by Hamel, B. B.
“Liam Sullivan, as I live and breathe.”
I nodded to him. “Boss de Barra, how are you?”
He stopped about ten feet away from me, flanked by his goons.
“I’m doing very well, very well. Business is booming, as they say.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“And you? Troubles following you around?”
I nodded. “I’m sure you’ve heard.”
“Heard? It’s the only thing the Right People are talking about! Liam Sullivan, son of the big Boss Sullivan, prodigy and well beloved Right Person of the Mob, turned his back on Colm Brennan and went into hiding over some fucking bitch.”
I winced at his last words but held myself in check. It wouldn’t be wise to get pissed at him, though I wish I could pay him back for calling Ellie a bitch.
“That’s more or less it,” I said.
He smiled at me, and it looked like a jackal trying to be friendly.
“Walk with me,” he said.
He started toward me and waved his two goons off. I fell into step next to him as he walked slowly toward the other side of the lot, pacing along its edge.
“What do you want with me, Liam?”
“I know you have no particular love for Colm,” I started, but he interrupted me.
“Don’t assume you know what I think, boy.”
I clenched my jaw. “I’m sorry, Boss de Barra.”
He nodded. “Continue.”
“I have proof that he has been stealing from the Mob for years.”
De Barra didn’t react. I had expected something, maybe a slight widening of the eyes, a lifted brow at least, some sort of surprise. But he was completely placid.
“Of course he was stealing,” he said after a minute.
“You knew about it?”
“I had my suspicions. It was a little surprising when he suddenly had so much muscle at his disposal. He needed money for that, money he wasn’t supposed to have. I made a guess.”
I nodded. I couldn’t have been the only person to notice that.
“Those were my thoughts exactly. But I have proof of it now.”
He paused. “And?”
“And, that’s a major fucking problem, de Barra. Do you want to follow a man who has been stealing from you?”
He paused and shrugged. “He did well, hiding it.”
I gaped at him. “He’s a thief. That’s something we kill for, stealing from your own people.”
He sighed. “Liam, he’s the boss now. He stole, he got away with it, and when the time came he seized power.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “So you’re fine with that?”
“Ah, well, I didn’t say that.”
I waited, letting him gather his thoughts. I felt incredibly uncomfortable standing so close to him. Though he was a boss, and an older boss at that, he was still known to be violent and unpredictable. He did his own killing when he had to. People said he liked to send a message by wielding the knife himself.
In short, he was everything I hated about the Mob, and everything I was afraid I’d one day turn into.
“What are you saying, then?” I asked, a little too harshly.
De Barra smiled. “I only do that which profits me, Liam. That is the whole of the law when it comes to us. You can speak to me about honor among thieves, about protecting the neighborhoods when the establishment turns its backs, but the truth is, we’ve become drug dealers and petty criminals. The glory days are long gone, as dead as your poor father. We have a new god now, and her name is profit, and she is the only righteous bitch we follow.”
I made sure my face didn’t betray the disgust I felt forcing its way up through my stomach. I actively swallowed against it.
“Liam, what Colm did, the stealing and the coup, they were shit things. In the old days, they would have gotten his throat cut and his body thrown into the river. But now, we don’t live in those days anymore, my boy. We live in much harder days, dirtier days. Ideals are all well and good, but if they can’t put food in my stomach or gold plated fucking guns in the belts of my men, then I don’t give a single fuck about it. Colm worshipped the profit and he was rewarded. Tell me, Liam, why the fuck should I test that?”
I stared at him as he finished his rant, fear mixing with the disgust. He was insane, like everyone said, absolutely fucking mad. His expression was calm and his eyes were clear, but there was something there at the edge of his voice, another presence. It was wild-animal unpredictability, it was absolute insanity, and it was the deep dark abyss the mind dips into when it’s lost to whatever possesses a person in the worst parts of the psyche.
And yet, this absolutely insane man was still my only option, and I had a feeling his whole speech was a way to start negotiations.
“You say you worship profit,” I started slowly. “Then picture this: Boss de Barra, king of the whole Mob and all the Right People. Imagine the profit as the money starts to flow into your coffers.”
He nodded. “It’s a pretty picture.”
“The other bosses, they don’t think the same way you do. Maybe they’re starting to come around, but honor still means something to them. When they see a boss of your standing waving around proof of Colm’s theft, they’ll rise up with you.”
“They might do that.”
“And when they do, knocking him down will be easy. Colm barely has control right now, imagine if half the city wanted him dead.”
He was silent, a half smile creeping onto his face.
“And on top of that, I have cash. I can front it to you to pay for your muscle, as a sort of down payment. I ask only that I be pardoned and given my territory back. You can have everything else.”
“It’s a good offer,” he said softly.
“It’s better than good. It’s your best shot at running this city.”
His pace slowed and he stopped, facing me. I felt the sweat dripping down my neck.
“And what if the other families don’t rise up?”
“They will.”
“I agree that they might, but what if they don’t? I’ll become a pariah in this city.”
“Nobody can touch you up here.”
“You’re probably right, but it’s a big risk. And what if the others don’t want me to be boss?”
“You’ll take it.”
He grinned. “That’s a good answer.”
“It’s a risk, I know it’s a risk. But with the money I’ll front you, and the documents I’ll provide, it’s the best shot. Colm is still barely clinging to power. This is your shot.”
He looked at me hard for a second, appraising my expression. I felt dirty, and my hands were shaking. I was making a deal with the devil, and it disgusted me. Colm was bad, but I couldn’t even imagine what the city would be like with de Barra as the head of the Mob.
But I had no other choice. I’d torch every single home and business in the world to save Ellie and Richie and everyone else if I had to. I’d let it all burn to the ground, let my sweat mix with the ashes, and I’d laugh because I’d know the people I cared about would still be out in the world, safe and far away from the disgusting men that wanted to do them harm.
De Barra began to walk again, and I fell into stride next to him. He was silent for a while as we made our slow circuit around the empty lot, eventually stopping back where his men were waiting in front of the single black SUV.
I blinked. Weren’t there two SUVs just a few minutes ago? Where did the other one go?
“Okay, Liam. I like your offer. Come to my place tomorrow with the money and the documents, walk me through it all, and if it’s good enough, if it’s not bullshit, we’ll have a deal.”
“How do I know you’re not just going to shoot me in the head and take the cash?”
He laughed loudly. “That’s the first smart thing you’ve said all afternoon.”
“Well?” I clenched my jaw. I knew I was almost there.
“You don’t know, boy, but you’re despera
te. You’ll come, and we’ll deal.”
I nodded once.
“Good lad.” De Barra looked at his goons. “Boys?”
It happened way faster than I could have expected. In a blink of an eye, de Barra’s men leapt at me. I swung and stepped back, fighting wildly, but they were faster and had the element of surprise on me. Quickly, I was wrestled down to the ground, my face shoved into the dirt patch, and I felt them throw my gun over toward de Barra.
“Fuck, what the fuck is this?” I yelled.
I heard de Barra cackling. “Didn’t I tell you?”
I turned my head, my cheek shoved into the ground. I felt the weight of two large men holding me down.
“Tell me what, you fucking psycho?”
“Profit is king, Liam my boy, and you are worth a hefty sum. That’s a safer bet than your wild tale about stealing and coups. I’m sorry I had to walk you through this charade, but I wanted to be sure of what you had before putting you to the knife. And frankly, you don’t have shit.”
“Fuck you, de Barra, you spineless piece of shit!”
“Goodbye, Liam.” He nodded to me, and was gone, back into his car.
The engine started and it pulled away, leaving me alone with the two big goons. I struggled but their grip was like iron on my body as they hefted me to my feet and began to drag me off toward the alleyway.
My heart hammered in my chest. De Barra betrayed me and was selling me out to Colm. That alley, that fucking alley was going to be the place I would die. I struggled, but it was useless. The goons were big and practiced, had probably killed a hundred men the same way they were going to kill me. And even if I got away, they would just gun me down as I ran like a coward.
It was the end for me. I had taken a gamble and I had failed. I failed Richie and I failed Ellie and I failed everyone else that relied on me.
We reached the ally’s entrance and they shoved me inside.
“Down on your knees,” one goon said.
I dropped to my knees. I was going to die in some filthy alley.
Unless . . .
“How much does she cost?” I asked suddenly.
There was a pause.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” one goon answered.
I turned my head and grinned back at him. “How much does your mom cost? I hear she’s a fantastic lay, and I could use it right now.”
He cocked his fist back and slammed it into my jaw, knocking me forward. I let out a small gasp of pain, but I forced it back and laughed instead.
“Jesus, this guy is crazy,” I heard the one goon mumble.
They grabbed me roughly by the back and pulled me to my knees. I looked down at the other end of the alleyway. Come on Leary . . .
“Any last words, asshole?”
“Make sure you tell your mother that I’ll miss her.”
The one goon stifled a laugh, and I felt a hard steel barrel press against the back of my head. Cold horror flooded through my chest. I hadn’t stalled long enough, or maybe he hadn’t seen us leave the field, or a million other things could have gone wrong and I really was going to get a bullet to my skull. It’s hard to really imagine your death, to really accept it, even when it’s about to happen to you.
Suddenly, I heard the screeching of tires, and a car swung itself into the other end of the alleyway.
“What the fuck—” the one goon said as I dove forward.
The gun went off, missing my head but clipping my shoulder. Hot pain lanced up my skin and arm as I scrambled forward, another shot ringing out and missing me. I dove behind a dumpster.
“Get the fucking asshole,” the goon yelled.
The car at the other end of the alley came barreling down toward us. I saw Leary’s wild face, grinning like an insane person as he pressed his arm out the window and began to fire shots at the two goons. They scattered, finding cover in doorways.
I stuck my head up. “Leary!” I yelled.
The car came to a halt in front of me as Leary continued to fire wildly at the two goons. I dove at the car, tearing the back door open and shoving myself inside as the goons figured out what was happening and began to return fire.
“Drive, mother fucker!” I called out as Leary barreled forward once again.
The goons shoved themselves back to avoid getting hit by the car as Leary flew out toward the other end of the alley, car practically scraping the dumpsters, the whole body shaking on its suspension. I could hear bullets panging against the doors. The two goons followed us, firing wildly, breaking the back window but missing Leary as the car flew out into the field, kicking dirt and dust up in the air. Leary accelerated through the dying brown grass, hit the curb, and swung the car back out into the street. The goons were chasing us, running as fast as they could, but they were too far away to hit the car with any accuracy as Leary flung us forward again. I could smell burning rubber as he floored it, as seconds later we were cruising away from the scene and out into traffic.
“Took you long enough,” I said, sitting up.
“That was fucking amazing!” Leary was laughing and his eyes were wild.
I couldn’t help but grin, despite the pain in my arm. “Yeah, it was actually pretty intense. Except for, you know, me almost fucking dying.”
“Holy shit, did you see me back there?”
“Yeah, I saw you. Hey, you need to take me to your doctor.”
His face got serious as he looked at me in the rearview mirror. “How bad?”
“Flesh wound, not bad. But I’m bleeding.”
“Don’t get blood on my upholstery, dick.”
I sighed. “Just drive.”
Leary laughed wildly again, and I couldn’t help but grin at him as I applied pressure to my wound. It wasn’t that bad, and I’d definitely survive it, but I was going to need stitches at least.
I couldn’t believe that stupid plan had worked. Leary had been hiding nearby, the engine of his car running, ready to come get me if there was any trouble. And he had showed up at just the right time with just the right amount of crazy.
I sat back, adrenaline coursing through my body as Leary drove us to his back-alley doctor, some dude who would stitch me up quietly for some cash. I couldn’t believe that I was alive.
But I also had to face the fact that I was out of options.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Ellie
––––––––
The first thing I saw when Liam came in through the front door was the blood streaked down his left shoulder.
The second thing I saw was the grinning weirdo that followed him in.
“Shit, Liam—” I started.
He held up his hand. “I’m fine, seriously.”
“You don’t look fine.” I walked over to him, concern all over my face.
The other guy stood back near the door as I began to inspect the arm. It was a deep wound, but it had already been sewed up and covered with a sterile bandage.
“What happened?” I demanded.
“Didn’t go well.”
I rolled my eyes. “Come on, sit down.”
He tried to protest, but I got him moving and pushed him gently down onto the couch. He let out a long breath, obviously still exhausted. The weirdo moved in from the door, shutting and locking it. I kept poking and prodding at Liam’s arm until he winced, obviously in pain.
“Tell me what happened.”
“De Barra thought killing me would be more profitable than overthrowing Colm. And so he tried.”
“Fuck, Liam,” I said.
“Obviously it didn’t work.”
“Who’s this?” I nodded at the other guy.
“That’s Leary. He’s a friend.”
I looked at Liam. “I thought you said nobody can know where we are?”
“He’s been helping me this whole time. Shit, aside from you, he’s the only person in this city that I trust.”
I looked back at the guy, and he smiled bashfully at me. He was thinner than Liam and shorter by an inc
h or two, with red stubble all over his face and a shock of orange hair. He had thick bags under his eyes, and he kept moving from side to side, almost rocking in place.
“I notice he doesn’t have any blood on him.”
“Leary saved my life.”
I stared at the guy for another second. “I’m Ellie. Nice to meet you.”
He grinned and walked over to shake my outstretched hand. “Heard a lot about you, Ellie.”
I gave Liam a look, and he shrugged.
“What happens now?” I asked as Leary sat down in the armchair.
“How long you had this place, man?” Leary asked before Liam could answer me.
“Since I started in the business.”
“Shit, it’s a little creepy, but brilliant.”
“Thanks, man.”
Liam looked back at me and I could see the pain in his expression, though I knew he was trying to hide it from me. I reached out and touched his cheek gently, not giving a shit if the gesture seemed strange to Leary. I was breaking on the inside. I hated the idea that Liam was almost killed because of me, because of some stupid shit I had seen. It should have been me out there. I never should have let him go alone.
“Where do we go from here?” I asked him softly.
He stared back, his face hard. “That’s why I brought Leary here. We need to talk about my next move.”
I frowned and sat up straighter. “You have something in mind?”
“Yeah, but it’s a last resort.”
“Can’t be any worse than what happened today,” I said, nodding at his arm.
He sighed. “It really, really is.”
I shook my head. “You’re not turning yourself in.”
“No, I’m not.” He paused, and then he said more softly, “Not yet at least.”
“Liam—”
“Just listen.”
I stopped, jaw clenched, and nodded. He could be so self-sacrificing sometimes, such an asshole. He didn’t realize how it made me feel to hear him say that he would be willing to die for all of this to be over. I would never have forgiven myself or been able to live if I knew that he had willingly given himself over for my sake. That simply wasn’t an option.
