Screwing the Mob

by Luciani, Kristen

  “But they’re…” He peers into the shoe. “Jimmy Choos. And really? You’re gonna shoot me after I saved your life? Don’t you think I at least deserve a thank you? And maybe a blow job?”

  She snorts and pushes past him, hobbling on one shoe-clad foot, headed in the direction of the door. “As if I’d ever willingly lay a finger on you.”

  “Who said anything about your finger?”

  Kat flips him off and reaches for her gun again, but I hold up a hand. “Shut the hell up, guys. Someone’s back there.” I squint at the bottom of the door and dark shadows move around in the light.

  Kat reaches out to grab the door handle, but I push her straight into Rocco right before it swings open, slamming against the wall. We fall to the floor and duck down behind some tables, guns raised.

  “Guys! Don’t fucking shoot!” Max’s voice echoes in the empty back room, and a hand suddenly appears from one side of the doorway, waving in mock surrender.

  “Max! What the hell are you doing in there?” I leap to my feet and rush past Kat and Rocco.

  “I came in through the back. Just in case there was trouble up front.”

  “So he could make a fast getaway.” Rocco snickers.

  “No, dickhead, it was so I could surprise the enemy.” Max glowers at me. “Seriously, Nico? This guy?”

  “Can you guys cut this shit out for now? We already took out the asshole who hit my dad, but there’s no sign of Luca. That means he’s somewhere else.”

  “Great detective work, Sherlock.” Max rakes a hand through his hair. “But there’s something else you should see. Luca was here, and from the looks of it, pretty recently.” Max waves us into the back room.

  Kat is on my heels as we follow Max inside, craning her neck to get a look at what Max already found. “Jesus Christ!” she gasps.

  “Goddamn…” Rocco mumbles. “It’s Matteo Fabrizzi, with a hole punched through his fucking throat.”

  Just like Carlo Batta.

  Luca had been here.

  That was what smelled so rancid when we came in.

  And he killed his second in command. Beat him to death, and for what?

  Because he knew I’d show up here, and he wanted me to know that there are no limits to what he’ll do to get what he wants and who he will destroy if they get in his way.

  As if I didn’t already know that.

  I’d seen it first fucking hand.

  Luca

  I pick up my phone and hit redial. It rings once…twice…and then…

  “You dumb fuck. Did you really think I’d make it easy on you and those tools you brought with you, Salesi? Except the chick. Makes me wish I’d waited around a little longer.”

  “Where the fuck are you?” Nico snarls into the phone.

  I let the corners of my lips curl upward. He sounds more angry than scared. Good. That’ll change real fucking quick. “Oh, are you finally ready to make a move, you pansy ass? Always too afraid to get your hands dirty, so you leave the grunt work to everyone else. Can’t mess up the Armani, right? Have you decided to jump in the deep end, Salesi?”

  “Enough of this bullshit, Luca. You want me, you’ve got me.”

  “Oh, I have a lot more than that. But one thing at a time. It took you a long fucking time to answer my messages, so don’t think I’m gonna cut the game short because you finally decided to play.”

  I tap my fingertips on the steering wheel and peer up at the dark sky. A flash of lightning illuminates the horizon, followed by a crash of thunder. I feel electrified for a split second, adrenaline coursing through me. I’ve waited a long fucking time for this.

  Another flash of lightning crackles across the sky, and with it, an image of her…my Lia…lying on her back on a white sandy beach and smiling up at me.

  There aren’t many times when I allow myself to force her beautiful face from my mind, the face of the one person I’ve ever loved in this fucked-up life of mine, but right now, I need to focus. I clench and unclench my fists, cracking my torn-up knuckles and flexing my fingers.

  My life and my love were stolen away from me.

  I want him to know how that feels.

  Fucking mafia prince. He needs to know that pain. I can’t stop…won’t stop…until he does.

  “You’re scared now, aren’t you?” I hiss.

  “Listen, you fucking psycho, I came here for you! But in your twisted fucking head, you needed to send me another message by killing Matteo Fabrizzi. I know why you did it. You need to be the one calling the shots. You always did! Whenever someone else had more power, you felt threatened. It’s why you left the family and got into MMA. That’s how you battle the loss of control now. You fucking pound people into oblivion. That’s your power. Guess what, asshole? It doesn’t scare me. And it’s not gonna stop me from finding you and making you pay. I won’t let you hurt anyone else. You deserve everything you got years ago, Luca. Every fucking thing!”

  “Thanks for the ten-cent therapy session, Doctor Fucknut.” I lean forward, peering out the window as the rain pelts the windshield of my car. “But let’s talk about you instead. You’re sitting on top right now, very fucking high up in your ivory tower since the big guy is lying in a hospital bed, fucking mangled beyond repair. And I want you to know how it feels to crash to the fucking ground, to land head-first in a sea of complete shit, knowing that you’ll regret everything and beg for my mercy. God, it makes my cock hard to say those words. Maybe I need someone to help me out with that. Good thing I have an idea about where to find that someone.”

  Click.

  Two lone figures rush out of the hospital, huddled under an umbrella.

  Yep. A very fucking good idea.

  Shaye

  Heavy rain pelts the windshield and after a few seconds trying to figure out the controls in Mrs. Salesi’s fancy car, I flip the wipers on high speed so I can see. Somewhat. At least the slapping sound of water against glass drowns out the horrifying sounds of bullets exploding and people screaming that keeps reverberating between my ears. A bloody massacre flashes across my mind, and I say another silent prayer for the safety of my friends, that these images are not real, that they were able to escape an unfathomable fate at the hands of Luca Cappodamo.

  I run a trembling hand through my wet hair and twist around in the driver’s seat, my lips stretching into a smile that is one-hundred-and-fifty-percent fake. They quiver as I force them upward, and I struggle to keep my voice even.

  “Lilibelle? Are you all belted in?”

  She nods, her face pale and her dark eyes heavy. “Yes,” she murmurs, her voice completely void of her usual bubbly, child-like energy. Her eyes drift closed before I can back out of the parking spot. Poor baby. Sitting in this hospital all day, knowing her daddy is hurt, seeing her mom so upset…it’s been a shitty day for all of us.

  Taking her back to Nico’s is the least I can do to help them. She needs to rest, and there’s only so much ice cream you can shovel into a little kid before she gets sick. I told Duke to stay back at the hospital, but he insisted on following us home. Said Nico would skin him alive if he let me leave alone, not that he’s answered any texts from Duke, either. The cops are still swarming the Emergency Room, so I know the Salesis will be safe until Duke can get back here.

  A chill slithers through me, my mind full of questions I have no answers to because nobody will tell me what’s going on. I’ve sent plenty of texts—to Kat, to Max, to Nico. But nobody’s responded. I know they’re together, and with Kat to back them up, I have a little more faith that things haven’t gone completely sideways. But that’s pretty much the extent of my knowledge, and the dark thoughts keep creeping in. I squeeze my eyes shut to force them away. I can’t focus on them now. I have to stay positive, but it’s hard when nobody is telling me what the fuck is happening!

  Please just come back to me, Nico…

  I know I don’t have the right to lament since it was my brilliant idea for him to go after Luca in the first place. But dammit
, why did he have to be so stubborn about it and leave without the guys? He’s smarter than that!

  But rage trumps intellect when push comes to shove.

  I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm my pulse, which has been raging out of control for the better part of the afternoon. Duke flashes me from across the parking lot. I flash back, put the car into Drive, and head toward the hospital exit. Thunder claps and rumbles as I slowly accelerate onto the road, the ominous sky completely black save for the occasional crash of lightning. I peer into my rearview mirror to confirm Duke is still behind me, but the rain is coming down in torrents. I can barely see three inches in front of me, much less what’s behind me. I slow at a traffic light right before easing onto the main road back to Nico’s. No other cars are even on the road. The only set of headlights I can see are pointed directly at the back of Mrs. Salesi’s car, so I know it’s just us and Duke. The light turns green, and I press my foot on the gas, and…nothing. The engine fires, but the car doesn’t move. I try again, only to hear the tires spin, hydroplaning on the wet ground.

  Damn sport tires. I gas it again and the car juts to the right, skidding on the slick pavement before hitting a deep pothole on the side of the road with a loud thud. I swallow a yelp, thanking God that no cars were in the other lane and that the huge oak tree to my right wasn’t a foot closer. I glance over my shoulder to see that Lily’s eyes are still closed. With a hammering heart, I ease back onto the road and flip on my right turn signal.

  Jesus Christ, the threat of death is lurking everywhere today.

  I grip the steering wheel tighter as I drive, effectively killing circulation in my fingertips. Long, deep breaths do absolutely nothing to calm me.

  Raindrops smash against the sunroof with even more force than before as we near Nico’s house. The wipers are already on the highest setting, and I just pray that nothing crosses my path because there’s no way in hell I’m going to see it. Just a couple of more blocks, a couple of more minutes, and about a thousand more prayers.

  A few agonizing moments later, I finally turn into the driveway and shut off the engine. I quickly glance into my rearview, but no headlights shine back. Duke probably didn’t make it through that last traffic light around the corner. I barely squeaked through it myself. A loud ping from my iPhone blares, piercing the silence.

  Where are you?

  I cover my mouth to silence the squeal, tears pooling in my eyes. He’s alive. Oh my God, he’s alive!

  My fingers, cold and stiff, tremble over the keyboard. I just pulled into your driveway with Lily.

  Are you fucking insane, leaving the hospital like that?

  I furrow my brow. If he’s texting me, Luca must have been taken care of. I admit, leaving the hospital without first hearing from Nico wasn’t my brightest idea, but Lily needed to get out of there, and Christ knows, I couldn’t sit around for another second not knowing the fate of my friends. Being at Nico’s makes me feel closer to him when he’s not there, closer to the way we used to be, the way I’m desperate for us to be again. I don’t know, maybe in some crazy way I figured I could channel that energy and use it to will him back to me. Stupid, yes, but slightly more comforting than waiting around in that hospital.

  We’re fine. Duke followed me. Are you okay?

  For now.

  What the hell does that mean?

  Where’s Luca?

  A pause…much longer than I would like. Lily stirs in the backseat, the quiet stillness in the car deafening while I wait for his response.

  I don’t know.

  Fuck.

  Are you with Kat and the guys?

  Yeah. I’m coming home now. Just get into the house and set the alarm.

  I swallow hard, my head darting left and right. It’s so dark. Anyone could be out there. I unclip my seatbelt and lean over the center console to unhook Lily. “Sweetie,” I whisper. “We’re home.”

  “Mmmph,” she murmurs, eyes still closed.

  I fling open my door and open the one on Lily’s side, thick raindrops pounding my skin and clothes. I pull up her hood and gather her in my arms, covering her face. I slam the car door shut with my hip and jog to the front door. The house is completely dark, except for the tiny, flashing red light that tells me the alarm is set. I fish out my key and stick it into the lock, shifting Lily against me. The alarm bleeps, and I enter the code to shut it off. Duke will be here in a minute, and then I’ll reset it. I flip on the foyer lights, kick off my shoes, and peel off Lily’s jacket.

  I head upstairs, shooting off a quick text to Duke that we’re here and the front door is open for him. I switch on as many lights as I can, praying we don’t lose power anytime soon. But judging by the winds that have picked up speed, I know it’s only a matter of time before lights start to flicker. I hear the alarm bling downstairs and let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Duke is here. Nico is on his way. Everything’s going to be okay.

  It has to be.

  I lay Lily in one of the guest bedrooms and drop a kiss onto her forehead. “Sleep tight, sweet girl.” I pull the door closed most of the way, allowing a sliver of light through so she doesn’t wake up in complete darkness, if she stirs at all.

  I hear the refrigerator door open and close in the kitchen. Jesus, I’m not a drinker, but I could really use some vodka right about now.

  The front door is still unlocked so I flip the deadbolt as I pass, ready to join Duke. “I hope you poured me a glass of whatever you’re having.”

  The lone figure sitting on the counter stool swivels around holding up a shot glass filled with clear liquid. He narrows his beady eyes at me, a menacing glare icing my insides. “I’m gonna guess that you’re wishing for a bottle of it right about now. Am I right?”

  Holy fuck. I know those eyes. I’ve seen them before, shivered under their lecherous leer. And that gruff voice...I’ve heard it, felt it slither over my skin like a snake. The hairs along the back of my neck prickle at the memory.

  Holy crap, it’s him. The man from Nico’s club. The one who propositioned me that night. The one whose face is burned into my memory. But how did he—?

  I clutch my stomach, realization smacking me square in the face.

  Oh my God…no, please, no!

  “You’re putting it all together now. Good. I knew you weren’t a real brunette.” He gulps down the contents of the glass, hurls it at a wall, and hops off the stool. Shards of glass fly into the air, shattering on the ceramic tile floor, but he just steps around them, creeping closer toward me. My feet feel like they’re weighted down with cement blocks, and as much as I plead with them, they refuse to move.

  He’s dressed head to toe in black, his heavy work boots thumping along the polished hardwood floor as he walks in my direction. He leans close and sniffs. “You smell good. I knew you would.”

  Breaths come fast and furious, my heart galloping faster than a thoroughbred.

  Need to get away. Need to protect Lily!

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see my handbag laying at the foot of the stairs where I’d dropped it before heading upstairs. My gun is inside of it. Locked. Loaded. Ready for this moment. It’s what I’ve been practicing for, what I always knew would come. I glance at his fists—huge, torn-up, bandaged, and bloody. “Where’s Duke?”

  Luca laughs, the sinister sound curdling my blood. “Oh, he didn’t make it through that last traffic light. I doubt he’ll make it through another one again.” He leans closer, his smile fading. “And I’m sure of that because I took care of it myself. You know how it is. If you want something done right, do it your fucking self. That asshole who hit Salesi earlier…I knew he’d fuck it up. But it doesn’t matter. Took the old man out of commission, and that’s what I needed.”

  My gaze flickers toward the upstairs bedroom. The door is still cracked open, but at any second, Lily might wander down here. I can’t let that happen. I can’t let him hurt her. I can’t let him hurt anyone else.

  Luca circles me like he
’s a starving lion and I’m a raw steak. My chest tightens, the smell of vodka making my stomach roll. “So, tell me, do you think your pussy of a boyfriend is gonna know what hit him when he shows up here and sees me fucking his girl? Because that’s exactly what’s gonna happen.” He fists my shirt and forces me backward into the first-floor bedroom, shoving me onto the bed.

  I pop up to a seated position as soon as my back hits the mattress and elbow him in the jaw before rolling out from under him. “Fuck you, asshole!” I leap off the bed and reach out to grab a lamp from the nightstand.

  Too fucking slow.

  He fists my hair and yanks me backward, making me yelp. “Oh, no, you don’t.” One fat fist closes around my throat, slowly crushing my windpipe. He lifts my flailing body, my toes now barely grazing the floor. White spots dance in front of my eyes as I struggle for oxygen. “Don’t be stupid, sweetheart,” he hisses. “It’ll be much more enjoyable for both of us if you’re alive.”

  He loosens his grip, dropping me on the bed, and I grab my throat, gasping and choking on the air I suck into my lungs. His demonic face hovers over me, his eyes narrowed. He leans closer, dragging his fingertips down the side of my face, an incredulous look shadowing his features. “You look just like her, just like my Lia. When I saw you that night at the club, I knew it couldn’t be, but fuck…” His gaze becomes trance-like, like he’s possessed by something…someone…who the fuck cares what. It’s my chance to get away, to get to my bag, to get to my gun.

  His broad chest presses against me, pinning my arms against the mattress, still studying, still questioning, still in another world. “But she’s gone.” His voice is menacing. “Murdered, because of—"

  I swallow hard, his breath heavy on my cheeks. I don’t think. I don’t plan. I don’t even pray.

  I just act.

  Leaning forward, I open my mouth, my teeth slicing into his cheek, tearing through flesh and skin. The taste of metal fills my mouth, making me gag, but I bite down harder until his screams pierce the air around us and he recoils, falling backward against the tall dresser.