Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
~CARMINE~
I ’m sitting in the screened-in porch of my home, waiting for my brothers to arrive. It’s a rainy day in the Pacific Northwest, mirroring my mood perfectly. In the week since we found Elena and all three of us took a beating from Archer, I’ve been planning.
Calculating.
I’m almost ready to set my scheme into motion, but I want to run my thoughts by Shane and Rocco. I’ll need their help if this idea is going to be a success.
“Hello?” Shane calls from inside the house.
“Out here,” I call back. I’m in gym shorts and a sweatshirt. No shoes. My third cup of coffee sits on the table next to me.
It’s barely eight in the morning.
“It’s fucking early,” Rocco mutters as he walks out onto the porch with Shane, both holding steaming mugs of coffee from my kitchen.
“Help yourselves.”
“We did,” Shane says and sits opposite me. Rocco stands with his shoulder against the railing and sips his brew.
Both of my brothers have black eyes, faded from purple to a sickly green now.
I know my face doesn’t look any better.
“He really fucked you guys up,” I mention casually and cross an ankle over the opposite knee.
“Looked in a mirror today?” Rocco asks.
“He gave as good as he got,” Shane adds. “It doesn’t feel good, but I have to respect that. He’ll protect Elena.”
I nod in agreement. “Which leads me to why I asked you to come over here. I’ve been thinking.”
“Whenever you start thinking, I get my ass kicked,” Rocco mutters, glowering into his half-empty mug.
I ignore him.
“We’ve known for a while now who is responsible for Uncle Vinnie’s death. It’s time we did something about that.”
“Why now?” Shane asks.
“A few reasons. Elena’s home, so it’s time to close that circle completely. Avenging her parents’ deaths will do that.”
“And?” Rocco asks.
This is the sticky part for me. The bit that leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
“I have to earn Pop’s trust, remember?”
Shane’s eyes narrow. “Pop was being a dick when he said that.”
“He knew where Elena was, and he lied about it and then sent us all on a wild goose chase. It fucking pisses me off. I’m too old to play these games with him. So, I’m going to settle the score all around.”
“How?” Rocco asks.
I reach for a photo lying next to my coffee mug, flip it over, and toss it back on the table. Both of my brothers lean in to get a look at the tall, willowy blonde in the picture. She’s wearing sunglasses and a short skirt. Her hair is long and straight, and her lips are painted a bold red.
“Nadia Tarenkov” Shane asks with a raised eyebrow. “You’re going to infiltrate the Tarenkov family through the boss’s daughter?”
“Balls of fucking steel,” Rocco mutters as a slow smile spreads over my face.
“What’s the saying about revenge?”
“ Revenge is but a small circle? ” Shane asks.
“ Dead men tell no tales ,” Rocco adds.
I laugh and shake my head, lifting the photo of Nadia and studying it.
“I was thinking more along the lines of paybacks are a bitch .”