Page 89 of Sinful Bargains

“They said he’s a terrible patient.” Marco nudged Ma, smirking. She chuckled, plopping down beside Joey as she combed her fingers through his hair. “If he gives you a hard time, let me know. I’ll come by and straighten his ass out for you.”

“You’d do good to go home,” Joey smirked at him. My eyes shifted behind Joey as Ben stepped in—the NYPD cop gone rogue—Joey’s newest sidekick.

“How many fucking lives does this guy have?” he teased, making Paul and Marco laugh. Ben walked over, smiling and greeting me. But I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move.

“Ben, Joey needs rest,” Ma told him.

“I’m fine,” Joey told her. “I’ve been resting up in that hospital bed so long I damn near lost my mind.”

“Joey, you just got home,” Ma snapped at him.

“Someone tried to take me out, Adriana.” That sentence made goosebumps creep up my arms.

They say when you live with someone, you can’t hide who you are. Joey couldn’t hide who he was. He spoke in a strange code, one I had learned to translate in my mind. One Ma could translate in hers, too. I’d watched her say it back to him at times, their words layered with meaning only they understood. But I had begun to decode it. “Marco and Paul are handling everything. You need to focus on healing.” Ma’s eyes bored into his.

Joey shook his head. “I can’t sit here while there’s a target on my back. I won’t let anyone in this family walk around with one, either.”

She cupped his face, forcing him to look at her. “You almostdied, Joseph. You think I give a damn about anything else right now? You’re still here. That’s all that matters to any of us.”

Marco and Paul helped Joey off the couch, the four of them disappearing into Joey’s office. Once they were finally gone, I stood up and made my way to the door.

“Antonio,” Ma called from behind me. She was already walking toward me. I turned just as she pulled me into a hug, her hands cupping my face.

“He’s going to be okay. They’ll find out who did this to him. I don’t want you to worry about any of this.”

That was exactly why I couldn’t stop worrying.

JOEY

Icouldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I was back outside The Wise Guy. Adriana’s lips on mine, her whispered words—I just want to go home and make love to my husband. The warmth of her breath still lingered in my mind, taunting me. It had been a perfect moment. And then?—

The flash of headlights. The squeal of tires. The glint of metal.

I woke with my breath ragged, my pulse pounding against my skull. My body ached, a sharp pain digging into my side where the bullet had torn through me. I sat up slowly, wincing, rubbing a hand down my face. I couldn’t stop replaying it. Over and over, like a broken record. I could see the gun, but I couldn’t see the face behind it. That was the part that was eating me alive. Someone had tried to kill me. Someone who knew exactly where I’d be.

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, pushing myself to my feet, biting back the groan of pain as I limped toward the window. The estate was quiet. I clenched my jaw, my hands curling into fists. I’d spent my whole life surviving, clawing my way out of the gutter, making damn sure no one ever got thebest of me. And yet, someone had. Someone had gotten close enough to put a bullet through me.

I couldn’t let it go. Not until I knew who. Not until I put them in the ground.

I pressed a hand to my side, the bandages rough against my fingertips. The pain barely registered. The rage burned hotter. I’d find them. And when I did, I’d make damn sure they regretted not finishing the job. Because anyone with any sense would know you’ve got one shot, so you always make it count.

ANTONIO

Ihadn’t slept in what felt like an eternity. And at this rate, I didn’t think I would ever get any rest. Every time I tried to close my eyes, I saw Joey stepping out of that exit door. I saw my own hands gripping the gun. I heard his words echo in my head—One shot, Antonio. One shot. That’s all you got. So you always make it count.

I had made it count. But not enough.

Joey was alive. And he wouldn’t rest until he found out who tried to kill him. Little did he know the person was his son in the room down the hallway from him. Right under his nose the entire time. It was only a matter of time. Joey wasn’t the kind of man to let things go. He’d dig and dig until he found the truth. And when he did…

I’d be dead.

I stormed into the boys’ locker room, shoving the newspaper against Giovanni’s chest. He scowled, snatching it from my hands and glancing down at the bold headline.

Could the shooter expect The Shark to be out for blood?

“We’ve got a problem,” I said.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “No,youhave a problem.”Smirking, he shoved the newspaper back at me. “Now get the fuck out of my way.”

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