Chapter 2 - THE MAN FROM EVAN'S FUNERAL
Eden remembered three things about the night Evan Walsh was buried.
The freezing rain.
The cheap black shoes that gave her blisters.
And the man who stood beneath a dark umbrella at the edge of the cemetery, watching the coffin descend without shedding a tear.
His name was Raymond Pike.
Evan had called him Uncle Ray, although they weren't related.
He had been a bookmaker, a fixer, and occasionally the man who collected debts for people too important to collect them personally.
Eden hadn't seen him since the funeral.
Now his hand was over her mouth.
"Don't scream," Pike whispered.
She bit him.
Hard.
He cursed and released her.
Eden drove her elbow into his ribs.
He stumbled against a serving cart, sending silverware crashing onto the floor.
Nico turned at the noise.
Even wounded, he moved with terrifying speed.
He caught Pike by the coat and slammed him against the wall.
"Hands where I can see them."
Pike froze.
His gaze darted toward the gunman.
Then toward Nico's bleeding shoulder.
"You're making a mistake, Ferraro."
Nico's voice was quiet.
"Then explain it to the police."
Sirens sounded outside.
The gunman fled toward the bar's rear corridor.
A moment later, two security officers appeared at the kitchen entrance, followed by uniformed police.
Nico released Pike into their custody.
Then his knees buckled.
Eden caught him before he hit the floor.
For one absurd moment, she thought about how heavy he was.
Then she saw the blood.
"Oh, God."
Nico looked down.
"Not my favorite suit."
"Stop talking."
His mouth twitched.
"You're giving orders now?"
"Apparently someone has to."
She pressed a folded tablecloth against his shoulder.
His expression tightened.
"That hurts."
"Good. It means you're still here to complain."
He stared at her.
Then, despite everything, he laughed.
It was a short, disbelieving sound.
Eden pressed harder.
"Don't laugh. You'll make me nervous."
His hand closed around her wrist.
"Eden."
"What?"
"Look at me."
She did.
His face had gone pale.
"You saved my life."
Her throat tightened.
"You got shot saving mine."
He studied her.
"Seems we're even."
Then his eyes closed.
At Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Eden sat in a plastic chair wearing a borrowed sweatshirt over her bloodstained uniform.
The emergency physician had told her Nico was stable.
The bullet had passed through soft tissue without striking a major artery.
He would need surgery to repair the damage, but he was expected to survive.
She should have felt relieved.
Instead, she couldn't stop shaking.
Raymond Pike.
Her brother's funeral.
The warning.
Your brother should've warned you.
Evan had died in a supposed overdose three years earlier.
He had struggled with addiction in his late teens, but he'd been clean for nearly a year before his death.
Eden had never believed the official explanation.
Neither had their mother.
But there had been no money for an attorney.
No witnesses willing to talk.
And no one powerful enough to demand answers.
A detective approached.
"Miss Walsh?"
She looked up.
"I'm Detective Lena Ortiz."
The woman was in her forties, with dark hair pulled into a practical bun and a face that suggested she had little patience for lies.
"I understand you witnessed the shooting."
Eden nodded.
"Can we talk?"
They moved to a small interview room.
Eden described the gunman.
Gallo's behavior.
The receipt.
The attack.
Then she mentioned Pike.
Ortiz stopped writing.
"Raymond Pike?"
"Yes."
"You know him?"
"He knew my brother."
"Your brother's name?"
"Evan Walsh."
Ortiz's expression changed.
She closed her notebook.
"Miss Walsh, I need to ask you something."
Eden's stomach tightened.
"Okay."
"Before tonight, did anyone contact you about Evan's death?"
"No."
"Did you receive any letters? Calls? Messages?"
"No."
Ortiz watched her carefully.
"Then you may want to prepare yourself."
Eden stared.
"For what?"
The detective hesitated.
"Your brother's death is connected to an investigation that's still open."
Eden couldn't breathe.
"What investigation?"
May you like
Ortiz leaned forward.
"One involving Raymond Pike, Vincent Gallo, and several people inside the Ferraro organization."
