CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Bones
ARIANA STIRRED BESIDE me. I brushed her hair aside and leaned over to kiss her forehead. My seat belt cut into my chest, but I was so content I didn’t even care. The sounds of the oldies playing on the Hummer’s stereo relaxed me as we ate up the miles distancing us from Las Vegas. My mind was still reeling over the turn of last night’s events.
Angel’s dad and siblings had come over long enough to say good-bye. The tightness around the boss’s eyes told me something big was going down, but thankfully that wasn’t any of my business anymore. He did pull me aside long enough to confide in me that he was friends with my pops, and he planned to get to the bottom of Natalia’s claim that Carlo had killed him. I didn’t know what to say, so I thanked him and promised to watch over Angel.
Dante refused to leave the car, but the girls wept and even Georgie wiped a couple of tears from his eyes. Markie was a wreck. She bawled after they left, and then lamented about not being able to say good-bye to the kids at the orphanage, but the boss told us to leave immediately, and his tone left no room for argument.
Nonna loaded us up with enough food to stock a small third-world country and sent us on our way.
“You’re not coming with us?” Ariana asked, pausing in the doorway.
“Oh heavens, no,” Nonna replied, ushering her toward the Hummer. “These bones are too old for road trips. Besides, I still have a little more to do here. I’ve given Angel a few places to look over, and I’ll fly up when you select one.” Then to me, she added, “I can have your vehicle returned to the condo for the movers if you’d like?”
In all the chaos I’d completely forgotten about the Jeep, still parked behind the warehouse where Natalia picked me up.
“Please.” I handed her the keys. She could have easily had it moved without them, but this would save her time and expense.
It had been after one a.m. before we left Vegas. Angel, Ariana, Markie, Natalia, and I climbed into the Hummer and headed out. We drove out of Vegas like the devil himself was on our tail, and I’m pretty sure he was. I don’t think any of us took a deep breath until we crossed the California state line. We still weren’t out of Carlo’s reach, but at least it would cost him more time and resources to come after us. Besides, I had a feeling the boss was keeping Carlo busy.
Angel drove the first leg, while Ariana and Markie slept and Natalia alternated between staring out the window and pumping me for information about Carlo.
“But you have to know how to get to him. There’s gotta be someone he cares about.”
And there was, but I wasn’t about to sic my sister on Carlo’s sweet little housekeeper. “He’s untouchable, let it go.”
She growled a lot, but in the end, she dropped the subject.
It was almost five a.m. before we checked into a hotel in Bakersfield to get a few hours of sleep. Too drained to even speak, the five of us stumbled into the room, pushed the two beds together, and collapsed onto them. I woke up with Ariana in my arms, smiling at me.
“Hey,” she said.
I smiled back and pushed her hair out of her face. “Hey.”
Unfortunately, the moment was ruined when the alarm went off, telling us it was time to get Natalia to the bus station. After losing Joey, Natalia had informed me she wasn’t up for a road trip with two nauseating sets of lovebirds, so I made a call to my brother Antonio, who invited Natalia to come and stay with him and his family for a while. Being around family would probably be the best thing for her right now, and after much debate she reluctantly agreed, admitting she had nowhere else to go. I gave my little sister a hug, we exchanged phone numbers and promised to keep in touch, and then I put her on a bus to Porterville. We got back on the road, and this time I drove, Ariana played navigator, and Angel and Markie napped in the back.
We were halfway to San Francisco when Antonio called me. The bus had arrived, but Natalia wasn’t on it. I hoped my sister wasn’t heading back to Vegas, but even if she was, there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. I called her cell number and got her voice mail, but her message had been customized for me.
“Hey, Bones, I’m sure you’re pissed and I’m sorry, but I couldn’t get on that bus. I mean, I realize Tony is my brother, too, but I’ve never even met the guy and I couldn’t… I just couldn’t. I don’t know what I’m gonna do yet, but I’ll give you a call when I’ve got it figured out. Take care of Ari. I like the way she treats you. Be safe.”
I left a message, asking her to call me.
We made it to San Francisco and checked into a hotel room. Angel was acting weird, and excused himself to make a few phone calls on the balcony. Wondering what my friend was up to, I kept one eye on him while helping the girls get situated. Angel and Markie had packed clothes for all four of us in the back of the Hummer, so it took me a few trips to bring up all the luggage. We all showered, changed, and then headed back out for an early dinner.
Since both Angel and I were sick of driving, we called a cab to take us to a popular Moroccan restaurant he had found online. Ariana, Markie, and I feasted on taster platters, trying everything the restaurant offered, while Angel tugged at his collar and downed a couple of beers. It was dark by the time we emerged from the restaurant. A limo was waiting by the curb.
“Is this for us?” Markie asked?
My friend nodded, wobbling slightly. The driver opened the door for the girls and they piled in.
I stopped beside Angel and asked, “What the hell’s wrong with you?”
He patted his jacket pocket. His fingers thunked against something hollow and he grinned like an idiot. Then he climbed in beside Markie. I had no choice but to join them.
“Where are we going?” Markie asked as the limo pulled away from the curb.
“It’s a surprise,” Angel replied, his words running together in what appeared to be a combination of nerves and alcohol.
Ariana looked to me for more information, but I held my hands up. “Don’t look at me. I know nothing.”
Angel kept tugging on his collar, but the girls didn’t seem to notice. They were too busy sipping champagne, chatting about the sights, and rubbernecking like tourists. The driver rolled to a stop in a deserted parking lot.
“A surprise, huh?” Markie asked, searching the area. “What are those lights? Wait, there’s a sign. Ohmigosh, you brought us to The Palace of Fine Art?”
Angel grinned and he followed her out of the limo.
Ariana’s brows rose as she stared me down. “Do you know what he’s up to?”
“Nope. But we should probably keep an eye on them.”
We emerged from the limo and Ariana shivered in her thin black dress. I took off my jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She smiled and wedged herself under my arm.
Wondering what Angel was up to, Ariana and I followed him and Markie toward the replica of the Greco-Roman ruins. A security guard opened the gate for us, and Angel slipped him some cash. We followed pillars around a lake to the rotunda in the center. Markie and Ariana marveled about the craftsmanship while Angel stayed silent.
“You okay, man?” I asked.
He nodded and grinned again. “Better than okay.”
We stopped in the center of the rotunda. Markie and Ariana walked to the pillars and looked out over the lake, talking. Angel took a couple of deep breaths and handed me his phone. I looked down and saw that he’d set it up for video.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“I need you to record this for me. Focus on Markie’s reaction. I promised Nonna.”
“Now?” I asked, realizing what he was preparing to do.
His dopey smile answered me. “Yeah. Now.”
Then he turned and walked away. I fumbled with the phone, making sure they were both in view before I hit record. As Angel approached, Ariana looked from him to me. Then she inched away from Markie and came to stand by me.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“Watch them,�
� I whispered, feeling my own dopey smile tug at my lips. My boy was about to do the craziest thing ever and I was beyond happy for him. I inched forward, making sure the camera could hear them.
“This is beautiful, Angel,” Markie said, still staring out across the water.
“I’m glad you like it,” he replied. He took her hand in his and turned her to face him. “But I need to ask you something.” He dropped to one knee and held a small, black box out to her.
“Markie Lynn Davis, will you marry me?”
Markie gasped. She looked from the box to Angel, her eyes wide.
Despite the cold, beads of sweat were forming on Angel’s forehead. We all waited in silence for what seemed like an eternity.
Then finally, Markie nodded. “Yes. Yes! Of course I will.”
Ariana squeezed me, jostling the camera. I draped my arm over her shoulders and kept filming. Angel put the ring on Markie’s finger, then stood and kissed her.
“They’re crazy, aren’t they?” Ariana whispered.
I nodded and looked at her. Her eyes were heavy with unshed tears and she was so damn beautiful. It wasn’t difficult to imagine her walking down the aisle. Maybe Angel and Markie weren’t so crazy after all. I turned off the camera and kissed Ariana. When Angel and Markie finally pulled apart, Ariana wandered over to congratulate her sister and see the ring. I patted Angel on the back and nodded. The two of us stood there, watching the girls.
“We’re free,” Angel said, clasping me on the shoulder. “I can’t believe it, but we finally got out of that shit-hole for good.”
“Yeah.” Vegas was just a spot on the map now. The families would no longer direct our lives or make us keep our loved ones secret for fear they’d be used against us. “Now we just gotta figure out where the hell we’re gonna live.”
Angel chuckled. We joined the girls. I kissed Ariana’s forehead and tucked her back under my arm. The four of us wandered around for a while longer before heading back to the hotel. We had an engagement to celebrate and a trip to plan.
I had no idea where we’d end up, but I didn’t care. We’d broken the cycle and survived, and now the world lay ahead of us.
Thank Thank you so much for reading Breaking Bones. I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey and will watch for the Mariani Family
Prequel, coming later in 2016. Please help support my work by writing a review on Amazon. Reviews only require twenty words and help me tremendously. I appreciate your support!
Also be sure to visit my website and sign up to be included on news about future releases:
http://www.amandawashington.net
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Other books by Amanda Washington
Making Angel: Mariani Crime Family Book 1
Rescuing Liberty: Perseverance Book 1
Liberty’s Hope: Perseverance Book 2
Fallen: Chronicles of the Broken 1
Cut: Chronicles of the Broken 2
Forsaken: Chronicles of the Broken 3
Amanda Washington is an independent author who first put her dreams to paper in 1999. Her latest books are new adult mafia fiction (MAKING ANGEL and BREAKING BONES), but she's also written dystopian (RESCUING LIBERTY and LIBERTY'S HOPE) and young adult (FALLEN, CUT, and FORSAKEN). When she's not writing, she's busy reading and living out her real adventure in southwest Washington with her husband and their five boys.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to my husband, Meltarrus, our boys, and all my friends and family who supported, encouraged, beta read, and just plain ole’ kept me sane during the writing of this book. You know who you are and how invaluable you are to me.
Huge thanks to my invaluable editors, Ellen Tarver, Kim Gates, Roslyn McFarland, and Karen Flanery.
I’m greatly indebted to the talented creative team who developed my cover. Cover design: Jackson Jackson and Tracey Jane Jackson.
Breaking Bones (Mariani Crime Family #2) Page 21
