But he looked… rough.
A balding head with greasy skin, a black suit that clearly wasn’t made for him, and from what I could see, a really shitty Glock that he had hidden inside of his jacket like he was going to shoot me executioner style.
“The door was locked.” He pointed behind him.
“Yeah, I was jacking off.” I shrugged. “Sorry, not sorry.”
He frowned and started to look behind me.
A gasp sounded.
Annie?
He moved.
But so did I.
I flew into action, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against the bathroom countertop, and then against the mirror as glass went flying.
His gun went off.
With a grunt, I broke it free from his grip as it scattered across the floor.
Blood poured from his head wound as he smiled at me like he had the upper hand. “You will lose, Abandonato.”
“You the dipshit sending horses?” He frowned as I stood to my full height. “Oh, sorry, you’re probably a bit slow. Um, not drunk, still a jackass, working on it, maybe I’ll get therapy, who knows… oh and in case you’re still confused.” I smacked him on the cheek. “We all have a part to play, which I’m sure you’re associates are experiencing in three, two, one—”
The bathroom door burst open.
“Heard gunshots.” Valerian had his gun trained on us along with Junior, Tank, and Serena.
“Kill me.” The man shrugged. “I don’t care. I won’t talk.”
“That’s okay,” Tank sneered from his position. “The FBI already moved in ten minutes ago… we have three of your men ready to give us everything as long as they don’t get life.”
His face paled. “They wouldn’t dare.”
“They already did.” Tank put his gun away and pulled out his badge. “You’re officially under arrest for—”
“D-dad.” Annie’s voice sounded on a gasp as she moved out of the stall and stumbled to my side.
His face darkened with hatred. “You? You’re still alive after I sold you to those De Lange men?” He let out a laugh. “Ah, of course you are; you always were such a resilient bitch. What? Did you whore yourself out like your mother did to one of ohhhh—” He eyed Ash. “I see… sex for protection, clever, clever—”
“I love him,” she said in a low voice. “And you died, I saw the reports, you killed Mom then killed yourself before I went into the system before those men came to the house!”
“The system and those hired men should have taken care of my problem—you.” He sneered. “A Sinacore under my roof!’ He spat, “MINE! You were too dangerous to keep the older you got.”
Annie lifted her chin.
She didn’t cry.
She just stared at him.
At this man that forced her mother to go to another man to have a baby.
I imagined her pain.
I wanted to end him.
I searched the floor for my gun, and that was when I noticed she was holding it as if she wasn’t afraid, as if she’d held one before.
Of course.
Italy.
“Tank.” She said his name, making me want to roar with anger. “Please leave.”
“Aw shit, Annie—”
“I’m in this now, right?” she asked in a shaky voice.
“Blood in,” I said gently. “No out.”
She lifted the gun. “You murdered my mom!”
He held up his hands. “You don’t have the guts, you’re spineless, gentle, just like her, wouldn’t even hurt a—”
Two shots fired.
Directly.
Into.
His.
Dick.
She didn’t miss.
He howled with pain, collapsing to the floor, blood went everywhere, and then with shaking hands, she dropped the gun and lifted her chin. “Death would be too kind.”
He screamed her name as I reached for her hand and nodded to Junior. “Clean this up, will you?”
He cracked his knuckles. “With fucking pleasure.”
“Think of it as an early wedding present.” I patted him on the shoulder.
“I knew we were best friends for a reason.” He grinned, shutting the bathroom door behind him.
I didn’t give Annie time to think.
To panic.
I just grabbed her by the hand and walked us through the lobby nodding to the associates I knew would clean up and listen to every word from Junior.
And when we got to the elevator.
I looked back.
Tank stared at us.
He sighed, and then he called into his lapel. “All clear.”
“Thank you,” I mouthed as the doors closed.
He nodded his head, and then he was back in FBI mode.
“I can’t believe I just did that.” Tremors rocked Annie from head to foot.
“I can. I knew you had some rage inside you.” I pulled her into my arms. “Now, let’s go wash it all off.”
“The blood?”
“No.” I kissed the top of her head. “The rage.”
Chapter Thirty-One
“Unable for the loved to die, for love is immortality.”—Emily Dickinson
Annie
I still felt him between my legs.
Tasted his lips.
And then I saw it.
Him.
The dad I was born with.
The one that basically trafficked me into another Family like an item sent to the Goodwill… or the trash.
I collapsed against Ash.
With a curse, he lifted me into his arms.