Page 76 of Skin Deep

She answered after a few seconds.Why? Do you miss me?

Even when you’re in the next room.

Mamma wanted to stop at the grocery so she can make us dinner tonight. Be home soon.

“Down!” Macchiavello roared from outside.

I slid my gun out from underneath the table where it was hidden, and by the time I reached the door, Mari was on the ground, but Kee was frozen in place. A car had stopped out front. The barrel of a gun pointed out the window. Macchiavello jumped on my sister right as the first round of bullets crashed into the house. Mari was about to get up, to try to get to Macchiavello, but I pinned her down with my body.

Macchiavello started to retaliate. He blew two of the tires out. As soon as the car stopped, he jumped up. Two men jumped out, but the driver blew the passenger’s brains out before he could run. Probably so he couldn’t talk.

Who? The Craigs? The hundreds of other people Cash had pissed off? Or was this Macchiavello’s deal? Everyone around me seemed to have prices on their heads—including me. Partly due to my brother, and partly due to working for Cash Kelly. My car getting rammed wasn’t by accident. That war had a slow-burning fuse, but I had a feeling it was about to blow up soon.

My gun was aimed at the driver. He was about to take off, and I figured Macchiavello was about to run him down, but he turned toward the house again, and I pulled the trigger. My sister’s aim was legendary with a bow. I was better with a gun.

Mari squirmed a bit and I got up, remembering that she was there. She tilted from left to right for a second, blinking, like she was in shock. Macchiavello stormed the porch, taking a knee next to her, making sure she wasn’t hit. He had been. He’d taken a bullet for my sister.

My sister.

She was still on the ground. I helped her up, making sure she wasn’t hurt.

“I’m okay,” she barely got out. She was fucking dazed, and little wonder. Once we made it up the steps, Keely told Macchiavello she’d take Mari inside. She didn’t want to leave him, but she did.

I followed him as we approached the car. We checked it out, but there wasn’t much to see. Macchiavello took out his phone. A second later, I received a text from him.

“Let me know how this plays out,” he said.

“How’d you get my number?”

He waved me off. “Call Kelly and fill him in. He needs to know about this. There’s no telling who he fucked with and pissed off. This might be retribution in the form of a life he considers important to him.”

“How did you know about—” the Craigs, I was going to say, but this could have been any number of people who ordered this. This might not even have anything to do with Kelly, or with us, but with Macchiavello. I could tell he wasn’t sure. It wasn’t a look he usually wore.

“Get to work, Harry Boy. It’s not safe to chat in the street.”

Sirens grew closer, and he was hustling to leave.

“Mac?” I called.

He didn’t even turn around.

“You saved my sister,” I said, because it had to be acknowledged. I couldn’t stand the motherfucker, but for this one thing, I’d give him credit for.

“Make sure you tell Kelly he has a tab.”

Within minutes, he took his wife and left. I called Kelly to fill him in as I made my way toward the house. He ended the call before I even reached the porch. My sister stood on it, staring into the distance, in the direction of the sirens. When our eyes met, she almost collapsed onto the steps. I helped her sit down, then I took a seat next to her.

Gus was still whining to be let out behind us, but I didn’t want him to get caught up in the criminal shit show that was about to become my front yard.

“What the fuck just happened?” my sister said, a faraway look in her eyes.

“A battle in a criminal war.”

She looked at me. “I had a moment where—” She swallowed hard. Her fair skin was blotched with patches as red as her hair. “I thought—this is it. I’m going to be with Roisin.”

Roisin was our sister and Kee’s twin. Roisin died in a car accident when she was five. I didn’t even think Kee could explain their connection, but when Mari moved in next door, she had stepped in and become the sister Kee lost. Which was why she was so loyal to her. But I could tell my sister had more to say.

“What?” I said.

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