Page 133 of Thrill Me (Dark Odyssey 3)

Although I love seeing my brother with his child the picture looks incomplete.

I keep expecting to see Sorcha come up to them and tell Vincent off for holding the baby wrong, or singing the song wrong. But she will never be able to do that again.

Vincent turns when he sees me and Timothy slowly opens his eyes.

It’s funny today he looks like her. I didn’t know that could happen but I guess he’s growing into who he’s supposed to be.

“Hey, is he okay?” I ask. It’s stupid as fuck to ask Vincent if he himself is okay because I know he’s just managing.

“I think um… he has colic or maybe he’s teething. I don’t know. This is soothing him. We’ve been like it for hours,” Vincent explains and he gives me a small smile. “Look baby, it’s your uncle. My kid brother.”

I walk up to them. “Can I hold him?” I ask.

I haven’t held him much but it feels like I should change that up.

“Of course…” Vincent hands me Timothy and despite the swirl of anxiety and everything that’s going on inside me I can’t help but soften when Timothy offers me a big smile. It’s so big and his toothless mouth makes him look cuter. He starts giggling even though I haven’t done anything.

“Jesus, maybe I should have called you.” Vincent smiles. “What the hell did you do to make him laugh like that?”

“I don’t know, maybe he thinks I have a funny face. I’ve been told that.”

“Tyke,” Vincent scuffs at me.

I rest Timothy against my shoulder and he grabs on to my jacket, rests his head down and closes his eyes.

“Looks like you’re a natural,” Vincent states.

“Thank you.” He looks like hell and I know that means he’s probably been up all night with the baby. I’m not sure he should be going anywhere. I’ve avoided asking him how he’s feeling but I think I should ask today. “How are you managing, Vincent?”

He shakes his head. “I’m not. I’m just going on autopilot. I’m functional for him and for you all. Ma said I needed to get as many of Sorcha’s things as I could so he can have the smell of her to comfort him. I feel like a prick because I take comfort in her scent too, it should belong to him.”

“Don’t feel guilty about that Vincent. You can’t.”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do Salvatore. I don’t know how I’m supposed to raise him in this fucked up world of ours, and fuck, that’s actually wishful thinking because I don’t know what’s going to happen today. Nick’s rallying with Claudius. We’re going in strong but there’s no guarantee. Never is.”

I sigh. “We just have to hope.”

He nods. “Yeah. The hacker was able to track them with a phone number from the guys we took down last night. He used the phone to look for the listing of the places the phone had been used. That’s how we found the facility. It’s not even on the city underground map. On there the area looks like part of the lake. We wouldn’t have been able to find it at all off our own backs.”

It’s all so clever and we have one hell of a hacker. Those kinds of people always help push the limits and get shit done. You’re fucked if you don’t know a good one.

“We get them today,” I vow. “Every last one of them. Every fucker dead.”

“I want to kill Stephano, Salvatore,” Vincent says. His eyes cling to mine. “The last bullet in his head is mine. I kill him in whatever way I need to. I need to do it though. For my girl and for Frankie. You hear me?”

“I hear you, brother.” I also understand.

He nods then grips my arm. “Capo,” he pauses and I tense. “If I go down you take Nick and get the fuck out. Grab him kicking and screaming if you have to. The two of you get the hell away and fall back.”

I nod agreement but I hope it won’t come to that.

I look to Timothy and pray it doesn’t come to that.

* * *

The underground facilityhas been identified as being two miles away from the docks.

There are several entry points all leading in through the sewage system.

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