And it felt good. It felt freeing to let go of all the drama, all the heartache, and focus in on the bigger picture.
The Commission and Tex’s sudden shift, along with his and Phoenix’s plans.
I sent a quick group text to everyone telling them I was going out for a run and opened my window, jumping out onto the grass with a small thud.
Tex was getting ready to leave, that much I was sure of. I’d lied to the girls about shooting, knowing I would miss my chance to tail him if I stayed.
I ran over to the black Mercedes and jumped in. It was newer, not familiar to Tex who always saw me drive the Range Rover, even though the Mercedes was actually my car.
I quickly pulled out of our lot and drove around back so nobody would see me, then inched through the gate and waited at the end of our property, by the cows.
Within minutes Tex sped by in the Range Rover, sunglasses on and attention totally focused in on everything straight ahead.
I smiled as one more thing clicked into place. I’d been counting on him driving the Range Rover. My plans would have been totally shot had he not driven that car.
A moment of pure genius had washed over me as I realized that the same tracker stupid Phoenix had injected into me was amongst all the gear Nixon had in the gun room, as I liked to call it. It was only too easy to slip one between the backseat of the SUV and download the app on my phone.
I waited a good five minutes before taking off.
And what do you know? Tex had stopped around fifteen miles later at a pretty upscale restaurant and bar called, Tapas.
I parked across the street a few cars back and waited. It was now or never and I had all the time in the world.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
Too many men involved meant one thing. Elimination.
Tex
I WAS GOING TO OFFICIALLY kill Phoenix. The men I was supposed to be tailing? Complete and utter fools. No, really. They poured in and out of the restaurant, drinking, sucking down cigars like they didn’t cause cancer and laughing loudly.
Each of them was too involved in conversation to even look down the street. Did they really think they were safe here? I didn’t recognize any faces, though Alfonso did make an appearance once when he came outside to smoke a cigar and talk to the circle of men.
They were all in their late fifties to early sixties. It made me sick to think of what they were involved in.
It didn’t bother me in the least that I’d be the one introducing them to the Devil. After all, they’d been in charge of one of the worst prostitution rings known to the Cosa Nostra.
It had started with the De Langes and I thought it had ended the night I killed my father.
I was wrong.
As Phoenix so nicely pointed out by way of Luca.
Two men were constantly reaching behind their heads, scratching at their upper backs, twitchy. Meaning, they were used to distracting with their hands while they used the other hand to pull out a gun. I made a note of it on the photographs I’d brought with me.
Another man’s eyes were downcast as he tossed dice in the air, up and down up and down, waiting, ever so patiently. He’d be the first to pull a gun, the last to die. His movements were smooth, fluid.
Another man found everything hilarious—he was most likely drunk, stumbling all over the place and hitting people on the back, a slight limp made him an easy kill. Probably had a broken kneecap at one point in his life.
I continued watching, memorizing their movements like a musician would memorize music. That’s what it was to me, watching people was an art, it was studying each breath, each step, each slouch. People were easy to read. They were my antelope and I was the lion.
Finally, most of them shuffled in after about two hours of constantly walking in and out of the restaurant. They’d most likely drink red wine, toast to what I’m sure they assumed was a new era for the Campisi family underneath Alfonso. After all, everything fell into place. They scared me into hiding—or so they thought, after threatening me and Mo, and by doing so, secured themselves an invitation with the rest of the American Mafia.
To them, it was finally a homecoming.
To me? It was a really fancy funeral.
Time to go.
I started the car and looked in my rearview mirror.
“Well shit.” I licked my lips and slammed the steering wheel as I watched Mo. She was looking at my car and at the restaurant. My body shook with terror. She had no idea the danger she’d put herself in, or the absolute chaos that would happen if she were caught. Everything Phoenix and I worked for? Gone. Done.
I needed to draw her away from the restaurant.
With another curse I pulled out and started speeding towards my bar.
Mo followed at a fast pace but stayed a few cars back.
The minute I pulled up to the restaurant I peeled around the parking lot and parked out back, dust shot up from my sudden acceleration. Turning off the car with a jerk, I ran around the building and watched as she pulled in and looked around.
“Gotcha.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
If you try to sneak up on a boss… make sure he isn’t aware of it.
Mo
WHERE HAD HE GONE? I licked my lips and leaned over the steering wheel. His car could be parked out back, but that meant he was probably going inside the building.
I could go home.
But facing him sounded like a better idea.
So I swallowed the anxiety building inside of me and reached for the door handle, slowly pushing it open.
Until it was jerked out of my grasp.
And a menacing Tex was filling the space between me and the outside world.
“Have fun on your little stakeout?” he asked calmly.