Page 135 of Cook

That fucking bastard.

I cleared my throat, taking a different tack. “I can see that you’re taking care of my mother well. What if I take Maddie home and then come back tomorrow morning? I can bring Wilde too, and we can talk this out.”

Massimo smirked, but I didn’t know if I had played into his hands or done something incredibly stupid. “Don’t worry about Maddie,” he said, swiping on his phone.

I stiffened in the seat again, looking down at the screen from the tip of my nose. Did he also have a scene with Maddie recorded? If so, fuck the Mafia and fuck the MC. I was going to slaughter him and everyone in this room.

Instead, he pulled up a map and pointed the screen at me again.

“Looks like she’s already on her way home,” said Massimo as a little dot moved west across the map.

He was tracking her like she was a fucking dog. How?

He looked at the screen and back up at me. “Probably in the direction of where we’re going.”

“And where exactly is that?” I asked, already knowing it would be the Ridge. La Famiglia was bringing their fight to the Ridge, and my brothers wouldn’t be ready.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and Mercer reached into my jacket. He wasn’t kind as he hit my chest, but then pulled out my cell phone. I stayed flexed, but he only laughed at me, like I was a small child.

“Oh, look,” said Mercer, waving the phone in front of my face. “You have three missed calls from Maddie. How sweet. And a new text message.” He pointed the screen at his face and said, “‘I’m okay,’ saysMaddie. Apparently, we didn’t scare her enough. Pity.”

I tried to rise to my feet, about to knock the phone out of the hand and him back to the ground, but the barrel cocked me on the back of the head. The pain was minimal, but I couldn’t see shit, except for the spinning room.

Sloan smiled and read more of her message. “‘Mel and Angel came to get me,’ she says. ‘We’re on our way home.’” He looked at Massimo, who nodded curtly.

“Then it’s settled.” Massimo stood and buttoned his jacket.

I blinked at him, trying to bring the two images of him into one.

The gun left the back of my skull and Massimo cupped my chin. My ears buzzed, but his voice came through loud and clear.

To the man behind me, he said, “Pull around the limo.” Then he focused on me. “You’ll take me to Park Ridge to meet your club.”

He let go of me and my chin drooped. What choice did I have?

Chapter 23

Cook

How would I kill thee? Let me count the ways.

I would choke thee to the depth and breadth and height...

Hell, that’s all I couldremember of that stupid poem to twist to my need. Regardless, I would do whatever necessary to see these men ended.

I could beat them to a pulp, break my hands and bruise my knuckles as their bodies slumped, heads flopping like fish. There had to be guns here, and I’d steal one, pulling the trigger without mercy. The gunshot sounds would be lost in the screaming of Serenity.

Their blood could be used like paint, turning the walls red, then brown.

Sloan was still looking down at my phone, smirking at the picture that I had taken of Maddie. It popped up every time she called or texted me. What I would’ve given to see her face one more time. To talk to her again.

I grabbed for my phone, lurching out of the chair, but Mercer jerked back and raised the gun straight to my chest. If he used that trigger-happy finger, I would be dead immediately.

Goodbye, Mom.

Goodbye, Maddie.

Mercer waved the cell phone in my face. “Can’t have you calling for backup.”

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