Inevitable - Kristen Granata Page 0,52

in a warped way, I know that Dad made sure to target Eric knowing he had a gambling problem. He used Eric’s addiction to his advantage, for his own gain, like he does with everyone else in his life.

“If it weren’t for your involvement, Eric might not have felt helpless enough to take his own life. Don’t try to twist this any other way. You did this.”

“Blame whoever you want. Doesn’t change the fact that the kid’s dead.”

“Maybe not, but now I have proof that you were involved. You and your illegal gambling.”

Dad’s jaw ticks and his eyes turn to slits. “Those letters prove nothing, except for the fact that you broke into Anthony Montalbano’s safe and took them. You’re the only one who’ll go down for this. In fact, you were involved in Eva’s kidnapping. Both Tommy and Clemmons will attest to that. They were down that alley that night. They saw you. They saw everything. They even know where the van is stored, with your DNA all over it.”

And now it all makes sense.

Fuck. Me. That’s why Dad wanted me there the night of Eva’s kidnapping.

“So, if you still want to quit,” Dad says with a careless shrug, gesturing to the door. “Go. But don’t call me from your prison cell.” He laughs. “And I doubt your new pal Anthony Montalbano will bail you out. The man wouldn’t even help his own son. Besides, he’ll be too busy burying his daughter after she’s tragically murdered by her body guard.”

“Over my dead body will you touch her!”

“That can be arranged.”

I’m so enraged, I can’t see straight. Colors around me blur together as a lightheadedness takes over. I don’t know what to say, what to do to fix this.

All I know is that I have to protect Eva, my sister, and Gwennie. The only way to do that is to continue working for my father. But Montalbano already knows the truth. He won’t let me anywhere near his home or his office. How am I going to pull this off?

“Fine,” I say. My shoulder droop as the fight whooshes out of me. “I’ll help you take Montalbano down. Just stay away from Eva, and let Jen and Gwennie go. Those are my terms.”

“Done.” Dad claps his hands together, a sinister laugh leaving his throat. “See? Was that so hard? I don’t know why you insist on fight—”

Something slams against Dad’s head and he collapses to the ground.

Eva

Yeah, there was no way I was going home.

“Eva, what the hell are you doing here?” Graham yells, rushing toward me.

I turn the cast iron skillet over in my hand and shrug. “I’m helping.”

Two men wielding knives stomp toward us, and Graham pushes me behind him. “Stay back.”

I peek out from behind Graham’s giant wall of a body, getting a good look at the men who punched me in the face, tied me up, and tossed me in the back of a van.

Neither of them is as tall as Graham. They both look to be around the same age, deep creases in their foreheads and around their eyes. One’s bald and the other is sporting a greasy-ass combover. Without their ski masks on, they’re not so scary.

Except for the knives.

“You heard me, Clemmons,” Graham says to the combover. “I agreed to work for my father and give him what he wants. You don’t need to hurt anyone.”

Clemmons aims his knife at me. “That was before the bitch knocked him out.”

I flip him off. “You’re the bitch, bitch.”

“Eva, don’t!” Graham hisses. “Let me handle this.”

The bald man grins. “Is she just as feisty in the sack? Maybe I’ll take a test drive before we leave.”

Graham’s muscles tense. “You’ll be dead before you can get your pants unzipped.”

His foreboding tone reminds me of the night he beat up Dominick, and I remember how he lost control. With me and his family on the line, there’s no doubt in my mind that Graham would follow through on his promise to end someone’s life. That would change him forever.

I have to make sure that doesn’t happen.

“Enough of this bullshit,” Clemmons snarls. He lunges at Graham, thrusting his knife toward Graham’s midsection.

Graham sidesteps his attempt and catches his wrist in one fluid movement. He twists his wrist and flicks the knife onto the carpet. Then he delivers a powerful punch to his jaw and knocks him out cold.

Baldy goes after Graham while his back is turned, but I swing the skillet with all my might. It connects with his