Vincenzo
“Youknowshe’scomingafter you,” my brother Dante tells me, as if I’m stupid and can’t figure that out myself.
Swirling the brandy around the glass, I lift it to my lips, draining it.
“Vincenzo, you can’t ignore this. You know who she’s working with. She–”
“Stai zitto!”Shut up!I roar at him, flinging the empty glass at his head. He ducks, and it smashes into the wall at his back. “You think I don’t know that? She’s been promising that since she was eleven.” Stomping toward him, I grab his collar, pulling him closer. I’ll give him credit; he doesn’t cower. “Just because she’s got some new friends, doesn’t mean I’m going to hide away like a rat in a sewer. I am Vincenzo Leonardo Gianelli and I am the king!” I shake him roughly, needing to hurt something. Or someone.
Strong arms wrap around my shoulders, pulling me off of Dante. Spinning with a growl, I push Cesare off me, my chest heaving. “Don’t fucking touch me,” I hiss at him, and he backs away, his hands raised in surrender.
“This is what the littleputtanawants,” Cesare replies, his eyes narrowed. “She wants us divided, fighting amongst ourselves. If she manages to split us, she’ll come swooping in and destroy us and everything we’ve worked for. Don’t let her win.”
Air whistles through my tightly gritted teeth, anger simmering through my veins, ready to blow at any moment. That moron Carl went and got himself killed; what a mole he turned out to be. There wasn’t enough time for him to tell us everything he knew, so we’re working on a disadvantage. I know she’s working with The Duke, who I’ve only heard the faintest whispers of over the years. She’s like the boogeyman; a story people in my circle tell each other over drinks, unsure if the legends are based on fact. Carl had been able to inform us that the Charon Group had joined them just days before the deaths, and unless someone is a copycat, the Retribution Killer is there as well, having left their signature on Carl’s forehead.
My informant in the NYPD had let me know that fact and sent me pictures of the body,Retributionmarked clearly across his forehead. He also sent ones of Andrea, his neck sliced open, a look of fear forever etched into his features.
My hands form into fists as I think of the person that caused me so much trouble in Arizona. I would love to get my hands on them; I’d carve my name into their body before watching them burn. I could record their screams, play them on the nights I have trouble sleeping. I have no doubt they would have me sleeping like a baby in no time.
And Andrea? I shouldn’t have sent him. But after my guards were killed in the warehouse, it left just me, Cesare, and Andrea. And Cesare can’t fly a plane.
I should have known the little shit would fuck things up; his whoring and gambling have gotten worse lately, leaving me to clean up his messes. Although I’m pissed I’m down another man, I’m not overly sorry the fucker got his throat cut. He was becoming a little too much like his father.
And since his father was a backstabbing son of a bitch that tried to kill me, well, maybe it’s a blessing his son is now in hell with him.
I wonder if it was Daniella who killed him, or one of her friends. If she did it herself, I might be able to dredge up a bit of respect for the little traitor.
Turning to Cesare, I ask, “Have we made any progress in discovering who else she’s working with? I don’t like the unknown.”
Cesare shakes his head. “I got a few pictures in London, but the four people we haven’t identified had their hazmat suits on, so there’s no way to identify them. The others we aren’t aware of seem to be in the employ of The Duke.”
Dante cuts in. “Daniella stayed at her apartment for a few days after they arrived back in the city, but she’s no longer living there. She’s not been seen there, or anywhere else, for days.”
My jaw ticks at this. When Harris took Daniella away when she was eleven, he hid her away out of state, and although I made a few moves over the years, I was never able to get close enough to where they were. It wasn’t until she was an adult that I discovered she’d become an FBI agent, and with Harris’s promotion to Director, I had decided to keep my distance.
I have my people spread out where they can do the most good, and I have many more in my pockets. From judges and police to DEA and Homeland Security; I have never yet met a person who doesn’t have a price. Anyone can be bought, and I’ve made sure I’ve purchased the best. It doesn’t come cheap, but power and security are worth any price. But even with all the power I have, and informants everywhere, I know that to go against the director of the FBI would be a death sentence.
Don’t get me wrong—I’ve never forgotten Daniella’s betrayal, and I’ve always been determined to make her pay. She just wasn’t that high on my list of things to do, not until she started making attempts to have me arrested.
Daniella’s pathetic attempts to take me down are just that—pathetic. With one of her superiors on my payroll, it’s easy to stay one step ahead, which I’m sure infuriates her. Walking over to the bar, I pour myself another bourbon, a smirk spreading across my face as I imagine her rage at being unable to catch me.
Even if she did, there isn’t a judge in this state that would prosecute me. They wouldn’t dare. They know that every person that shares blood with them would be exterminated within twenty-four hours. Call it my get out of jail free card. Snickering to myself, I knock back the liquor, relishing the burn that trails down my throat. Setting the glass down, I eye my brothers, both of whom are watching me warily. Good.
“I want to know where she’s living. That’s a priority. And find that fucking bike of hers and get a tracker put on it. If she goes out alone, we can always grab her,” I tell Dante. He nods and I dismiss him, sending him off to gather the troops and get it done.
Cesare steps toward me. “What do you need me to do?” I like that he’s always willing to do what needs to be done, how he anticipates my needs.
“Find out who the other fuckers are that are working with her. And take out anyone you can. She’s going to think she’s invincible. I want to take that away from her. Let’s whittle down their numbers, make her feel isolated and alone.” An evil smile stretches across my face, Cesare’s eyes flaring at the sight. “If you or Dante can pick her up sooner, fine. If not, then let’s make her as vulnerable as possible before we grab her. I have plans for her.”
“What about El Diablo?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “What about him?”
“We could always bring him in on this. I’m sure it would give him great pleasure.”
Waving my hand in a dismissive gesture, I scoff. “If I feel we need the help, I’ll contact him. I’m sure we can keep this in the family, right?” I clap a hand on his shoulder, steering him out of the room. Once he’s gone, I make my way to my office, retrieving the key I keep hidden in the false bottom of a vase.
Opening the hidden door behind a bookcase, I head down the steep stairs, a single lightbulb lighting my way. Flicking on the light switch at the bottom, I hear gasps of fright, and I breathe deeply of the scent of fear, perspiration, and despair that lingers in the cave-like room. Cells line two walls, an inhabitant in each. The room is underground, naturally soundproofed, containing no windows. There is no escape for those that reside here.
