Angelo reached out a hand and pulled me to my feet. “Come on. Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“Downtown. I don’t want to keep that scary motherfucker waiting.”
Peter looked from Angelo to me. “I don’t like the idea of you meeting with someone the two of you consider scary.”
“We’ll be fine, and I won’t let him anywhere near you,” Lucien said.
Angelo glanced at Cameron. “Same goes for you.”
Cameron snorted. “If we can handle you, we can handle anybody.”
Lucien shook his head. “Giorgio and X have pulled off shit that makes us look like kids on the playground. Thank fuck Vigilance exists to help people.”
“Individually, the members still do whatever the fuck they want, though,” I said. “That usually means ridding the world of some fucked up people, but if you offer Giorgio enough money, I think he’ll bend his morals pretty far.”
“I’m putting extra guards on the house,” Lucien said. “Peter, you and Cam need to stay here and be alert.”
“Be careful.” I saw the tension in Peter’s face as Lucien pulled him into a tight hug.
“I will,” Lucien assured him.
I couldn’t hear what Angelo whispered to Cameron, but I could tell Cameron was worried. He and Lucien had both experienced what it was like to have someone threaten the man you loved. Lucien turned to Sabrina, “Can you keep in touch with Emilio, and see if he finds anything useful?”
“Yes, and I’ll make sure Peter and Cam are safe.”
“Thank you.” I kissed her cheek, and my cousins and I headed out.
28
Joe
I sat up when I heard someone open the front door. My first thought was that it must be Devil, but when I glanced at the clock, I saw it was five thirty in the morning. If Devil wasn’t here by now, he wasn’t coming.
I stayed silent as footsteps approached, and my instincts screamed that I was in trouble. Carefully, I pulled my gun from my nightstand and began to move cautiously toward the bathroom. I hadn’t yet made it to cover when a huge man kicked in my bedroom door.
I aimed my gun at him, but he charged me as if totally unafraid.
He hit me hard, slamming me against the wall. I struggled with him, but he squeezed my arm and something in my wrist snapped.
My gun fell to the ground, the clatter distracting my assailant, and I kicked him in the balls.
I managed to break free and run from the room, but he caught me as I entered the kitchen. We fell to the ground as I struggled, trying to break his hold on me. He rolled me under him again and smashed my head against the floor.
I fought back the darkness that threatened. I had to stay conscious. I had to keep fighting.
I managed to free my arm and punch the man. He reeled back, and I slid out from under him. I reached for my phone which had been knocked across the floor, but something slammed into the back of my head. That second hit was too much to fight. I collapsed to the floor and the world around me began to fade.
I felt a sting on the side of my neck. At first my foggy brain wondered if I’d been shot, then fiery liquid oozed into my veins. I tried to reach for the man’s arm to pull the needle out, but my coordination was fucked. It was easier to let the drugs pull me under.
I woke on a concrete floor in what appeared to be some kind of office or storeroom. My hands and ankles were zip-tied. Panic at being restrained started to overtake me. I felt like I couldn’t draw air into my lungs. I had to get myself under control. I imagined Devil there, stroking my back, telling me I’d be okay. My breathing slowed. I could do this. I could stay calm and focus on getting out of here so I could see him again.
My right wrist was swollen and throbbing, and the pain was bad enough to make me feel sick. My head felt almost as bad. It was like someone was in there with a hammer banging away at my skull. I tried to sit up, but I immediately lay back down on the cold floor, knowing if I moved another inch I was going to puke.
I tried to remember the events that led to me being there, but every attempt sent piercing pain through my head until it felt like it was going to explode. Once my stomach settled slightly, I looked around to see if I could find any clues about where I was. There was a desk in the room. Was there anything useful in it? It was only a few feet away, but I wasn’t sure I could make it that far.
There were several tall metal shelves stacked with cardboard boxes. I tried to read the labels, but the pain from squinting at the words made me curl in on myself.