Page 127 of The Mafia Assassin's Redemption
And playing the ‘if’ game gets a man nowhere. It also gets Siobhan a front-row seat into crazy land.
I put a free hand over Harry’s mouth, hovering over her as I look up. Then I risk a head dip when I hear nothing at all but breathing, like Shiv’s winded from her position. It tells me she hasn’t moved. “Are you okay?”
“Alive,” Harry whispers.
I let out a relieved breath. I know she’s alive, but her terse whisper of the word tells me so much more. I can speak Harry. And anger is good. It pumps her blood and keeps her alert.
Shiv… Fuck. Siobhan’s never been the stealth type. But she’s not to be underestimated. She’s smart, fast, and an excellent shot.
I’m better, but not when she’s so close to losing it and her target’s Harry.
I’ve never been so scared. I could have pulled that trigger and taken her out a hundred times. I didn’t because… what if I mistimed the shot? What if Harry did what Harry did and moved?
What if Shiv pulled that trigger first?
So for the first time since I remember with a gun in my hand, the intent was to not shoot until I had Harry out of the way. Until Harry was safe, and if Shiv got me first, then she’d have killed Harry.
Then it wouldn’t matter if my brothers stormed the place and killed Shiv. Harry would be gone.
Kill me. Never Harry.
And all the things I said, trying to be soothing, understanding, it still sticks to my skin. I’m not that. Not for Shiv. Not after she’s done all this damage, tried to hurt my brother, tried to kill Harry.
I should have seen it coming. Somehow.
Why the fuck was I waving a photo of her around and asking about Donal? Christ, if anyone could come back from the dead, it would be her.
Even fucking Anthony commented on the picture and how pretty the woman was. He wasn’t entirely with it, but hindsight shows what I missed. He meant Shiv and Joan were the same. He knew.
I listen. Something moves.
“Shiv?” I cock the gun, readying myself as I lift my hand from Harry.
“Stay,” I mouth at Harry who glares at me with all the hate she must be able to muster.
She mouths back, “Fuck you.”
And even in this waking horror, it makes me want to smile.It’s pure Harry, that essence that impressed me at ten and made me fall for her now.
Her floorboards are scuffed but cared for. And I’ve ripped her from her life twice now. Admittedly, the first time it was because that life was in literal flames, and this time, it’s because I saddled her with a hit to her name.
I stare down at the floor because it’s more calming than looking at Harry.
I can’t let the floor down.
I can’t get it killed.
The calmness still doesn’t completely come.
Just the conviction that Shiv’s never seeing the light of another day.
“Shiv?”
She doesn’t answer.
Another scrape. Movement. A sound of breath. Shit, maybe I did shoot her. Is she hurt?
“Shiv. It’s you and me. We’ll talk. Anything you want. Harry?—”
