by Piper Stone
“That’s so sweet,” I managed, reaching out.
As he brought the rose closer, his face clouded once again. “You should be asleep.”
“I was. I woke up alone and couldn’t remember everything that had happened.”
“I honestly hope you don’t remember.”
“I think I need to,” I whispered, reaching out and brushing the tip of my finger across one of the petals.
Exhaling in an exaggerated manner, he poured water into one of the plastic cups, carefully placing the rose inside. Then he leaned over, shaking his head. There was such a look of sadness in his eyes as well as remorse. As if he’d been the reason I’d been placed in danger. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been shot,” I said, trying to act rebellious. I was failing rapidly.
“Very funny. Has the doctor been in?”
“Not yet. Where did you go?”
He smiled, rubbing his index finger down my arm. “I think it’s best for you not to know.”
“You killed him.”
“I did what I had to do.”
“What now?” I wasn’t certain I wanted the answer. “Are you going to scour the earth, hunting down everyone responsible?”
When he looked away, I knew he was leaving for somewhere. Why not?
“I’m going to Texas just overnight. I’ll be back before you wake up tomorrow.”
“You’re going to hurt him, aren’t you?”
“Who?” he asked, genuinely curious.
“My stepbrother.”
He glanced toward the wall before answering. “I’m hoping that Pedro is willing to help me. If not…”
“You’ll do what’s necessary. Why is it always necessary to kill someone when you can’t get what you want?”
Vincenzo was never at a loss for words, yet I could tell he was struggling with the answer. “It’s not always necessary. I prefer other methods of handling business to the use of violence. I find that diplomacy works the best. You have to remember that a huge majority of what we handle is entirely legitimate. However, in the portion of our organization that exists from the past, the rules are entirely different. Weakness cannot be shown on any level. That would lead to chaos in the city.”
“You act as if you and your family run New Orleans, maybe Texas too.”
He squeezed my hand. “We certainly run a portion of this fine city. That changes methodologies. When someone is intent on destroying a portion of my family, that alters things, Acadia. I hope you can understand that. The simple truth is that your stepbrother is hiding something. He’s working for another individual who is determined to hurt us. That includes you. I refuse to allow that to continue.”
“I wish I could tell you more, but Pedro and I had very few discussions. Although you’re wrong about him. He’s not as tough as you think.”
“Maybe you’re right. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t pushed into working for someone. Anyway, I’m going to have two of my soldiers remain in the hospital. No one is getting to you. Period.”
I shook my head. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
Leaning over, he kissed my forehead. “You’re a tough girl. You’re going to be just fine. God help the bastard if he tries anything else.”
I grasped his hand, able to see the doctor coming into the room. “Here we go. Stay. Please.”
“I’m right here.” Stiffening, he turned around, keeping our hands together.
“Hello. I’m Dr. Forester. I’m glad to see you’re awake, Acadia.” He walked closer, a warm smile on his face. That always indicated bad news. “How are you feeling?”
“My legs. I can’t feel them.”
Sighing, he gave Vincenzo a look before continuing. “You were very lucky in that the bullet missed your spine.”
“Then why doesn’t she have any sensations?” Vincenzo demanded.
“Because there were bullet fragments that nicked one of your vertebrae. Don’t worry, we were able to successfully remove them; however, I’m not going to lie to you. It is possible that you’re going to have some permanent nerve damage. While I think that’s highly unlikely, that is what’s causing your lack of sensations. We’ll know more in forty-eight hours after the swelling has gone down. With any luck, you’ll start to feel pinpricks within a few hours, regaining complete sensation shortly after that.”
“And if not?” I asked, hating the sound of my voice.
He took a deep breath, his eyes telling me everything I needed to know.
“There is a small chance that you’ll be paralyzed from the waist down, at least on a temporary basis, but that’s highly unlikely given the success of the surgery.”
“What you’re telling us, Doctor, is that she could be paralyzed for the rest of her life?” Vincenzo’s grip tightened, the anger in his tone increasing.
“It’s possible but not probable. Let’s just get through the next forty-eight hours. Okay? Rest and relax. That’s all you need to do. I’ll check in on you later.”
When he left the room, I could see a change in Vincenzo, his face hardening.
“If necessary, you will have the finest doctors in this country. That much I promise you. And my pledge that I made to you stands. I will hunt down the person responsible. And Acadia, this is a time when you don’t want to ask what’s going to happen to them.”
I wasn’t worried about what he’d do.
I was terrified about losing him.
Forever.
Chapter 14
Vincenzo
Danger.
There were many who believed that evil occurred in the pitch black of night, shadows creating the perfect protection against those intending on doing harm. For a man like me, the midnight world only expanded my horizons, allowing me to feel free to explore the sadist dwelling within. Acadia had accused me of enjoying causing pain. Perhaps she was right.
At this moment, there was nothing I wanted more than to take out my vengeance on a man who should have given a shift about the woman I loved.
Her stepbrother.
As stated in my family since I could remember, blood was thicker than water, but in the case of stepchildren, the ties that bind should be enough. Loyalty. Honesty. Respect. They were three attributes that every family member should have for each other. While my sister might call me a hypocrite, in her heart she knew I would die for her if necessary.
However, I’d promised myself that I would make a point to try to allow her to live the very life she seemed to struggle for so desperately.
Try.
That was all I could do.
My father had driven into all of us the requirement to protect anyone in our close circles, including the men who served us as bodyguards, accountants, workers, and informants. That had been a hard pill for me to swallow. However, on this night, I was grateful I knew I could trust my Capos and top-level soldiers. Even the majority of made men had proven themselves on more than one occasion. Would tonight be a test? I doubted it. They all knew what was at stake and the level of my rage.
They wouldn’t dare fuck with me for fear of my wrath.
I’d called in enough of the ranks that we were able to surround the Los Pirados’ camp. It was just before midnight as we approached. Although my plans could be difficult to enforce given such a short timeframe, I was determined to get back to Acadia. I could tell she’d thought I’d abandoned her.
As if that would ever happen.
Her near death followed by the news of her potential paralysis continued to weigh heavily on my mind. I was sick inside, my insides churning with hatred and fury, the need for revenge refusing to leave my mind.
The camp was active, sounds of a gathering floating in my direction as I walked toward the guards. I’d been tipped off that a meeting was being held. Given only a few members lived on site, that had expedited my plan perfectly.
Two guards approached, eyeing me as if I meant them harm. Little did they know what I had in mind.
“What are you doi
ng here, Mr. King?” one of them asked. In his hand was a basic rifle, certainly no match for the assault weapons my men carried.
“I’ve come to talk to Pedro. I assume he’s here.”
The two guards looked at each other. I knew what was expected. I opened my jacket, allowing them to pat me down. I wasn’t the one they needed to worry about, although I knew their methods well enough. They didn’t find the knife strapped to my leg that I enjoyed using on various occasions.
“You can go ahead, but your men need to leave their weapons here,” the second burly man stated, a sneer on his face.
“That’s not going to happen. Period.” I tilted my head, making certain he could tell just how serious I was.
At least my look seemed to make him nervous.
“All right. But if you fuck with us, you know what’s going to happen.”
Threats. This was interesting. I laughed and buttoned my jacket, placing my hands in front of me.
They allowed us to pass, Cobra and three other men by my side. The soldiers obviously called ahead. By the time we reached their clubhouse, the door had been opened, Pedro walking down the steps.
“What are you doing here, Mr. King?” he asked. His face was expressionless, but in the dim lighting attached to both sides of the building, I could tell he was nervous, the single twitch on his lips a dead giveaway.
“You didn’t honor my request,” I said flatly.
“That’s because I don’t know anything.”
I took a deep breath then inched closer. “Your sister was almost killed tonight by a bullet meant for me. Now, I realize that you probably don’t give a shit about her,” I huffed, my voice getting louder, “but I do. You fucked with her, which means you fucked with me. For. The. Last. Time.” I allowed the statement to hang.
Pain crossed his face, the emotion strong and real. Perhaps he did give a rat’s ass about her welfare.
“I… Who did this?” he demanded.
“Well, if I had to guess, I’d say the same asshole you decided like the oaf you are to go into business with.” Now my words held a real edge.
His breathing became ragged, his massive chest heaving.
“It would seem you have a decision to make, and I’m only giving you thirty seconds. Once the deal I’m about to offer you has expired, there won’t be a second chance. At anything. Do you get my drift, Pedro?”
He nodded once, his eyes darting from left to right. Good man. He was gauging whether or not I’d brought more backup.
“Okay. Now that I have your full attention, here it is. You’re going to tell me exactly what occurred. After that, you’re going to call your contact where you will initiate a business trade tonight. Yes, I know it’s short notice; however, you can tell him that you came into possession of one hundred percent pure cocaine straight out of Columbia. It’s a one-time trade. Once that has been accomplished, you and your men will accompany my soldiers to the drop site where I will give secondary orders. However, at that point, you will prove your loyalty to the King organization, or I assure you that you and your men will never see the light of day again. Did I make myself clear? Are there any points you don’t understand?”
“No. Clear,” he grumbled.
I jerked my arm until my shirtsleeve slipped past my watch then gazed at the luminated dial. “Your thirty seconds begins now.” Exhaling, I simply glanced around the camp, admiring the work they’d done recently. I could hear him panting and I could smell his fear.
A series of grumbles sounded in the distance, his soldiers obviously nervous.
“Twenty seconds.”
I was mildly surprised that he was taking it to the wire. Maybe he was trying to show me that he was a tough man. “Ten.”
As I counted off the seconds in my mind, I could tell my men had itchy trigger fingers.
“Okay. Okay. Jesus,” Pedro hissed. “Come inside. I’ll take your damn deal, but this is for my sister. She does mean something to me. The rest of you, stay out here,” he directed to his men.
“I’m glad to hear you say that because it would piss me off if you felt otherwise.” I trailed him inside, my soldiers shifting several feet apart to provide maximum protection.
Pedro paced the floor, darting looks in my direction. It was obvious he didn’t want his people to know the chicken shit he really was. “I had a visit from a dude one day at my bike shop. He was polite and told me that I was going to work for his employer. I wasn’t so polite and told him to fuck off.”
I was curious how much grandstanding he was going to do. I certainly wasn’t going to feel sorry for him. “Go on.”
“I had a visit that night at my house. I heard noise and came down to find the same dude and another asshole sitting in my kitchen chairs. They were in my house, my kids upstairs sleeping. You hear me?”
Now the story was getting more interesting. “All right. What did they want?”
“To warn me that I was now their star employee and if I refused, they would kill my family one by one. Trust me, I’ve been threatened dozens of times, but these dudes were nuts. Crazy fuckers. I could tell they meant what they said. Even after I reluctantly agreed, they almost burned my shop to the ground just to ensure I wouldn’t fail. Angel volunteered to be the go-to guy. I shouldn’t have let him do it.”
“So this was targeted specifically at the King family.”
“Oh, hell, yes. I could tell they wanted to destroy your world bit by bit.”
I took a deep breath. “What did they say?”
“Not much, but I overheard one dude say to the other that this was just the beginning. I don’t know and I didn’t ask. My guess is that if I had, they would have cut my tongue out.”
“I assure you, Pedro, that if you betray me, I’m going to do a hell of a lot more than that.”
“Can you promise my family protection?”
“Do you want them to live? If you do, then you’re going to do my bidding.”
Hissing, he fisted his hands. “You’re a motherfucker.”
“You’re right, but you have no other choice.”
“Fine. I’ll call the bastard but I ain’t responsible for what he says.”
“I agree, Pedro. Be a good little boy and make the call while I’m still feeling generous.”
He cursed under his breath as he pulled out his phone. I gave Cobra a look, who offered a smug smile. The game was just beginning.
“Yeah, hey, dude. I know it’s late, but I got some good shit here.” Pedro glared at me. “No, it’s pure. One hundred percent from Columbia. I gotta get rid of it in the morning. I thought you’d want a chance.” He closed his eyes and nodded several times. “Fine. That will work. Thirty minutes.”
I smiled. While I honestly doubted the asshole on the other end of the line bought the ploy, if I had to guess, it would be too good of a situation for the mystery player to pass it up. “You did good, Pedro. You might even win back my loyalty if this goes down the way I hope.”
“What about Acadia? Is she going to be all right?” he asked in a softer tone.
“You better damn well hope so, Pedro. If she’s never able to walk again, I will inflict pain.” I gazed into his eyes, offering him a smile. I could tell he felt guilty for placing her in danger. “I do need to ask. Why the hell did you bring her here in the first place?”
His mouth twisted, and for a few seconds, I could swear there were tears in his eyes. “Because I knew what Pops had done to her mama. I also knew Acadia had been given a raw deal. I wanted to make it better.”
“By bringing her into a dangerous situation.”
“That wasn’t my intent. The shit came down fast. That’s why I had Angel protecting her. I thought it mattered. I guess I was wrong.”
Interesting but stupid.
“I’ll accept your answer, but you’re going to need to apologize to your sister when this is all over. You got it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Let’s get this over with.”
The choi
ce of the meeting spot had been determined by the mystery player. While I was somewhat surprised at the selection of the Galveston Yacht Basin, my guess was the person in charge of leading the operation was fully prepared to leave on whatever water vessel he’d arrived in. Plus, given the time of night, there would be few bystanders who could possibly cause interruption.
I stood alongside Pedro with a few of my soldiers and several of his men. There was little activity, although I could hear a party boat in the close distance. The light breeze and ocean waters, along with the dim lighting given the darkness of the sky, created a tense atmosphere.
I’d instructed the group to remain quiet, allowing for what I hoped to be a peaceful transfer of information. That was all I was looking for. For now. I scanned the area, cognizant of a single boat pulling into a dock close by. While I had refrained from brandishing a weapon, two handguns could be easily obtained if necessary.
Patience.
This would test the very notion.
As the time allotted for the meeting grew near, I could feel the tension increase. The bikers had no way of knowing what I intended on doing. They’d yet to understand the full breadth of my family’s capabilities. I continued to remind myself that this wasn’t the night to start a war. However, that alone pissed me off.
“Someone is approaching,” Cobra said quietly then lowered his binoculars. “A single entity.”
“Interesting.” I had no doubt the person being sent to the meeting wasn’t the actual person who’d manufactured the game. What surprised me was that the person approaching was risking his life. Maybe there was such a thing as extreme loyalty.
Or stupidity.
When the person was within a hundred yards, I could tell it was a male. He took slow but long strides in my direction, once close enough holding out his arms, an indication that he wasn’t armed. I was no fool. There had to be sentries sent earlier, prepared for a battle. Then again, maybe not. The arrogance of the person involved was grating.
As the man approached, he kept his eyes on me. He wore a smile on his face, smug and unafraid. His casual approach was meant to piss me off even more. I refused to take the bait, standing my ground until he was within a few feet.
