“Ci vediamo all’inferno, Gusto,” he cried, incoherent.I clenched my jaw and pulled the trigger.The bullet drilled from the back of his throat out his head.He spasmed, then slumped.Blood sprayed across Bruno.The gunshot echoed in my ears.
Bruno made a face, wiping the blood off.I smirked and looked back at Leonardo, probably dead.
Enemy blood satisfied me, especially when it ran under my boots.Leonardo’s slumped body bled into the chair and the floor; his white shirt soaked through.The sight would horrify some — to me it was routine.This is how we stayed alive.This is how the mafia stayed alive.
“Ragazzi, my work here is done.Handle the rest,” I said, grabbing a towel to wipe my hands.“Salvatore, be generous — deliver his body to his family in one piece after you’re done.”
“One piece?You sure?”Salvatore asked.I nodded and headed for the door.
“Got it!”he answered, and Salvatore and Bruno untied the body.Leonardo fell to the floor.I clenched my jaw, stared at him from a distance.D’Angelo was going to regret ever testing me.
I’m going to make him feel what he put Ariana through.
It’s a promise.I’ll keep it — for Ariana’s peace.
***
“COME IN,” I ANSWEREDas a knock hit the door.Salvatore stepped in; I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers to my temples.
“Is it done?”I asked.
“He’s finished, and so was the job.His body was delivered with one of his men,” Salvatore said.“However, he caused a lot of damage.What are we going to do about it?”
“That’s not my biggest concern right now, Salvatore.We need to think about what we’re going to do next.The fucker already jeopardised our plan once and I won’t let him do it again.”
“What do you mean it’s not your fucking concern?This is our territory and he came here to ruin it!”he growled.“Seriously, Alessandro — you need to move on this fast, because things aren’t looking good for us.”
“I’m fucking working on it, you know that.What we need right now is a fuckton of men so when we find where the bastard is, those men can hit him.”I stood and walked to the window, voice tight with frustration.
“What if I told you we can do something about it?”Salvatore said.
“Salvatore, now’s not the time to fuck about.”I turned from the window, glaring.“What is it?Spill.”
Salvatore smiled, smirked even, and sat in the chair opposite my desk.I watched him move, impatient.This cunt loved testing my patience.
I leaned on the table, arms folded.“You know, it’d be helpful if you told me what we can do about this situation,” I said.
“Oh?You wanted to know?You could’ve just asked,” Salvatore replied, making my jaw clench.He cut me off before I could snap.“I know D’Angelo’s going to Italy to seal a business deal.I don’t have the exact date yet, but I’m working on it.”He paused as I nodded for him to continue.“If he leaves America, the assassination gets easier — especially in Italy.We get him there: clean, cut, run.”
Realization hit.Salvatore had a good plan.I stopped glaring and sat back in my chair.
“Now...that fratello, isn’t such a bad idea,” I said.“Find out when he leaves for Italy.Until then, stay put and stay cautious.We just killed his bitch; the cocksucker will definitely be looking for us.”
Waiting for D’Angelo to go to Italy made sense.Killing him here would only escalate things; in Italy we could catch him off guard — and he’d already caught me off guard.I’d spent years building this; I’d sweat and bleed for it.I’d do it for Ariana.
“Alessandro, one more thing.”Salvatore pulled me back from my thoughts.I looked up.He continued, “When we were disposing of Leonardo’s body, we found his phone.We went through it and found texts between him and D’Angelo.”
My brows knotted.This was impossible.My ears burned with a slow, rising rage.“Vicenzo?”I heard Salvatore say, and the word hit harder than I wanted.Vicenzo had been the previous Italian mafia leader before me — a fraud in many ways.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”Salvatore asked, dragging me out of my head.I shook my head, refusing to accept it.I already had enough on my plate.
“Vicenzo?”I shook my head again.“I don’t think he’s involved with him.He wouldn’t be a traitor to us.”
“You never know, Alessandro.People change behind our backs.Look what Gusto did and look where he is now.”
As much as I didn’t want to believe it, I had this strong feeling it would be.
