Entice

  I was going to end Campisi’s life if he touched a hair on Tex’s stupid-assed head. I was going to end his line. I would cleanse every last family member, if that’s what it took to get his attention, and I would do it cheerfully.

  Chase texted me back right away.

  Chase: How’s Mo?

  Me: She needs us.

  Chase: Lobby.

  “Trace, stay here and—”

  “Hell no.”

  Trace had pulled the gun out of her purse and made sure it was loaded. What the hell kind of monster had I created?

  “We end this together. You guys can do whatever the hell you want. Go storm the castle, but us girls? We’re going to be in another car, waiting to call in the cavalry if need be. We aren’t abandoning you.”

  “Fine,” I said through clenched teeth. “But if you step foot into whatever shit-hole that man’s hiding in. I’ll shoot you to keep you from putting yourself in more danger.”

  “Ah, the romance.” She fanned herself with her gun.

  Mo wiped at her cheeks while she checked her own gun and then pulled out a few knives I knew she liked to throw at people when she was pissed. It was why Tex had a scar on his thigh. She had killer-aim now, though.

  She fanned them out and then stuffed one in each boot and up her sleeves, finally stashing the last one in her purse. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Tex

  I knew they would come for me. I wasn’t an idiot. I mean, I played nonchalant better than Henry Cavill played Superman. Look too smart? People start to talk. Look too dumb and people won’t use you. So I liked to stay right in the middle.

  The middle was safe.

  The middle kept my adopted family safe.

  But the minute my real father’s name had been dropped, I knew there wouldn’t be a safe place for any of them. Not until he was dead. So it didn’t shock me when the car pulled up. That was why I didn’t run. Why run from your destiny? It was a cowardly thing to do, and I wasn’t a coward — no, that would be my father. After all, he was going to use me as bait. I mean, how stupid could he be?

  I’d flipped on my GPS the minute I got back to my hotel room. I’d assumed they’d just shoot me to make it so I couldn’t run. Instead, the men who’d grabbed me had been polite, a bit gruff, but they hadn’t slapped me around. Not that I would have cared.

  What did I really have to live for?

  The woman I loved hated me, and my own family had abandoned me when I was a child.

  Right. So my life? Not worth a hell of a lot.

  “So…” I toyed with the nylon cable ties they’d used on my wrists. Idiots. How’d they know I didn’t have a knife stashed in my sleeve? I rolled my eyes. “We going to the Strip? Or did you guys wanna do some shots first?”

  The guy to my left chuckled while the one to my right punched me in the jaw. Ah, there it was. I was beginning to think the Campisi family had gone all soft.

  “Fine.” I sighed. “We’ll go to the gay bar, but only because you punched me. Geez, why didn’t you just say you had a preference?”

  That earned me two more punches, one to the gut and one to the face.

  Blood spewed from my mouth; I laughed and spat it at the guy to my left who was using me as his personal punching bag. Tattoo on his neck, metal stud in his left ear, a scar down the right side of his cheek attached to a nose that looked like it had been broken at least three times. His teeth ground together, and from the stench of his breath, he hadn’t brushed in a few days. I sloppily fell against him, breathing in the scent of his clothes. He pushed me off of him, but not before I got a whiff of something musty. They’d been either underground or in an abandoned building. Then again, Vegas had a dry climate. I squinted at the man again; a few beads of sweat trickled down his temple. My bet was that he was petrified of me.

  “You know who I am?” I said in a cold voice.

  “Everyone knows who you are,” the man said in a thickly accented voice. Hmm, Sicilian who still sounded like one. This should be interesting.

  “Say my name.”

  “I’m not saying your name.” The guy swore under his breath.

  The thing about my name? Nobody uttered it. I was living in my own version of Harry Potter. The one who shall not be named was my actual title to most people in the Campisi family. For some reason, it had been spread that I’d been sent away to live in the states because I was cursed. So they thought of me as a bad omen. I was the Campisi family’s version of seeing a black cat on Halloween.

  And saying my name was basically like uttering Bloody Mary three times in your bathroom mirror.

  It actually cheered me up to think of the guy shitting his pants if I started arching my back and foaming at the mouth.

  “Well.” I sighed. “This is a lively group.”

  The two men in the front seat exchanged a glance.

  “Tex,” I continued. “They call me Tex for short. But my real name? It was passed down from my father.” I allowed for a long pause. “Vito Nicio Campisi, Junior.”

  “Shut up!” the man next to me yelled.

  “It’s a mouthful,” I added, spreading my legs wide enough to push both bastards further against the doors of the car. “And the minute I got to the States, I became obsessed with everything Texas had to offer, big cows, big hats, big hair, big—” I earned another punch to the stomach. It hurt like hell but I kept talking once I could catch my breath. “So you can imagine that the minute I hit puberty and noticed how big I was — and how much I had to offer the big bad world, I asked to be called Tex. Though to be fair, in the bedroom the ladies just call me Big.”

  “Does this kid ever stop talking?” The guy to the right muttered.

  “Would you rather I shit my pants and rock back and forth?” I spat in a low tone. “I’m the son to one of the most powerful men in your sad, pathetic, little world. He owns you, therefore, I own you. I’m a trained assassin.” I purposefully narrowed my gaze as if I was looking down on all of them and thought them beneath me, which technically they were. “By your silence I can assume you were told I was a half-assed village idiot who smiled more than he talked and screwed women for fun.” I rolled my eyes. “I could kill all of you like this.” I snapped. “I wouldn’t even blink and neither would my father. The only reason you guys are still alive is because the longer my father takes with me, the longer that fun little contracted hit hangs over his head. Hell, he may be dead by the time we get to the location.”

  The guy to my right held a gun to my head. “Still confident you could kill us? Shit, you talk a lot.”

  I smirked. “You irritate me.” I turned to the guy on my left. “And you smell like you ate shit for breakfast, and I don’t mean that as an exaggeration. You actually smell like you woke up at six a.m., took a crap in the toilet, dipped your grubby little hands into your own bowl and fished out a prize.”

  “That’s it!” The guy to my left lunged for me, which really was unfortunate for him, considering I’d already managed to saw the zip ties off my hands.

  I used the same knife to slice his throat. His eyes went wide and he gurgled something as a crimson waterfall gushed from his neck. Pity. It was hell getting stains out of white. Then I wrestled his gun out of his clenched fist and fired it right-handed at the guy next to me. Poor bastard slumped in his seat, a look of pure horror crossed his face before his body stilled.

  Two seconds.

  That’s how long it took me.

  The one choked his last breath while the other slumped against the window. The driver slammed on the brakes, while the guy in the passenger seat turned around and aimed a gun for my head.

  I was too busy wiping my hands on the guy next to me to care. Once they were semi-clean, I looked up and shrugged. “Please, don’t stop on my account. Like I said, the one kept punching me and the other smelled. Tell me you didn’t smell him. I did you a favor. Is it my imagination, or are the made men these days lacking in the hygiene department?”


  The guy in the front seat took his gun off of me. “He was right about you.”

  “Who?” I asked innocently as the car started going again.

  “Your father.”

  “Oh, and what did Papa have to say about his abandoned son?”

  The guy smirked in the rearview mirror. “He said he should have killed you when you were an infant.”

  I smirked right back. “For once, he’s right.”

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chase

  “He kept his GPS on.” I muttered tapping my phone as it found Tex’s location. He was at Lake Mead. Though his signal was fading. Either they were tossing him into the water or he was going underground. “Are there any tunnels? Old abandoned buildings?” I asked Sergio.

  He clicked the keyboard into his iPad and began going to town. “I’m not seeing anything glaring other than a few old houses, some old caves.”

  “Wait.” Frank held up his hand. “He’s superstitious.”

  “What?”

  “Albatross,” Luca said for him. “And houses on the lake are another superstition. The man has a thing about bad omens and curses. My bet is he went underground or into an abandoned cave.”

  “Searching.” Sergio’s hands flew across the keyboard. “Okay, so the only thing I’m finding is an old abandoned boathouse. Everything else is either a nice house, hotel, or restaurant. None of those places are even close to the location he disappeared at.”

  “Old boathouse it is.”

  Sergio smirked.

  “What?” I asked.

  He looked up from his computer. “The old boathouse. It’s called The Albatross.”

  “Good work.” Nixon exhaled. “Girls, you’re going to drive separate with Frank. You’re safer with us than hiding out at the hotel. They could be drawing us out to kill us or drawing us out to get to you. I’m not taking any chances.” He turned to Frank. “Follow, but not too close. If you don’t hear from us within a few hours, call this number.”

  “What is it?” Frank asked.

  Nixon’s eyes fell. “The airline. If you don’t hear from us, you go off-grid, you go to the first location stated in Trace’s plan. She has the information you guys would need to go into hiding. If we make it out, we’ll meet you there. If we don’t…” His voice died off.

  “You’ve thought of everything,” Mo said, her voice sounding hollow.

  Nixon pulled her into his arms. “We’re blood. We protect blood.”

  When he released her, I stepped up to him and held out my hand. “Blood in. Blood out.”

  Luca and Frank shook our hands, repeating the sentiment as each of us kissed one another’s cheeks.

  I’d never been one to think about the whole patron saint thing, but in that moment, I pulled out the cross that I’d made when I was fifteen. It had Saint Paul scribbled across it.

  “May God protect us,” Nixon mumbled, making a cross motion with his fingers in front of him.

  Frank nodded. “He protects the just.”

  Mil leaned against me. “And those who rape little girls, sell their virginity, or worse yet, purchase it for their own gain? What does he do to them?”

  I squeezed her. “He gives them their just reward.”

  Luca nodded. “An eternity in hell.”

  “Ready?” I whispered in her ear.

  “Yeah.”

  “I love you.”

  She nodded and then wrapped her arms around me. “I love you too.”

  Stepping away from her, knowing it was entirely possible it would be the last time I’d be in her arms, was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. It was necessary. I was going to war — for her. And even if I died, I’d die with peace, knowing my last action had been saving her from monsters and demons. My last battle cry… would be her name on my lips.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Mil

  Frank pulled the black Escalade up to the curb and waited as all of us girls piled in. We were safe with him. He wasn’t just Trace’s grandpa; he was the boss of the Alfero family. He was also old enough to let the younger generation run in, guns blazing, but not too old to not be able to protect us. He was in his seventies but looked more like his fifties.

  “You girls will listen to me,” he said, his voice slightly accented. “You will not run into the building when you hear gunshots. You will not cry when you see blood. If need be, you will kill. You will kill swiftly. You will kill smoothly. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” we mumbled in unison.

  “Do you all have ammo?”

  “Yeah,” I said.

  Trace and Mo repeated the same thing.

  “And knives?”

  Mo grinned. “My specialty.”

  “Fantastic.”

  Weird. It was like he was proud that we were heavily armed and ready to kill on a dime. What a life.

  I sent a quick text to Joe, telling him what was going on. Not to put us in more jeopardy, but because I figured that the guys would need all the help they could get.

  Me: If you don’t hear from me in 40 minutes. Come to this address, guns blazing.

  Joe: How many men do you need?

  Me: Every last one you have.

  Joe: Should I be concerned?

  Me: We found Campisi. I wouldn’t be against you bringing hell to his doorstep.

  Joe: And to think I wanted to kill you a few days ago.

  Me: Um, thank you?

  Joe: It was a compliment. Keep in touch, boss.

  “Do you trust them?” Trace whispered next to me.

  I nodded. “Right now? We have no choice but to trust them. And if they turned on us, they’d bring four of the most powerful families down onto their heads. They have more to gain by joining us than going against us.”

  Trace squeezed my hand. “Good thinking.”

  Mo leaned forward so that she was touching both of our shoulders. “Girls, I love you both but I think I’m going to be sick.”

  “Nerves?”

  Mo shook her head. “He could be dead.”

  “He’s not dead,” Trace reassured her instantly. “You know Tex. He’s smart. He’s very, very capable.”

  “That’s just the problem,” Mo grumbled. “He talks way too much.”

  “But he’s good, right?” I asked lamely. “I mean, he can hold his own?”

  The girls both burst out laughing.

  “What am I missing?”

  “Don’t get me wrong,” Mo said. “It’s scary as hell that they have him. My heart hasn’t stopped racing since I saw the exchange, but Tex kills people. It’s what he does.”

  “Don’t they all kill people?” I asked confused.

  “They do.” Mo nodded. “But to Nixon and Chase, it’s a necessity. Nixon likes hitting things, Chase likes shooting things, and Tex? He’s like an artist. It’s not a profession to him. It’s a lifestyle, something to perfect. He would do well as a gun-for-hire because nobody could trace him.” Mo laughed. “I remember the first time I watched the stupid Jason Bourne movies I asked Tex if he was taking special serum.”

  We all giggled.

  “Is he?” I asked.

  “Negative.” Mo shook her head. “Though he did say they should make a serum out of his genes.”

  “Of course.”

  “Almost there, ladies.” Frank said from the front seat. “Be sure to keep alert, and remember, shoot first, ask questions later.”

  “You’re a great grandpa.” Trace patted his shoulder.

  “Trying to soften me up before battle?”

  “Never.” Trace swore. “Just glad you’re finally okay with me shooting things.”

  “Well, let’s hope those lessons with Nixon paid off. A shotgun is a hell of a lot different than a pistol.”

  “Me and Annie will be just fine.” She patted her own gun and smirked.

  “You named your gun?” I asked.

  She nodded. “Makes it seem less violent.”

  “Women,” Frank muttered under his breath.
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  Chapter Forty-Five

  Tex

  We arrived at our destination. A nice little warehouse that had a possessed-looking bird on the side of it. The paint was chipping and, as I’d predicted, the location was next to water. Great. Were they going to drown me or just shoot me? I wonder if I’ll be given a preference? Probably not.

  “Out.” The man opened the door, pointing the gun at my face. I lifted up my hands and blew him a kiss.

  I strutted in the middle of the two remaining men. They knocked three times on the door. It flew open and I was pulled inside. A bag was put over my head — it smelled like the man I’d just killed and had to sit next to for a few minutes. Lucky me. Even in his death, his stench was haunting me.

  “So,” a gravelly voice said. “This is—”

  “The man who shall not be named.” I tried to sound bored. “But everyone just calls me Tex. I wonder if they’re afraid of the curse.”

  “The curse?”

  “Yeah, the one that says that whatever family who is responsible for my death has blood that can’t be cleansed from their hands — their souls will rot in hell for eternity. Their children, their families — completely killed off.”

  “Lies,” the voice spat. “We made that up for our pride.”

  “Oh, so now he admits it.” I shook my head. “Really, Pops, you think you could come up with a better story? I mean, I’m a freaking legend because of that curse. Why couldn’t you have given me magic powers or something?”

  “You do talk a lot.”

  “One of my many flaws, other than being sired by the Capo himself.”

  Air whooshed by my ears, and then the bag was pulled from my head. I could actually — for the first time in my entire existence — get a look at the bastard who’d abandoned me; I could look directly into his cold icy eyes.

  He glared.

  I glared right back and then forced a smile. “My apologies. Did you want me to cry?”

  “No.”