Alright kiddies . . . this monster is coming to a close. Only a few more chapters to go . . .


Ripley paced in front of the containers, glancing back over her shoulder every few seconds. And despite how stupid she felt doing it she couldn't stop . . . J's warning was constantly replaying in her mind. Leaving her more paranoid than even Atley had time to be. The gangbanger claimed that the person that had been flipped was near and dear . . . that they knew everything going on in their world like they were a big part of it. But no matter how hard she racked her brain she couldn't figure out who it could be.

She turned, looking back as she watched Manday's workers move to prepare for the incoming cars. She'd told Sphinx that she didn't want to be alone in either of their apartments . . . and Sway was running tonight so it wasn't like she could just hang with her. And with Atley and Memphis off to meet J he needed to run with them to get this sheet done. Because after he'd sliced and diced poor Paulo to pieces they needed to stay as much in Cacuzza's good graces as they possibly could.

Even though the mobster almost seemed to think it was funny that his key enforcer was going to need stitches . . .

She shook herself. She would never understand men enough to get their ability to find humor in the worst places. She did good to understand them well enough to work the cons she and Frank usually pulled. She stopped, sighing as she ran a hand through her hair. This new player was responsible for Frankie's condition if J was t be believed . . . and as much as she hated to say it he was probably one of the few they could trust. Other than Castlebeck . . .

They each had their own agendas but they coincided with their own for the time being . . . so neither were going to try to slit their throats. Yet . . . Well, her dad had always said that the enemy of an enemy good be a fair weather friend. Even though she was personally of the opinion that the enemy of her enemy could kiss her ass just as quickly as the enemy. She turned, looking for the lights in the distance.

This was taking too long . . . The cars for tonight were an easy score. Like taking candy from a baby . . . So why weren't they back yet?

Ripley sighed, tugging Sphinx's coat tighter around her. He'd been adamant about her at least taking the thick peacoat. And now she was thankful. She had a chill straight to her bones . . . and very little of it was to do with the light misting of rain or the cold winds picking up around the docks.

Something was wrong . . .


Darrel sighed, shaking his head as he popped the lock for the Daytona. It was an easy score . . . and while he wasn't anywhere near as good as the man that had dropped him here he wasn't a slouch either. He was glad that he and Hex had at least been able to find a temporary haven within this crew. Raines was a good runner-hell, one of the best he'd ever seen if he was completely honest- but more than that he was fair.

He'd accepted them and their talent-despite the fact that he had people who could do just as well if not better- and been gracious for the help. Because the odd little blonde- Ripley or something like that if he remembered right- wasn't running for the time being. Something about trying to concentrate on school. He rolled his eyes, sinking into the seat and set to work getting the car to crank. He'd seen the way that the Sphinx was with her . . . and how she was with him.

And Hex had mentioned that the guy hadn't seemed too thrilled with her running before. He smirked, shaking his head to himself. He'd would've never guessed that the scary mother fucker would ever want to settle down and play house with anyone . . . but he'd claimed a clear stake on that girl. And he watched her when he was around her.

Rumor had it that she and Wayland had barely escaped Johnny B's boys a few months before . . . so that probably had a lot to do with it . . . Well that and the scary bastard was so obviously head-over-heels for her it was terrifying. Whoever was dumb enough to try and touch her would disappear. Permanently . . .

A sound off to his left caused him to sit up, looking around before going back to working just a bit faster. He shook his head, forcing himself to concentrate. He'd have plenty of time to watch the way the two of them worked together . . . but something about this wasn't right. And he needed to get this thing up and cranked so he could get on his way.

He turned the pick, grinning as the engine turned over. Thank God that had worked the first time . . . He reached out, going to pull the door closed when something hit him in the face hard; knocking him back and over the center console and gear shift as he reached up to grab his burning face. He pulled his hands back, shocked to see the dark warm liquid oozing down his fingers and over his palms. Christ was that blood?

He looked up, going to try to get back and get out before he was hit again. And this time the world started to go fuzzy and white at the edges. Before blackness overtook his vision completely. But as he faded, feeling his body start to go cold and his limbs grow incredibly heavy he thought he heard voices . . .

And then there was nothing . . .


Sphinx glanced to Hex as the Irishman pulled the car up and into the container after him. They'd apparently been the first ones back, coming in just scant seconds behind the other . . . but something was wrong. Because no one was here to collect the bloody things. Actually, there didn't seem to be anyone here period . . . Which was extremely unsettling because he'd left his girl here with these people.

He nodded to the container farthest away, watching Hex hurry to catch up with him as he walked quickly towards the impromptu headquarters. God this was too eerie . . . Hex stepped up beside him, drawing his gun from the waist of his pants; aiming the barrel down as they moved quietly towards the other area. He'd already pissed enough people off by cutting the Italian idiot from before up . . . He really didn't want to do anymore if he didn't have to.

Ripley got pissed enough with him . . .

He fought the urge to snort. How the hell was he supposed to know that the idiot wasn't going to move. And then he'd pushed him back, trying to prove how much of a badass he was . . . Well, he'd found out. He might terrify the little ninnies running with the mob but by God he wasn't afraid of anything . . . and he'd proved he was far faster than the other man when it came down to it. A gun didn't do you any good if you couldn't draw it fast enough to use it.

He watched Hex move around, bringing the gun up to level it at the person standing just inside the container. But when they turned he knew the Irishman was just as shocked as he was. Because standing there, covered in blood and clutching her father's blade like it was her lifeline was Ripley. He stepped around the Irishman, looking down at the girl. She had tears welling in her eyes and the left side of her face was swollen and an angry red . . . but he could tell even if the dim light that it was bruise.

He reached out, tracing the marks on her flesh when a groan at her feet brought his attention down to the floor. There was a dark crumpled form balled around itself on the dirty ground, clutching what he could assume was its midsection.

He looked back up to her, eyes wide as she finally snapped. She flicked the blade closed, stepping into him and burying her face in his chest; steady sobs racking her body as she leaned into him. He wrapped his arm around her, holding her close as Hex stepped around, kneeling to look at the poor blighter at their boots. The Irishman looked up at him, his light eyes locking with his as pulled his hand away. And wiped the blood off of his hand on the person's shirt almost casually as he pushed to his feet.

Hex opened his mouth when they heard the sound of cars in the distance, causing Ripley to look up and shift even closer to him. He tugged her closer, bringing his other arm to wrap around her shoulders and neck; keeping her against him as he dipped to run his cheek over her uninjured one.

"Shhh . . . Its fine, girlie. I've got you . . . Its just the lads . . ."

She looked up at him, letting him see that her bottom lip was split as well. And that he could make out a very distinct set of knuckles over her left cheek. He'd almost gutted Frankie for touching her before they were together . . . but that would pale when he had her settled. Whoever did this would die. Slowly and painfully.

"We have to get out of here, Sphinx . . . It isn't safe . . ."

He pressed his lips against her temple before looking up to Hex as the Ferrari that Wayland had been sent out to collect pushed past them quickly. Hex moved, motioning for them to step outside. And as soon as Wayland had handed off the car-to the workers that had come running from the other side of the docks- she was over and prying Ripley away from him. He watched Ripley lean into Sway, letting the older girl wrap her arms around her friend as she petted her hair.

And as soon as Sway had her moved close enough to the drop van he turned to go back into the container. Hex caught his shirt, fisting both of his hands in the back of his clothes to keep him from moving. But all it did was make him glare at the Irishman. He needed to let him go or he would make him . . . and he would end up in more pieces than the Italian.

But Hex just kept his grip, shaking his head as he stepped closer.

"Send the lass home, Sphinx. She don't need to see this . . . poor lil' things been through enough as it is . . ."

Sphinx raised a brow, before turning to Sway as she stepped back alone. He looked up, spotting Ripley curled in the front seat of the van with his coat draped over her like a blanket. The thing almost swallowed her whole . . . and it made her look even smaller and more fragile with the bruises darkening against her skin. He turned back to Wayland, digging his keys out of his pockets and pushing them into the woman's hands with a pointed look.

She nodded, digging her own out and handing them to him before she turned back to glance at the van.

"She isn't saying much . . . I think she's going into shock . . . I'm gonna get her somewhere warm and get her cleaned up. Most of that blood isn't hers . . . but some of it is. The bastard that did this to her still here?"

Sphinx nodded as Hex let go of his shirt slowly, looking to Wayland in shock at her words. But Sphinx just nodded, trying not to smirk. Wayland was a wicked little thing when she put her mind to it . . . and he would live up to what he'd just promised.

"You make him suffer for this . . . all of this. She says he's the one that hit us . . . that totaled the Zonda . . ."

Sphinx turned, pushing past Hex. He didn't care what the others thought . . . or what they said or did. He would kill this sonofabitch . . . and he was going to take his time doing it . . .


Hex watched Sphinx step into the container, pulling the blade from his pocket and flipping it open slowly. Deliberately making it as loud as he could. And they watched the crumpled man on the floor cringe and curl tighter. But the puddle of blood he was laying in was getting bigger . . . and darker. The kid had sliced him up pretty badly herself . . . and the way she was acting now that the adrenaline was gone told him it was all instinct.

He'd heard her old man was mean as hell an crazier than most in a fight from Astricky and Jackson . . . and apparently lil' bit got a whole serving of that. He watched Sphinx step closer, kneeling to bring the man's face up out of the blood and dirt on the container floor. Only to jerk back like he'd been burnt. Hex knelt beside him, grabbing the man's throat and had to fight back his own wave of nausea as one of his fingers slipped into the man's neck. Or what was left of it.

Ripley had almost completely sliced his neck open . . . and even in the low light of the dingy container he could see that she'd somehow managed to not sever his larynx. Meaning that even though it would be hard the bastard could talk . . . and he was going to. Because none of this was making a damned bit of sense anymore.

He squeezed, applying pressure to where the blood wasn't flowing as freely as it had been. Whatever they were going to do they needed to be quick about it. Because his pulse was steady but it was weak . . . and it wasn't going to get any stronger here.

"Doug? Ya here me lad?"

The man looked up, opening his dark eyes before he opened his mouth to speak . . . and Sphinx seemed to snap out of his shock. The stoic runner's face transformed into something truly worthy of fearing before he reached out and jerked the man from his grasp; heaving him up by his throat as he let the man's feet dangle. And as much as Hex knew he should let Sphinx beat and cut the man until his heart stopped beating they needed to know what happened here.

"Stop! Doug? What in the fuck happened here? Why'd she go after ya like that?"

The man's head lulled to the side, his eyes locking with his again before he spoke. And Hex knew Sphinx was fighting the urge to snap his neck. Because he was himself. He liked the girl well enough . . . but what he was talking about was horrendous . . . And he'd run with the fucking IRA for years before he'd gotten fed up and come to the States to escape the wars.

"Stupid kid's fast with that blade . . . . I got told to take her and one a you out. To send Cacuzza a message . . . Long Beach ain't his anymore . . . and you're all about to find it out . . ."

Hex shook himself, trying to keep it together as he glared up at the man. He couldn't believe this . . . Doug had been with Manday for years . . . had been a boost himself before his wife had been killed in the wreck that left him the sole caretaker of his daughter. How could he do this to them? To the people who had trusted him?

"Why her? Why not Wayland or another of us?"

Doug chuckled weakly, blood bubbling from between his lips before he almost choked. But Sphinx shook him, loosening his grip just enough to let him swallow the blood. And as soon as he gasped in greedy gulps of air again Sphinx tightened his grip. Painfully. Doug went to yelp but Hex stepped closer, glaring up at him.

"Why Doug? Or he's liable to snap . . . Jackson told me you were there when he tossed Frank . . . . You think he couldn't snap your neck like a twig?"

The man paled before turning to look Sphinx over. And Hex knew why so many people respected Memphis and Atley . . . they kept this guy in check. But he doubted even they would be able to where this was concerned. Hex had seen the proof for himself . . . Sphinx would get his answers and then this man was going to die. And with his next words Hex decided that was a good thing. The fucking bastard deserved it.

He'd sold them out. All of them.

"Johansen knows Cacuzza gave Raines the case for her parents. He knows she could use it to bury him . . . and our new boss wanted it dealt with. Before she tried to burn everything to the ground . . . Stupid kid shot her mouth off at him in the precinct, said she knew what he was and what he did. They can't afford that kinda loose end. Not taking over . . . . not ever. And Johansen knew if she ever tried his head would end up on the block . . . Especially with how cozy Cacuzza is with her . . ."

Hex narrowed his eyes, looking up to Sphinx as the man's face darkened even more.

"What would her parents have to do with it? They're dead . . . been dead for over a year . . ."

Doug coughed again, laughing as bloody oozed out of his mouth. But Sphinx didn't slacken his grip this time. Instead he tightened it making the man gurgle before he spoke.

"Cause Johansen covered up the fact they were killed . . . why else? New boss came in. Wanted her old man to run . . . to train a new crew for him to run against Raines. And Guadimus, the sanctimonious prick said no. That he was retired . . . and that he wouldn't go against Halliwell's prize boy Raines. Gotta say hand it to him though . . . he'd ever thought him saying no woulda set the shit in motion for his precious little girl to fuck you he woulda probably rolled on all of ya . . ."

Sphinx clenched his fist around the man's throat, digging into the open wound and tearing into the exposed tissue as hard as he could. Before his other hand came up and caught the back of Doug's head, twisting the man's neck hard. And Hex had to admit that he'd never been so happy as to hear that sick wet crunch as he was in that moment.

Sphinx let go, allowing the body to crumple to ground in a heap just as Memphis and Atley pushed into the container looking around frantically. With Donnie right behind them. Memphis stopped short, looking over the scene in front of him before looking around.

"Where's Ripley? And Sway? Are they okay?"

Sphinx was still glaring down at the body as hex turned, nodding once before he nudged the man gently. And he was glad that some of that darkness he'd seen before had started to ease out of his eyes. Lil' bit didn't need to see him like that. Not now or ever . . .

"They're at Sphinx's, Raines. I take it ya found out he was our rat then?"


Memphis nodded, looking over the crumbled and bleeding body in front of Sphinx. Christ . . . He hadn't wanted to believe it but Cacuzza's man really had gotten off easy . . . because there didn't seem to be enough left of this guy to put in a doggie bag.

He looked up, nodding to Hex before he looked to Sphinx.

"You okay?"

Sphinx shrugged his brows before he nodded once to them, pushing away from the carnage he'd left and going towards the exit. Hex waved a hand at them, motioning them closer as Atley went to follow Sphinx; speaking with the man quietly as he moved towards the remaining drop van. He stopped, turning to Hex.

"What the fuck happened? How did you guys know when we just found out?"

Hex ran a hand through his auburn hair before he sighed and crossed his arms. And Memphis felt his gut go cold at what he told them . . . Donnie stopped, looking down to the ground as he shook his head. This was hard to swallow . . . Doug had been a part of Manday's operation for as long as anyone could remember. To find out he'd flipped . . .

"We got 'ere and the girl was a mess. Bruised and bloody clutching a damn blade bigger than she was. With him at her feet. She did most a this . . . tryin' ta get away would be my guess. Bastard told us he was 'ere ta kill her. That 'e'd been told ta get her an another as a message ta Cacuzza. An 'cause she has some file . . . 'bout her parents. Said she popped off about bringin' 'im ta light . . ."

Memphis looked up, shaking his head as he looked between Donnie and Hex.

"No. Otto has it. We were saving it incase Johansen tried to fuck with her . . . Hell she doesn't even know we have it. She popped trying to get us outta jail. She recognized his voice . . . and knew he was the same jerk. She has no clue about any of the other . . ."

"What other?"

Memphis turned, seeing Atley standing there glaring at him harshly . . . with Sphinx just a few steps behind him. And the look on his face was more terrifying than even Atley's. Fuck.

"Otto and I got it from Cacuzza . . . we knew she would get hurt if she knew. And that he would come after her harder. We had no clue that someone was going to leak this to . . . whoever's trying to pull the strings. We just wanted to keep her safe. All of us safe . . ."

Atley glared before reaching out and stopping Sphinx from stepping forward. He sighed, shaking his head before glaring at Memphis. And Raines knew he wasn't going to like what was about to be said.

"I get it. And it was smart . . . you shoulda told us . . . But I get that play too. Right now we need to get outta here. Because I gotta call Cacuzza to do damage control here and we gotta check on the girls . . ."

Memphis sighed, starting to relax. Which was odd considering he was in the middle of a crime scene . . . with a dead body not even a foot from him. The dead body of a man that was supposed to be an ally . . . He shook his head.

"Let's go, guys . . ."

Atley stepped back, letting the others go as he tossed Sphinx the keys to the van. But he caught Memphis as he went to step outside, tugging him close.

"We're friends Raines. And I would've backed this . . . kept him in check. Because she would've helped. But we can't change any of it . . . so we're going to do this. You and I are going to get that file. And we're going to call Caccuza . . . Whose going to get that lawyer down here to file an injunction to get Johansen out of our hair for a while . . . But you're going to tell her. All of it . . . She deserves to know."

Memphis gulped but nodded. God he didn't want to do this . . . . but he would be damned if he'd do it alone. Otto was going to be there too damn it.


Ripley sat huddled under the spray of water, trying not to shiver at how cold it was. She'd run the hot water out forever ago . . . and had turned it off to let it try to reheat. But try as she might she couldn't get out of the shower. She wasn't clean yet . . . because no matter how hard she scrubbed she couldn't get the blood off her hands. She squeezed her eyes shut, resting her forehead on her knees as she hugged herself even tighter.

God what had she done?

She'd turned to Doug and smiled, talking with him like she always had when he'd asked her to come and look at something with him. And even though it had felt like someone was grating her skin with razorblades she'd gone. She trusted Doug . . . and he'd been the first one to try and help her and Sway after their wreck. She remembered him helping to pick her up and get her to the docks to wait . . .

She shook herself, swiping at her eyes as fresh tears poured over her cheeks. She'd gone and he'd hit her as soon as they were out of sight, punching her in the stomach so hard it still hurt. Actually, her whole abdomen felt like it was tearing and ripping apart . . . And when she'd hit her knees in shock he'd caught her in the face again; backhanding her as hard as he could while he'd yelled at her.

"You stupid kid. You couldn't keep your mouth shut could you? You did this to yourself . . ."

She shuddered, hugging her knees even closer to her chest. When Sphinx had pushed the coat on her shoulders she'd plucked her knife out of her bag and stuck it in the pocket, making sure he saw it so he wouldn't worry. She'd never thought she'd have to actually use it . . . She closed her eyes again, letting the tears fall. She'd killed him . . . There was no way he would be able to survive the wound to his neck . . . if the long slice to his abdomen didn't do him in first.

He'd gone to hit her again and she'd moved, pulling the blade from the pocket of the coat and sliced as hard she could, using every bit of momentum and force she could to push the blade through his torso. And it had been so odd to watch his stomach and skin split, spreading apart like butter beneath the sharp blade as she'd pulled it away. She'd turned to got to run, to try to get away and he'd caught her; jerking her back and grabbing her throat.

So she'd turned and slashed at him blindly. Only to watch in horror as the skin of his throat separated to reveal the muscle and tissue beneath it . . . while dark blood bubbled up. She'd stepped back, watching him drop to the ground at her feet. But even though she could still hear him gasping, see him straining to breathe as he clutched his stomach and chest she'd known she'd killed him.

She'd killed someone . . . Just like her father . . .

The curtain moved back slowly, letting the slightly cooler air of the bathroom flood the tub as she blinked at the brighter light. She rubbed at her eyes only to jump as a body settled in behind her, tugging her back. She turned, seeing it was Sphinx . . . and he was covered in blood. But she didn't care . . . He was here . . .

She leaned into him, wrapping herself around him as she sobbed into his chest as his hands went to the small of her back and her hair. But he gave up trying to work through it after he snagged his second tangle. Had she even washed it? She couldn't remember . . .

He dipped, pressing a kiss to the crown of her hair as he tugged her closer.

"I killed him, Sphinx . . . I killed . . ."

He shushed her, stretching out his legs and pulling her into his lap before he reached up and adjusted the water. And she was thrilled at the almost scalding water that started to rain on them . . . but he still seemed cold. God how long had she been in here? He wrapped his arms around her, settling against the tile as he held her.

"No you didn't girl. I did . . . Hex was there. He saw it . . . And the bastard deserved more for touching you. He was gonna kill you . . ."

She looked up to him, searching his eyes to see if he was lying. He rarely did it but he was still human. And this would be one of the times he would . . . but he was being sincere. And she didn't know why but it made her worry even more. Not because she cared that he'd killed the man that wanted to kill her-she'd known he would do that- but that he'd gotten that much closer to loosing what little softness he had left . . .

She reached up, tracing his cheek as he looked down to her uncertainly . . . but as she brushed her lips across his he seemed to make up his mind. He cupped her uninjured cheek, tugging her into him as his mouth sealed over hers. But the second his other hand slipped around to graze her stomach on its path south she whimpered. He stopped, pulling away as he looked her over . . . and something in his eyes made her look down.

She gasped, seeing the deep blue spanning most of her stomach and creeping up and over her left ribs. She looked up at him, watching as he went to touch it before she hissed. Christ that hurt . . . She doubled and he caught her; picking her up and stepping out of the shower. He sat her on the small vanity before handing her a towel. Letting her notice he was still dressed . . . and sopping wet. Which was making his black shirt and dark jeans cling to him.

She reached out tugging her into him, thrilled that he came willingly. And that he didn't fight her when she sealed her mouth over his. He pulled her to him before he seemed to shake himself, trying to pull away but she kept him in place by holding onto his shirt; leaning into him as she looked up at him.

"please . . . stay with me . . . I don't want to be alone . . . or around a bunch of people. I just want you . . ."

He looked her over before nodding once, dipping to kiss her softly as he his fingers brushed her cheek.

"You don't mind me touching you with blood on my hands then?"

She looked up at him like he was crazy before she shook her head, kissing him again before she took one of his hands in both of hers. Any blood there from tonight was her fault . . . she would have to be stupid to mind touching the man that had killed to protect her. She kissed his knuckles before resting her hurt cheek against the top of his hand.

"You're mine, baby. I don't mind a damn thing about you . . . I never will . . ."

He looked her over before her slashed his mouth over hers, pushing her back against the mirror gently. When he pulled away he pressed his forehead to hers and she could feel the tension draining from his shoulders as he spoke to her.

"Figured you wouldn't want me . . ."

She kissed him again, shaking her head at him.

"Would you want me if it were the other way around?"

He nodded, looking at her through his lashes.

"Forever and Always, Love. No matter what . . ."

She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he sagged into her.

"Then why wouldn't I want you? I love you. All of you . . . and I can honestly say I love the part of you that could do that . . ."

His mouth came up, moving over hers in a frenzy as he tugged her closer. And his words made her feel hot despite the chill of the bathroom.

"Have to be quiet girl . . . We've got company . . ."

She nodded, kissing him back. So long as he was easy with her side she would be as quiet as he wanted her to be. She was just happy he still wanted her . . . and he apparently felt the same. God she realized how fucked up that meant they were but she didn't care. He was here . . . and he'd taken care of it. He'd made her safe again . . . And they still wanted one another. And that's all that mattered . . .


Otto watched Donnie wrap Ripley's abs carefully, checking ever-so-often to make sure they weren't actually broken. He sighed, turning to glance at the silent man propped against his kitchen counter; arms crossed as he watched Donnie work. The others were giving Sphinx even more clearance now than they had before . . . and he didn't know why but it bothered him. Actually it pissed him off . . . and he did know why.

So he'd killed the bastard that had tried to kill Ripley? Big fucking deal . . . He'd dealt with it . . . and that was all that mattered. So much so that he was even willing to over look the fact that when he'd come in both of them were locked up in the bathroom while the others tried to entertain themselves. Or that he knew for fact what they'd been doing before he'd pulled her through the living room and banished the others from the kitchen with a dark look as Ripley had told Donnie about her side.

He was pretty sure she had cracked ribs but Don swore they were just badly bruised . . . and that so long as she didn't overdo it she would be okay. He sighed, watching Sphinx push away from the counter to kneel in front of Ripley when Donnie touched a tender spot. The stoic man reached out, pushing her tangled curls out of her face as he looked her over. And the smile she gave him was one Otto knew that only Sphinx saw.

God the two of them together . . .

He shook himself, turning to call Memphis back into the room now that the kid's ribs were wrapped.

"C'mon Raines. Time to face the music . . ."

Sphinx seemed to darken, going from human to monster right before their eyes as Raines stepped into the room; case file in hand. But he mellowed when Ripley reached out and caught his hand, threading her fingers through his larger ones as she tugged him back to her. He turned letting her rest her cheek against his abs as his other hand came out to trace the bandaged one lightly. She smiled up at him wearily.

"Baby please . . . no more fighting. Let's just listen and see what they have to say . . . No matter what it'll be okay."

He glared down at her, opening his mouth but she flicked his hip; shaking her head.

"Nope. Not a word. I made up my mind to not be upset anymore tonight . . . Are you going to ruin that for me?"

He sighed, shaking his head as he cupped her cheek and let her rest against him again. But the look he leveled on Memphis was enough to make even him want to squirm. He was madder than she was . . . Damnation. He stepped forward, taking the file from Memphis as the man tried to step away.

Buncha cowards . . .

"Okay kid. We got this a while ago. And I decided to keep it from you . . . to keep you outta trouble. You get pissed at anyone it'd better be me . . ."

She rolled her eyes, pulling the file from his hands before looking it over. She flipped through pages, perplexed.

"What is this? I have a copy at home and half of this isn't even there . . . Where did you get this?"

Otto and Memphis shared a look as Sphinx smirked, seemingly smug before Ripley looked up at him with watery eyes. And Otto watched him kneel to look it over before his face closed down completely. Fuck . . .

"Cacuzza had a copy that wasn't abridged like yours apparently. He gave it to us as insurance . . . it was before Thanksgiving so he had no clue who you were . . .But we know why. And it can't ever go in that file . . . Johansen and Doug's boss came to your Pops. Asked him to come out of retirement to run and train a crew for him . . ."

Ripley looked over the pages, shaking her head before she closed it.

"So this happened . . ."

She looked up at him, eyes wide and tears starting to gather again. And he didn't even try to stop her as she shot out of the chair and into his arms. He sighed, hugging her close as Sphinx watched them closely. Before he perked at what he told her.

"I talked to Cacuzza while I was waiting for Memphis and Atley. Rosen's gonna file the injunction tomorrow . . . along with one for harassment and verbal assault. He's going to go after him with everything he has . . . and Cacuzza said he'd bank roll it. He's pissed as hell and he wants this as settled as he can get it . . ."

Memphis stepped further in, looking at him like he was crazy. God this was going to be hard to do . . .

"Why? We got rid of the rat right? So until this new boss pops up with something new we're in the clear . . . Well, after we kick Darrel's ass for flaking out earlier that is. I still can't believe him . . ."

Sphinx looked up at him, brows furrowed before he glanced down to Ripley who was looking to him with the same look. She turned back to Memphis, shaking her head.

"Darrel didn't flake. He showed up . . . Actually he rode out with Sphinx. He asked to take the Daytona . . . because he'd always wanted t grab one. You dropped him before you went to get the Porsche, right baby?"

Sphinx nodded, stepping closer to them as Ripley pulled away from him to settle against her lover. Otto sighed, thankful she wasn't treating him any differently . . . if anything they seemed even cozier. For the second. They'd be at each other's throats again soon enough . . . He turned to Memphis as the man's face fell into a perplexed look. And he hated having to be the one to do this. But he was the only one who knew . . .

"Memphis . . . we all need to talk . . . And I can tell all of you we're gonna need to keep Hex in check."

Ripley's face fell as Sphinx tugged her tighter . . . and Otto watched the realization sink into Raines like death had just brushed past him. Something about the way his shoulders set made him worried . . . but right now he had bigger things to worry about.


Cacuzza sat on the balcony of his restaurant, glaring at the empty bottle of what used to be scotch laying on the table. He had no idea who this person was that had made such a mess of his city . . . but they were going to regret it. Because they had underestimated him . . . Greatly. He sighed, rubbing his forehead before he dropped his hand, letting it hang listlessly as he looked over the rising sun. He needed to be careful but he could win this . . . the question was how.

Any move he made blindly would only endanger the people close to him . . . and the people he had to rely on for his world to keep spinning. He reached over, picking up the note that had been taped to the body of the poor bastard that had been dumped on his doorstep hours before.

The man-Darrel- had run with the Irishman and the others in Dowers crew before they'd all been narced on. And now Hex was truly the last one free. The others were all going to be away for at least five years-most of them ten- and it was a good thing that the crazy bastard had fallen in with Raines. Now he just had to make sure he kept them all out of jail . . . but with Johansen being indicted as soon as the law offices opened that would be a much easier task. And his straight laced partner would go back to tracking Johnny B and the others for a while . . .

Which just left him with this problem to solve . . . Darrel had been sliced in the face-much the same as the Fish had been- before he was beaten and shot twice. Once in the back of the head and once in the throat. And while the Glasgow smile screamed Irish-more to the point IRA- the bullets worried him. Very few organizations did an execution like that . . . and the one he was most familiar with was a British mobster.

But the note in his hand was definitely Italian . . . and was meant to serve as an ultimatum. Too bad they would be the ones to crumble . . . First he just had to figure out who they were. And then he could make them pay. Long Beach was his until his heart quit beating . . . a lesson these cretins would learn the hard way.

Che cosa è tuo è mio adesso. e tutto ciò che cerca di fermare me crollerà e la caduta.

Il Carpenter


Things are coming together now . . . finally.