Tristian (The Doherty Mafia Book 5)

by Kasey Krane

  Colin and Aidan got on the phones to round up men who could accompany us on a shootout. Killian went over to the family home to discuss it with our father. We’d need his approval before leading a full-scale shootout like the one I had in mind.

  But if we were able to corner Aldo and eliminate him—then we’d kill two birds with one stone. My first priority would be to take Elsie out alive.

  It was the early hours of the morning and Brendan’s loft was abuzz with activity. Everyone was on the phone, trying to make arrangements and prepare for a big mission. It may be a major game changer for us. We hadn’t been this close to finding Aldo ever since the war began. So we had a lot on stake.

  It was only once I’d made all the calls I needed to make, that I noticed Davey.

  He sat on the couch, clutching the teddy bear to his chest. His mother was talking to his father, they were having a heated discussion and it seemed like they’d forgotten about Davey for a few minutes.

  I went over and sat down beside him.

  Even though Elsie hadn’t spoken about him much—I knew Davey had meant something to her. I knew she wanted him to be safe. I’d seen the look of relief and joy on her face when we found them hiding in the barn that night. She wasn’t just relieved for herself. She was happy Davey was reunited with his parents.

  When I sat down beside Davey, he turned to me with droopy eyes.

  “You tired, kid? You want to go back to sleep?”

  He blinked his eyes rapidly and shook his head.

  “No. I want to stay awake. Where is Elsie?”

  “I’m going to go find her,” I replied.

  “Where did she go?”

  “I’m not sure yet, but I’m going to look for her.”

  “I like Elsie,” Davey continued.

  “I like her too.”

  “She’s very nice.”

  “Yes she is. She’s very nice,” I said with a smile.

  “I’ll give her Teddy if she wants him,” he added.

  “I’m sure she’d want you to keep him. You guys look like you’re best friends,” I said.

  “Who is Elsie’s best friend?” Davey asked.

  It was a sudden reminder that I didn’t know much about Elsie. I hadn’t asked her the right questions. I hadn’t taken the opportunity to get to know her, and I regretted it now. I regretted all of it.

  “I’ll ask her when I see her,” I replied.

  We were ready to go when I got a call on my phone.

  It was from a blocked number and I knew immediately it had to be Aldo. There was a flicker of hope in me that it was Elsie. That she had somehow managed to find my number and call me in secret.

  But it was a slithery man’s voice on the other end of the line.

  “I’m guessing you’ve been expecting this call by now,” he said.

  “And you’re not calling me to tell me where to find her,” I growled into the phone.

  Aldo laughed, and I heard him sucking in cigar smoke. I pictured him standing in front of Elsie while he smoked and spoke to me. If she was there in the room with him, she wasn’t speaking because I hadn’t heard her voice.

  “No, of course not. I have no intention of giving her back to you. I have some important tasks for her that she’s been assisting me with, and when she’s done with them, I plan on getting rid of her.”

  My grip tightened on the phone. In a fit of fury, I was close to flinging the phone to the ground. I didn’t want to hear his voice, but I also knew it’d be in my benefit to keep him on the line.

  “I’m not going to try and convince you to change your mind. I’ll just make sure you have no choice,” I said.

  “And how will you manage that when you have no idea where she is?”

  “I’ll find her. You can count on it, motherfucker,” I hissed, ending the call before he said anything else.

  There was no way I’d let him have the last word.

  My brothers stared at me as I slid the phone back in my pocket. Maybe they didn’t expect me to be this calm about it, but for Elsie’s sake, I wasn’t going to lose my mind. Not yet.

  I needed to keep calm and execute our plan to perfection. There was very little room for error here.

  Killian walked into Brendan’s apartment just then.

  “We’re good to go. You have Dad’s blessings,” Killian said to me. It was exactly what I needed to hear.

  I couldn’t do this without my family’s support.

  Everyone else stormed out of the apartment, gathering up the other men who’d join us in the attack. We needed to act fast before the Barons got wind of what we had planned.

  They had been one step ahead of us this whole time, which meant our walls had ears. We knew that already. There were leaks in our system, clearly, which we’d deal with later, once this was all over.

  For now, we needed to eliminate a basic problem—Aldo Baron.

  “You sure about this?” Nolan asked when we drove up to the back of the farmhouse. It was four in the morning, a few hours before sunrise. The sky was a deep violet color and it was only because our eyes had already adjusted to the darkness that we saw the scene around us.

  We drove for close to two hours to get to this particular farmhouse. We’d already checked a few other potential sites and none of them were the ones we were looking for. But I had a feeling about this one.

  Especially because of how unassuming this one looked.

  It was a farmhouse nobody would take notice of. It wasn’t swanky, and neither was it derelict. It didn’t stand out at all. Just looked like the kind of place a struggling farmer and his family would occupy on the outskirts of town, close to a river and a forest trail.

  The others were in their own vehicles and we’d driven up to a lookout point at the back of the building where we hoped we wouldn’t raise any alarms.

  “I think this is the one,” I replied.

  Nolan and I stared out at the house. The others were all in their cars, waiting for my signal. Killian had made it clear to everyone involved that I was leading the mission. This was going to be my first time.

  Nobody else in the family had led a mission at twenty-two, but my brothers had faith in me.

  Nobody else had come this close to finding Aldo either, so I was rewarded for the work I’d done. Besides, I had a personal interest in this mission. My girl was in there and I needed to bring her out safely.

  Nolan drummed his fingers on his knees and I sensed he was nervous. This wasn’t his first shootout, but it was a big one. We all knew what we had riding on it.

  I picked up my phone and called Killian. Two rings and I ended it. That was the signal. Within seconds, all the men from the Doherty family and our backup would be crawling up through the cornfields and into the premises of the farmhouse.

  We’d find Aldo Baron and his men inside. We were going to find Elsie in there too. There was going to be blood. A lot of it. Too many guns would be fired. Knives would be drawn and arteries would be cut.

  Things were going to balance off the edge of victory. It would become difficult to decipher who won. Some lives would be lost on both sides. Some of my brothers would come close to losing theirs.

  It wouldn’t be until the last moments of the shootout that we would find out Aldo had made his escape. Aldo had gotten away. Once again.

  We would come so close to getting him this time, but it wasn’t time yet.

  Aldo would still have some time to run free, but we would get him eventually.

  Nobody was going to knock us down.

  Shots were fired everywhere, and despite the darkness, everything lit up because of our guns. It was too loud to hear anything.

  We’d breached the exterior of the farmhouse, despite the scores of men Aldo posted just within the walls. From the outside, there wasn’t any sign that the place was so heavily guarded. But they saw us coming up through the cornfields and rained fire on us.

  But we were equally prepared. We were heavily numbered too and it was a close fight
until the last moments.

  Killian was shot, so was Brendan. Some asshole pulled a knife on Colin but all my brothers fought back.

  By the time I broke through the building, charging down the narrow halls with guns blazing, I was covered in blood splatter.

  I hadn’t kept track of how many people were injured or died because of the bullets I fired. I would’ve burned this whole place down if I had to.

  I made my way through the halls, checking each room, eliminating every man who stood in my way. I came close to death more times than I could count. I wasn’t even sure how I made it out alive. But by the time I found the door to the basement, there weren’t any more guns being cocked at me. It was almost over.

  I distinctly heard my brothers’ voices outside the building, shouting orders, rejoicing. But I still hadn’t found Elsie.

  My hand shook as I turned the handle on the basement door.

  “Elsie?” I shouted in the dark, rushing down the steps. There was a muffled sound and I knew it was her.

  I pulled out my phone and turned on the flashlight. I didn’t have the time to look for a light switch.

  Elsie was sitting on a chair in the middle of the room, with nothing else around her. Her wrists and ankles were all tied up. She was tied to the chair with thick chords that wrapped all around her body. Her mouth was gagged with a filthy looking rag.

  I pulled that off first and she gasped for air, her shoulders heaving.

  “Tristian. Tristian!” she cried out my name as I pulled a knife out to cut all the chords.

  “I’ve got you,” I groaned as I snapped them. She continued saying my name over and over again like she’d repeated it for hours. When I finally got all the rope off, I pulled her up but I felt her lack of energy in her muscles and bones.

  Hadn’t they even fed her? Was she thirsty?

  “Elsie, hey, look at me, I’ve got you,” I said, pulling her into my arms and she collapsed right then. Within moments, she was dead weight in my arms.

  Fuck.

  I checked her pulse. She was still alive but her pulse was weak. I knew I had to get her out of there before things became seriously worse.

  I lifted her up and threw her over my shoulder, carrying her up the stairs. I was so close to getting her out of this alive, I wasn’t about to give up on her yet.

  Twenty-Seven

  Elsie

  The last thing I remembered was the sound of guns being shot outside the building. Despite the lack of windows in the room, and the walls were probably very thick—the sound I’d heard was unmistakable.

  It was ironic because up until a few months ago, I’d never heard a gun being fired in real life. And then, just like that, I knew exactly what guns sounded like.

  Only this time, instead of being filled with fear and disgust, I was hopeful when I heard the shots. Especially because I saw the fear in Aldo’s eyes when I turned to look at him.

  I’d never seen him look like that before. I almost wanted to giggle with joy, but before I said anything—he stuffed my mouth with the gag again.

  He pulled his gun out and pointed it at my head. I glared at him, expecting him to shoot.

  He wasn’t going to let me live. If he thought his own end was near, he’d end me first. But before he pulled the trigger, there was a loud sound like an explosion. And it sounded like it went off just outside the door.

  The sound startled Aldo and he stumbled backwards.

  I laughed behind the gag because of how hilariously scared he looked.

  At that point, I wasn’t afraid of anything. Even if it wasn’t the Dohertys who were here to save me. It was possible that the gunfire outside wasn’t good news for me at all.

  But I didn’t care.

  I simply enjoyed Aldo shuddering like a delicate flower with fear.

  Then, he forgot about me and ran up the steps. I was sure he hadn’t even locked the door behind him. If I wasn’t tied up to the chair, it would’ve been my opportunity to escape, but I couldn’t.

  I tried to scream but my voice was muffled by the gags. The sounds grew louder. It almost sounded like fireworks going off in the sky. I wished there was a window so I could look outside and see.

  Was it the Dohertys? Had Tristian come for me? Was I being foolishly hopeful?

  I cried and screamed, trying to wriggle free from the ropes and the gag but nothing budged. My heart thudded in my chest. I struggled with the last threads of energy I had in my body. I was exhausted. Hungry. Thirsty. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to make it. My mind kept sparking off. One moment I’d be awake, and then everything would go blank.

  The sounds outside were deafening and I had no idea how long I was alone in the room.

  Then the door burst open again and I saw Tristian, or at least I thought it was him. I couldn’t be sure.

  I must’ve passed out at some point, because I didn’t remember being moved from the room I was being held in. I didn’t even remember being in a car or arriving in the room I was now in.

  When I woke up I was surrounded by a group of people. Some I recognized, some I didn’t. I could make out the face of a young girl and it took me a few moments to realize it was Isabelle. She leaned over me and when my eyelids fluttered open, she smiled.

  Beside her was another girl I recognized as Davey’s mother. Then there was a man I’d never seen before, but he had a stethoscope around his neck and was in formal clothing. I assumed he was a doctor. But it didn’t seem like I was in a hospital.

  “Where? What is happening?” I mumbled.

  My mouth felt dry. I was parched and I barely got any words out.

  “You’ll be fine, Elsie. You just need to rest. You’ve suffered from serious dehydration,” Isabelle said.

  She reached for my hand and held it tightly, but I tried to sit up.

  “Tristian…” I whispered his name. I still wasn’t sure if it was him I saw in the room. Did he rescue me? Did he actually come for me?

  “Now, Miss, please don’t try and get up. You need to keep lying down and conserve your energy,” the doctor added.

  “Tristian…” I mumbled his name again.

  “Elsie, please lie down, we’ll get you some water,” Davey’s mother said.

  “I want…Tristian…” I managed to say, but I wasn’t sure if they heard me.

  Or were they just avoiding my queries? Had Tristian left me? Maybe he didn’t want to have anything to do with me. I felt my eyes filling with tears again. I just wanted to see him. I just wanted proof that he came for me.

  “You’ll be okay, Elsie, but you need to rest now,” Isabelle insisted, trying to force me back down on the bed.

  I tried to push her away but I was unsuccessful. I was too weak. I’d never felt this helpless before.

  “Elsie!” There was a roaring voice from somewhere in the room. Everyone around my bed turned to look in the direction of the door.

  It was Tristian. He stood there with his brows furrowed, his face covered in what looked like soot or blood. His clothes were covered in it too.

  “Elsie!” he thundered, lunging in my direction.

  I barely had time to gasp before he pulled me off the bed and straight into his arms.

  I pressed myself into him with whatever strength I had, breathing in the scent of him and the smell of blood and smoke drenching his clothes.

  “I thought I’d lose you. I didn't know if you’d make it. You’re here now. I’ve got you,” he murmured, holding me in his arms.

  I couldn’t believe it. I thought I was still dreaming. But I wasn’t.

  “She needs rest,” the doctor repeated, this time in a louder and firmer voice when Tristian didn’t let me go. He’d had me pressed to his chest since he burst into the room several minutes ago.

  I’d buried my face in him, refusing to part from him either. It was almost like I was afraid he’d disappear if he let me go.

  When Tristian didn’t respond to what the doctor said, Isabelle approached us. She lightly tapped on hi
s arm and smiled.

  “I know the two of you have a lot to…talk about, but Doc is insisting Elsie gets her rest. She was very close to serious danger and needs time to recover from it,” Isabelle said.

  Tristian pulled away from me, but only a few inches. He cradled my face with both his hands, then looked deep into my eyes.

  “You passed out when I found you, and your pulse seemed weak. I wasn’t sure what was going on.”

  “What exactly did Aldo do to you?” Isabelle asked.

  I shook my head.

  “He slapped me around a little, but other than that, nothing. They didn’t give me any food or water.”

  “How long did they have you?” the doctor asked and I shrugged.

  “I don’t know. It felt like forever, but I don’t think it was very long.”

  “Would that have been enough time to cause dehydration on that scale? Twenty-four hours?” Isabelle asked.

  Tristian stared at me. It was like he couldn’t take his eyes off me.

  “Maybe, combined with the psychological trauma,” the doctor replied.

  I stared up at Tristian too, and I felt my eyes welling up again. Every emotion I had tried to keep in check in front of Aldo poured forth now.

  “He killed my friend. My friend…Libby. I went to her when I left your apartment. He shot her. Right in front of me. Just like he shot my parents.” The words bubbled out of me and I choked on them.

  Tristian’s grip on me tightened. He weaved his fingers in my hair and stroked my head gently.

  “That is the last time he’s going to hurt you. I’m never going to let him hurt you again.”

  The doctor was about to say something, probably reminding us that I needed to get some sleep and rest. But Tristian wasn’t willing to follow orders.

  “She’ll be fine with me. I’ll make sure she gets rest. I’ll make sure she’s not in any danger,” he growled, almost threateningly at the doctor.