Bang Bang(2)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken

I nodded, tears already pooling in my eyes.

Another gunshot rang out and then his bedroom door flew open. It was his older brother Sergio. “Time to go, cover’s blown.”

The door slammed shut as he took off as quickly as he had appeared.

I stared at Ax.

He stared right back.

More gunshots.

More bursts of light. Fear rippled through my body as I stared at Ax even harder, too shocked to do anything else. His gaze was calm…collected.

And then Sergio was back in our room, slamming the door behind him. “So we have to go to plan B. They’re pissed we’ve been spying on them. We have to go, now!”

Cursing, Ax flew off me, grabbed another gun out of his nightstand, and started throwing stuff into a duffle bag.

“She comes with us,” he barked.

“She’s a De Lange,” Sergio spat. “She sure as hell is not coming with us.”

“She’s not like them,” argued Ax. “He hits her. She needs to come.”

The sound of male voices yelling had me running into Ax’s arms. He kissed my forehead just as I was jerked away from his arms.

“No!” Sergio said in a stern voice.

“Yes!” Ax pulled me back. “We’re not leaving her. She stays I stay.”

The bedroom door burst open and it seemed everything happened in slow motion as a man held up a gun and pointed it towards Ax.

Bang! The gunshot rang out.

Ax stumbled. “Take her Sergio. Protect her. I’ll cover you. Just take her.”

With a curse Sergio pushed me out the window then followed.

“Ax!” I screamed, but Sergio covered my mouth.

Just as another bang rang out, lighting up the once dark bedroom.

Sergio pulled out his cell. “Pick up at The Spot, thanks Nixon… I owe you.”

“What about Ax?” I tried to fight against Sergio.

“Either he’s dead or he’s going to be.” Sergio pushed me down the alleyway, keeping to the shadows. “And it’s your fault. Never forget, it’s your fault my brother’s dead. But what should I expect from the De Lange bloodline? You were born to kill… born to die.”

My world shattered that day.

I lost my best friend.

I lost my heart.

My shield.

My soul.

And buried it right along with his body. The boy who hadn’t been who he said he was — the boy who’d protected me from my own family.

The boy who took two bullets for me and paid with his life.

Bang, Bang was the new soundtrack to my life.

Welcome to the Mafia.

CHAPTER ONE

5 years later, Chicago

Axton

THERE WAS ONLY ONE reason for him to call me. One reason and one reason only, other than him losing his damn mind that is.

The minute he’d sent her away from me, he’d sealed his fate.

“You’re dead to me!” I screamed, punching him in the face over and over again until blood caked both my knuckles and his face. But Sergio did nothing, simply took each punch as if he deserved it —we both know he did. After all, he’d sent my best friend away and made it impossible for me to reach her lest I put her in more danger than she was already in.

“I love her.” My voice was hoarse. “I love her!”

Sergio wiped the blood from his lip and let out a heavy sigh. “And I love you.”

I shook my head, not trusting my voice.

“It was you or her,” he said slowly. “My brother or a girl I hardly know. A De Lange… someone we’ve never been able to trust from a family who’d sell their own souls to Satan just to get ahead in this life. I made the call you were too weak to make.”

“I was weak because I damn near died protecting her!” I roared.

“Right.” Sergio nodded. “And now it’s my turn to protect you.”

“I will never…” My voice shook. “Never forgive you for this.”

“I don’t expect you to.”

“We’re done.”

“I know.”

Neither of us moved. It was the end of our brotherhood, the end of our family. Our mom was dead, our father in prison… that left just me and Sergio… blood thirsty cousins to the most powerful mafia family in the US.

Estranged.

Over a woman.

“Go into hiding,” Sergio barked tossing me my passport. “Off the grid. I’ll make it happen. Just one thing.”

My head snapped to attention. “You think you’re in a position to ask a favor?”

“You’re still blood.” His teeth clenched, damn near snarling. “One day your marker’s going to get called. When the boss needs you, you will come running, or you’ll die in your sleep.”

“That a threat?”

“Absolutely.”

I scowled. “Then let’s just pray The Family doesn’t need my help anytime soon, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Bye brother.”

“Bye, Ax.”

My body jolted as the gates to the mansion opened. Five years and my marker had finally been called up.

My number… announced.

My identity no longer a secret.

I pulled the sleek Mercedes to a stop in front of the massive stairs leading up to the house and slammed my hand against the steering wheel. Memories of Amy made it damn near impossible to breathe, to hold in the emotion. I hadn’t kept that end of the promise to my brother. I’d checked in on her… and every time I did, he found out and threatened me again. I did it anyway, because I had to know she was safe. But the last two years, I hadn’t heard or seen anything. So when Sergio called and said I was needed, I didn’t hesitate. If she was in Chicago, I was going to find her.

I opened the door, got out, and slammed it behind me, then walked slowly up the stairs. The door to the house opened, making a creaking noise. Sergio stood there in a white t-shirt and fitted jeans. He’d always projected power… from his chiseled features to his screw-you attitude. His long dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail away from his face making his jaw look sharp… like a target ready for my fist.

“How was the drive?” he asked smoothly. His accent barely recognizable since last time I’d seen him. We’d both worked hard to get rid of our accents, apparently some harder than others.

“Boring.”

He smirked. “Well, after today, I’m sure that word will be forever etched from your vocabulary.”

“Yeah, why’s that?”

He grinned. “It’s good to have you back brother.”