Shot in the head. I leaned down to feel each pulse. Nothing. A piece of white paper fluttered on the last man's chest.

Are you listening now? said the note.

"s.h.i.t!" I kicked the ground and pulled out my cell. Nixon answered on the first ring.

"What?"

"It's the men-"

"My men?"

"I was knocked out, we've got seven dead."

"Where's Mo?"

His question swamped my body with a chill. I dropped my phone and raced full blast to the back yard, almost tripping on my own feet as I made it to the place where I'd last seen her.

Only to find one of her flip flops on the ground.

And blood right next to it.

I fell to my knees.

They had no idea what they'd just done.

I knew though-I knew who did it, just like Nixon knew, and I knew, in the end the war they'd just started wouldn't just go down in history.

It would freaking define it.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR.

Doing anything to save someone isn't really a sacrifice, not if you truly love them.

Tex "WAKEY, WAKEY." Something slapped me on the face. With a grunt, I tried to open my eyes but the pain was exploding down my leg. s.h.i.t, had I been shot? Again?

"I said..." Another kick to my good leg that was, soon to be bad if the b.a.s.t.a.r.d kept kicking. "Get the h.e.l.l up!"

"And?" I blinked my eyes adjusting to the dark room. "Do a little circus dance? I mean-" Another kick this time to my shin. I wheezed. "d.a.m.n at least stop tickling me, if you want me to dance just ask, I don't care that-" Three more kicks, well I was going to be lame the rest of my life nothing more to say about that. I'd been tortured many times, always came out with scars but I hated, despised, freaking despised getting kicked, it was... degrading. "Fine, fine."

I tried to rise to my feet, but my left leg was still bleeding, I could feel the warmth seeping through my jeans and my right leg was bruised from my ankle to my hip.

"Tex!" Mo screamed.

What? Why was Mo with me?

The events of the afternoon came crashing down around me like a blanket of rage. With a shout I ran in the direction of her voice but was stopped by another kick to the back of my knees.

"s.h.i.t." I fell to the ground. "Stop kicking me!"

"I'll stop kicking you," the heavily accented voice teased, "when you stop irritating me with every breath you take."

"So first-" I moved to my knees and faced the stranger "-you want me to get up and dance? And now you want me to stop breathing? Anyone ever tell you that you have ridiculously high demands?"

"You're mouthy."

"Aw, you staring at my mouth?" I joked, backing away, more like sliding away towards Mo on my legs.

"You will not reach her," the voice mocked. "She's tied up, but never fear she can see you. She will watch everything we do to you."

"At least give her popcorn," I muttered.

"I'll do better."

The man's footsteps echoed as he walked towards me, then suddenly the lights flickered on.

We were in a bas.e.m.e.nt, no windows, no doors that I could see, and really poor lighting. Mo was to my right chained to a freaking chair, and the man walking towards me was none other than my uncle.

I smiled when he stopped in front of me.

"You think this is funny?" he spat, his eyes d.a.m.n near popping out of their sockets.

"It's so d.a.m.n hilarious I'm having hard time not having a case of the giggles." I narrowed in on his gaze, his mouth was tightened in a firm line, his eyes clear but dilated, he was either high or really p.i.s.sed off. Faint bruising darkened the skin beneath his eyes; he hadn't been sleeping, and by the smell of him he'd possibly been on the run.

"Tell me." I smirked. "You get your invitation to The Commission?"

His nostrils flared.

"Oh wait, did they send it to my house by accident? My bad, I'm sure they're just confused as to who owns the power to the Campisi clan. If you want I can give them a change of address form or something."

Snarling he backhanded me across the left cheekbone almost ripping apart skin with his giant a.s.s ring.

"You step up, you die." He wiped his hands on a silk cloth he'd pulled from his pocket and snapped his fingers.

The two giant dudes came rushing towards me and lifted me into the air then sat my a.s.s onto the coldest metal chair ever created.

"So." I nodded, allowing them to tie me up. "What is this? You kill me, deliver my head Goliath style, and then what?"

"This?" My uncle smiled. "My son, this is me welcoming you to the family."

"Awesome." I nodded. "So it's like a hazing ceremony. You gonna put some body paint on me? Because I have to say Mo would totally dig that." I winked in her direction. She gave me a watery smile but said nothing. Had to stay strong for her. Had to be steel. Had to live. Had to survive.

"I'm going to cut out your tongue."

My Uncle grinned as if amused at the thought. "And then I'm going to send it to your adopted family with a note-along with your girlfriend's fingers."

"Wife," I corrected.

His eyes narrowed. "I stopped the ceremony. She isn't your wife."

"Wow, hate to break it to you, but she is. Check the files, have one of your minions put their computer skills to the test. We. Are. Married. You kill her, you bring down the Abandonatos on your family. Your funeral, just saying."

He examined me for a bit then turned and addressed Mo. "Where's your ring?"

I gave her a rea.s.suring wink.

"The b.a.s.t.a.r.d forgot to get me one on account that we got married in such a rush... I'm pregnant." She glared.

"Surprise b.i.t.c.h."

Oh, G.o.d I loved that woman.

I knew we were in a dire situation, but d.a.m.n I wanted to rip her clothes off and kiss her senseless.

"So you?" Uncle turned and angled his head at me. "Would do anything for her?"

"No s.h.i.t."

"Interesting." He reared back and slapped her across the face so hard she fell to the ground, blood spewed from her mouth.

"Stop!" I yelled. "Hit me, I'll take her punishment. d.a.m.n, do you even have a soul? She's pregnant!"

"Proof?" My uncle pulled out a knife. "I could easily slice her from gut to chin and kill the sp.a.w.n of your seed within her."

s.h.i.t, s.h.i.t, s.h.i.t, s.h.i.t.

"You could." I almost vomited.

"But again, you're forgetting something very, very important."

"And that's, what?" He laughed.

"She's the boss's sister. And the boss... well let's just say he's best friends with the Nicolasi and Alfero Families. Ain't no way you're getting out of the country alive, s.h.i.t, they'd all die in order to kill you. You'd be bringing down the four families, including the De Langes, I highly doubt you want to do that."

"Sometimes..." He fingered the knife. "A man is desperate enough to take such chances."

Without any warning he lunged for me and stabbed my thigh with his knife. I didn't yell. I simply stared at him even though my vision was starting to get spotty.

"I will torture you." He gave me an evil smile. "Pray you survive it."

"Oh, I will," I said hoa.r.s.ely. "After all, I have an uncle to kill."

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE.

Losing someone you love isn't the hardest thing in the world. It's watching it happen before your very eyes-that's hard.

Mo I'D NEVER BEEN in a situation like this before. I'd heard about it, I'd witnessed it, but I'd never lived through it, wasn't so sure I was going to live through it now. Tex was still bleeding from getting shot in the leg, though by the way he had staggered towards me I imagined it wasn't as bad as I first a.s.sumed. Not that it mattered since he had a freaking knife sticking out of his shot-up leg at the moment.

"So this is fun." Tex spat out blood onto the cold cement floor, more blood dripped down his chin.

"I agree!" Another slap from his Uncle, followed by laughter. "I'm having the time of my life."

Tex's head fell back against the chair for a moment before he blinked in my direction. Blood caked his entire face, but his gaze was unwavering. I held onto the look he gave me, I cherished it, pulled it close and prayed that G.o.d would deliver us from the h.e.l.l hole we were in. One thing I was hopeful for? That they wouldn't kill us, that they weren't that stupid, but that didn't mean I'd escape with all of my limbs attached to my body.

"Twenty years!" his uncle shouted.

"Twenty years I've waited to take my rightful spot, and your father was this close!" He held out his fingers in front of Tex's face. "So very close to naming me his second. He was tired, he was ready to step down, and you go and kill him!"

"Aw, s.h.i.t man." Tex shook his head.

"So you weren't smart enough to get it in writing or something? Pity."

His Uncle screamed and punched him in the gut. Tex gagged as his body convulsed. "I am Alfonso Campisi, and I will be the next in line."

Then he burst out laughing, his head hanging a bit like he didn't have strength to lift it. "Holy s.h.i.t, you could have totally starred in Gladiator, 'I am Alfonso Campisi!'" His voice mimicked Alfonso's to perfection.

"This-" Alfonso pulled the knife from Tex's thigh. "-is no game."

"Good, I freaking hate Monopoly."

Alfonso lifted the knife into the air.

Tex had finally pushed him too far.

"Stop!" I yelled. "Please, just stop!"

The hand holding the knife paused in the middle of the downward stroke as Alfonso looked in my direction. Tex groaned and shook his head at me. The knife impaled itself again into his leg, Tex let out a string of expletives as Alfonso started making his way towards me. I instantly regretted my decision.

"So." He unchained me, then grabbed me by the hair and dragged me towards Tex. "You must love him... with all your heart?"

"Yes," I whispered. "Desperately."

"Then you'll do anything to secure his safety."