Page 66 of Make You Mine

“She’s alive,” I whisper.

Trent snatches the phone from my hand and reads the message. I take it back before he can do anything stupid.

His eyes, so full of turmoil, bore into me.

With a strong grip on his shoulder, I say, “I know this is a lot, but try to get yourself together. We are going to get your girl.”

“Who is Nicole?” he asks, his tone distant.

I answer honestly, “Junior’s late mother and the love of my life.”

I notice the way Leo shifts on his feet next to me. He is the only one who truly knows everything I went through regarding that situation.

“And the woman who was made to marry my monster of a brother instead of me.” The words still taste like acid on my tongue so many years later.

“The true reason you left the mafia,” Trent says as more of a statement than a question.

I nod. “Yes, and the reason I had hoped that Junior would be different than his father but, unfortunately, he has too much of him in his DNA and not enough of her.”

“You really think she’s alive?”

“Yes, I think they have an agenda, and we need to get there as fast as we can.”

Leo’s voice calls from outside, letting us know the cars are ready to head to the helicopter pad.

“Nico?” Trent pleads from beside me.

Wrapping his hand around the tallies on my forearm, his words come out as if he’s begging. “She’s pregnant.”

Oh fuck.

Giving myself a second to process his words and the emotion dripping from his tone, my heart thuds harder as I remember the beautiful young woman who came to me for help. And the young man who gave up his whole life to devote himself to The Saints, because he loved said woman so deeply.

I can’t let them down. I promised her.

Twenty-One

My head pounds as my brain slowly catches up with my body. Keeping my eyes closed, I test my hands… Nope, they're tied. My feet are bound as well. I peek out of my one eye and see light. Okay, at least I'm not in a trunk; that’s a positive.

“Yeah, they pulled up not even two minutes after we left out the west gate.” A voice sounds from the front seat. “Jimmy just sent over the footage. Looks like another crew showed up five minutes later.”

“It was close. Too fucking close. How is he?” a voice that sounds like Joey’s asks. There is no need to move to confirm my guess. I know it’s him; his cologne suffocates me in the backseat.

“I don’t know, man. I haven’t heard anything yet. Vito just got to the doc with him.”

Not even the best doctor can save him now… Hope you rot in Hell, you piece of shit.

“How the fuck did she get a shot off at him?” the not-Joey asks.

“Her father and brother were some of the best gunmen I ever knew. Doesn’t surprise me she knew what she was doing.”

Were… Knew? What does he mean were? Is Micah, okay? Was he somehow hurt in all this?

My stomach sinks as my heart races, dread overtaking my senses. I was so set on ridding myself of that monster that I couldn’t focus on the immediate repercussions on my family or Trent if things didn’t go according to Nico’s plan.

What if Joey kills me? My death would destroy Trent, causing him to go on a rampage and burn the world down— I stop that train of thought right there. If I allow emotion to take over, I’ll never be able to figure a way out of this. Right now, I have to have faith that everyone I love is safe.

Another wave of anxiety hits as I remember catching the briefest of glimpses at the fallen test on the ground. Two pink lines… two frickin’ lines.

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