Chapter 16
Tane
“Hold my hand and keep your head down,” Tane said, stepping out from the alleyway with Jacob. “We don’t know who might be watching us, so it’s best to take precautions.”
“Where are we going?” Jacob replied, his sweaty palm reaching out and taking Tane’s hand. “Did you call Antonio?”
Tane nodded.
Tane had messaged Antonio and asked for the nearest Cardini protected business in the area.
As it turned out, there was a launderette that the Cardini family owned just down the street.
Tane knew that a Cardini attack on a Cardini property was far less likely as that would trigger an immediate war between the families.
But it wasn’t just Antonio who Tane reached out to…
“Quick, inside,” Tane said, holding the launderette door open and scanning around the busy street to see if he could spot any suspicious looking individuals who could either be the Cardini family or part of their network of spies. “I think we’re good.”
The launderette was pretty much as to be expected.
The whir of the heavy duty washing machines and dryers almost blended into the background music playing on the old stereo behind the counter in the corner.
“W-w-w-where is everyone?” Jacob said, looking around and noticing that the launderette was literally deserted.
“Maybe my friends can explain,” Tane replied, smiling as he saw Connor and Alex step out from the staff area at the rear of the building. “It’s good to see you guys.”
“Hell yeah, you don’t think I was going to miss a chance to get down and dirty like the old days, did you?” Connor replied, a shotgun in his hand and look of wicked delight in his eyes.
“When you called, it was an easy decision,” Alex replied, an automatic pistol in each hand. “You saved my ass more times than I can recall when I first joined the Enforcers. This is the least I could do.”
Tane looked at Jacob and could see that his love was confused.
“Don’t worry, I’ll explain all about it later,” Tane replied. “But the three of us have been through some heavy shit together over the years. A career with the Enforcers will kind of guarantee that.”
“Why do you think Tane has so many grey hairs?” Alex laughed. “Don’t worry, Jacob. Between us, We’ll make sure that you’re safe.”
“You can count on us,” Connor added. “Your man isn’t just a Hall of Fame hockey player, he’s a Hall of Fame friend too.”
“This is wild,” Jacob said, looking like he was going to burst out into laughter. “I thought the most dangerous thing about hockey was getting fouled or saying the wrong thing on social media. But this…”
The three veterans chuckled.
However Tane wanted to make sure that Jacob was aware of just how serious the situation was. However unlikely it was that the Cardini clan would find them or launch an attack while they were in the launderette, it was still a very real possibility.
“Here, take this,” Tane said, reaching inside Connor’s heavy duty black satchel and pulling out a small handgun. “Do you know how to fire one of these things?”
“N-n-n-no,” Jacob replied, his eyes wide. “But if you show me, I’ll do my best.”
“That’s my boy,” Tane replied. “But I don’t want you involved in the action unless there is absolutely no other choice. This is a last resort option. Got it?”
“Got it,” Jacob replied.
Tane began to run through the safest way of handling the gun, and Jacob listened attentively. Tane could see that Jacob was paying attention, and it was a testament to the way that Jacob had matured over the last couple of months that he was now a really great listener.
However Tane’s impromptu firearms tuition was brought to a premature end when Alex spotted some movement across the street…
“Tane, I hate to break up Gun Safety 101,” Alex said, peering through the semi-obscured window. “But we’ve got a posse of Cardini men across the street. And… yup… they’re headed right over here. They’re fully loaded, and they mean business.”
Tane felt his body and mind focus in a way that it hadn’t needed to in a long time. This was far beyond any kind of pressure that came with a big game for the Enforcers. This was life and death, and it was time to make sure that whatever else happened his darling boy was safe.
“Jacob, get into the staff room at the back,” Tane barked. “Keep your gun ready and don’t hesitate to fire if you need to. But I want you out of sight.”
“I want to help though!” Jacob said, his voice full of fear and bravery in equal measure. “I know I can do it. Seriously. I’m not some dumb kid. You can count on me.”
“Fine,” Tane replied. “But stay low behind the counter. You’ll have cover there.”
Along with Jacob, Tane, Connor, and Alex took their positions and waited for the Cardini henchmen to enter the launderette.
Tane calmed his heartbeat and went through the exact same process as when he had an important shot to make in hockey.
See the goal.
Shoot the shot.
Reap the reward.
What followed was a blur of gunfire, blood splatter, and three vets showing the Cardini men that they had more than enough deadly aim off the ice as well as on it.
“Fucking retreat,” the lead henchman called out, his bleeding shoulder and the fact that four of his men had fallen proving one step too far.
“Tane, should we follow them and finish them off?” Jacob said, poking his head up from behind the counter. “I shot one in the leg!”
“No, we’ve done what we needed to do, boy,” Tane said.
“I think you might have trouble on your hands with this boy, he’s deadly,” Connor said, reloading his shotgun just in case the Cardini clan were bluffing in their retreat.
Tane laughed, but his most burning desire was to get over to Jacob and check that the boy was alright. While Jacob may have seemed to be fine, this was a totally new situation to him and there was every possibility that he was in a state of shock.
“You go to Jacob, I’ll cover the window,” Alex said, advancing with Connor by his side.
Tane wasted no time in retreating to the rear of the launderette and wrapping his arms around Jacob.
“You good?” Tane said, feeling that Jacob’s heartbeat was going at a thousand miles per hour. “You don’t need to be brave with me. I’m your man, you can tell me if you’re scared.”
“I’m fine, I promise,” Jacob replied, looking up at Tane with his bright blue eyes. “I might be young, but I’m not na?ve. I know what would have happened if we didn’t defend ourselves We did what we had to do.”
Tane kissed Jacob on his forehead.
The boy was brave, maybe too brave for his own good.
Tane wanted nothing more than to take Jacob home and give him a nice, soapy bath, and then put them both to bed for a long, sensual fuck.
But before even contemplating that, Tane had to deal with someone else…
“Better late than never,” Tane said as he turned and saw Antonio Cardini enter with his men.
“We had to make a detour to take out the Tito Cardini,” Antonio replied, a bloodthirsty look in his eyes.
“It turns out that Tito went against his family’s orders and was behind the recent troubles, including the attempted hit on Jacob.
The Cardini family agreed that we could take Tito out, and as it stands there is no longer a problem between the families. ”
“We nearly fucking died,” Connor said, angrily slamming his fist down on top of a washing machine.
“And you will be compensated accordingly,” Antonio said, his voice severe but also with a hint of apology to it.
“But it doesn’t look like you’ve lost any of your shotgun prowess, Connor.
Thank you. As I say, you will all be compensated.
And I must convey that your loyalty is appreciated by the family. ”
“When you say compensated,” Tane said, standing up and walking toward Antonio. “There is one thing I might request.”
“Yes?” Antonio replied, arching his eyebrow.
“We’ll talk about it another time,” Tane said. “Right now, I need to get to the doctor. One of those Cardini assholes actually hit me.”
Tane removed his jacket and revealed a large patch of bright red blood spreading across his left shoulder.
Maybe it was the adrenalin, but up until that point Tane had only been vaguely aware of a sharp pain in his shoulder. However judging by the look of concern on Antonio’s face, this wasn’t merely a flesh wound…
“We need to move quickly,” Antonio said. “Someone called ahead. We’re going to Pine Rise and the best God damn underworld doctor in the business.”
With that, Tane and the others left the battered launderette together under the watchful guidance of Antonio Cardini and his men.
Tane knew that even in a best case scenario a bullet wound wasn’t great for his prospects of playing again that season.
But with the playoffs looming, Tane had to pray that something could be done to ensure that his season – and maybe even his career – hadn’t just been brought to a premature end…
* * *
“Fuck, that hurts,” Tane grimaced as the doctor removed the bullet that was partially lodged in Tane’s shoulder. “Does it look as bad as it feels, doctor?”
Tane waited for the doctor to reply.
With Jacob looking on anxiously, and Antonio Cardini also pacing the room, Tane could tell that this was serious.
“It could be a lot worse,” the doctor final replied. “In fact, if you’re talking about a gunshot wound, this is pretty much the best case scenario.”
“But will I be able to play again this season?” Tane barked, impatient as the doctor continued to assess the damage.
“Come on, doc,” Antonio added. “I’ve seen you save guys who were bleeding out. I’ve watched you sow fingers and thumbs back on. Tane has a chance, right?”
The doctor nodded.
However Tane could tell that it wasn’t exactly an emphatic nod. Perhaps conscious of not wanting to upset Antonio, the doctor seemed very reticent to commit either way.
“Tane has a good chance,” the doctor said. “But, and I say this respectfully, at his age it’s not so easy. Especially as he has his health to consider once he retires.”
Tane didn’t like the sound of how the doctor was seeing this situation panning out. A surge of frustration came over Tane and he thumped his good hand down on the metal tray beside him.
“I need to make the playoffs!” Tane roared, his voice thunderous inside the small room at the rear of the Pine Rise medical facility. “There’s no fucking way I’m going out like this.”
“Tane, you will make it,” Jacob said, forgetting that he was in the company of the doctor and Antonio Cardini too. “You’re the biggest, strongest, and most determined man I’ve ever met. You’ve got this. If anyone in the whole world can do it, it’s you.”
Tane smiled and then winced as he attempted to move his injured arm.
“I’m going to stitch you up now, Tane,” the doctor said. “Given the nature of the incident, this will be off the record as per the usual way we do it.”
“Fine,” Tane replied. “Just get me stitched up so I can get out of here.”
With that, Tane leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. He knew that Jacob would support him every step of the way, but ultimately all the good will and love in the world wasn’t going to heal his shoulder.
For the first time in his life, Tane knew that he was looking down the barrel at the kind of defeat that there was no coming back from.