Chapter 28 #2
“Don’t be a pussy, Tex,” he hissed at me. “Who gives a fuck if a couple of scumbag mobsters die?”
I care! I fucking care!
No matter how badly I wanted to be detective, I wasn’t willing to murder them just because of who they were. It didn’t feel right.
“We’re doing this right,” I snapped. “Arrest them.”
“Do they look like they want to be arrested?” he shot back. “These fuckers will put us in the ground!”
“What the hell Rourke? This wasn’t the plan.”
Rourke rolled his eyes. “Stay there and piss your pants, Caster. I’m taking these monsters down.” He shook his head. “Thought you were going to be better than your old man.”
“Fuck you,” I growled.
If Rourke wasn’t going to listen to reason, I had to take care of it myself. The Vitale brothers were criminals, but they were still human. Whatever had gotten into Rourke had made him crazy. He was so eager to kill, and I had never seen that side of him before.
“Put the weapons down,” I called as I stepped out of cover. “Enzo, get them to listen. I don’t want this to end badly.”
Enzo’s dark eyes focused on me. “Tex.”
“Yeah,” I said. “It’s me. Don’t do this. I don’t want to be the reason you die.”
The moment the words left my lips, I felt lighter. What I’d said was a truth that I had buried deep inside of myself for what felt like centuries. I couldn’t be the reason Enzo died. No matter what he and his family had done, I wouldn’t be the person who killed him.
“He’s slaughtered more people than you know,” Rourke spat. “Who gives a fuck if he dies?”
“I do,” I said. “This isn’t how we do this, Rourke.”
“He’s a fucking parasite! Just because you fucked him doesn’t mean he’ll hesitate to kill you.”
My stomach tightened. I kept my hand wrapped around my gun as my heart plummeted to my stomach. I knew who Enzo was. But there were still some things I didn’t want to believe.
Enzo scoffed. “Me? Why don’t you tell Tex who’s been stealing our products and selling them? Or who’s been orchestrating turning our men to his side?”
I glanced at Rourke. “What is he talking about?”
“I don’t know,” my partner bit back. “He’s pulling stuff out of his ass.”
“No,” Enzo said, shaking his head. “You know me, Tex. I take my time and calculate everything. Rourke has been dipping his fingers into our business and profiting. Didn’t you find it odd you reached us so quickly?
We knew there were more rats.” Enzo’s gaze flickered to Rourke.
“Just like I’m sure one of those rats tipped him off that we were here tonight. He’s a part of this.”
I stared at Rourke as my body went cold. “Tell me he’s lying.”
“Come on,” Rourke growled. “They’re doing this to get into our heads. It’s a game so they can kill us.”
I frowned. “If they wanted us dead, we would have been already.” I lowered my gun. “What the hell are we doing here?”
Rourke stared at me. His eyes searched mine, but I had no idea what he was looking for.
I hoped he would turn around, and I would follow him.
We could forget about what we were doing, what was going on, and go back to the way things were.
However, deep down I knew the truth. There was no going back.
Rourke’s gaze darkened when I didn’t say anything. “Fuck this. If you can’t do it, you can join them.”
What? Before I could question my partner, my friend, someone I trusted, Rourke’s fingers curled around my collar, and he yanked me back.
The gun slipped from my hand and clanged to the floor as I was dragged closer to him.
He moved us from behind the small shelter.
My blood rushed as I was faced with not one but three guns trained on me.
Scratch that, four. The warm press of Rourke’s gun tapped my temple as he shielded his body with mine.
“Don’t shoot,” Enzo said. His voice cutting through the fog of confusion taking up residence in my brain.
Rourke laughed. “Shit, you know I thought you’d been pulling my leg that you were fucking this low life.”
Benito and Giancarlo kept their guns aimed our way. I hadn’t been this close to death in a long fucking time.
“Put the guns down now, or I’ll blow your fuck toy’s brains out.
” His hot breath fanned against my ear, and he lowered his voice so that I was the only one to hear him.
“Don’t worry. No one at the precinct will know you spread your legs for a bunch of monsters.
You’ll die a hero instead of the failure you really are,” he spat.
“Let’s be honest, the only reason the chief gave you this fucking task force in the first place is because you’re daddy’s special boy.
It’s bullshit,” he spat. “I’ve worked my ass off for years, and you waltz in, some pathetic drug addict and get all the praise because of who your father is. I’m fucking sick of it.”
I twisted in Rourke’s grasp as his words hit me in the chest like a sledgehammer.
What friendship I thought we had never existed, did it?
My brain suddenly clicked, and I realized why I’d felt that nagging feeling this whole time.
Rourke knew where everyone was. He’d known the layout of this place.
Rourke had been here who knew how many times.
“You’re doing this because you’re jealous?” I scoffed. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Shut up,” Rourke snapped, his hold tightening. “You don’t know what it’s like trying to work your way up from nothing. They handed you this job, the best assignments like it was nothing. Fuck you and your asshole father.”
Enzo lowered his gun and stepped forward.
“What the hell are you doing?” I demanded. “Enzo, move!”
He didn’t say a word. Everything moved at a snail’s pace, and I was left helpless as I watched.
Rourke leveled his gun, squeezed the trigger and horror shot through my veins.
I stared, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, as the bullet tore through Enzo’s body.
He wheeled back, his eyes opening to the size of saucers.
My ears rang, and I heard nothing else as Rourke’s finger curved around the trigger.
Heart racing, I threw myself on him. We went down in a heap, a ball of flailing limbs and pounding fists.
My knuckles split on one of his teeth, blood gushing onto his face.
Everything was a blur around me as my instincts took over, and I fought with Rourke.
My back hit the unforgiving ground. Pain rattled up and down my spine, but I continued to swing.
My limbs grew heavy as Rourke’s hands wrapped around my throat and squeezed.
Air became scarce, and spots danced in my vision.
“Get off him!”
I blinked as a blur shot past me and tackled Rourke to the ground.
My throat ached, raw and throbbing as I choked and tried to drag air into my lungs.
I looked up and watched as Enzo and Giancarlo stomped on Rourke’s head.
My partner tried to reach for his gun, only for Benito to crush that hand beneath his shoes.
“Tex,” Rourke called out.
I stared at the man I’d spent so much time with.
How many nights had we sat together at some dingy bar, destressing after the horrors of work?
How many times had we called each other late at night just to vent?
How many beers had we shared, cups of coffee, fucked up home life stories? And he was willing to kill me.
My body stayed glued to the spot as they turned him into something that didn’t even resemble a human being anymore. I couldn’t turn away, no matter how much my brain screamed for me to do just that.
Enzo grunted, his knees hitting the ground. That shook me from my stupor. I was up on my feet and over to him before I could think about what I was doing. There was blood on his once-clean shirt, and his eyes were unfocused.
Boom!
“Shit, they’re trying to get through,” Giancarlo muttered. “You okay, Enzo?”
I crouched down and brought Enzo to his feet, using my shoulder to support him. “I’ve got him. How do we get out of here?”
“You disappear, and they’re going to have some questions for you, kid,” Benito said.
“I don’t give a fuck! I’m not leaving him,” I snapped. “Enzo isn’t looking good and he’s losing blood. We need to get out of here. Now.”
Don’t ask me to lose anyone else tonight. I can’t.
“Follow me,” Benito said. “Move fast. Help him, Gin.”
Together with Giancarlo, we moved Enzo through the warehouse. Benito moved one of the huge boxes and pointed at a trapdoor in the floor.
“Go. They’ll lead us outside.”
Nodding, I moved out of the way as they wrestled with the heavy door. My eyes went to Rourke. He stayed on the ground, a crumpled, bloody mess. All of his limbs were at odd angles. The whites of his eyes stood stark against all the blood, staring up at the ceiling.
My stomach turned. He’d been close to killing me, and I still couldn’t hate him.
Why? I wanted to shake him and ask why the fuck he’d betray me like this.
Had it always been there, his hate? Or did it develop slowly when I wasn’t looking?
My throat clogged, but there were no tears.
I recognized the shock that had settled over me, turning me cold.
Later, I knew there was a floodgate waiting.
One that would break as I mourned the man I thought I knew.
“Tex.”
My attention snapped back to Enzo. His eyes were glazed, and he looked pale, like he was going to pass out. I couldn’t even tell where the blood was coming from. My heart sped up, everything else forgotten except for him.
“I’m right here. Enzo, I’ve got you.”
He held onto me as we descended the stairs. Above, I could hear the voice of my Sargeant. However, I wasn’t going to turn back. I’d made my decision.
Enzo was the most important thing in my life. I only wanted to focus on him.