Don’t Let Go

38. Aurora

38

Aurora

I pulled up the long driveway to a house in the hills of Paradise Valley. It was the typical mansion hidden away in a mountainside that probably had a breathtaking sunset view of the desert. A lot of people said Arizona sunsets were the best in the world. I wasn’t coming here for the view. This house was owned by James Goodman. He was the mafia’s best hitman on the west coast. He usually lived a low-key lifestyle until his son Nate blew into town. Nate was loud, a drummer in some punk band that toured around the country in seedy dive bars, and on occasion, he helped cook a batch of glass.

After receiving an invite to Goodman’s party, I saw the perfect opportunity for revenge. A lot of younger members were invited because it was polite to include family at your parties. Nate was notorious for throwing a hell of a bash when his father was out on assignment in another state. Nate was a wild child, but he knew how to keep the mob family safe. No matter how extreme his parties were, it was always invite-only so he could control the story.

Nate’s infamous parties were something I always avoided, but the rumor was if you were caught without an invitation, two guards executed you in the basement and dissolved your body in acid, then sold your car overseas. There was never a trace of that person again. They evaporated faster than the crimes my mamma covered up.

Two men in black suits and reflective cop sunglasses held their hands up as I reached the top of the mountain where the mansion stood alone.

The taller one with a goatee had a German Shepherd on a short leash. He walked around my car with his hand resting on the pistol at his hip. The other guard knocked on my window with his gun, signaling me to roll it down. The guy at my window was huge. He had to have been a linebacker for an NFL team for years to be that lean. I think if you hit him with a cinder block, it would turn to dust, and the guy would be left unscathed.

“Invite?” he said dryly, offering me his other hand palm up.

I nodded, hoping my smile was convincing enough as I woke up my phone and checked to see if the invite was still on the screen before handing the device over.

The tall guy nodded at the man by my window, I guessed that meant my car passed whatever test he and the dog were doing.

“You’re good,” the man said, putting his gun back into its holster and handing me my phone back.

The guy with the dog pulled out a small remote and hit a button to open the gate.

Nodding my thanks, I rolled up my window and cruised inside. My eyes blinked rapidly to keep from watering, and my heart thudded faster than a roaring forest fire. A panic attack bit at my nerves, but I forced it down. Needed to not feel, be dead inside. When I learned Paolo was the bastard who took Lizzy’s life, I wanted to find where he was and kill him where he stood. Without a doubt, he’d be here tonight because he was always at Nate’s parties. It didn’t hurt that I peeked at his social media and saw him confirm he’d show up. The tricky thing was committing his murder in a place with a lot of witnesses and high security.

Oddly enough, I wasn’t worried about what came after killing that scum. If someone shot me in retaliation or I somehow was ratted out to the police, I would take my sentence in stride. What stressed me out was someone preventing me from killing Paolo. He didn’t deserve to see the setting sun, to get a bump of coke, screw another girl, or to breathe another breath. No, Paolo deserved to be six feet under, and I had to see to it that he was.

A shaky breath escaped my lips as I backed my Charger into the closest spot available. I needed a quick getaway if I managed to make it out of the house alive.

After a few deep breaths, I found my composure and reached across the passenger’s seat, opening my glovebox. After digging under a ton of napkins, I found my gun. It was sleek and small but it would get the job done, especially because I special ordered three dumdum bullets under Franco’s name. These bullets were said to expand on impact and leave a large nasty wound no one could survive.

I popped my neck and hiked up my dress to slide the gun into my thigh holster. It will be a pain to get it out, but I couldn’t afford to have the piece seen before I was ready.

My plan was basic. I’d locate Paolo and try to get him when he’s alone or with only a couple of people. I’d slip into the bathroom to get my gun and hold it behind my back, hoping with my long hair loose and my calm demeanor, no one would spot the gun. I’d then isolate Paolo and shove the gun into his crotch. I would look deep into his beady black soulless eyes and see a spark of fear. I’d make him say Lizzy’s name, and then I’d shoot him in the heart. Then run like hell.

I got out of my car and ran my hands over my dress to banish any wrinkles before walking up the steps to the wrap-around porch. The wood underneath my feet vibrated, and the windows rattled from the pulsing music. I turned the doorknob and walked into the house. The scent of sex, pot, and sweat tinged my nose. The back wall of the house was nothing but glass; it was like an ever-changing painting of the beautiful desert landscape below us. The dying sun gave the interior of the house a pink hue.

Luckily, all the people around me were strangers. Where was Paolo? Was he here yet? Asking around would have been helpful, but I could tip someone off, or worse, Paolo would know I was looking for him, and I didn’t want him to see me coming.

Girls wearing golden bikinis with matching stilettos walked around with silver trays offering guests flutes of sparkling champagne. I took one but didn’t take a sip. It was more of a prop to help me blend in as I looked for Paolo, his cousins, or any of his friends.

After a while, I went into the kitchen to take a break from being shoved around by people. I leaned against the island and saw the wannabe bar a few yards away. If Paolo was around, he’d be hitting that again and again.

“Hey, sugar. You’re new,” a guy said, slipping his hand around my waist. I bristled at his touch.

I stared him dead in the eye. “I’m positive.”

He gave me a puzzled look. “What?”

“Positive. HIV,” I said with a sharp edge.

His face wrinkled in disgust and his hand brushed his pants as if he could wipe away my germs.

“I… I gotta go,” he muttered.

That lie always worked on drunks looking to get into a girl’s panties.

I looked at my phone to check the time. It was a little past ten o’clock. There were a few unread messages from Tyler and Chloe.

I hit the power button, putting the phone to sleep, and sliding it back into my bra. If I read their texts, they might make me lose my nerve. I needed to stay strong. My anger fed my courage, turning my broken heart ice cold.

Another hour passed by, and still no sign of Paolo. A little voice in my head wondered if Tyler or Chloe tipped him off to prevent my plan.

There was a scratch in my throat. With my champagne glass gone, I could use a drink and some liquid courage to search through this mess of a house again.

As I hopped down from the kitchen counter, I heard a familiar laugh booming from the other room. I peeked around the corner, and there he was, the devil himself laughing, holding a beer in one hand as his other arm snaked across the shoulders of a blonde girl and his hand rested on her large breast. He squeezed her, and she giggled in glee, kissing his neck. I fought the urge to puke. When Paolo did that to me, I usually elbowed him in the ribs and acted like it was an accident.

The metal burned my thigh. I wanted to whip out my pistol and unload the clip into his chest. After witnessing the bits of his heart explode through the other side of his body, I’d believe the bastard had a heart, but only then.

Paolo was in the center of the room with at least one hundred people scattered around. There was no way I could reach him without someone seeing a red flag.

With one glance in the direction of the bathroom, I saw the line and knew I couldn’t disappear to grab my gun and hold Paolo accountable as I had planned.

Maybe I could pull my gun out in the kitchen. No one wandered in here too much since all the alcohol was in the dining room. I could shoot a warning shot and then kill Paolo. Though he would probably use that big boobed bimbo as a shield, and I didn’t want someone else to pay for my revenge.

I ran my tongue back and forth across my front teeth in thought. How was I going to get away with this?

“There you are!” someone said, grabbing my arm and yanking me deeper into the kitchen.

“What the hell!” I tugged, but instead, fingernails dug into my arm, making me yelp in pain.

Chloe pulled me in closer until her mouth was close to my ear. “What are you thinking? We’re taking you home.”

“No,” I cried, protesting by slapping her with my free hand.

Tyler grabbed my other arm and held it firmly with his hands. I felt like I was under arrest, and they'd haul my ass out of that house with me kicking and screaming.

“I’m chill. Let me go,” I said, giving them what I hoped was a look of innocence and not murderous.

Tyler let me go and rubbed my arm where he held me. “I don’t want to hurt you or force you out of here, but you can’t go through with this.”

Chloe had no shame in sinking her claws in me. “I knew I shouldn’t have left you alone. I needed to be at your side every second.”

I kicked Chloe in the shin, making her release me. “I’m not a delicate flower. I cleaned up blood from a murder scene when I was eight. It’s my birthright to seek revenge.”

Chloe frowned, looking disappointed by my words. “No. You were not raised like this, Rory. What would your dad think?”

I slapped Chloe across the face. “Don’t you speak to me about my papà.”

“Let’s keep this party going!” Paolo shouted from the other room. The music had been turned down so we could hear people talk around us. “Who wants to ride with me in my sweet new Lamborghini?”

“That’s tight,” Vincenzo said. I knew his voice anywhere after that horrible ride out in the middle of nowhere.

My eyes darted from the doorway to Chloe, then Tyler. “This is my only chance. Neither of you have siblings. You don’t know this pain.”

Tyler scoffed, shaking his head. “I don’t know your pain? Both my parents are dead.”

Chloe squished her lips to the side. Her eyes pierced into mine as if looks could kill.

“I can’t live with myself if I don’t do this.” I pushed past them toward the doorway. It was an animal-like instinct to reach Paolo and shoot a bullet into his chest.

Tyler took a single step forward. “Can you live with the aftermath?”

A bitter laugh slipped out. It sounded inhuman. “Guess we’ll find out.”

In one fluid motion, I hiked up my dress and grabbed my gun. In a single heartbeat, my finger clicked the safety off, and I held the gun to my side while melting into the crowd. Once I was a few bodies deep, I knew Chloe and Tyler couldn’t reach me without drawing attention to us.

Paolo and Vincenzo reached the front door by the time I made it halfway through the living room. His other cousin, Marcos, I believe, was nowhere in sight.

As I shadowed them outside, the blonde girl at Paolo’s side kissed him and glanced at him as if he hung the damn moon.

I gagged and placed my finger on the trigger.

“Paolo!” I shouted.

He turned, giving me a smirk. “Rory, baby. How’s your family doing?”

I stood tall, not allowing weakness to show. “Funny you should ask. Why don’t you find out? We’d all be better off once you’re in the ground.”

He laughed. “Oh, yeah?”

My arm raised, pointing the gun at Paolo’s face. “I know it was you who murdered Lizzy!”

Tears prickled my eyes, and I blinked to keep them from falling.

The blonde pushed away from Paolo and ran back into the house. Paolo’s laugh boomed louder. He waved a hand at me like he was doing a magic trick. “You don’t have the balls.”

“You don’t think so? After everything you’ve done? I was able to swallow my pride and turn the other cheek. You couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

He snarled, taking a step closer. “What was that, bitch?”

I pulled back the hammer, and he froze in place. “I broke up with you after smashing a wine bottle against your worthless skull. Tyler stole your team and you got yourself kicked off. I know you were gunning for us, and you hit Lizzy instead!”

Tyler and Chloe were on my tail. “Don’t do this!” Chloe screamed.

“Please, Rory. Lizzy wouldn’t want this,” Tyler said, stopping a few feet from me.

“Don’t you get it?” I whipped my head around to look at Tyler and pointed my gun at Paolo’s chest. “Paolo has something to do with your parents’ deaths! I know you had a hand in it.”

Paolo shoved his hands into his front pockets and shrugged his shoulders. “For the record, I was aiming at you, bitch. Hitting Lizzy was a bonus.”

I closed the distance between us, shoving the gun into Paolo’s chest. “What about Tyler’s parents?”

Paolo spat on the ground and leaned his head close to mine. “What would I know? Maybe a little birdie asked someone to smoke them. Maybe no one did.” He gave Tyler a wink.

“What are you talking about?” Tyler shouted.

Paolo rolled his eyes. “You never saw the police report?” He chuckled, leaning into the barrel of my gun. “Maybe you should take a look or ask your new girlfriend here.”

“Bastard,” I spat.

“Tyler, no!” Chloe screamed.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Chloe grabbing Tyler’s arm as he tried to tackle Paolo. A warm hand covered mine, trying to pry the gun away. I was coiled into Paolo’s chest as we wrestled for the gun. My finger was still on the trigger. As he tried to bend my wrist to point the barrel at my face, the gun went off, deafening me.

Someone gasped and fell to the ground. Both Paolo and I looked to see Vincenzo lying in a pool of blood with a bullet wound in his neck.

“You whore!” Paolo seethed. His eyes were black as night.

I grabbed the gun and jumped to my feet. Chloe came to my side, pulling me away. “People are coming outside. We need to go now!”

I licked my lips and used my second hand to steady the gun. “A life for a life,” I said, squeezing the trigger.

“No!” Tyler screamed, hitting my arm and messing up my shot. Instead of hitting Paolo in the chest, I shot him in the knee.

Paolo kneeled in pain, pressing his hands on the wound blooming with blood. Spit flew from his mouth as he cursed. “Bitch, I will kill you slowly. You wait.”

I lifted the gun again. “No. I don’t think so.”

Tyler lowered my hand. “Rory, don’t—”

“You need to go!” Chloe stole my keys and handed them to Tyler. “Get her out of here. I will deal with the crowd and find a way to spin this.”

Tyler took the keys and then my arm. All I could do was watch as scarlet poured onto the cobblestone driveway. I allowed Tyler to tow me away and shove me into the passenger’s side of the car. Tyler ran around and started the Charger before flooring it toward the gate. The guards leaped out of the way as Tyler rammed the gate, causing my front bummer to fall off.

“My God, Aurora. Where was your head at?” he said, yanking on his hair.

I looked at my hands, they were trembling, and I still held the gun. I clicked on the safety and dropped it to the floorboard.

The ringing of the gun echoed in my ears. Tyler was talking, but I couldn’t hear him.

Vincenzo was dead, and Paolo was still alive. I wasn’t able to avenge Lizzy. I failed her once again.

I hung my head and muttered, “Now what?”

My thoughts swam. What was going to happen to me once Paolo ratted me out?

I closed my eyes, but all I saw was Vincenzo falling to the ground. The memory played on a never-ending loop.

Tyler squeezed my hand. “Hey, Rory? You still with me?”

“Yeah,” I breathed, wiping my nose on the back of my hand.

“What does Paolo know about the deaths of my parents? What will I find in that police report?”

Shit. “Umm, well…” Maybe I should’ve died back there. “It’s a long story.”

Tyler eased off the gas once we were on surface streets. “We have time.”

Could this day get any worse?