls the key out again and pushes it into the lock.
The second the door is open, I have to fight not to cough at the pungent smell that hits me clean in the face.
“Jesus,” I grunt.
“This place is basically a squat,” Theo whispers. “We won’t be staying long.”
The room is in darkness, but I’ve got enough vision to make out a bed and the lump that’s sleeping on top of it.
I walk over, adrenaline pumping faster around my body as I approach the man responsible for all of this.
He might be cast in shadows and living a life on the run, but the man I’ve known all my life looks entirely different.
I stand there for a beat, wondering how I ever thought he was worthy of anything in his life, let alone the love he received from his family.
In a spur of the moment move and with the support of my husband right behind me, I pull the gun from behind my back and press it to Ram’s forehead.
“Wake up, motherfucker,” I bark, pressing harder to ensure it hurts.
The lights flicker on above us and Ram’s eyes open wide—even more so when he acknowledges who’s holding a gun to his head.
A deviant smile curls at my lips, one I’m sure he’d be proud of in any other situation.
“Hey, Pops. How’s it going?” I ask, my voice light and airy, at complete odds with the dark need for revenge that’s eating me alive inside.
“E-Emmie?” he stutters and tries to shift in the bed.
“Move and I’ll pull the trigger.” He stops instantly, and the knowledge of just how powerful I am right now slams into me like a truck. “W-what are you… How did you…”
“Tsk. And here I was thinking you knew the Cirillos better than this, Pops. Or is that why you planted me in the middle of them? Because you really are fucking clueless?”
“N-no, I—“
“Not interested,” I spit. “There’s only one thing you need to know about the Cirillo Family before we end this. And that… is that they are better than you in every single fucking way. So thank you, Granddad,” I sneer, “for showing me what family should really be about, for opening my eyes to who I really am, and for setting me free. Something I’m sure a simple conversation could have achieved—but points for creativity, old man. Now,” I say, spotting something moving outside the dirty window, “I’ve got a few friends who’d really like to get to know you better, and right now, it seems you’re down in the friend department. You’ll be pleased to know they’ve promised to treat you as the fucking scum of the earth that you really are.”