Page 269 of Fury
“I heard she’s been on her best behavior, but she’s not getting away with anything this time. Last time, she got time served and was released. I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Carrera
On the rideto Jericho and Liv’s home, Carrera’s phone rang.
“Santini,” he answered. After listening, he said, “When did this happen?” More listening. “I’ll handle it.” He hung up, then made another call. “It’s a go.”
He set his phone in the cup holder before glancing over at his wife. “Luciano.”
Slash raised an eyebrow. “Who’s he taking?”
Her phone rang and she answered. “Hello. Understood.” She hung up.
“He’s taking me,” Slash murmured. “Are you working this one?”
He nodded, once.
“When?” she asked.
“Tuesday, three in the morning,” he whispered.
She shot him a little smile. “We’ve had our eyes on these guys for a while.”
“Ican’thear you,” Elsa called out from the back seat. “Talk louder.”
He and Slash chuckled, but stayed silent. Elsa already knew plenty, but there were certain things she wasnotprivy to. Kill missions and anything to do with Luciano topped that list.
Slash fixed her eyes on the road, rolled her shoulders back. This was his wife moving into mission-prep mode. Tonight, they’d strategize. Tomorrow, she’d spend an hour or two at the shooting range.
He parked in Jericho and Liv’s long driveway. In they went, loaded down with plenty of presents. Slash and Elsa went in search of the little ones while Carrera sought out his guys.
They were huddled out back, on the patio.
He joined them, congratulated Jericho on the adoption. Then, as he expected, the conversation moved to their missions. Despite their close-knit bond and their loyalty to their women and families, these seven men walked a razor-thin line between good and evil.
He knew it. They knew it too.
Truth was, someone had to hunt down and eliminate evil. If anyone was up to the missions, it was ALPHA. At the end of theday, they hunted down the worst of the worst because they were the best of the best.
After catching up, he went in search of Slash. En route, he spotted Elsa chatting in the living room with Jericho’s grandmother.
He found her in the playroom. Three Savage kids, two Hawk children, two little Dillingers, and one Armstrong.
Jacqueline, Prescott’s wife, was expecting their first, and Liv was pregnant as well. It was mayhem. Pure insanity as the children played together like siblings.
Slash was sitting on the floor playing a game with Owen and Layla. When she saw him, she smiled. That was the invitation he needed to join them. He eased down beside her.
“Uncle Carrera,” Owen held out a toy, “you can play.”
“Thanks, bud.”
After joining in, he glanced around the room. A room filled with so much laughter and love. Friends who’d formed a second family that shared in each other’s joys and sorrows and always had each other’s backs.
When they finished playing, he and Slash rose.
“They are so happy here,” Slash said as tears pricked her eyes. “I love knowing that, although tragedy struck them at a tender age, they’re going to be okay.”
“I know someone else who walked that same path once,” he said while pulling her into his arms and dropping a chaste kiss on her soft lips.
