Page 20 of Blossom in Shadows

I chuckle, the sound bordering on manic. “Not only is your thief in my backyard, but he had the balls to touch my woman last night,” the words are low and deadly.

“Shit,” Declan curses under his breath before he clears his throat. “I know it’s a big ask for you not to take care of him yourself, but I still want him.”

“I understand,” I sigh and lean back into my chair. “My man followed him last night. We have a location. I’m going to go over there and pay him a visit, but I promise he’ll still be breathing when I leave. I’ll have someone watching until you can pick him up. I want his blood to be spilled though.”

He lets out a relieved sigh, resignation coating his words, “I understand, and I appreciate your willingness to work with me on this. If he hadn’t been skimming off the top and thinking he could get away with it, I would let you have him, but I need to make an example out of him.”

“Yes, you do,” there’s a warning and a threat in my words.

If, for whatever reason, Declan can’t eliminate this problem then I will. I could do it right now and not feel badly about it, but at the same time I owe Declan the courtesy of contacting him and handing the piece of shit over to him.

I hate it. Everything is screaming in me to take care of things myself because then I know it’ll be done right. But I also know that Declan must clean up the mess made in his house and prove his strength.

Sometimes fear is the only motivator people can understand. I have no doubt that whatever Declan has planned for Patrick will be brutal and swift. Patrick will become a story of legend, much like the boogey man, used to spread fear within those who even think about crossing the McCarthy family.

I would do the same thing.

This will also earn me a favor from the man, and I’ve learned that favors like this one are a gift to treasure.

My fist clenches because Zinnia is a gift as well and it feels like I’m failing her knowing I’m not going to be walking away from Patrick without the mark of his death on my soul. I’ll just have to make her scream my name even louder tonight in absolution.

After I rattle off the address, I let him know, “I’m going to pay him a visit now. I expect him to be out of my city before nightfall.”

“No problem,” there’s a certain glee in Declan’s voice, one I understand and know well.

He’s ready to hunt down his prey and is excited about it. I feel the same rush in my veins as I hang up and then stride out of the room. Lorenzo gives me a nod before sliding back into my office to deal with some other business and Tazio follows me out the front door. I don’t see Sergio, so I can only assume Zinnia has already left.

I hope she starts packing. I might not have seen a lot in her apartment I think is worth keeping, but if she wants it all then I’ll make sure she has somewhere to put it. As I slide into the car, I dial Lorenzo and notice Tazio get into his own car.

“Elio, didn’t I just see you?” Lorenzo teases me when he answers.

I chuckle. There aren’t many people in the world who can talk to me like that, but he’s one of the few. “I forgot to mention that Zinnia is moving in. I want some people at the ready to move whatever is needed once I work out the specifics with her.”

“Consider it done,” he assures me before hanging up.

He doesn’t question me and whether I’m moving too fast. He doesn’t even hesitate. I don’t know if it’s because he knows better to question me, our long friendship aside, or if it’s because he understands exactly what I’m going through.

I almost killed Lorenzo when he came into my home one day with Daisy on his arm and they told me my sister is his woman. My finger was on the trigger. I wanted his blood to paint the walls of the dining room that morning.

I saw the love in Daisy’s eyes though and knew she would never look at me the same way if I killed Lorenzo. I wasn’t blind and had seen the way she looked at him like a starved puppy who only needed attention to survive. I thought it was a silly crush, and she would get over it.

I had no idea he had any feelings for my sister. The betrayal of it being kept from me burned through me, but I also knew there isn’t a man on Earth who would be better equipped to protect the princess of the family. Other than myself, of course.

It had been time to let Daisy spread her wings and find her own path in life. I hated it, but even I can admit she’s thrived while being with Lorenzo. Not only does she seem surer of herself and in her skin, but she has a maturity and glow about her now she didn’t before.

I was concerned about the age difference between them, but it doesn’t bother them, so I’ve kept my mouth shut. That doesn’t mean I don’t watch. I just want my sister to be happy.

There’s an eleven-year gap between my queen and I, which isn’t quite as large as the one between Lorenzo and Daisy, but still significant. I can see, now, why it doesn’t matter. Age would be the last thing to keep me away from Zinnia.

I focus on keeping myself under control as I head toward where Patrick is staying. If I don’t then I’m likely to kill the man before I’ve barely stepped inside the door and I’ve given my word to Declan.

Arriving at the destination, I wait until Tazio is by the car before I step out and he falls in line behind me as I walk. I speak to him over my shoulder, “After this is done, I have someone else you need to pay a visit to whose debt needs to be paid. He’s been given chances and now it’s time to cash in.”

“You got it, Boss,” the same glee I heard in Declan’s voice is present in Tazio’s and I grin.

It’s good to be surrounded by men who not only understand that violence is the answer, but they enjoy dishing it out when they need to. It makes my life and job so much easier.

When we get to the worn-out brownstone, I knock, and we shift away from being in front of the door as we wait for it to swing open. Just as I’m about to knock again it does and I shoulder my way inside.

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