Page 72 of Bittersweet Endings
Matteo got straight to business as we headed back inside. “It’s all clear out front.” He jerked his chin towards me. “But we need to move. Sirens are coming.”
Lucky snorted, casually reloading his gun. “Let 'em come. Cops are in my pocket.” He tilted his head at Matteo and smirked. “You worried? You wanna go confess to the nice officers?”
Before Matteo could reply, Lorenzo started wandering through the sea of bodies. Taking it all in like he was admiring a goddamn art exhibit. “Jesus, we really went all out, huh?” He nudged a corpse with his foot, wrinkling his nose. “Look at this fucker. Took three shots to get through the fat. What a waste of bullets.”
Apollo glowered. “Is thefamigliain California financially insolvent? Are you in dire need of conserving your ammunition?”
“You’re too fuckin’ smart. It makes my brain hurt.” Lorenzo shrugged. “First, fuck you, Apollo. Second, I’m just saying—” He crouched next to another body. “Damn. This one looks like he got run over by a truck.” He glanced up at me. “That you?”
I rolled my shoulders, ignoring him. Lorenzo loved to get a rise out of people. He smiled and laughed his way through life, but this shit was what we lived for. To be the heathens we were raised to be.
Lorenzo whistled. “Brutal. I like it.”
Matteo, ever the practical one, sighed. “Can we move past the comedy hour? Sirens or not, we need to be gone before anyone else decides to be a hero.”
Apollo stepped forward, facing off with my brother. One psycho to the next. Only Matteo hid his crazy much better. “Should law enforcement arrive and we determine that your existence no longer warrants our attention, we would relinquish you to their custody. Your attempt to escape would prove inconsequential, as we’d take every measure to ensure you never reached the confines of that prison.”
Lorenzo shoved Matteo back, clapping his hands together. “All right, all right. Let’s haul ass. Don’t want you boys getting pissy and ruining a good night.”
The humor did nothing to cool the fire in my veins. Peiro had slipped through my fingers. Again. I glanced at Lucky, my jaw set. “I’m taking Octavia to my safe house in the city.”
Lucky’s expression darkened. “Yoursafe house?” He shook his head. “Christ, how much fucking real estate do you own in my city?”
I smirked. “Enough.”
His nostrils flared. “Yeah, well, last I checked, my sister isn’t your property.”
“She’s mine to protect,” I countered, my tone razor-sharp.
Lucky stepped closer. “She’s been through enough. I won’t let you put your hands on her again.”
I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes. “You think you can stop me?”
Lorenzo sighed, cutting in before things escalated. “Jesus, you two need fucking couples therapy.” He sighed lazily. “Look, after that little display Octavia put on with Peiro, maybe—just maybe—we let her decide where she wants to go.”
With that, we all turned towards the table she was supposedto be behind. Only to find it empty. A beat of silence stretched between us before it clicked?—
That little bitch.
Lucky cursed, and Lorenzo laughed. “Oh, she’s got some fucking balls.”
My grip tightened on my gun, my blood running hot.Octavia wasn’t hiding. She was hunting.
Lucky was already barking orders. “Apollo, call Sienna. Now.”
Apollo didn’t hesitate, pulling out his phone and stepping away from the chaos. The rest of us stood around, weapons still in hand, watching the restaurant’s entrance like a pack of wolves waiting for the next fight.
Lucky crossed his arms. “She’s not dumb enough to go after Peiro alone.”
I exhale sharply. “Not dumb. Just stubborn.”
Lorenzo snickered. “So… dumb.”
I slapped the back of his head, sending a silent warning, and watched Apollo continue to pace with the phone pressed to his ear. The distant wail of sirens grew louder, and then?—
The cops stormed in.
Lucky groaned, scrubbing a hand down his face before marching towards them. His men step forward, forming a wall between us and the incoming uniforms.
