It’s been almost an hour since Gio called his boss—well,hisboss, who passed him on tohisboss, who finally put him in touch with Caruso—explaining that he, Dave, Benito, and Edwinwere in trouble and needed help. Caruso wasn’t going to come until I grabbed the phone from Gio and snarled, “This Gio of yours is a real talker. But I bet you knew that. I wonder, if I keep him here for a couple of days, how much he’ll tell me about your organization.”
“I’ll be there,” Caruso snapped. And then he muttered a string of curses before hanging up.
So, here we are, waiting in my condo for the damn Don of the Cosa Nostra to show up. Something I never imagined as a possibility ever in my life.
Sofia is in the bedroom again, and hopefully she’ll stay there this time. My four captives, now including that traitorous piece of shit Edwin, are all restrained on the living room floor. Knight, Houdini, Wraith, and Jester have all taken up positions around the room, ready to jump to my aid if I need it.
While I wait for Caruso’s arrival, I sort through my options. Kill him on sight is one of them. But I have a feeling he’ll come with guards, so that will make things more difficult. I can get close to him and kill him with my bare hands. I can try to bargain with him, offering to pay double, triple, quadruple whatever the other person paid.
Except when does the Cosa Nostra take money for hits? As far as I know, the upper echelon of the organization doesn’t bother itself with things like that. They might eliminate someone who betrayed them, but to seek out an unrelated target? No.
Could Sofia have gotten mixed up with the mafia through one of her cases? It’s possible, but given the timing, I don’t think so.
So what is it, then? Why did they coordinate this attack? And why was Sofia the target and not me?
A heavy thud on the front door pulls my attention to it.
Everyone in the room tenses.
Wraith strides to the door and stands to its side. He nods at me. I lift my chin in return.
I raise my gun to low ready. My jaw sets.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Jester and Houdini do the same. And though I can’t see Knight, standing behind me, I can feel him getting into position.
Wraith unlocks the door, opens it, and smoothly steps to the side. His Sig goes up.
Just beyond the doorway, still standing in the hallway, five men stand in diamond formation. Four guards, my guess, and the one in the middle, Caruso.
“Not much of a greeting,” the man in the middle says. “And you expect us to come in like this?”
“Have your guards lower their weapons,” I reply, “and we’ll lower ours.”
There’s a brief conference among the five men. Then the man who spoke says, “Fine.”
We wait for the four guards to lower their weapons. Then me and my friends do the same. Once all the guns are pointed at the floor, I jerk my chin in acome insidegesture. “Get in here before someone sees you.”
Once Caruso and his guards come inside, Wraith quickly closes the door behind them. Caruso scans the room, scowling when he sees the four men zip tied on the floor. I inspect Caruso, who, now that I’m closer to him, I recognize as the man I’ve read about on the news.
Luca Caruso.DonCaruso. Son of Alonzo Caruso, who died of cancer five years ago, leaving the position open for his son to take over. But from the few articles I read at the time, it was a bloody struggle for power, with several underbosses fighting to take the position instead.
But Luca Caruso won out. And now, against all odds, he’s in my condo.
“Well,” Caruso says, “I have to say, this is unexpected. Being blackmailed into coming here.”
“It was unexpected for me, too,” I retort. “Waking up to find three of your men here. And this one—” I kick Edwin’s leg. “Who I’m assuming is one of yours, as well.”
Caruso gives Edwin a dismissive glance. “Him? He’s nothing. Just a pissant associate. The others… Very disappointing.”
Cutting right to the chase, I ask, “Why did you send them here?”
He smirks. “That’s why you wanted me to come here? You could have asked that on the phone.”
“No.” I advance towards him. The four guards raise their weapons. My friends do the same. “Whatever you want with her, it ends now. Money? I’ll give it to you. You want to ensure she doesn’t talk? I’ll make sure she doesn’t. Just tell me. What is it?”
Caruso stares at me. Then he laughs. “You really don’t know?”
“Or I could kill you now,” I threaten. I aim my Sig at him. “I guarantee I’ll get a shot off before any of them can. And I won’tmiss.”
