When Tex was done cursing I slowly made my way to the freezer and pulled out one solid ice cube. "I know it's kind of big considering what you got down there." I tossed it at his face. "But try to make it work, Campisi."

"You're lucky I don't shoot you for your disrespect," he sneered, batting the ice out of the air with his free hand.

"To kill me you'd have to kill Nixon, and Chase, and Sergio, probably Phoenix, definitely Luca, wow, bringing down all the families on yourself. That your big bad plan, G.o.dfather? Make everyone hate you?"

"If I have to." He stood to his full height. "Besides, what's a few more deaths on my hands after Thursday?

Hmm?"

With that he walked out of the room leaving me scowling in his direction.

Nixon was the first to speak. "Mind telling me what that was about?"

"Mind telling me why you didn't shoot him?" I fired back.

Nixon rolled his eyes. "Shooting Tex wouldn't help the rage, Mo, plus regardless of how awful he's being, I kind of need him to live for at least three more days."

"And after?" I asked.

"We'll pick straws."

Nixon grinned.

Chase snorted. "Dibs on the short one."

"You cannot kill him." Luca slammed his hands onto the table, and stood. "He is the key to everything. You kill him and you sign your own death sentence."

Frank stared straight ahead, his mind appearing to work a thousand miles a minute.

Phoenix met my gaze, his eyes piercing, knowing. I rolled my eyes at him and gave him the finger. Let the countdown begin.

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO.

There is no truth, only suspicion.

Phoenix "YOU DIDN'T FIND that weird?" I asked again. "Not weird at all?"

Sergio took a long sip of his wine and stared out the living room window.

"Mo's always been a pa.s.sionate girl and Tex, well, he's coming into his own.

After Thursday..."

"You mean after everyone dies..."

"Right." Sergio shrugged. "Things will fall back into place."

I rolled my eyes at his back and walked off. He was too calm. If anything, that irritated me even more. He reminded me way too much of Luca, calm, cold, calculating.

I'd officially had enough drama for the evening. With a yawn I made my way to the guest room and stepped inside.

Bee was sitting on my bed reading.

"What the h.e.l.l are you doing?"

She didn't look up, just turned the page. "Reading. Why what's it look like I'm doing?"

"You're in my bed."

"It's Nixon's house, Nixon's bed,"

she said in a bored tone. "Did you know that Edward's a vampire!"

Dear G.o.d, deliver me. This was my penance for being a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, torture by Twilight. Not okay. "You've been sheltered entirely too much, who gave you the book?" Name and social security number, if you please. I had someone to murder.

"Trace."

I held back a groan. There went that plan. "How... kind of her."

"He's so hot."

"You can't see him."

Bee looked up from the book. "In my head I totally can."

Rolling my eyes seemed childish but it was exactly what I wanted to do.

"Please don't describe him. I'm tired and the last thing I want to talk about is fake vampires."

She sighed. "Your loss, man."

Man? What? Like we were bros hanging out now?

"Bee." I licked my lips and tried a different tactic, one that didn't have me sobbing and begging for her to get out of my room. "I really need to get some sleep."

She lifted a shoulder. "So sleep."

"In my bed."

She scooted over. Her vanilla perfume hit me full force with that simple movement. Clenching my fists, I took a few deep breaths. It didn't help.

Sweating, I croaked. "Bee, I sleep alone."

Finally, she put the book on the nightstand and crossed her arms, making her body look that much... better, if that was even possible, in her tiny tank top and shorts. "But when you protected me you stayed with me."

"To keep you alive." I clenched my jaw until it popped. "Trust me, you're safe here."

Her eyes welled with tears.

"Please, Phoenix?"

Tears. I did not work well with tears and she knew it.

Sighing, I reached back and peeled off my shirt then walked over to my dresser, pulling it open to grab a pair of track pants then slamming it shut.

Without another word, I dropped my jeans to the floor and put on the pants then turned off the light.

"Thanks." Bee whispered. "I just- thanks."

She had no idea that her version of safe was deranged... almost sick. She was lying next to a rapist, next to a murderer, next to an absolute monster and yet, that was how she found peace at night. While, me? I found none. None at all. Not when I heard her finally succ.u.mb to sleep, or when her arm reached for my body, or when she curled next to me and sighed.

It was h.e.l.l.

And I knew she might sleep like the dead.

But I was a live wire. Staring wide eyed at the ceiling, telling my body it wasn't responding. Forcing my breathing to even out. And lying to myself once again that I felt nothing for that vanilla scented beauty asleep in my arms.

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE.

Waiting for death-not the best way to spend a sunny day.

Sergio BY THE TIME WEDNESDAY night rolled around, I was ready to take a gun to Tex -or maybe even Mo. The fighting had gotten worse. How was that even possible? If anything Tex had turned from a c.o.c.ky disrespectful little s.h.i.t into a rage-oholic with a serious G.o.d complex.

When n.o.body poured him a cup of coffee he yelled at Mo to fix him something on account of women should serve their men-the bosses.

That earned him a punch to the gut and a threat with a knife. Swear Nixon almost unleashed on him, but we all knew, until Thursday there was nothing we could do, until things played out.

Tex was untouchable.

So I did nothing while he cleaned his guns in front of me then threatened to engrave my name on each bullet just to be sure.

Every time I approached Luca, he told me to leave it. Right, leaving it meant we were all dead, but I'd done everything Luca had asked me to. I'd done right by The Family. In the end, it probably wouldn't be enough.

Fighting erupted in the kitchen, groaning, I jumped up from my comfortable seat in the living room and made my way towards the yelling.

When I turned the corner I almost walked back to my spot, maybe if I ignored the problem it wouldn't be a problem?

"You son of a b.i.t.c.h!" Mo held Tex at knife point. "How could you even say that about us? About your family? We practically raised you!"

"Raised me?" Tex roared, his face contorting with rage. "I was your puppet! Nothing more than a p.a.w.n in a bigger game! You protected me so you could use me, just like you're using me tomorrow!"

"Tex." Nixon looked ready to snap as he took a tentative step forward pushing Mo to the side. "This isn't you, whoever keeps starting these fights, yelling, attacking Mo. This isn't the kid I grew up with. You forget, we were raised together."

"By your sick father." Tex scowled.

Nixon's teeth clenched as Chase slowly approached the group. "Actually my sick father, but details." He waved his hand in the air. "Tex, tomorrow, you end it. Tonight... can't we just imagine a world where you aren't pushing us away in order to distract us from the bigger picture?"

"What?" Tex hissed.

Chase and Nixon shared a look.

d.a.m.n, things just got interesting.

And here I thought Nixon and Chase were just agreeing to Luca's terms because they had no choice. Leaning against the wall I crossed my arms and waited.

Tex's chest heaved with exertion as Nixon tilted his head, his eyes calculating. "You'll always choose Family, Tex. And that's fine, blood wins out, pretty sure we already had that conversation. But you should know one thing."

Tex rolled his eyes.

"We're brothers," Chase said in a low voice. "Blood does always win, but we've shared blood." He held up his palm. "All four of us." Phoenix flinched from his spot near the other doorway.

"And that means that regardless of the choices you make tomorrow-you aren't joining the enemy-you're defeating him, because the minute you take your spot, you'll finally be home. But that doesn't mean we aren't still here, living, breathing, fighting for you."

Nixon slapped Chase on the back and zeroed in on Tex. "Fight all you want man, but we'll stick by your side until the end. Even if the end means our deaths. We aren't stupid. It's possible you'll have a choice to make tomorrow and if there's anything we've learned about Phoenix's situation, an honorable death is a good death.

"Nixon!" Trace half pleaded. While Mil stared at the hardwood beneath her feet, Mo had moved around the kitchen and was standing by the girls.

Tex seemed to be weighing his options as he looked around the kitchen and then a smile curved his lips as his gaze met Nixon's cold stare. With swift movements he walked until his nose was almost touching Nixon's. The tension was so thick I wasn't sure if I should intervene or just let things play out. I glanced at Phoenix out of the corner of my eye, his fists were clenched tightly at his sides, if there was going to be a fight... I'd have to save Tex, d.a.m.n but that felt wrong. I had to keep him alive, at all costs.

Nixon's breathing was ragged as his eyes narrowed into tiny slits.

Tex grinned smugly then whispered, "Volpe."

Not what I was expecting.

Nixon's eyes went wild as they darted back and forth and then with a cruel smile he reared back and punched Tex in the face.

Tex staggered backwards, blood streaming down his chin. He nodded his head once and sauntered down the hall cursing the Abandonato family the entire way.

I scratched my head in confusion.

"Did he just call you a fox?"