Page 16 of Tossed into the Mob
I went to shake Arnie’s hand, but he wrapped me in another hug, saying Treyton would look after me and he considered me another grandson. That was so sweet, if a little over the top. He gave us a key fob. “Take my car. That thing of yours wouldn’t protect you from a human.”
There must have been something wrong with my hearing. A human? I shrugged it off.
When we reached the porch, two men dressed in dark suits were waiting for us. Shit, the people trying to kill me had multiplied. Instinct stepped in, and I flung myself at one. I wasn’t going to cower or go down without a fight. But the guy sidestepped and a pair of strong hands yanked me up before I hit the ground. I really had to find out why these mafia guys had such good reflexes.
The guy snarled, and I shivered. That sound was almost feral, and I wanted to growl a reply.
“Sorry, I should have warned you. These are two of our bodyguards.” Treyton took my arm and led me to a big black car with tinted windows. I’d never seen such a beast, let alone ridden in one.
There were bodyguards in cars ahead of and behind us, and needing something to do with my hands, I opened the box of cake and grabbed a chunk. But when Treyton glanced at me, I apologized and crumbs spewed out of my mouth.
“I’ll clean it up.” Shit, now more crumbs tumbled out over me, the console, and the dashboard.
But instead of getting annoyed at my grossness, Treyton took a handful of cake and ate it, dropping more crumbs on himself and the steering wheel.
We shared a glance and laughed.
“We could hoover up the crumbs by eating them off one another.” His face was scrunched up as he spoke, but I couldn’t interpret the meaning.
The words hung between us, but it was just a silly joke.
“Grandpa will kill us if he sees the mess we made.”
Treyton had flipped a switch, and I froze, my mouth half open and full of cake. My dad had been killed, and I couldn’t have anything to do with more death. I’d seen enough blood to last a lifetime.
One look at my face and he slammed on the brakes, and I braced myself, thinking the car behind would rear-end us. But nope. Treyton steered us off the road as I huddled in the corner.
“Gods, all I do is apologize. I’m sorry, I didn’t think.” He reached out, but I reared away. In that moment, I wanted nothing to do with the Durands and La Luna Noir.
Treyton leaped out of the car along with dark figures from the vehicle in front. Shit. Dad prided himself on my excellenteyesight because he fed me a lot of carrots. I spotted the guns they were holding. I couldn’t live this life, knowing someone might put a bullet in my heart at any second. If Flint could find my dad’s killer, I wouldn’t need the Durands and could go home.
But I’d be leaving Treyton, and while it wouldn’t break me, this man had become my safety net. Perhaps I’d leaned on him too much, expecting him to deliver both security and my extended family on a platter. And not to mention how his touch consoled me.
Treyton flung open the door, murmuring that I could give him a kick in the pants for being so unfeeling, and the bodyguards surrounded him, guns at the ready. In that split second, I wondered if Flint had given the order to get rid of me, and I snapped, tossing my backpack at the same guard I’d attacked earlier.
“You have yourself a feisty one,” the bodyguard muttered to Treyton as he caught the pack.
“Hey, you have something to say, speak to me.” His words irked me as though I was Treyton’s possession.
It was dark, the only illumination being from the car’s interior lights, of which there were many in this expensive vehicle. But a smile played out on Treyton’s lips. I didn’t know how, but I was pretty certain he wasn’t laughing at me but was sorta proud. I’d probably look back at this moment and think how wrong I was. But not about him. Everyone else, maybe.
Back in the car, I clutched the now lukewarm coffee to my chest as we drove into the city, wanting to feel something other than grief, confusion, and agony. I almost welcomed that pain from the bullet because it would ease eventually.
Pulling myself back from the brink of whatever chasm I was staring at wasn’t easy, but Treyton’s presence eased the see-sawing emotions.
Four of us shared the elevator going up, while the remaining bodyguards stayed in the parking garage. I left my belly on the first floor and leaned against the back of the elevator for support. I snuck glances at Treyton, who appeared to be as nervous as I was.
“You don’t have to do this. I have Flint’s protection, you can go back to your life.” I was giving him an out, because none of this chaos was to do with him or caused by him. I’d involved the poor guy, but now I was giving him his freedom.
“I can’t do that.” His smile was warm but tinged with exhaustion. “Your dad chose me to look after you. I’m not leaving until the gunman has been eliminated and you decide your next step.”
I hurdled over the word “eliminated” which wasn’t as hard as I’d assumed. Shit, I was becoming more accepting of mafia tactics. Perhaps thanks to my now-dead alpha father, I had mafia blood in me. While I should have wanted my dad’s killer to be tried and jailed, I wouldn’t lose any sleep over Flint putting a bullet in his head.
My dark thoughts were interrupted by us walking into the apartment while the bodyguards scouted each room.
“Clear,” they told Treyton and added that someone would be outside the door.
“Wow, look at this place.”
