Page 72 of Southie
“But I don’t want to leave you.”
I pulled her to my chest and kissed the top of her head. “It’s not up for debate, baby. If you’re at the cabin, I know you’re safe. Your safety is my primary concern.”
“My father won’t come.”
Her defeated tone tugged at my heart. Even though I held no love for my father, her pain was my own. However, I wasn’t concerned about Roland and, as a grown man, he had a decision to make.
My love for Camilla and her concern for her father wouldn’t overrule my logic. Paddy would simply put a bullet in her father’s head. No torture or anything like that.
Her fate would be much worse.
I’d try my hardest to convey the danger, but it’d be his choice. However, if he was on Paddy’s radar, the best thing for him to do would be to disappear.
“Well, that’s his choice.”
Her nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed.
“I’m sorry, Camilla, but whatever he does should have no bearing on whatyouneed to do for your safety. You must leave Boston. Paddy won’t stop until you’re out of the way.”
The fear in her eyes crippled me. Never did I want to be the one who brought her any fear or pain. She’d dealt with enough with Franklin. However, she needed to understand the seriousness of our situation. Although she’d experienced a horrible relationship with her ex and the pain of that ordeal I’d never diminish, it didn’t have shit on Paddy O’Connor. He’d use her just to make an example of me as a warning for everyone else. Because of her beauty, charm, and grace, her death wouldn’t be an option for Paddy. It would be much worse.
“You ready?” I asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be. Liam, promise me you’ll help me get him to leave.”
That was a promise I couldn’t make. “I’ll do what I can.”
She accepted my response.
We headed out the door to go over to her father’s house to beg and plead with him to leave Boston.
The drive was full of tension. I grabbed her hand, intertwining our fingers and hoping to give her some comfort. Her nervous smile conveyed more than she intended. She had just as much concern as I did about her father. I was sure if Roland didn’t leave Boston, he’d be dead within the week.
* * *
It had taken little to convince Roland what Paddy was capable of, which had shocked me. Although Roland hated the fact I’d brought this life around his daughter, he understood I had her best interest at heart. He confessed he couldn’t deny the look that was in both our eyes when we looked at one another. He compared it to the same look he’d shared with his wife, Camilla’s mother.
In exchange for him leaving with Camilla, all he asked was I kept her safe and loved her with everything I had.
Those two requests wouldn’t be hard for me to fulfill. Even if I didn’t make it out of this alive, Camilla would always be taken care of.
With both Camilla and her father safely away at Gerald’s cabin being guarded by some of Gerald’s ex-military buddies, I could concentrate on ending Paddy’s life and leaving the Irish Mob for good.
“You ready to handle this shit?” Gerald asked. We were in an unmarked truck, and he was checking the magazines on multiple handguns he had in a duffle bag in the floorboard. “Doug sent word that Paddy’s already inside with both Sean, Johnny, and Chaney Moreno in Chaney’s office. My boys are around the perimeter out of sight just in case we need the backup. Either way, all of them will be dead by the end of this shit.”
The adrenaline rush moved through my body as it always did whenever it was time to take a life. This time, though, dread and guilt wouldn’t float through my mind. Paddy’s actions would be the cause of his death, and I was happy to be the one who’d be judge, jury, and executioner.
“I’m ready,” I said. “Rizzo agreed to keep the cops out of the area for the next thirty minutes, and Tony Jr.’s girl dismantled every CCTV camera in a three-mile radius of this place for the next forty-five minutes. We need to get in and out before the cops swarm the area and the cameras are back up. Let’s go.”
Gerald nodded, and we exited the unmarked vehicle and made our way to the back of the warehouse. Doug had left the back door unlocked for us to gain entrance.
When we entered the building, Doug let us know that Paddy was in Chaney Moreno’s office. Excitement filled me. I knew Chaney’s time would come too, and today was the day.
We made our way up the dingy, dank corridor that still reeked of sweat, musk, cheap perfume, and shit. The place hadn’t changed. When we reached the door, we heard Paddy and Chaney’s voices.
“I got Paddy and his boys,” I said. “You take Chaney.”
He nodded, and I mouthed the wordsone, two, three.
