Page 56 of Pieces Into Place

My fists tighten at my sides as I shoot daggers in his direction. “Don’t tell me to calm down! In the last two hours, I’ve been kidnapped, thought I was going to be murdered, and found out I have a brother who runs an infamous criminal enterprise. Not to mention, I don’t know what’s going on with the man I love!”

The men surrounding us suddenly grow eerily quiet; their eyes flicker in amusement as Dante runs a hand across the back of his neck.

“Liv, listen to me. Kane is fine. He stayed back with some of my men to neutralize the threat at the cabin.”

I throw my arms up in frustration. “And what about the next time?”

“There won’t be a next time. Kane and my men handled the—“ he pauses to choose his words carefully “situation. And Profaci has also been neutralized.”

“How many people have died in the past twenty-four hours, Dante?” I ask incredulously.

He looks away for a moment before meeting my eyes again, then he gives a small shrug and answers in a low voice, “Fifteen, maybe. But they were all bad guys, I promise.”

I nervously twist my hands together, feeling sweat trickle down my back. The breath I take to steady myself feels hollow. “I need to talk to Kane,” I plead.

Dante’s lips twitch into an amused smile. “Let’s call your boyfriend, Sis.”

Chapter twenty-seven

Kane

I hear the first ring before I jolt out of my chair, answering on the second. “Hello,” I say through gritted teeth, anticipation for Olivia’s response hanging in the air.

“Kane. Are you alright?” comes her soft, almost angelic voice, like a balm to my frayed nerves.

“I’m fine. Where are you?” Anxiety is already stealing the breath from my voice; it only grows more present as she hesitates before responding.

“I don’t know, exactly.” There’s a rustling and murmuring on the other end before I hear a man take over the call.

“Kane, we’re coming back to you,” he says in an arrogant tone that immediately puts me on edge.

“She better not be hurt,” I warn him, anger thickening my words.

“Why would I hurt my own sister? Not to mention, I left four men with you to take care of business and I understand that it went as expected?” His question hangs between us like a snake ready to strike and I feel myself tense up further at the reminder of what had happened earlier.

“Yes,” I grind out through my teeth.

“You killed two on your own. Impressive.” His voice is laced with amusement that only manages to irritate me. I will destroy anyone who tries to hurt someone I love, but that doesn’t mean I have no regard for human life. Every life I’ve ever taken exerts a toll on me. It’s a price not everyone is willing to pay.

“I picked the right man for the job,” Dante continues. “You should come work for me.”

“Never gonna happen,” I say without pause, receiving a chuckle from him in return.

“Bring her back here, now,” I demand, urgency coating every syllable.

“On our way,” he answers with amusement still ringing clear in his words.

A grueling forty-five minutes later, the black SUV winds slowly up the driveway, leaving a trail of dark snow behind. The sun has long since set, and I watch from the porch, my heart pounding in my chest. Sweat pools on my forehead as I think of what Dante’s men had done to clean up the mess. Even from out here, I can make out the faint smell of coppery blood lingering in the cold night air as tarps were thrown up and chopped wood piles were stacked to cover bullet-ridden walls.

Dante’s men have been busy disposing of the intruders in whatever way they do; tarps were involved in that too. Their efficiency and precision in restoring the outward appearance of the cabin and surrounding areas to before-massacre likeness are nothing short of amazing and amazingly disturbing. They managed to get fresh snow covered over any area that was recently pooled with blood. The local Sheriff’s were dispatched after receiving reports of gunshots, but somehow Dante’s men convinced them we were only hunting in the woods behind the cabin. I couldn’t believe it when they began to drive away – without any bodies, there was no crime for them to solve.

As soon as the car parks, Liv jumps out and begins running toward me but stops herself just short of reaching my arms. She stands back, as if she’s forcing herself to maintain a distance. Instead she looks me up and down, breathing heavily. “Are you alright?” she asks.

Unable to stay away from her, I pull her to me until she crashes against my chest and I hold her in a tight embrace. “I’m fine. You’re OK, right? No one hurt you?”

She trembles against my chest, her breath coming in small gasps. “Jesus, Liv, I was so worried. Why did you run away?” Before she can answer, Dante appears at our side; his eyes heavy with fatigue.

“We need to get inside and discuss a few things, friends,” he says, gesturing to the cabin. The walls are pockmarked with bullet holes. A lamp lays shattered on the floor and the coffee table is smashed beyond repair. In this dim light, it is hard to make out much else.