We cleared the downstairs, bodies littering the floor while the team of men split to clear upper and lower levels. Enzo and I started into the dining room and just beyond that was open doors. From where I was, I could see that there was a lit fountain. Stepping out, with my gun drawn, I dared Alistair’s ass to come out and face me. I was just about to tell Enzo there was no one there when dread ran down my spine.
I heard Enzo whimper and turning I found Alistair with a gun to his head.
“Please don’t do this,” I told Alistair, my hands already raised.
“Don’t do what?” he dug the gun into the skin on Enzo’s head.
My stomach was churning.
I confidently knew that I could shit on myself, as disgusting as that might sound. You wouldn’t be able to tell me different if it were your brother or sibling with a gun held to their head by a fucking psychopath.
“Don’t hurt him,” I replied.
“You’ll do what I want, huh?”
“Yes…of course,” I replied.
“Put the gun down,” Alistair smiled. “And kick it over here to me….”
“Don’t fucking do it,” Enzo said. “Kill this motherfucker!”
Swallowing the collection of spit that had gathered in my mouth, I took a deep breath. My hands were still held high and palming the Glock. Very gently, I laid the gun down. At the same time that I kicked the gun over, Alistair pushed Enzo forward and over to me.
Abangfilled my ears!
He had fired the gun at Enzo’s head and I saw my brother collapse in front of me. There was something inhuman that came out of me. The cry was primal and raw. How could he do that to Enzo?
Because he lost his humanity a long time ago, I thought.
“It ends tonight,” Alistair’s wicked smiled appeared as I caught Enzo’s falling body.
Slowly we slid to the ground. “You’re gonna be okay.”
I was lying to Enzo. There was no way of knowing if he would truly be okay.
“You have protected him his whole life,” Alistair was looking down on us, gun trained. “How does it feel?”
“How does what feel you fucking psycho, how does what feel?”
Alistair made a face and nodded. “Rage. I like it. To answer your question…how does it feel to watch your little brother die. Me…I feel nothing.”
Enzo was clutched in my arms. His eyes were wide open and staring at me, he blinked just a little. Smoothing his hair back, I tried to fight back tears. Slipping Enzo from my lap, I stood up.
“We are blood,” I told him.
“I’m a product of rape. Vito never wanted me around and neither did my mother and the man that raised me.”
“And that was our fault?”
He smirked. “There should be no Scarpettas left to roam the earth. First him, now you and then that cute little curly haired son of yours.”
Alistair had gotten caught up in his grand speech. The second Glock had been at the base of my back. Without hesitation, I pulled the gun out just as my men moved in on Alistair. They had surrounded us on all sides.
“You will never touch a hair on Tiberious head,”I told him.“You were so caught up finally telling me about what a tortured child hood you had. You think Vitto Scarpetta was a great father….we’re fucking gangsters!”
The bullets flew from the gun.
All the rage and frustration and nightmares finally had a target.
