I heard agonizing groans as they squirmed on the ground.
A round of shots going off on the other side was then heard. I ran onto the balcony and leaning against the railing where I could look down at the parking lot. I turned my head once more and saw a door and window above it.
The sound of running got picked up by my ears and I gripped my gun again. I walked by the door and leaned against the wall next to it. I looked again and saw multiple men standing around. The lights were on now.
Gun shots were heard again and a stream of curses were yelled. The door busted open and came flying out, was a man dressed in a white tux with blood splatter on his pants and arm. This man was neither Ricardo or Angelo so I stepped back and pointed my gun at him, shooting his leg.
“Fucking shit!” He cursed, falling to his feet and clutching his leg.
Shots were heard again coming from inside the room.
“Who’s out there?” I heard a familiar voice. “I think that’s Stefano out on the balcony!” I heard another familiar voice.
Quickly after that brief conversation, Angelo and Ricardo came running out to join me on the balcony.
“You’re very light on your feet, boss.” Angelo jokes. I nodded my head towards the man lying on the floor. “Is that Segreto?” I asked, taking in his facial features.
“That’s the bastard.” Ricardo replied.
“Quick, get something to tie around his legs or other wounds. I don’t need him dying yet.”
Chapter 24
Stefano’s POV
“I need a cigarette.”
The exhaustion in my voice was apparent as I kept my focus on the prize of this mission. Algosto Baressi. Or on any other day, Marco Segreto. To the corner of my eye I saw Thomas remove a pack of cigarettes from inside his coat and he tossed it to me. I sighed, taking out my lighter and burning the butt of the single stick I slipped out. I tilted my head back and puffed out a ghost, my head leaning forward again to rest my eyes on our captive.
He sat in the wooden chair, almost slouching. My men had beat him up pretty bad and even though we patched him up generously, he was still black and blue all over. His face was not a pleasing sight. His right eye was swollen, shrinking up the white of his eyes and his left eye looked lazily at me.
It took all the self-control I had to not kill him immediately. I needed answers and I knew he wasn’t going to cooperate with me right now. No, there was still work to be done. “Ricardo, have you heard back from Enrico yet?”
“No boss.”
My eyes shifted to Angelo who was tossing up a nail clipper in his hand. He looked soft, but even I knew he was thirsting for blood right now. “That’s fine. Do what you must.”
Angelo took a step forward, a smirk on his face as he approached the barely breathing Baressi. He crouched on his knees as he made it close to him. “Your nails are too long. Let me help you with that.” Angelo said, a fake smile tugging the corners of his lips.
Algosto’s arms were tied down to the arm holders of the chair, so he couldn’t protest Angelo’s kindness. Angelo held Algosto’s fingers and moved to his pinky. The first clip could be heard, making me knit my eyebrows together. “A man such as yourself shouldn’t have long nails. What’s up with that?” Angelo asked, a dark chuckle erupting from his throat.
The nervousness of Baressi was evident to me from the furrowing of his eyebrows. He knew the pain he was about to endure. Two more clips sounded, yet Angelo hadn’t moved on to the next finger.
“You didn’t answer me.” Angelo said. A ragged breath could be heard and the discomfort that was shown on Baressi’s face was seen as Angelo clipped his flesh. “No answer?” Angelo asked again, teasing laced in his tone.
“Gaah! Fuck!”
Baressi cursed as Angelo clipped again at the raw flesh. He then moved onto to the next finger, clipping three more times. If looks could kill, Angelo would be buried six feet under. Algosto looked down at him with a heaving fury. “I can tell you’re going to be a stubborn one.” Angelo said again, clipping his flesh.
“Vai all'inferno! Go to hell!” He yelled again in discomfort and pain.
I watched as Angelo clipped all of Algosto’s nails to the bone. The captive breathed heavily, his diaphragm expanding larger than a man with a beer belly, for relief.
Algosto bled from his fingertips, gripping wasn’t even an option for him.
“Tell me, where is your superior?” I said, cutting the silence in the room. My eyes narrowed at his slouchy form and I looked deeper into his hate-filled eyes that matched my very own vengeful ones.
Algosto ignored my question and looked the other way.
“I know you’re working with Don Marco Morelli of the Brooklyn Band. This is your chance to end the suffering that awaits you. Tell me where he is.” I said again.
I saw Thomas and the others looking at me with slight curiosity. Fact of the matter was we knew where Marco Morelli resided. I could reach him quickly, however I just wanted Baressi to admit to working with him, as leverage over Morelli.
Then again, that too would be unnecessary. Everything was falling into as part of my plan.
“Do what you must until he says something useful.” I said turning on my heel to exit the building. Just as Angelo predicted, Baressi would be a difficult one to get talking.
Just in perfect timing, my phone began to ring. Flipping over my phone my eyes narrowed as I saw it wasn’t Enrico calling me but Jazmine, Raelyn’s mother.
I wasn’t in the mood for anything non-mission related but I answered her call anyways.
I was outside of where the men were, keeping a hushed tone. “Jazmine I told you that if anything, contact—” I started but she didn’t let me finish.
“Your son misses you. He just wants to talk to you.” She cut me. I could hear the sincerity and desperation in her voice. Romano probably had been giving her a hard time. I looked at my watch and saw it was eight in the morning.
I closed my eyes, tilting my head back as I raised the cigarette in my other hand to my lips. “Please, give the phone to Romano.”
I heard shuffling before a brief period of quietness.
“Papa?” The sound of hopefulness coming from my son rung in my ears. A short smile graced my lips.
“Stai facendo bene ai tuoi nonni? Are you being good for your grandparents?” I asked him.
“Mhm! Sì papa. Papa, When are you coming home? I-I miss you...I miss mommy too.” Romano whined. I could hear the wavering in his voice. He wanted to cry and probably had been since I left, but didn’t want me to know he was crying.
“As soon as I bring your mother back with me.”
***
My eyes narrowed as I watched the local New Yorkers go about their busy morning. I watched as a mother in her early thirties scold her son before grabbing his hand and carefully crossing the street. On the sidewalk I watched a teen couple chatting as they sipped their individual coffee.
Looking down at my watch I saw that it was now nine in the morning. I glanced to the passenger seat seeing that Enrico was nodding his head as he scrolled through his phone. “Enrico, what’s the status on Barbara Morelli?”
“We got her.”
I nodded and relaxed back into my seat. Both Waldo Tinuccio and I were in the backseat of this vehicle as Thomas was behind the wheel and Enrico in shotgun.
I could see Tinuccio smirking at Enrico’s confirmation. I’d added Tinuccio as part of my plan since he’d previously worked with Morelli. If I hadn’t threatened him with war, I’d be telling a different story right now. Tinuccio had ordered his men to kidnap Marco Morelli’s sixteen year old daughter on her way back from school. I typically was against kidnapping but in the wake of my dilemma, anything was fair game.
I’d done my homework on Morelli and if I knew anything, it was that his daughter was all he had left. She was his previous treasure and if I wanted him to tell me what I needed to know, I had to threaten his family.
“Are the other hea
d families in Massachusetts on my side?” I asked Enrico. He turned to look at me with a smile.
“More than half are ready to jump if you say so.”
Marco Morelli...Your arrogance has made you careless.
“I underestimated you, Vanzetti.” Tinuccio said to me. “I should have known. Nothing ever good happens, when there’s a woman involved…” he said again.
*
I tossed my cigarette in the trash before walking into the almost empty breakfast diner. The sign was flipped closed but there stood inside who I assumed were Marco Morelli’s men, waiting for us. I’m sure Morelli was only expecting my men and I, judging on the suspicious looks from his men at Don, Waldo Tinuccio.
We followed the biggest man to the back of the diner, where I spotted Morelli lighting up a cigar and cracking a joke with his bodyguard. The owner of the diner visibly shook behind the counter and I thought I saw a bead of sweat sliding down the side of his head.
He better pray things don’t get messy in here.
“What is this? If i knew this was a fucking double date-” Morelli said, his eyes narrowed as he looked between Tinuccio and I.
“I mean no disrespect, but without beating around the bush, I want to get straight to business.” I interceded. Tinuccio and I pulled out our seats and sat in front of Morelli.
I saw a twinge of realization in his eyes. He knew I was on to him. “It’s over.” I said firmly.
Marco Morelli wasn’t a scary looking man. He was a man in his late thirties, barely getting yet. We were both young leaders of our organization, but I knew he looked down on me like the rest. With a full head of hair and cleanly shaved face, he didn’t look experienced it much of s threat. Alas, his cocky and arrogant smirk said it all to anyone.
“By all means, let’s jump into business then.” Morelli said, sitting up right and resting his elbows on the table. “You don’t tell me where that son of a bitch is hiding my wife, Tinuccio and I end your gang.
Morelli narrowed his eyes and looked at his guards before relaxing back into his chair. “I have no damn clue what you’re talking about.” He removed his cigar as he closed his eyes.
“I’m young, but I’m no fool. You’re working with Algosto Baressi who is known as Marco Segreto. You’re also working with Vincent Vandal. You made it seem like Baressi was a traitor and on the run from your organization when in actuality, this was all part of the plan. You were able to fool me but you know what they say: When the fool becomes wise, the game finishes.”
By the stiff look on his face and stillness of his body, I knew I had the drop on him.
His eyes shifted to Tinuccio then to me.
“You don’t have to help Vandal, but you are. You want to disgrace my name and cause distrust between the head families in our state.” I seethed. Tinuccio who sat to me left, nodded his head confirming Morelli’s plans.
Morelli gave Tinuccio a bone-chilling glare before chuckling. He didn’t have to say out loud his distaste for Tinuccio betraying him.
“Unfortunately for you, That plan is now futile. I have no qualms exposing you for being a lapdog for a low-tier thug. Especially, one from Boston.” I spoke nonchalantly. Not only that, but the other had families in Massachusetts’s wouldn’t sit to be conquered by New Yorkers.
“Ci sarà sangue...there will be blood.” Tinuccio added.
Morelli exhaled deeply out his nose and tapped his fingers on the wobbly table. By the hardness of his jaw I was certain he was gritting his teeth, thinking of a way out. There was no way out.
“So what now?” He asked, his eyes settling on mine. His voice was flat as if he were innocent in all of this. I quickly glanced at Enrico who was giving me a knowing look. He knew I wanted to jump across this table and finish this bastard off.
“I’ll tell you the same thing I told Don Tinuccio. I don’t want to resort to a senseless war, especially one that can be avoided so easily. I want peace. If you want to expand your territory and the contents of your pockets, do it elsewhere. As I sit here in front of you today, I can tell you none of the head families in Massachusetts are willing to sit idly by and allow the robbing of their territories. They’re not as kind as me.”
Marco Morelli closes his eyes and when he owned them, a smirk appeared on his face. He then locked eyes with Tinuccio. “When did you become so soft, old man?”
“Make no mistake, Marco. I just realized the emptiness of war.” Tinuccio responded.
“This isn’t a smart game you’re playing.” I said squinting my eyes at Morelli as I relaxed into my chair. “All the deeds you’re planning against other head families will be sent out. I’ve got you by the balls so what’s it gonna be? information will be dispersed.” I told man in front of me.
He continued to put up a front of his disinterest in my threats. I then smirked, locking his attention. “Your precious daughter as well, I’ve seen her and she’s beautiful. I don’t harm women, but I know those that do. You don’t want to know what I have in mind.”
The look on his face told me everything. I struck him where it hurts.
“Only Vandal knows where he’s keeping your wife. I’ve just supplied him. Nothing more.” Morelli said.
Enrico gave me a look and I immediately took out my phone to call George who was the soldier in charge of the abduction of Morelli’s daughter. Morelli and his men watched me carefully.
“Boss,”
“You’re on speaker George. Tell me, how is Barbara doing?”
“He’s bluffing…” I heard one of Morelli’s men mutter. Morelli looked at me with furrowed eyebrows. I wasn’t sure if he was in disbelief or not playing games anymore.
“You’re bluffing. You take me for a fool?!” He asked. Enrico pulled out an envelope and reached inside for a thin picture. He then handed the picture to Tinuccio bodyguard and the bodyguard slid it on the table towards Morelli.
“She’s a feisty one. Gave us a really hard time.” George responder with slight humor. Morelli stilled as his eyes fell down to the picture. No words came out of his mouth as he saw his precious baby girl tied up like a captive.
“Oh? You have my permission. Cut her up, dispose of her, I don’t care. Morelli here doesn’t want to cooperate…”
“No! Stop it-” Morelli interceded But I cut him off.
“If I told you what I’d seen being done to my wife, you’d know I don’t give a rats ass what happens to a woman in your life.” I cut him sharply. Morelli’s mouth was agape as his hands began to shake.
His men looked down at him, not sure whether to shoot us up or throw us out the diner.
A girlish, bloody scream could be heard from the other end of the phone. I could see the faces of Morelli’s men and himself pale at the sound.
“Dammit!” He pounded his fist against the table as he stood up. Enrico and Thomas reached into their jackets to grab a gun but I quickly raised my hand, stopping them.
Barbara began to cry on the other end. Morelli looked like a mad man. He yelled and grabbed the short strands of his hair.
“Aren’t you going to call it off?!” He asked me.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You haven’t told me anything I came here for.”
“Dammit!”
“Hold on, George…” I trailed.
Chapter 25
Raelyn’s POV
Closing the door to the lady’s restroom, I walked out and came face to face with a young woman, probably one or two years younger than me. She was an Indian girl with dark skin and dark hair, petite in stature. She smiled at me in greeting and I returned hers with a nervous one.
I needed her to remember my face, so I stared at her hard. She gave me an odd look in return, and we matched each other’s gaze until I walked past her. “There’s a piece of paper on the counter...please look at it.” I whispered lowly. She turned to give me a confused look.
Vincent appeared from the corner with an irritated look on his face. I saw he held a box of pads in his hands. “Is this the one you
needed?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at me. I nodded my head and heard the bathroom door close, signaling the female going in.
I really hoped she read my message before Vincent and I left the convenient store. We’d stopped in the middle of nowhere, it seemed. I was more than certain we were leaving New York and about to drive past a border. Before that, I needed to at least have hope that Stefano would be close to finding me.
I told Vincent that I could feel my period coming and we needed to stop somewhere to buy pads. Luckily he stopped and I persuaded him to allow me to enter the store with him. I knew he was very suspicious of me because I hadn’t spoken to him since he violated me.
I knew my best chance of escape would come if I played up the good-girl act.
“Come on, we have to leave.” He said taking my hand as we walked up to the register.
I turned my head to where the restrooms were, my jaw clenched. Perhaps I stared too long because Vincent spoke up. “What ya’ lookin’ at?” He asked, curious. I shook my head and looked downwards.
***
Getting back into the van, I sat in the backseat, watching Vincent out of the window. A big, bulky man with a short goatee walked up to him and they performed a little handshake. I couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but knowing Vincent, a stream of curses were leaving his mouth. He also spit on the ground and the other man had a disappointed look on his face.
They talked for about a minute or two before the man entered the van. Vincent followed and made himself over to me as the other man got behind the wheel. I assumed he was one of the men working for Vincent.
I didn’t know how much time had gone by since I dropped my note on the bathroom counter, but I still hadn’t seen the Indian woman leave the convenient store yet.
The big man behind the wheel eyed me through the rear view mirror and I quickly glanced away, my gaze falling onto Vincent who sat next to me. I couldn’t stare at him too long, or I’d go insane. I could feel my body shaking already and I wrapped my arms around myself and lowered my head to keep still and not scream.
Of Mobsters and Men: WILD (Book #2) Page 21