Chapter 24
MIA
The clear liquid burns going down, but I swallow anyway and nod to the bartender as soon as my glass meets the countertop.
I know no amount of drinking is going to erase the cluster fuck my life has become.
But I didn’t know where else to go.
I couldn’t run to Keith even though he’s been blowing up my phone since I left the station. And I couldn’t go to Leo’s place because being around him makes me think with anything other than my head.
And of course, I couldn’t reach out to Dante or Alice. The one place I should feel most at home has suddenly become a war zone.
I smile at the older woman as she sets another shot down in front of me.
I can’t remember how I ended up in the dusty little dive bar.
When I left the precinct, I kept walking until the rubber of my boots felt like it was going to melt off.
Then I pushed myself toward the first place I saw with a neon sign and boarded-up windows.
My phone continues to buzz in my back pocket, and finally I decide I can’t take it anymore. I reach for the device fully intending to shut it off, but then I see Alice’s name and a sinking feeling takes precedence over my off-grid moment.
“Alice? Is everything okay?”
She responds with a ragged breath, as if she just ran a mile. “I know I’m not supposed to contact you right now, but Dante isn’t answering and I—”
“Alice, what’s wrong?” I ask, springing to my feet and dropping a couple of bills on the bar. By the time she replies, I’m already on the curb attempting to hail a cab.
“Someone’s been following me,” she says, swallowing hard. “I just finished a shift at the hospital, and on my walk home two men followed me the whole way. I just got inside.”
A cab pulls up to the curb, and I quickly slip inside while rattling off her address. “Lock the door and go upstairs. Get one of Vince’s guns out of the safe and make sure it’s loaded. When I get there, I’ll knock three times, so you know it’s me. I’ll be there in ten.”
Alice murmurs a few more shaky words before ending the call. I toss a few more bills at the cabby while dialing my brother. The line goes to voicemail instantly, telling me his phone is either off or he doesn’t have service. I’m praying it’s the latter.
My foot taps against the floorboard as I scroll through my contacts. I’m tempted to call Keith, but I don’t want cops involved. I bite my lip, hovering over the one name that I’m hesitant to call.
But I do it anyway.
Leo’s phone number does the same as Dante’s. Ringing once and then going straight to voicemail.
“Fuck,” I whisper to myself. The one time I willingly call him and he’s not there. What are the odds?
As soon as Alice’s block comes into view, my hand is on the door handle. I barely wait for the cab to come to a halt before my feet connect with the asphalt.
My heart stops when I reach the top of the porch steps and the door is hanging wide open. The wood is splintered and glass is sprinkled across the floor.
I check my peripheral and make sure the area is clear before scanning for any weapons. I settle for one of Alice’s garden gnomes that I know her Nonna passed down to her.
I move quickly and quietly as I clear the downstairs, forcing all negative scenarios out of my head. Alice is a fighter. There’s no way she’d let a couple of goons take her down.
When I reach the top of the stairs, I hear heavy breathing in the first room. I flatten myself against the wall and glide closer.
“Fucking hell,” I hear, followed by the sound of a heavy object connecting with the floor.
“Alice?” I call out, brows furrowed.
When I walk into the room, I have to dodge the pool of blood seeping out of a large man’s skull. I look up and see Alice holding a gun pointed in my direction.
I whip up my hands—garden gnome included. “Shit. It’s me, Alice.”
“What are you doing with my gnome?” she asks, her hands shaking as she lowers the handgun.
“I didn’t have my gun, and this was the next best thing on such short notice,” I shrug. My smile falls as soon as I look at the dead body staining her bedroom floor. “But looks like you didn’t need the backup.”
Alice scoffs, kicking the large man’s limp leg. “There were two of them. The other one ran off when I started shooting, but I think I clipped his shoulder.”
I nod, taking in the all too familiar scene. Except this time, I’m not a homicide detective. I’m just a civilian who needs to figure out how to get rid of a man that would give Bigfoot a run for his money.
I squat down and set Alice’s gnome in a safe place.
“He’s definitely dead,” I confirm, pressing my hands against his cold neck and not finding a pulse. I ignore the protocol list floating aimlessly in my head and stand up before wrapping my arms around her.
“Shit, Alice. I’m so glad you’re okay,” I say, squeezing her tightly. Her arms are limp at first, surprised by the physical affection. At some point she gives in and wraps her arms around my waist.
I don’t think we’ve ever hugged like this.
“I’m fine,” she says, her words muffled in my jacket. “But thank you for coming.”
“Of course. You’re my sister, Alice,” I say, awkwardly pulling away. “Now we need—" Before I can finish that sentence, I hear floorboards creaking downstairs. I hold out my hand and wait for Alice to hand me her gun as I slowly creep toward the disturbance.
Armed with an actual weapon, I feel more confident in the path I take toward the door. But whoever is coming toward us is determined. By the time I quietly make it to the stairwell, they’re already halfway upstairs.
I take a deep breath, unclick the safety, and make sure my finger is snug against the trigger before whipping around the corner.
“Mia,” Leo says breathlessly, lowering his gun. “You’re okay.”
He tucks his gun in the back of his pants and is in front of me in two long strides. Before I can say anything, his hands are on me.
They’re firm, searching and gentle.
His palms skim over me like he needs proof that I’m real.
“Are you hurt?” he asks, his voice rough, but caring all at the same time.
I blink at him, speechless.
“I’m fine, Leo,” I say, trying to step away, but he holds me firmly in place as his eyes drag over me again.
“Mia,” he presses, softer now. The way he says my name usually makes me want to run away, but in the moment something shifts between us. I feel safe with him even though I’m the one still holding my gun. “Be honest.”
“I’m okay,” I say, this time not sure if I believe it.
He exhales and closes his eyes briefly like he’s…relieved.
And then his forehead dips forward, touching mine in a way that’s much more intimate than anything we’ve ever done. “You called me.”
“I did,” I admit, feeling Alice’s presence behind me. I attempt to pull away again, but he grips me tighter.
I shouldn’t like it as much as I do.
“I should’ve been here sooner. I came as soon as I heard.”
A throat clears behind Leo. He lifts his head, but he doesn’t look away or drop his hold. “Is the rest of the house clear?” he asks.
I peer around him, and my brother stands there with his eyes darting between us—no doubt having the same mindfuck as me. His gaze lightens when he sees me looking. “Yes.”
I don’t question how Leo knew where I was or why my brother is with him. How can I question anything when he looks at me like he’d burn the entire city down if I really was hurt?
“There’s a body in Vin—Alice’s bedroom,” I say, feeling an odd chill sweep over me as Leo finally pulls away and trudges toward the crime scene.
I follow behind him, giving Alice a reassuring look as she stares daggers at the man she told me to stay away from.
Leo’s entire demeanor shifts as he crosses the threshold of the room, carefully side-stepping the mess on the floor. He scans the room before getting closer to the body and crouching down. “Was he alone?” Leo asks, his voice cold and controlled again.
“No,” Alice answers, her voice dripping in disdain. “Why the hell do you care and why are you here?”
He doesn’t react to her snippy response. He simply turns to me and stares expectantly.
I feel the intensity of Alice’s stare as I answer. “Alice said there were two, but the other one got away. He must’ve left before I got here, but she said she clipped his shoulder.”
Leo nods, reaching out to tilt the man’s head slightly. He doesn’t look like the type to be able to stomach this type of violence. His suit alone looks like it belongs in a museum, not a rundown rental perched over a corpse. Yet somehow he looks as calm as I do around death.
Maybe we’re not that different after all.
Alice sneers, spinning on her heel and exiting the room altogether. Dante pops in a few moments later.
“Do you recognize him?” Leo asks, inspecting the man’s head wound. I flinch every time he touches the body without gloves, but I doubt it will matter when Dante chops him up and throws the pieces in a landfill somewhere.
“No,” Dante says, stepping forward to take a closer look. He leans down and pats against the man’s jeans until he finds what he’s looking for and removes the contents from his pockets. “No wallet or I.D., but it looks like a burner, some smokes, and cash, which I’ll be taking.”
“Really, Dante?” I snark, crossing my arms.
“You’ve been playing by the rules for too long, Sis. This is how it works in our world,” he says, pocketing his finds. “Besides, he’s lucky this is the only thing I’m taking from him.”
I snort and turn my head, my eye catching on something glimmering in the light. I bend down and find a stray matchbook with the same metallic outline as the one I found behind the Velvet Room.
My nerves hum under the surface of my skin as I roll the matchbook between my fingers.
“What is it?” Leo asks, once again invading my space.
I bite my lip, debating whether I want to reveal the last card I have left, but after today, I need all the help I can get. “I found a similar matchbook behind the Velvet Room the other night. It was in the same area of the bullet that killed Vince. I think it belonged to his killer.”