Page 75 of Escape You

He swallowed. “Marcel got away from me. If there’s a way to stop him from doing this to more people, I think it’s worth the shot. We’re still the good guys, Tyler. But look around you. This world needs a different kind of good guys.”

The FBI had lost their in with Rossi. I was okay with that. But if in the past week after I got shot, they hadn’t reached out to me, I was sure it was because Clifton was cooking something new. A new boss he could influence, someone who’d be willing to go far to take over Rogue River. Wes was right. This could start all over again. And like before, Clifton would let it happen if it meant getting to his ungettable get, the Big 5.

I glanced at Vic to gauge his take on this. “How would this play out?”

“Assuming the other three men can be reasoned with.” He pointed his chin at the two dead bodies not far from us, then removed his earpiece. “It can be done. But you should be talking to Mia.”

For sure Mia would not like this idea. She wanted me away from her world, away from all this. The roll-up steel door cranked open, letting fresh air into the training room. Mia’s crew barged in, ready to wipe the place clean. They started with Rossi, bagging him before they slid him in the back of a white van. The look on Wesley’s face said it all. What he was proposing was something way over our heads because this Mafia stuff was a hard life.

“The driver isn’t even in uniform. Where did they get a cop car on such a short notice?” Wesley crossed his arms over his chest.

The line between right and wrong was blurred beyond recognition. I felt it now. We’d convinced ourselves that what happened tonight was justified. That it served a greater good. But if that was the case, were we better than Clifton, Mavell, or even Rossi?

Mia understood that winning wasn’t the endgame. Her sole purpose was to protect her family and provide for them. What we wanted had veered into the realm of revenge. Would it really make a difference if I stayed and played the part of Chase as Wesley wanted me to?

23

That Long Conversation

Mia

“I’m gonna have to start charging you extra.” Pam met me outside the elevator bay to escort me to Vic’s hospital room.

“How’s everyone?” I followed her to the end of the hallway. No doubt Vic requested this room specifically. Whatever Pam wanted to charge me, it was worth it.

“No casualties this time.” She gave me a stern look, then a warm smile. “You should have your crew up and running again in a couple of weeks. Manny is going to need PT. He’s okay with it.”

“Thank you, Pam. You’ve always been there for us. I appreciate that.”

“Don’t mention it.” She ushered me into Vic’s room and shut the door.

Vic looked as expected, grumpy and tired. I was so glad to see him. “You look like shit.”

“I look better than I feel, trust me.” He winced and sat up higher on the bed. “I don’t need a good leg to get to work. What do you have for me?”

I chuckled. “You’re taking the day off. That’s an order. I just came to make sure you hadn’t kicked it yet.”

“Still here.” He met my gaze. “How’s Tyler?”

“Don’t know. Don’t care.” The answer spilled out of me, and it almost felt like the truth. Almost. Truth was, I worried that I hadn’t heard from him since last night.

A part of me knew Tyler didn’t belong in my world. It would be safer for him to go home and forget about me. But a bigger part of me, if not all, wanted to see him again. I wanted him to stay. But I knew that was a tall order. It would cost him too much. He had a life, a family outside of Jersey.

“Talk to him. He’s the father of your babe. I can see that scares the crap out of you.”

“Everything you just said is stuff I already know. Do you have any real advice?”

“Okay, how about this? Don’t chicken out. I get that you have a big responsibility with the crew and there’s no room for anything else. But you don’t have a choice. That baby is coming whether you’re ready or not.”

“I’m not a chicken.” I sounded like a first grader.

“Okay.”

“I don’t even know why I’m bothering thinking about what could be. I haven’t heard from him. So how about we focus on getting the crew back to business as usual. Any ideas on how not to kill Leo.” Sooner or later, I had to deal with that snitch. I preferred sooner. “Shooting him in the leg is still on the list.”

“You decide. Mickey would’ve shot him already. But that’s not your style. The crew now knows they need to survive, stay afloat. You got nothing to prove anymore, Boss.” He let his head rest on the pillow, flashing a proud smile at the window.

“Hey, thank you for saving Tyler’s life. Again.”

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