Just asIcut the last rope and pulled her hands free, the subdued sound of a nail gun echoed in the room.Iflinched, as didAce, and we both turned back towardHectorandGiovanni.Iglanced out of the cage to seeHectorstanding overGiovanni, holding a gun.Giovannilay still on the ground, blood pouring out around his body.
Hector turned to look at me and began walking back to the table to set the gun back down.Nota nail gun asIhad assumed, but a real gun with a silencer on it.ThoughIsaid nothing, he must have knownIwas confused.
“I don’t tolerate rapists,”Hectorgrumbled. “Plus, shit is about to go down, and he was a liability.”
I appreciated his first sentiment since it was one thatIshared, andIsuspected that man absolutely would have rapedAcehad she not kicked him in the face first.Iwasn’t entirely sure what he meant about the liability, butIchose to trust his judgment.Ialso couldn’t shake the question of whether or not there was at least a small part of why he shotGiovanniwas because he suspected that was who shot and killedManny.
We knewMannywas shot by someone inside the organization, but we never knew who.Beingon the inside of thePaganoFamilycrime ring,Hectorwas probably privy to that information.
BeforeIcould ask, footsteps could be heard from the stairway, andRoccoappeared a few moments later.
When he turned the corner, he sawGiovannion the floor andHectorstanding near the table, casual as could be.
“You andJoeyare tight, so listen closely,”HectortoldRocco. “Matteois settingJoeyup, and he’s using us to do it.”
Rocco’s eyes went wide at that announcement, butHectorcontinued as he walked over toRocco.
“We nab the ex-cop and his wife, bring them here, and kill the guy.Giovannikills us and removes us from the equation but keeps the woman for himself.Matteopins all of this onJoeyto make it look like retribution for his prison time.”
“Why?”Roccoquestioned, clearly stunned.
“SoMatteocan take over the business withoutJoeyin the way or any other complications,”Hectorexplained.
“What about—”Roccostarted to say, but his phone rang and he answered.
He said very little at first before finally responding to the caller. “Yeah,PedroandIfigured that out too.I’lltake care of it, boss.Don’tworry.”
He hung up and looked toHector. “ThatwasJoey.Hejust got booked and called me to tell me it’sMatteo.Hesaid the same thing you did.Hewants me to meet him at the station to bail him out and take care ofMatteo.”
“Go,”Hectorreplied. “I’lltake care of all this mess here at the shop.”
Rocco looked back at us, likely not sensing any concern since we were still locked up in this caged cell.Henodded, mumbled something toHector, and turned to run up the stairs.
A few moments afterRoccoleft,Hectorcame over to the cage, unlocked it, and handed me the gun from his holster and his cell.
“Call one of your people and tell them they can come in now,”Hectorsaid, walking back towardGiovanni’sbody. “Myguess is they’re close by but waiting to move in.”
I handedAcethe gun asIpicked up the phone to make the call.Shetook it from me and stood next to me, likely waiting to see whatColemanorKerrigantold us to do next.
I dialedVince’snumber. “Vince, it’s me,”Itold him when he answered.
“Archer?”Vincequestioned in reply.
“We’re in the basement of the vape shop just offCardinalStreet,”Itold him quickly. “TellKerriganwe needEMTsand maybe a body bag.AceandIare?—”
“Pedro,” a new voice yelled from the stairway, andIstopped speaking. “Roccosaid you need help with…”Theyoung guy who had been working the vape shop upstairs trailed off as he walked into the room.
The man looked inHector’sdirection, seeing him on the floor byGiovanni’sprone body, checking his vitals, and then over toAce, who was holding a gun.Isaw him put the pieces together and make assumptions.
“Put the gun down, orI’llshoot!” the kid yelled, pulling out his own gun.
“Sammy, don’t!”Hectoryelled to him.
“You…Youshot…”Sammystuttered before lifting his gun towardAce.
I saw the moment he decided he was going to shoot, andIdid the only thingIcould—Ilunged.Idove in front ofAce, blocking her and knocking her down as a shot rang out, followed by another less than a second later.Ilanded on top of her as the sound of yelling, grunting, another shot, and furniture crashing echoed in the background.
“Archer,”Acemumbled underneath me.
