Conquered by the Mafia Boss

“Why? Why would he?”

“He probably killed your brother-made them dress in leather cuts to throw off the cops, but made it obvious that they weren’t MC to us so that you’d suspect me.”

“Why the fuck would he do that?”

A grim smile stretches Johnny’s mouth. “To start a war? To take my place? Who the fuck knows.”

Sal knew I would run over to Johnny the moment my wife was threatened, so he had them attack her.

Then I drop the gun as panic blooms in my chest.

Oh my God, I left her with him!

Suddenly the cold barrel of a gun stares into my eyes as John stands up, his demeanor as icy as the metal pressed against my forehead.

His voice cracks, his hand shaking somewhat as he holds the gun to my head.

“No one’s ever gotten this close to ending my life.”

“John, come on. We’re on the same side here-”

“I’ll let you live long enough to leave Montreal.”

Everything’s different now. I need his help.

“Please, John. I left her with him.” Regret pounds between my ribs as I choke on my next words. “She’s pregnant with my kid-and you-” Then my voice cracks with outrage. “You owe me!”

“You put a gun to my head not five minutes ago.”

A ripple of anger runs through me. “Can you fucking blame me? You did fuck all to find out who killed Mike.”

He grits his teeth. “I was busy trying to keep anyone else from being killed! That’s what this whole alliance was about, and now it’s gone to fucking hell!”

“John, I don’t fucking care. Beatrice is at that bar with Sal. I told her to trust him.”

It’s like a bottomless pit just opened beneath my feet.

He blows out his cheeks. “Where exactly?”

“At the Whale and Ale.”

“Let’s go.”

Tension rides my limbs as we burst out of the office. His wife swoops on John the moment we leave.

“What’s going on in there?”

“We’ve got to go deal with something. Maya, don’t answer the door or accept any calls from anyone but me.”

She blanches. “Why?”

“I can’t get into it.”

Beatrice is waiting for us.

“Let’s go!” I scream, nerves frayed.

I disregard the withering look thrown my way. My stomach is tied in knots over the colossal mistake I made. I trusted a man who used me like a gun.

The balmy night feels suffocating, like a heavy fog settling deep in my lungs so that I can’t exhale.

“We’ll take my car.”

I rip open the passenger door of his BMW and slide into the seat as Johnny sits beside me, slamming his door shut.

“I hope you realize this doesn’t change shit between us,” Johnny says as he starts his car. “How many fucking times did I tell you I had nothing to do with Mike’s murder?”

My chest swells as we peel out of his driveway. “You need me to clean up house. Sal’s a fucking parasite. I cannot believe I actually looked up to that man.”

Yellow light flashes over Johnny’s face. “What did he say when he’d send you on these jobs?”Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

“He said they were requests from you. That if I wanted to get back in your good graces, I would do them and shut my mouth.”

“Jesus FUCKING Christ! Ten fucking years I’ve been working with this guy, and now I have to make an example out of him.”

“All due respect, John, but he’s mine.”

“Fuck you. I’m the boss.”

“If you’re right, he murdered my brother.”

Silence swallows the echo of pain in hungry gaps. Johnny turns his head toward me slowly.

“He may have killed your brother, but-”

“-But nothing! I have the right to put a bullet in his fucking head.”

“I need him alive.”

Fucking bullshit.

“I need to know how big of a rat he is, and I need to be sure.”

“How are you not sure?”

“I worked with the man for ten fucking years! I need proof. I need to hear it from his own fucking mouth.”

A warning creeps into his voice. “I mean it, Jack.”