Adrianna nodded before walking towards me, rising on her tiptoes to press her lips to mine. “I love you,” she whispered. “Say night, night to Anthony,” she told her son.
“Night!” Luca said, extending his hands to me. I leaned forward and he wrapped his arms around my neck giving me the best hug I had ever received.
“Sleep tight kid,” I whispered, ruffling the top of his head. “When you get up from your nap I’ll play with you.” I promised with a smile before diverting my eyes back to his mother. “You okay?”
She nodded, tightening her hold on her baby. “I’m better now.”
I watched her walk down the narrow hallway into one of the bedrooms and close the door behind her.
“Anthony,” my mother commanded, causing me to turn around and look her in the eye. “Are you in trouble again?”
Frustrated, I blew out a breath, knowing there was no way around it, I had no choice but to explain our situation to my mother. I took a seat next to her trying to decide where to begin and how much I should divulge to her.
“Someone declared war on Victor last night,” I finally said.
“At the grand opening?”
I nodded, lifting my head and staring into my mother’s eyes. I never talked about the things I did, she knew what I was and hated it. I never thought she needed to hear me speak the words, knowing she didn’t want to hear them. After all, no mother wants to know her son is deeply involved with the mob. I’m sure she didn’t want to hear what I was about to tell her.
“Gunfire broke out all over the club, I don’t even know who survived and who didn’t,” I said honestly, watching as she brought her hand to her mouth to mask the gasp that sounded from her lips. “They were everywhere, probably there the whole night pretending to be patrons and none of us noticed.”
“Oh my God,” she whispered.
“I was with Adrianna when it started and I left her hiding under a table to see what was going on. I got Mikey and Nikki out of the club and sent them with my friend Jack. He’s Rigg’s boss, the president of a motor cycle club that is an ally of Vic’s,” I explained. “Victor asked Satan’s Knights to be on call in case of any incidentals but I don’t think he ever expected a massacre at his doorstep.”
I sighed, running my fingers across the stubble that lined my jaw. “Anyway, by the time I got them out of Temptations and went back to get Adrianna she was in the middle of the dance floor searching for her sister. She didn’t know that I was getting Nikki and Mike out of Temptations and she was worried something had happened to her sister. She had taken a gun off one of the guys trying to shoot Vic and I told her to hang onto it. We were in the thick of the gunfire, Vic and Jimmy were going off against a bunch of guys ambushing them. I knew that if I was going to get her out of there it was best if she had protection.”
My mother looked at me horrified and I had to look away from her. “At least I thought it was for her own good. I should’ve taken the gun from her. She has never so much as held a gun before, let alone fire one,” I glanced down at my hands. “We were making our way through the club when Rico, Nikki’s boyfriend, stopped us.” I lifted my head, turning it slightly and stared at my mother. “I didn’t realize he was dirty, thought he was just a cocky kid who was passing time with Nikki. It never dawned on me he was playing, playing Vic, hell he played all of us. He aimed his gun at her, told me he was going to kill her if I didn’t put down my weapon. I was carrying two guns, I dropped them, told her to run, to leave me, and get the hell out of there.”
“She didn’t listen,” my mother said softly.
“No, she didn’t,” I replied swallowing hard. “She started to but then turned around and she snapped. She saw him holding a gun to my head, remembered that she had taken the gun off the dead guy and that it was still in her hand. She lifted it and shot Rico.”
“Oh my God, Anthony! Do you hear yourself? Are you listening to what you are saying? There was a man holding a gun to your head!” She leaned close, reached for my cheek, and turned my face, forcing me to meet her tearful gaze. “Adrianna shot someone. Is he dead?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
She shook her head as tears fell from her eyes. “Is this the life you want? When are you going to wake up for God’s sake? The woman you love just shot a man because he was going to kill you. What is it going to take you to realize you can’t keep living this life? You’re going to wind up dead and you are going to destroy that young woman,” she yelled shaking her head is disgust. “You could have such a beautiful life. That woman loves you so damn much and that boy…he’s so precious you should be counting your blessings not pissing them away.”