Ballad (Rockstar #5) (23 page)

Cage looks at her and nods. Then he raises his gun and shoots her between the eyes. Holy smokes. I think I just orgasmed. I am so going to fuck him stupid later. I must have made a noise because he looks over, the tiniest of smirks decorating that glorious mouth.

Kimberly’s in near hysterics now. How I hate that shit. I take the bandana from Damian’s back pocket, copping a feel while I do. He grins. I walk over to Kimberly and Ernesto pulls her head up by her hair, her screech echoing off the walls.

“Christ, you’re annoying,” I tell her as I stuff the bandana in her mouth and tie it behind her head. When I’m done she throws herself on the floor, bawling like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

It’s then that Roberto realizes we’re zeroing in on him. He gulps and looks around for an escape.

“There isn’t one,” I tell him and his gaze snaps to mine. “You should have thought of your own well-being when you were making this deal.” I walk closer. “Did they promise to keep you safe?”

He twists his hands together. “Please—”

I just shake my head. “They lied. They don’t care what happens to you, only that you’ve done the job you were meant to do. So really,” I say, walking around Roberto, gun in my hand, “you should be thankful we grabbed you up before they did—because they
are
coming for you.”

He twitches, shifting from leg to leg nervously. “I don’t—”

“Sure you do. So just tell us,” Damian adds.

I nod. “It’ll be easier for you if you do.” I shove him into a chair and he looks up at me in surprise. After tucking the gun in my waistband, Damian tosses me a roll of duct tape and carries one for himself.

“Please—I’ll tell you whatever you want to know,” he pleads.

“I know you will,” Damian tells him as we duct tape his hands and feet to the chair. Now Kimberly is screaming behind the gag.

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” I bite out, pulling my gun back out, aiming it at Kimberly, and pulling the trigger. Single shot, right between the eyes. I let out a sigh.

“Damn,” Ernesto says. “I was hoping to torture her a bit.”

“With all that high-pitched squealing she was doing? No fucking way, man,” Damian replies.

Ernesto cocks his head to the side. “Yeah, I guess. Women aren’t my style anyway.”

Roberto freezes, his gaze locking in on Ernesto, who is slowly making his way over like a predator stalking his prey. Watching him, I now understand why Bella and Nico are as good as they are. Torture, killing, and fighting aren’t everyone’s ultimate goals, but they are for them, and both have aced all three.

I stand back and let the men interrogate Roberto, who sings like a canary, telling us everything. All the who, what, where, why, when, and how we wondered about is answered. Ernesto’s disappointment can’t be hidden. He was hoping some torture would be needed but it wasn’t.

“Can I at least shoot him?” Ernesto asks.

Roberto’s eyes go wide. “But I told you everything.”

“And? No one promised to let you go if you talked. We merely told you, you needed to start talking,” Ernesto tells him. “And talk you did, so I didn’t even get to pull out a fingernail. Fucker,” he mutters.

I snicker then walk over to where Cage is still sitting, Misty’s body having already been removed. I sit on his lap, wrapping my hand around his neck, gun still in it, and I nuzzle into his neck.

“I’m so going to fuck the hell out of you later,” I whisper.

He chuckles. “Then it’s going to be a war of who can fuck the other harder.” He repositions me on his lap and I feel his hard cock press against my thigh. I bite back the groan threatening to escape.

There’s more talking going on and I ignore it. Instead I turn to Celeste, who lifts a brow.

“You better start talking,” I tell her.

“You didn’t think Cage would have just anyone sitting at the front desk of his company, did you?” she asks.

“No, but I didn’t expect this.”

She shrugs. “I’ve known Cage for a long time.”

I look to him and he nods slightly.

“Were you…”

“One of the kids Joan saved?” she asks and I nod. “Yep. I was.”

“Well then. I totally didn’t see that coming,” I admit, more than a little shocked. “No worries. I’ll keep the secret.”

“I wasn’t worried,” Celeste tells me with a smile.

“I just wish I’d have known sooner,” I confess as my mind turns a mile a minute.

“Why’s that?” she asks.

“So I could have insisted on you attending our wedding. It was family.”

“Fee,” Cage begins.

“Yeah, babe?”

“Who do you think stayed behind and watched over Joan?”

“Ding, ding, ding… light bulb is at full wattage now.”

Cage smirks.

“Are they going to talk all day?” Celeste asks.

“Ernesto didn’t get to torture anyone today, I guess this is his way of doing it,” I explain.

“He’s trying to talk him to death?”

I snicker. “No. He’s torturing him by letting him know he’s going to die and letting him wait and wonder.”

“Ah. Sadist.”

“You have no idea,” I tell her. “Do you?”

She shakes her head. “This isn’t usually something I participate in, but I heard about your skills. I wanted to see it for myself.”

I grin. “Yeah? They talk about me?” I look around.

“Christ, did you have to tell her that?” Damian scoffs.

“Dude, you think I’m fantastic, admit it. You admire my mad skills,” I tease.

Damian lets out a laugh. “You’ll do, Serafina. You’ll do.”

My smile fades and I scowl. He laughs harder.

“Dick.”

I hear the gunshot and look over to where Ernesto and Roberto are. Ernesto’s laughing and Roberto’s crying.

“Did he just…” Celeste breaks off.

Damian nods. “I’m not cleaning that one up!” he calls out to Ernesto.

“What?” Ernesto asks in a playful tone, still laughing. “Roberto can’t help he pissed and shit himself. Imagine if you were on the other end of my gun.”

“I have been,” Damian states. “I didn’t piss or shit myself.”

“That’s because you’re a robot, like the terminator and shit who fears nothing and feels no pain,” Ernesto says.

Damian grins.

“Oh please, no Arnold impressions,” I plead and Damian laughs.

“You’re no fun.”

Another gunshot and then Ernesto shouts in the worst Arnold Schwarzenegger impression I’ve ever heard, “Get to the choppah!”

We all groan.

“That was so bad,” I shout with a laugh.

All laughter dies when Ernesto makes his way over to where we’re all sitting.

“What are we gonna do, Boss?” he asks Cage.

“Exactly what you think we’re going to do.”

Damian whistles. “There’s going to be a war.”

“There has to be. Knowing that the Manzinis didn’t set this plan in motion leaves only one other option,” Cage tells us.

Ernesto groans. “I don’t like to fight with the Irish. They’ve got some really bad tempers.”

“So do we Italians,” I announce.

“Isn’t that the truth?” Damian agrees.

“Any news on Jana?” I ask.

Celeste’s eyes shutter, then she shakes her head.

“That is going to devastate my sister,” I admit.

“We’re not saying anything until we know who’s got her and why. The Tierneys aren’t holding her,” Cage informs us.

“What did they have to gain by planting Misty here? And why the hell did they want to hurt Lucy?” Celeste asks.

“Nicole heard Misty mention the Manzinis.”

Ernesto nods. “They were hoping to get on the Manzinis’ good side by fucking with us and they knew the Manzinis had targeted Lucy previously.”

“Well, fuck me up the ass sideways,” I say and everyone laughs. “Not literally. So now we not only have to deal with the Manzinis, but the Tierneys too?”

“Yep.”

“Lovely. Anyone else I should know about?” I ask.

“You want the list?” Cage asks.

I let out a breath. “You know, I think I do.”

He nods.

“I’ll have it for you later,” Celeste tells me.

“Thanks,” I mutter.

She sighs. “Yeah.”

Her tone’s as wary as mine. Who knew being a Russo could be so dangerous?

“I was glad they stopped targeting me, but I’m not anymore. Not when they’re going after Lucy,” I announce.

“They won’t get to her,” Damian reassures me.

“And pretty soon they’ll get bored knowing they can’t get to her and refocus back on you,” Ernesto says.

I nod. “I like that better.”

“I don’t,” Cage mutters. “I don’t like any of it.”

“I’m not carrying a litter of Kingstons, so it’s better if they shift focus back in my direction,” I explain.

“I still don’t like it.”

“Me either, babe.”

Silence descends for a few minutes.

“Ernesto, clean up your mess,” Damian instructs.

“It’s all fun and games until your prey pisses and shits themselves,” Ernesto mutters.

Fun and games indeed.

N
O ONE IS
a match. Out of thirty-plus people, not one match. I’m getting more tired each day and the doc wants to admit me to the hospital.

“Why? What can’t you do that they’ll do?” I ask.

He sighs. “Give you the attention and care you need. I can only do so much on a tour bus.”

I want to hit something, to scream and kick and holler, but I don’t. Instead I just fist the blankets tighter. I look over to Ben, who’s talking with Cage and Sera and sadness fills me. He’s going to have to leave tomorrow—they’ve already stayed here one day later.

“What’s wrong, Coley girl?” Xan asks.

“You all have to go and I’m going to be here,” I admit, picking at the blanket.

He nods. “Yeah, it sucks ass, that’s for sure. But we’ve only got five more shows.”

“In two weeks. Two
full
weeks,” I point out.

“That’s true, but that time will go fast.”

“Not when I’m lying in a hospital bed, it won’t. Trust me, I know. Been there, done that.”

“I’m sorry, Coley. If there was anything I could do, you know I’d do it,” Xan tells me.

“I know and I can’t thank you enough.”

He nods. “Do you have any family who might be a match?”

I can’t lie. They know about my aunt. “I do. But if they come here, they’re at risk. I left to spare them—and their children—from that.”

“This is your life,” he tells me.

“And it’s also theirs.”

He lets out a sigh. “You’re a stubborn one. You’d think you and Sera were sisters.”

I snicker.

“I heard that,” Sera calls out.

“Ears like an elephant!”

“I heard that too! My ears are not big!” she chastises and he chuckles.

Ben, Sera, and Cage walk over.

“We’ve got it worked out,” Ben tells me.

“Got what worked out?” I ask, sitting here feeling sorry for myself, knowing they’re leaving as soon as the doc gets me admitted.

“Sera’s going to play for me.”

“I’m confused. Play what?”

Ben grins. “She’s going to take my spot on the tour and I’m going to stay here with you.”

I hold my breath, trying so hard not to cry, but I can’t hold back the tears.

“Now you did it,” Xan chides.

“You—you’re staying?” I whisper.

“Honey, I’m not going anywhere. I told you. The minute you said ‘yes’, it meant forever,” Ben tells me, sitting on the bed next to me.

“I—” I cry then hiccup.

“It’s okay, honey. Just relax. We’ve got you hooked up.”

I nod. “Ben,” I whisper.

He swallows hard and nods at me, knowing words can’t express how much I’m feeling right now.

“Lucy’s pissed off at Dr. D,” Meggie announces as she walks in.

“Uh-oh,” I say, giving the doc a side glance.

He shrugs. “She can’t be in here. We still don’t have all the results of the cultures, which means we don’t know if we can rule out infection, which means if she comes in here, she puts those babies at risk. It’s not safe for her to have them yet.”

Xan nods. “She’s got to keep them in the oven for five more weeks. Or is it four? Hell, I don’t know but she’s counting that shit down.”

“I bet she is. Those babies are blessings,” I say aloud, knowing I’ll never be able to carry my own children. I’ve made my peace with that already. I just never thought to mention it to Ben. I know how much they all want family and babies—will this be a deal breaker?