Page 43 of Ruthless Consequences

We both stopped and squared off. New York foot traffic was breaking around us. They probably would’ve moved us but Mooch stopped them. We realized the slight jam we’d been causing and started to move again.

The slight pause made me realize I was being bitchy. It wasn’t Ava’s fault that memories had been assaulting me lately. That each time Lilo came close to me, I turned into that girl on the janitorial closet floor, begging to be in his arms. It wasn’t her fault that my mind and heart constantly shouted over each other. And it wasn’t her fault that Saturday was coming fast, and I dreaded that too.

Sometimes I had to check myself when she was around. She reminded me so much of our mom, it was easy to blame her for things that weren’t her fault. Or not entirely her fault. The shit she got herself into was her deal. Those were her choices. Not Janis’s. My sister excused her own bad behavior because she’d never learned how to take responsibility for her own mistakes. Even if the root of them stemmed from our mom leaving. Or Sonny, as Ava believed.

I set my arm around her neck; she smiled as we finished our walk in silence. Once we got to Mamma’s, Ava ran in to grab our food and drinks. I sat outside with Mooch to hold the last table. There were only three.

A few minutes later, she came out with a red plastic tray and set everything down. Even a cup of water for Mooch. Once we had everything settled, food-wise, I said “Talk” around a mouthful of salad.

She pulled the pizza from her mouth. A piece of cheese stretched before it popped and hit her on the chin. She wiped it off before she nodded. “I ran into Rill.”

Kirill. The connected Russian guy she was obsessed with years ago. The one who wanted to take her back to Russia because he behaved so badly here, he got deported.

I wasn’t sure what to say, so I said nothing, letting her continue.

“I was following a lead.”

“About the Fausti family.”

It wasn’t a question. She didn’t even acknowledge it.

“It was a good one!” This was where she got excited. She always did. “Supposedly there are these Russian assassins. No one really knows them by name, but…I’ve heard them called ‘Seven Deadly Sins.’ It’s really hush hush, because, well, they’re built by the government. Like machines, but without the metal parts. Anyway.” She waved a hand, then quickly flung Mooch a piece of chicken from my salad.

I watched as it descended and landed in his mouth with a solid snap.

“He refuses to eat pepperoni for some reason. Lilo says it rules him out for being Italian.”

“Maybe he’s Russian,” I said. “Go on.”

She smirked at me. “I’d gotten a lead that one of the Seven Deadly had met Scarlett Fausti when they were kids. Her grandmother, who was a famous ballerina, danced for his grandfather. I think there’s a connection there, even if it’s loose.”

“This is how you ended up back in Little Odessa.”

With Ava, it was always about following the crumbs—stolen, poisoned, or otherwise corrupted ones.

“I was at Tatiana’s. The guy I needed to talk to was there.”

“Let me guess? Rill was there?” I threw another piece of chicken at Mooch, because he was gazing up at me with big, horse-puppy eyes.

“Look at you go. I swear, you’re sosmart.”

I flung a piece of lettuce at her and she dodged, giving me a wide smile. She was the only woman I knew who could ride the rails of danger day and night and still smile as the world’s most dangerous men chased her.

“Seriously, though. I have no clue why you don’t become my sidekick. I’m the one always in danger. You’re the one always cooling it. We’d kick ass. But I digress.” She took another bite of pizza. Another drink of her Coke. She looked between her plate and my bowl. “I really should be having that, and you really should be having this.” She went to switch but I held tight.

“You got what you got. I’m enjoying this.”

She blew out a heavy breath. “Yeah. Rill was there. You can say he put a damper on my lead when he pulled the guy outside and cut his ear off.”

Maybe I should have been used to it by then, between my sister and my old flame. But the violence of that life still shocked me from time to time. Especially when it rolled off their tongues so easily.

“He didn’t recognize me at first. He was looking to kill the guy for something else. We just happened to be at the same place at the same time, both wanting a piece of the guy. I wanted information. He wanted his ear. But that’s not really my point. He saw me. Things got awkward.”

“Awkward?” I took a drink of my lemonade.

“Awkward in my world. He said he wanted to kill me for leaving him. I calmed him down, but he didn’t want me to leave again. It’s like I’m his emotional support doll.”

“Ah,” I breathed out. “And this is where Lilo comes in.”

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