Tirone (The Night Skulls MC #2)(89)

Tirone is just a boy. He’s starting his life. How can you live with his blood on your hands?

Save your husband. You put him in this shit. It’s the least you can do.

You put Tirone in this shit, too. You can’t just kill him. He’s been protecting you since the day he met you. He’s loved you more than anything. And he’s Laius’s son. Do you think your husband will forgive you if you kill his son?

“Give me the gun,” I whispered.

Declan put it my hand. “Atta, girl.”

“Jo, baby, please, don’t,” Laius sobbed.

“It’s okay, little faerie.” Tirone smiled at me. “I’m ready.”

My eyes misted as I held my husband’s gaze. “Forgive me.”

“No. Don’t pull that trigger.”

“I have to.”

“No, you don’t.”

“If you don’t shoot now, I’m giving the gun to the prodigal son,” Declan said.

“No! I’ll do it.” I wouldn’t let Tirone kill his father. Laius had to live. So did Tirone. They had to have a chance to be the family they should have been before I entered their lives.

“Jo, please. Just wait,” Laius said. “Remember what you told me you should have done before for your mother?”

I should have waited. For Michele.

“That’s the only thing you have to do now. Trust me, baby.”

I blinked, deducing what he was saying. Did he have a way to tell the Bellomos where we were? Were they coming after all?

“Feck this shite.” Declan rolled his eyes. “Give the boy a pistol. Let him end this bollocks.”

“I said I’d do it!” I held the gun with both hands. Waiting might bring the rescue that would save us from the mob, but it wouldn’t save the Lazzarinis from the pain of my existence in their lives. There was only one solution to all the problems I’d ever caused.

I nodded to myself, a strange peace washing over me when I made my decision. “No more waiting.”

My smile bounced between Tirone and Laius. “I’ve loved both of you. Now, it’s time for you to love each other.” I pointed the gun to my head.

“NOOOOOO!”

“JO!”

Finger on the trigger, slowly, I closed my eyes. As my life flashed before them, glimpses of Tirone and Laius finally breaking free from their captors and lunging at me passed by. There’s no saving me now, boys. It’s time you saved yourselves and each other.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang! Bang!





CHAPTER 50


Jo



I hated blood. The smell. The taste. Just the look of it nauseated me. But when it was mine, it was such a relief. It meant no one else got hurt. I didn’t make anybody else bleed. I bet that was why red was my favorite color on my skin.

The whole world stopped, and my mind was empty. No more guilt or shame or pain. No more nothing. All I could see was black. Was I dead? Was that what dead felt like?

“Mom. Mammy, will I finally get to see you again?”

“It’s not your time, topolina.”

“Papà? Is that you?”

“Yes. Open your eyes, Jo. You’re safe now.”

I forced my heavy lids to open just a crack, the peaceful darkness I’d been resting in fading away. “Am I still alive?”

“Si, figlia mia. You got shot, but you survived.”

“No. Who shot me? Why am I the one alive? I remember hearing the bullets. There were so many.” Panic snapped my eyes open. Michele was sitting next to me on a bed—in a hospital again?—holding my hand. “Who died? Who died, papà?” I whimpered.

My other hand lifted between calloused palms. “I didn’t die, baby girl. I’m right here next to you.”

“Laius, thank God.” I inclined my head toward the direction of his voice, but a splitting pain attacked my skull. “Shit,” I moaned.

“Easy,” Laius said.

“No. Where’s Ty? I saw the two of you swooping down on me. Where’s he?” I rolled my eyes to swipe the room, but no one else was there. “No, no,” I sniffled, tears flowing down my face. “Where’s he? Where’s Ty? Did I kill him? I killed him, didn’t I? I killed Ty. I killed your son.” I broke. “He shouldn’t have tried to save me. Why did he try to save me?”

“Jo, Jo! He’s alive. He got out of surgery like you, and he’s in recovery.”

“You’re lying to me.”

“I swear on your life, his and Sammy’s, he’s alive. He reached you faster than I did, and he wrestled you for the gun. He headbutted you when you wouldn’t let go. The bullet came out and grazed your skull, but thank God, it didn’t touch your brain.”

I touched my head, feeling the bulky gauze and bandages. Great. I’ll have another scar on my skull.

“He was hit by a ricochet in the shoulder,” Laius continued. “They got it out, fixed the shoulder and checked if the headbutt and the other blows from the Larvins did any damage to his eyes. It’s not in the clear yet, but they’re optimistic.”

I blew out a sigh in relief. “Thank God. Are you okay?”

“Not a scratch.”