Chapter 23
Kai
Julia's words won't leave my head.
We outsmart him.
I thought we were out of this lifestyle. Even after my mistake, I didn’t know Mikey took the fall for that; I felt that they just let it be when we went into hiding with Mom. I guess I was fucking dumb and naive.
I’m pacing the kitchen, my bare feet padding against the marble in a dangerous rhythm.
My mind is circling around every way this can go wrong. One wrong move and I can lose not only Mikey, but also Julia.
I glance over to the hallway towards Mikey’s bedroom. I keep thinking about Julia… She's safe... for now.
And god help me, I will burn the fucking world before I let that change.
"You still awake?" I mutter to Mikey. I need to know his head is on straight before he goes out to the pits of hell… Alone.
"Yeah," he answers quietly. "You?"
I snort, "Do I look asleep?" I stop my pacing and raise my hands at him. I am literally walking in circles… absolutely not asleep.
Mikey sits up on the couch and rubs his hands down his face. I see a small wince as he stretches; his ribs have to be killing him.
“I don’t like this,” His voice is soft through the tension in the air.
I freeze mid-stride and turn towards him. “Neither do I.”
Does he understand how much anxiety I have running through my body? My other fucking half is literally walking into the slaughterhouse alone, trying to protect me. I'm a twenty-six-year-old man! I can fucking defend myself.
"She shouldn't be anywhere near this," he continues. "I have spent ten years trying to keep you out of this mess, and now this..."
"She's already in it," I cut him off. "Because of who her father is, this has nothing to do with us. And as for me, you don't have to protect me. I can handle MY stuff."
I see him wince at my words. Then he blew out a long breath, calming his nerves. “He wants to marry her off. Like she’s fucking currency. Like she is expendable.”
My molars grind as I forcefully hold in all my rage. "That's how he's always treated people. What's new?"
"Yeah," Mikey breathes out. "But not her, we can’t let him do this to her."
The silence settles through the room again, then the burner phone buzzes on the coffee table.
My eyes snap to the phone as Mikey slowly reaches for it. I walk over to the couch and read the message over his shoulder.
De Luca: Tomorrow. Midnight. Don't test my patience.
I stare at the screen, the words burning through my soul.
I can’t let him do this alone. How the fuck do I convince him to let me go with? I understand, Julia needs someone here, but still…
"I'm texting him," he says.
My spine straightens. "Now?"
"Yeah. Before he starts wondering and questioning me."
His fingers start to fly over the keys, barely shaking.
ME: I'll bring her. I'm trying not to scare her. Don't push this.
I watch every word, wondering and hoping that it will be enough. He should believe it. He has to believe it. "He'll believe that. He always had a fetish for fear."
"Yeah, he has." Mikey sets the phone back down. Now that the trap is set, we have to wait and make sure it sticks so that we can get away with this very unpredictable plan.
I got to get Julia to the old unit; it’s the safest spot.
Mikey dragged his hand down his face. "You scared about the spot?"
"There's only one place he never knew about," I say. "And it's still off-grid."
"The old unit?"
I nod. We hid there for weeks with our mom when things got bad.
"If this goes sideways—" I start to say.
"It won't," He interrupts sharply.
I raise a brow. "You don't know that."
"I know one thing," Mikey says. "He doesn't get her, or you."
I watch him, then nod once.
"Okay," I say. "Then we do it your way." I don’t like doing it like this. There are so many things that could go wrong. And it's not like we will just lose a game or get kicked out of the playoffs. This shit could cost me my whole brother.
I let out a breath and glance down the hall again. Julia... She has no idea that Mikey and I are setting everything in motion.
But that’s good, she doesn't need to know everything right now. She deserves one more night of peace before everything detonates, and she becomes the main target of her father’s wrath.
I watch Mikey grab the hoodie off the chair, the one she wore earlier, and tuck it into his bag. Then walk towards the door.
"Hey," I said softly. I turn and look at him.
"If this ends with him coming for us hard…”
"You know it will," he says. "But this is the way we get him to show his hand."
“But regardless, just know I love you.” I let the words fall out. We don’t say it enough to each other, but that man walking out that door is the other half of my soul, and there isn’t a damn thing in this world I wouldn’t do for him.
“I love you too,” Mikey whispers, and he is out the door.
As soon as the lock clicks into place, my soul shatters, and a tear slips down my face. That might have just been the last time I get to see my brother alive, and that’s not something I thought I would ever experience.