Page 8 of Kings & Carnage

“A crazy driver who shot at us in two different locations?” I asked. “What does that sound like to you? Because it sounds like a hit to me.”

I was the daughter of a Mafia boss and the granddaughter of a Mafia boss.

I knew a hit when I saw it.

She picked up her bag. “I’m not going to listen to this nonsense.”

“I think you mentioned the lighthouse to Roberto,” I said hurriedly, sensing the moment slipping away. She was shutting down, getting ready to walk out so she didn’t have to think about what I was telling her. “You told him and he sent someone to kill us, to keep us quiet. And I get why this is hard to hear, but I’m asking you to choose me. Just…” I blinked away the tears stinging my eyes. “Just this once, choose me.”

“Don’t pull that card,” she snapped. “You’re being dramatic, as always. This was an unfortunate incident. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m not going to blow up my life — both our lives, because in case you’ve forgotten, Roberto is paying your tuition at Aventine — to indulge your hysteria.”

My shoulders sagged. I knew when I’d lost.

“You’re making a mistake,” I said.

She planted a stiff kiss on my cheek. “You need rest, Willa. We’ll talk when you’re feeling better.”

I stood next to the windows and watched her walk away, her heels clicking on the hospital floors as she made her way to the elevator.

Chapter4

Oscar

Iwatched Willa sleeping on the bed next to Rock and thought about the mess we were in. Across the room, on the other side of Rock’s hospital bed, Neo had finally fallen asleep.

The room was dimly lit by the machines monitoring Rock’s vital signs, the sky dark on the other side of the room’s windows. One of the nurses had tried to make us leave only to be told, “We’re not leaving,” by Neo, Willa, and me in unison.

Willa was determined to stay until Rock woke up, determined that hewouldwake up, and that he would want to see her when he did.

I couldn’t argue the point. She’d been the first thing I’d want to see when I woke up.

Neo and I wanted to be there for Rock too, but there was a darker reason for our vigilance that neither of us wanted to share with Willa.

Roberto.

His men had failed to take us out. Worse, we’d sent one of them back with a bullet in his brain.

Roberto wasn’t done with us. Not by a long shot.

My bet was on another attempt on our lives sooner rather than later, probably even before we could leave the hospital and go into hiding.

Which we would abso-fucking-lutely have to do.

Not forever. There was no running from someone like Roberto, and even if it had made sense, I wouldn’t want to do it.

He had come for us.

Had fucking come forWilla.

I felt sick every time I thought about it. We could have lost her.

I could have lost her.

Roberto would have to pay for that eventually. Would have to pay for all the things he’d done and that one most of all.

I tried to piece it all together — the girls from Bellepoint, Emma, the cabin in Roberto’s name — but it felt like I was missing something and I was too fucking tired to make sense of it.

I watched Willa instead, because watching her, knowing she was alive and breathing in the world, made me feel like I could breathe too. Her long blonde hair was tangled around her shoulders, her full mouth parted slightly in sleep.

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