Unforgivable Secrets | One Mistake Away Series Bk 1 [Mob Romance]

Chapter 37 - Let Him Walk

Joanna's POV:

I'd been evaluating Harper since meeting her. She wasn't what I had expected. I'd seen people from this walk of life and how they reacted. Most were quiet, subtle then quick to action, ruthless, lethal. She was many of those things, but gentle wasn't something I'd expected. She was unusually level headed, but like with most situations such as these brought out the tension and hastiness.

I wanted my husband back, but risking the lives of my people for a fool's errand such as this was probably not the way I'd do things. She didn't realize it, but she was using the lives that had been lost as a way to morale her people into taking action. They would protect her, but that didn't mean more lives wouldn't be lost going into a situation we really, truly weren't prepared for.

"You in place, Paddy?" She answered her phone faster than I expected as we exited the vehicle. Her speed gave away the anxiety she was trying to hide. Her men might not have seen it, but I was trained to see the invisible.

Tuning the conversation out, I eyed up the establishment we were walking toward. Even with the gate wide open, I wouldn't have chosen to just walk straight into it. This was a situation where we had no tactical advantage; we needed to be more cautious then what we were being.

High cement walls offered a barrier to the compound. Guard posts were set up like the place had been a prison at one time. We were out of the reach of most of her help. Nobody wanted to anger my cousin and few wanted a war with the Italians. In many ways this was a suicide mission without realizing it.

Part of me wondered why I was here, but in all honesty I was up for a challenge. Not only did they need my expertise, I wanted my husband back. If there was any chance for him to be alive I was going to make sure he was brought back home safely. I was tired of being in the dark. I'd hidden long enough.

"Godspeed then my friend. Let's do this." Harper tucked her phone back into her bulletproof vest, giving me a nod that we were ready to go. She'd balked about wearing the vest, but her temporary second-in-command wouldn't let her leave the building without it.

I'd chosen against wearing a similar vest simply because I used my body as a weapon. I needed my flexibility. A vest simply held me back.

Choosing my steps carefully, I followed the men taking the lead as we watched for any of Ricci's surprises. I would have preferred to be in the lead, but the foot soldiers kept us women at bay as if we were helpless. If my inner beast could be released I'd show them that I was far from being helpless. I admired their loyalty to their boss however so I was willing to let their assumptions slide by.

Charging into the compound, there was nobody. Nothing. Zip.

It felt eerie.

Seeing nobody in the guard towers, hearing no guns being drawn and fired, or feeling the adrenaline having a reason to be vibrant felt off. It wasn't right.

"Are you sure this is right, boss?" I heard one of Harper's men question behind us.

"We're in the right place. Stay sharp." She eyed up our surroundings, gun in hand and ready for a fight. Staring at a door several yards away from her, she moved toward it. "I want Ricci's head."

I could feel the venom dripping from her words. It was that attitude that had me nervous that she wasn't thinking straight. She looked ready to go off half-cocked, and we were heading straight for a potential war.

"As long as I get my turn with him, I will gladly deliver him." I growled, looking away from her at my door options. She was heading toward the left, but going my separate way seemed like a better option. Pausing, I glanced back at her. "I'll clear this way. I've always worked better alone."