“You didn’t ask.” I shrug. “Sammie Junior was there too, so was CJ.”
“For fuck’s sake, can you boys do anything alone? Why are you all always doing shit together?” My aunt curses. “Get down.”
“What exactly do you think is going to happen? We’re thirty floors in the air,” Elias chimes in.
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Some people are creative.” My aunt smirks. “Hear that?”
The rhythmic pulse of a chopper sounds out right before it comes into view. “What the fuck?” I hiss.
“Get down.” My aunt looks through the scope of her rifle. Bullets shatter through the glass windows, and then she’s firing.
Elias and I are both firing our own weapons towards the chopper. It all happens within minutes. I watch as one asshole falls out before the whole thing tilts on its side and disappears out of view as it spirals to the ground.
“Who the fuck are they?” Elias screams.
“The guys who are trying to kill you, it would seem.”
I pull out my phone and check Frankie’s location, leaning back against the counter in relief when I see she’s still at her parents’ house. I hit dial on Alfie’s number.
“Now’s not a good time,” he answers.
“Make it a good fucking time,” I grunt. “I need you to lock your sister in that house. Don’t let her fucking leave.”
“What happened?”
“Some asshole just flew up to my fucking window in a chopper and opened fire. I don’t know if there are more of them, but I don’t want Frankie coming anywhere near this building,” I tell him.
“You good?”
“Aunt Lailani saved the day.”
“She always does.” Alfie chuckles. “I’ll find Frankie and keep her in.”
“Thanks.” I cut the call.
Elias stands and straightens his suit jacket. “I’m going down there. See what I can find out.”
“I’m coming.”
“Neither of you is going down there. You want the cops knowing you two are involved in this? They already have a hard-on for anyone with your last name.” Aunt Lailani points at me and Elias.
I smile at her. “We’ll be fine. You don’t need to worry about us. Thanks for the save.” I hug and kiss her cheek. “Let’s go, Elias.”
My brother follows me out the door. By the time we exit the building, Elias gets a call from our father ordering us both to the Lopez compound. It’s close to where the Giulianis are. I consider swinging by and picking up Frankie. Of course, if I show my face there, it’s going to be a whole other war I’ll be walking into.
Climbing into the car with Elias, I contemplate what Ishoulddo versus what Iwantto do. I want her with me, but she’s probably safer away from me right now. I don’t have any information about who is after us, or what kind of resources they have.
“He say anything about who these guys are?” I ask Elias.
“No, just that we need to get to the compound. He’s on his way.”
“Great,” I groan. Just what I need, a fucking war in Vegas.
Forty minutes later, we’re pulling into the Lopez compound. There are more guards around the fence than usual, no doubt on my father’s orders.
“I should have picked her up,” I say quietly to myself.
“No, you shouldn’t have. She’s right where she should be,” Elias replies.