Chapter One
Henry
We all stood, waiting.
It should have been a good day. A reunion of children with their mother after so long. Instead, it might end up to be a really bad day.
This looked and felt like a face off. The kind that never ended well.
Selena looked over at Maya and nodded at her. “Please take the kids into the house.”
Nodding, Maya paused to look up at Mancini.
He gave her a nod, giving her consent.
Seemingly aware of the tense situation, Maya hurried them up the stairs.
Smart girl. I had noted this during the last couple of days.
I had been more than curious about her. Why had a beautiful, educated woman like her been in that poor side of town, living in that ramshackle house as a paid nanny?
I had wanted to find out but I never had a moment alone with her to even speak to her since she had shown up at the van with those two kids.
Unfortunately for me, I might never see her again after all of this was over.
The twins looked confused by this odd turn of events as Maya took them away from their newly found mother.
Damn it, I felt for them. The poor kiddos. Despite their rescue from Alvaro and Miguel, danger still lurked around them.
Yes, the Mancinis were dangerous, perhaps not to the twins, but they were to others. If not for my loyalty to Carlos, I sure as bloody hell would not be here at this moment.
Selena now stood next to me, seeming to be ready for anything.
I wondered if anyone on the Mancini side knew that she could end two of them with tossed blades before they could even blink. Then she would instantly get number three with her gun before a second blink. Her well placed bullet would probably be for Mancini himself.
However, it may not matter for our survival as an army of men now seemed to come from everywhere. They bled out from the side fences and the gatehouse area, then even from the double front doors.
Rain and I tried to keep our eyes on Mancini with his two men beside him. Then now we also needed to pay attention to the many bikers who were coming from every side of the estate.
Yes, bikers. Their cuts showed them to be the Rebel Saints MC.
I knew this already via contacts I still had in the underground.
Mancini had them as security. However, I wondered why there were so many here today.
I had no time to wonder about this for very long though.
Rain and I were far outnumbered now. I side-whispered to him, “Well, it was nice knowing you, Rainmaker.”
“Da, same here, Sir Henry,” Rain whispered back.
Yes indeed, I heard that right. Underneath all of Rainmaker’s teasing, I had his respect. He just didn’t like showing it. I hid my smirk as my eyes never left Mancini.
Tall, dark and scary as fuck, Mancini had shuttered his emotions.
Of course, he had. In supreme physical shape while dressed in a $5,000 suit, this man had been utterly notorious in the mafia world.
Houdini Mancini. Called that simply because he could make you disappear to never be seen again.
He had been known at one time as the top mafia man here in the South.
He had a rep that made him out to be ruthless, coldblooded and very wealthy.
And blimey…I had sworn to myself that I would never again get near the Southern Mafia. Yet here I stood.
Finally, Carlos and Gabriela parted their long embrace.
They spoke in low tones that no one else could hear.
Taking his hand, Gabriela walked him over to Mancini.
She paused to look around, finally taking in the tense scene and all the men surrounding them.
Her concerned gaze then returned to her husband.
He calmly stared back at her.
I wondered if Gabriela was like her brother Carlos. As in stubborn, courageous and a bit wild. The next sixty-seconds would tell us if she was.
“Ok, ok!” Gabriela exclaimed and raised her hands as she looked over at us then at Mancini’s guard. “There will be NO war today.” She then turned and spoke to Mancini in Italian.
Still looking rather serene, he folded his hands in front of him.
As if his movement had been a signal to stand down, the bikers all backed away. His son and guard, however, did not move at all…They looked like it would take bullets to remove them from Mancini’s side.
Gabriela then straightened her shoulders and stepped close to him. She whispered to Mancini’s ear.
He listened attentively as no emotion showed on his face. Good or bad.
After she finished speaking to him, Gabriela then motioned to Carlos.
He walked toward them.
Rainmaker and I moved along with him. No way, were we going to allow him to catch a knife or a bullet when he got closer.
Selena stepped in front of us, to do the same. Only she took center spot between us to cover her man from harm.
Carlos took a step forward. “I just wish to speak to Mr. Mancini and if he deems it so afterwards, I will concede to his decision as to my fate.”
“The hell you will,” Selena spoke as she stared at Mancini. “We never would have been able to bring Gabriela’s children here without Carlos. I know of the history between you all, but if you are as smart as I have heard, you will pecar de precavido.
I knew some Spanish and as close as I could tell this meant… ‘err on the side of caution.’
For the first time, since we laid eyes on Alberto Mancini, he broke character and his blank expression slipped. His dark eyes met Selena’s and they locked gazes. He slowly raised his hands up to her. “I concede to caution for now. Let us return to my home and discuss this in my study.”
Selena gave him a nod.
What just happened? I blinked hard as Selena seemed to turn the tables with three words, with some random phrase and bought us some time. I wouldn’t lie to myself, I halfway believed that we were gonna die today, considering the army Mancini had at his dangerous disposal.
Then The Blade had inexplicably changed the game in midplay?
I noted that Gabriela refused to act afraid or unhappy as she turned her head to smile at Selena.
She gave her husband a warm smile as well.
While keeping a hold of Carlos’ hand, she walked her missing brother up the steps.
Indeed, to her this was a sacred, joyous day.
As well as it should have been. She had found out that her missing brother was alive.
Years had gone by while her babies had been lost with her never knowing if they were dead or alive. Yes, I had heard that heartfelt, desperate online message she had made about losing her children. If you didn’t get tearful upon hearing it, you must be a black-hearted demon.
Now, Mancini motioned to Selena.
She stepped over and joined him. He, his son and his guard, all proceeded up the steps with her.
“What the fuck just happened?” Rainmaker muttered under his breath from next to me as we followed closely.
“Selena just parted the Red Sea, my friend,” I muttered back.
“Blin, remind me to bow to Queen Selena after this is over.”
I squelched my laugh. We both had already been in awe of Carlos’ woman. Who wouldn’t be? Even with being large, skilled fighters that Rainmaker and I were…She could fell us like trees in a forest under her deadly axe. Plus, she would look brave and graceful while doing it.
With her intervention, we managed to avoid a mafia war… well maybe not that but we had avoided our imminent deaths. Rainmaker and I knew better though, this may have been just a small reprieve.
I sent a mental prayer up for safety. Hell, it couldn’t hurt.
The world could be a dark, dangerous place. Where death could claim you at anytime and anywhere. I knew this already as I’d barely escaped it, right here in New Orleans, almost two years ago.
I only hoped lightning would not strike twice.