“He’s going into the country,” Lev mutters, as we take a turn.
I let out a sigh of relief. We’re going in the opposite direction of home. That’s something, at least. Lev slows down, pulling back.
“What are you doing?” I snap.
“No cars out here,” he says. “I know how to keep a tail.”
“Where’s everybody else?”
Lev tapes the car. “GPS. They’re near us. Waiting. We are the lead.”
I should know all this, but they’re always doing things, making plays without asking me. Like the fact I’m the boss is just an afterthought. Soon, everyone is going to learn to tremble in fear at the sight of me.Tony Bellini, they’ll whisper.The man who owns two cities.
I’ll stand over Rafael’s grave with a rose in my hand and say something profound, like,this is a tale of two cities, cousin, and I am king of them both.
“Just don’t lose them. And we’ll need all our men when we hit. There could be seven of them.”
Lev says nothing. In the back seat, Dom is cleaning and checking his weapon. My heartbeat picks up speed when I realize whatI’m going to have to do. Tell these men that we need Rafael and his son alive, preferably. My loyal prisoner, docile and thankful that I’m keeping him as a hostage, even. Rafael will hand off the family to me, leaving me as the king, then I can get rid of him and the kid.
“We need my cousin and the brat alive,” I say.
Lev laughs.
I glare at him. “I’m not joking, motherfucker. I need them for leverage. Rafael is the key, and his brat is… is the key making him do what he’s told!”
He glances at me like I’ve gone insane.
“It’s a gun fight,” Dom grunts from the back seat. “If a bullet hits, what can you do? We’re fighting for our lives too.”
I take out my cellphone, calling my lieutenants, putting the word out that we need the kid and my cousin alive.
“That goes for us too,” I snap. “Watch your shots.”
“I’m sure you will be at the front, Tony Montana, showing us what to do.”
I spin in my seat. I can feel my face going red, my body vibrating in anger. These aren’t my men. These are just killers who wanted to get away from the Hungarian mob and wanted an excuse.
“What did you just call me?”
“Tony Bellini,” Dom says innocently, shrugging his massive, tattooed shoulders. “What else?”
These insubordinate bastards…
I turn back to the road, fists clenched, nails digging into my skin. All my life, people have looked down on me, making fun of me, thinking I’m just some coward. Somenothing. But not anymore.
When I’m king, the first thing I’ll do is shoot Dom right between the eyes.
Lev drives us to a farmhouse on the edge of a forest. Both of Rafael’s cars are parked out front. We stop in the shade of the trees, and Lev kills the engine, far enough that they shouldn’t notice us. Rafael carries the baby inside, flanked by two men. From the second car, only two other men climb out, not even carrying rifles, just regular handguns.
“This is easy,” I grunt. “We just approach the house?—”
“We shoot,” Lev cuts in. “With heavy guns. Tear the house to pieces. Win the war.”
“We need to watch and see what they’re doing. Rafe could leave early without his kid. Or they could leave together. We need to get them alive so we can use them as leverage.”
“With him dead, you are king. Yes?” Lev tilts his head at me, looking genuinely like he’s trying to figure something out. Like he doesn’t believe all the crap I’ve spouted.
“Yes,” I say through gritted teeth. “But a smart ruler still knows how to useleverage.”
