“The shipment?” I looked over at Mack. He smiled back at me, that infuriating, arrogant grin. “You’re stealing it and giving it to Juan as payment?”
“That’s the plan. If it falls through, I’ll pay him regular money. Three million, half of what he’d get for the shipment, but still good.”
“You have three million dollars?” My mouth dropped open. He lived like a hermit, so I just assumed he didn’t get paid all that well.
“I have a lot more than that, princess. Congratulations, you landed a rich man.”
I waved my hands in the air trying to understand what was happening and coming up very short. “Slow down. So what you’re saying is, you go steal the shipment while Juan and I break into the safehouse and free my brother?”
“Exactly. We’ll do it at the same time. Juan will take point, but you have to back him up.”
“I’m not a killer. I’m not a mafia person. I can’t just break into a safe house and shoot someone.”
“Like I said, Juan will do all the shooting.”
“I’m good at it, don’t worry.” Juan mussed up his hair awkwardly and shrugged. “The Lionettis never really utilized my skills the way they should’ve. Part of why I’m striking out on my own.”
Mack ignored him and walked up to me. He took my hands and stared down into my eyes.
“This is how it’s going to work. I swear, Fiona, I tried to find more men to help, but I can’t turn to the Bratva, and I don’t trust any of the freelancers. If someone hears about this plan and talks, this whole thing is fucked and we may never get your brother back. This is our chance, and if I didn’t think it was worth taking, I wouldn’t ask you to try.”
I felt my body shiver with fear, my knees go weak, my feet turn cold and numb. I looked up into his eyes and I believed that he thought this was the best thing to do, but I wasn’t that kind of person.
I didn’t go out and hurt people. I didn’t fight back.
I stayed hidden in the closet and waited until it was all over.
“Fiona,” he said softly. “Come back to me. Say something.”
“I don’t think I can do this.”
“You can do it. I swear, you can do it. It felt good, shooting that gun, right? It felt like you had some power, didn’t it?”
I closed my eyes and nodded.
“Then don’t let that power go. Your brother needs you.”
I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry.
But he was right.
Connor needed me right now, and if there was even the slightest chance that I could do something to save him then I had to step up and try. I’d let him down so many times over the years, and now this was my opportunity to make up for it.
Juan would do the heavy lifting. But I could be there at least.
“All right, I’ll do it.”
“Good girl.” He kissed me softly. “I wouldn’t let you do this if I thought you’d be in danger.” He released my hands and kept walking. “The majority of the Lionettis will be at this drop. You two have to break into the safehouse, get Connor out, then meet up with me. If all goes to plan, Connor will be safe, Juan will have a lot of drugs, and we’ll be able to do whatever we want.” He looked back at me, head tilted. “How about we go visit Russia? I’ve always wanted to see the motherland.”
“Too cold. How about you take me somewhere warm and fun first?”
“Whatever you want.”
“Then Russia.” I slipped my hand through his arm and leaned my head against his shoulder.
Juan cleared his throat. I almost forgot he was there.
“One small detail. If the Lionetti family’s throwing themselves at this shipment, how do you plan on walking away with it?”
Mack only grinned viciously. “Don’t you worry about that. I’ve got a plan.”
Juan only sighed, but he didn’t argue.
22
Mack
Sending Fiona off with Juan nearly killed me.
It was the hardest decision I ever had to make, but it was the right one.
I kept telling myself that, over and over again, as I got into position on the roof of the abandoned middle school. I camped out behind a large, ancient air conditioning unit, squeezed into the darkest shadows, and got myself set to wait.
I couldn’t be at both places, as much as I wanted to be. Juan and Fiona wouldn’t be able to pull off this part of the plan, which meant they had to go rescue Connor.
It would be the easier of the two things. I hoped, at least.
There were other men in the city that I knew would be able to pull off a raid on a lightly defended Lionetti safe house, men that I brought up in the Bratva and trained myself, but now that I was on the outside, they wouldn’t obey my orders and wouldn’t take bribes.