Page 22 of The Woman with the Target on her Back (Grassi Family)

“That’s weird, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Not if they’re trying to keep the local crews from acting up,” Aurelio said. “Chief of police is a major target. The cops are probably trying to keep this from the news cycle for a while.”

“They’re going to think he’s here,” I said, looking at the tracker. The men did that looking-at-each-other thing, making perfectly rational—in my opinion—frustration bubble up and pour out. “Um, could you guys, I don’t know, talk about this aloud? Since it involves me and my safety. And my father.”

“Right,” August said with a sigh. Like wanting to be included wassoirritating to him. Jerk. “We’re trying to decide if it is better for them to think he’s still alive or not.”

“We need to decide what to do with the device,” Aurelio added. “We could bring it back to the hospital. And he is relatively safe in the ICU, compared to the rest of the hospital…”

“Or we could take it to the morgue,” August said. “Let them think they accomplished their mission.”

“Why?” I asked.

“To keep them away from the hospital,” Aurelio said. “While he recovers. I was allowed to come down here, but the boss was pretty clear that it’s just us,” he added, giving August a look that held a lot of weight.

Was he in trouble? With the boss?

Did I care?

Just a second of introspection said that I kind of did.

I mean, he’d come. He didn’t have to. But he came. And he got me out of there. He got me safe. He waited for me at the hospital. He was sticking with me, even though he was getting the gist of how fucked this situation really was.

He didn’t deserve to be punished for that.

“So, we can’t spare someone to protect him,” Aurelio added. “And it seems like we are going to be busy.”

“This isn’t your war,” I said, looking between them, but landing on August.

“No,” he agreed. “But you’d put up a pretty shitty fucking fight with just one soldier against a whole army.”

“That’s not your problem.”

“Are you always so fucking impossible?” he grumbled, sighing hard.

“Yes,” I said honestly, getting a snort out of Aurelio.

“Can I just… throw out an idea here?” Aurelio asked.

“Sure,” I said, nodding.

“Leave. Come with us back to Navesink Bank. Let this blow over.”

It was August’s turn to snort.

“What?” Aurelio asked.

“She’s the most bull-headed, stubborn-ass woman I’ve ever met. She talks shit to the local drug dealers and pimps for kicks and giggles. She’s not going to run away from this.”

“He’s right,” I agreed.

“I’m sure you’re not…” Aurelio started to say, much more gracious than his cousin.

“I am,” I cut him off. “I am bull-headed and stubborn. I do talk shit all the time. I provoke them for fun. Because I’ve always had protection. I never had to worry about the consequences before. But now… all bets are off. And if all the crews think my dad is dead…” I said, trailing off.

“Even the ones in his pocket might want to… have a word or two with you,” August finished for me.

“Yeah,” I said, wrapping my arms around myself, suddenly cold.

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