Page 34 of Mob Bride

I close the door and slide the chain. I wish I could give him an excuse to leave me alone, but there’s no way he’s going to take it. Obviously, he’s already heard about his brother. I open the door, and he barrels forward, cupping my jaw as he kicks the door shut in his men’s face.

“Oh,ksiezniczka.” He’s kissing me before I stop him.

It’s even more demanding than the last time I saw him upset. I pull away from him to catch my breath. All I really want to do is wipe my mouth. I always have that visceral reaction to his kisses, but now it’s stronger than ever.

“Bartlomiej, what’s the matter? What’s wrong?” I hope I sound genuinely confused.

“It’s Jacek. They shot him.”

“What? Who shot him? Come here.”

I take his hand and lead him into the living room. I sit down on the sofa, and he takes a seat beside me. I try to let go of his hand, but he clutches mine. He’s distraught.

He’s showing me emotions he’d let no one else see. Part of me wants to skip and twirl and say yippee. I have him so convinced of my affections he trusts me enough to be this vulnerable. Part of me just wants to get this conversation over with so I can get dressed and have breakfast.

“It was Shane O’Rourke.”

“What? When?”

“An hour ago. I came to make sure you were okay. It was the same place you go running every day. Tymoteusz said he didn’t see you on the trail.”

That makes my stomach clench. I know he knows where I run every day. I have to tell him at the beginning of the week what my workout plans are, so he has somebody make sure I’m safe at the beginning and the end of my run.

He likes me to use this trail because it’s secluded. It’s unlikely I’m going to cross paths with many people. It’s also a trail his men could drive up if they needed to. I didn’t see any of his men this morning when I returned to the bus stop. I count that as a blessing.

“On the same trail I run? Oh, my god! Where?”

“Around the three-mile mark from the way you go in.”

“Really? I didn’t see or hear anything. I must have already been on my way back.”

He looks at the towel on my head and the hair peeking out near my forehead, then at my robe.

“I stopped to get a sports drink because I forgot my water bottle. I only got home a bit ago. But I finished the same time I usually do.”

Which would be true if I hadn’t been involved in a shootout. I had to book it back to the trail head once I knew Shane wasgoing to follow me. I’m certain he wanted to make sure I left. It wouldn’t surprise me if he got to the parking lot just as I got to the bus stop. At least the bus arrived before I could have another confrontation with him.

“How do you know who it was?”

“The man had red hair, so that gave away he was an O’Rourke. The longer he spoke the more Tymoteusz grew certain of who it was.”

“They talked?” I tried to sound incredulous, my face looking puzzled. I have to be careful not to overdo it.

“Yeah, he was just standing there alone, apparently. Happy as you please. They pretty much chatted from what I understand.”

“Tymoteusz didn’t attack him? Didn’t shoot him or anything?” I still try to sound disbelieving.

“No, Shane O’Rourke is part of the boss’s family. He’s untouchable unless there’s a shootout happening right there and then. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know why Jacek was there, but they found Shane with Jacek.”

Oh, fuck me. He didn’t say with the body or Jacek’s body. How is he barely hanging on?

“He’s in intensive care.” Did he read my mind?

“Oh, I’m so sorry. What can I do? What do you need?” Do I sound like a loving girlfriend?

I know what I need. I need to finish the job. I should have shot him right through the head or right through the heart, but that would have looked like an assassination. The aim would have made people question who it was even more. I went for the belly and the shoulder to let him bleed out, but to not look like an expert marksman. Like a sniper.

“No, I just need to hold you.”

---