Page 3 of Dangerous Devotion

“This helicopter is not built to carry all of us,” Hawk said.

“I…” I started then faltered.

“Peaches, Vince, and Hero stayed behind to at least give us a fighting chance to escape.”

I shook my head when the meaning behind his words settled in. “We need to go back.”

I switched from looking at Hawk to Dante and Goofy. “We need to go back there and help them.”

How could I explain the crushing fear that made my head pound?

How could I make them turn back?

Dante turned and shook his head. “Vince would want us to take you to safety,” he said, but I could see in the tension in his lips how much he hated leaving his brothers behind.

“Who was that?” I finally whispered.

Hawk’s grip on my neck tightened slightly. “No idea. Whatever’s happening, we’ll figure it out.”

I gnawed on my bottom lip. I wanted to believe him, but it all was so beyond my scope of familiarity. I scoffed at myself. Here I thought I was a badass and all, but despite my family, despite growing up in the mob, I’d never experienced this level of violence this close. Italy had been a glimpse, a more psychological form of torture.

But this, knowing Vince was still there…still fighting, in danger, or maybe already dead…my throat closed up, and I opened my mouth though no words came out.

“Stop thinking for now,” Hawk cut me off, his tone brooking no argument. “We don’t know who those men were or what they wanted. We don’t know what’s happening, and until we do, there’s no point imagining the worst. Once you let your thoughts go down that path, it’s really difficult to keep from spiraling.” He squeezed the back of my neck once more, then moved his hands to my shoulders. “Vince, Hero, and Peaches will give them the fight of their lives. Why don’t you try to calm down and focus on your breathing for now?”

I nodded, not at all convinced but too exhausted to argue.

How was it so easy for these guys to just go on even though their friends—or brothers—were in immediate danger?

I focused on my breath, tried to keep myself from thinking. But I couldn’t keep the tears from running down my cheek, or the shivering.

Hawk wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me against his side.

But I was cold to my core.

“Where are we going?” I asked, realizing I had no idea what was coming next, or what our destination was.

“That’s actually a really good question,” Goofy chimed in. “Boston?”

Hawk remained silent for a while. “They probably know that’s our planned destination.”

“Positive,” Goofy replied.

“Then let’s not make it so easy on them,” Dante said, pulled out his phone, did something with it, and then handed it to Goofy.

Goofy, in turn, manipulated something on the dashboard, then handed back the phone.

“Where are we going?” I asked, and Dante turned back and looked at me with a lopsided smile before he turned back and scanned the horizon. “Somewhere safe,” he replied, “somewhere Vince would want us to go. Somewhere where we can regroup and figure out our next move.” He sighed. “Somewhere he will find us for sure.”

I closed my eyes and leaned back.

If there was one thing I had absolute trust in, it was Vince doing everything in his power to protect everyone he loved.And even though I still wasn’t sure if I counted as one of those he loved, Dante did.

So he would find us as soon as possible—if he was still able to do that.

Fuck.

A new bout of tears ran down my cheeks, and I turned my head and closed my eyes.

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