14. Savage
Chapter 14
Savage
“Patrick,” I repeat woodenly.
Vito throws me a concerned look.
Andy doesn’t bother nodding again. She doesn’t bother telling me, again, that this was Nyx’s decision, and that my stubborn-as-a-goddamn-mule wife doubled down when Andy tried to argue with her.
“This wasn’t the plan,” I say, more to myself than Vito or Andy.
“He wasn’t like violent or anything.” Andy shrugs. “She seemed to trust him.”
“That’s why he didn’t have to be violent.” I’m shaking my head, glaring at the entrance of The Foundry from our SUV, where we retreated to after fetching Andy. Vito managed to talk me down from pulling my piece and gaining forcible entry into O’Brien’s club.
Barely.
If Andy hadn’t blurted out that Nyx went willingly, that she had said she was fine…
But that doesn’t change the fact that my wife ran.
Not fast, not far…but she did the one thing she promised she wouldn’t do.
Again .
How many times will she play me for a fool before I realize the only person Nyx listens to is Nyx.
I watched her at Liam’s tiny apartment while he was dumping a lifetime’s worth of secrets onto her. It’s obvious she blames herself for what’s happened to her sisters, as if she tied pretty little ribbons in their hair and hand delivered them to O’Brien.
Fuck, I get it.
Sometimes you’re the only person there is to blame, even if a hundred other people tell you otherwise.
But why the fuck does she keep thinking this is a personal vendetta? Sure, our marriage was for the Gray’s protection. It had nothing to do with vows and shit like that…but does she honestly not think I care about her family?
Nyx is a Domingo now.
And family is the only thing that matters.
My father taught me that when I was a kid. That’s why it took him so long to reign me in after my mother was murdered. The fuckers who killed her gouged a huge chunk out of our family.
They had to pay.
Maybe he was glad I was balancing the scales.
Nyx isn’t alone in her crusade against O’Brien. It’s always just been her and her sisters against the world…but for fuck’s sake, not anymore.
I don’t realize I’m drumming my fingers against the Expedition’s dashboard until Vito holds out a lit cigarette for me to take.
“A few flash-bangs should clear out the place quickly enough,” he says.
“We’ve got eyes on all the exits. If they move, we’ll know.” I sound like I’m trying to reassure myself, and tug at the cigarette with a grunt of disgust at how pathetic I sound.
Of course I want to go in, guns blazing. But I trust my wife’s judgment. I don’t want to, but I have to. Because what the hell kind of relationship would we have if I went around browbeating her the whole time?
Maybe, this time, her way is best.
There are a lot of innocent people inside that club. Even setting off smoke grenades could cause a stampede.
How far would I go to have Nyx back in my arms?
One innocent death?
Five?
A hundred?
I wouldn’t hesitate to mow down a thousand mob scumbags to reach my wife…but the thought of even one innocent death makes my stomach turn.
“Fifteen minutes, then we’re going in.”