Chapter Twenty-One

Enzo

 

Confrontation had never bothered Enzo before. He was used to it. In fact, he had been learning to accept it and deal with it his entire life. His father had always taught him to look forward to a fight, because that was his chance to fight for what he truly wanted, and not everybody got that chance. As a Marino, Enzo had gotten that chance more times than he could count.

 

But it was different as the van screamed along the highway toward Scarvo’s house. Enzo had flown back to Sterling as fast as he could, ignoring all traffic and speed-limit signs. Johnny and the others were there waiting on him, ready to fly into action.

 

Johnny was driving the van, and he glanced at Enzo in the passenger seat. “So, what’s the plan?”

 

Enzo had been thinking long and hard about that. He had considered several options, and none of them were ideal. “We’re heading into their territory, which doesn’t help. I don’t know anything about the layout of the house, where they have Madelyn, or if she’s even there. It’s just a good guess at this point. Carlo has been checking on surveillance footage, and he’s fairly certain that’s where she is.” Enzo had always trusted Carlo, but now nobody’s word was good enough for him.

 

“Well, we have enough men here with us, and I can bring some more in for backup. We can storm the place from all sides.” Johnny pressed the gas pedal a little harder.

 

“No, we’re going right in the front door,” Enzo insisted. “I’m sure they know we’re coming, and I’d rather we not split up at all. I don’t like to give compliments to my enemy, but I’m sure his men are seasoned.” He sent a silent thought up for his father, wondering what he would do in this situation. But as far as Enzo knew, there had been no women that Marco Marino had cared for except for Enzo’s mother, and she had been gone for a very long time.

 

“Sounds good. I’ll lead in, and—”

 

“No,” Enzo interrupted. “This is my problem. I appreciate it, but I should go in first. You’re already risking a lot just by being here.” He meant it, but he didn’t say the other reason he wanted to be the first one in. If Madelyn was there, then she had to see him as the one who saved her. Even if they both died by the end of the day, then at least that would be her last thought of him. It was fucked up what love could make you think, and he wouldn’t have admitted it to anyone else.

 

“Whatever you say, boss.”

 

Turning off the highway and flying toward their destination, Johnny tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “There a gate.”

 

“Just floor it and keep going,” Enzo advised. “If we waste time on it, they’ll kill Madelyn before we ever get close to the house.” He knew it was a possibility anyway. Maybe they already had killed her, and this was nothing more than a waste of time, but he had to find out.

 

“Hold on to something. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.” Johnny did as he was told, pushing the van to its limits as he headed toward the gate that loomed up in front of them.

 

Enzo forced his body to relax, knowing that it would help with the impact, but he couldn’t quite let go of the tension that resided in his shoulders.

 

The van plowed through the gate and straight into the front yard. Johnny slammed the brakes and turned the wheel to avoid a massive fountain, and Enzo nearly hit the dashboard as the vehicle came to a halt. He didn’t let that affect him, though. He was out the door in a moment, flying toward the front door with his gun at the ready. He stood aside long enough to let one of his men fire repeatedly at the lock, and he charged straight over the threshold.

 

Two men came into the foyer just as he did, guns drawn. Enzo wasted no time in firing and taking them down. He could get information out of someone else, and it was likely that Scarvo had tons of men hanging out at his mansion. Enzo didn’t even wait to see their bodies fall to the floor before he was moving to the next room. He could hear his men’s footsteps behind him, and he knew they had his back.

 

They stepped into the kitchen, a massive affair with startling white walls, stainless steel fixtures, and custom cabinets. Johnny trotted over to the large sliding-glass doors that led out onto the patio, and Enzo noticed they were splattered in blood. “Looks like the other boys tried to come in the back way,” Johnny noted.

 

Enzo glanced over his shoulder to see the bodies of the first three men Johnny had sent out to the Scarvo mansion. They had been left where they had fallen, their arms and legs at odd angles and pools of blood staining the decking beneath them. Scarvo’s men hadn’t even bothered to move them out of the way. “We’ll take care of them after we’re done. Come on.” They moved through the house, looking for any signs of Madelyn.

 

When the first floor had been cleared, Johnny suggested they move up to the second floor. “Lots of bedrooms up there,” he commented.

 

Enzo nodded his approval. “I’ll wait down here. I don’t want anyone sneaking up the stairs behind you.”

 

Johnny returned a few minutes later. He held his gun to the head of another man, one who must have belonged to Scarvo. He sneered at Enzo as Johnny guided him down the stairs. “I found this one alone. Thought you might want to talk to him.”

 

Enzo glared at the man. “Where’s the girl? I know you have her, and I’ll just keep killing until I find her.”

 

The man spat on the pristine marble floor. “Like I would tell you anything.”

 

“That’s too bad.” Enzo pointed and fired. The man crumpled against the wall and fell. “No time for bargaining. Let’s keep going.”

 

They checked several other rooms before finding a door that opened onto a set of stairs that led down into the basement. Enzo charged down them, gun at the ready, prepared to find the rest of the Scarvo mob waiting for him. He would fire every bullet he had and then start ripping them apart with his teeth if he had to, just as long as he could save Madelyn. He only hoped he would be saving her, and not taking revenge for what they had done.

 

Two men came bursting through the door at the bottom of the stairs. Enzo’s bullet hit one in the head, and Johnny sent two shots straight into the other man’s chest. They fired back, but their shots went wild, puncturing the drywall.

 

On the other side of the door, the room was surprisingly empty. It was an unfinished basement, one that didn’t look like it belonged to the rest of the posh house. There was no furniture, save for a few chairs, and the fluorescent light fixtures overhead were old and industrial. They gave Madelyn’s skin a ghastly glow, but so did all the bruises that covered her face. Enzo swallowed as he noted the gun pointed at her head, and the man holding it.

 

“Well, well. How nice of you boys to finally show up. I tried to be patient, but as you can see, I got a little bored.” With his free hand, he picked up Madelyn’s chin. She winced at his touch but didn’t pull away, undoubtedly very aware of the barrel pressed against her temple. “I had to do something to pass the time.”

 

Enzo held his gun steadily. Adrenaline and testosterone shot through his bloodstream. “Let her go. Whatever problem you have with me, she’s not involved.”

 

“Oh, I don’t think that’s the case. It was a pretty smart idea, framing me for a murder you were responsible for. But what I can’t figure out is why you thought I wouldn’t find out. I’m sure you trust your men and all that good shit, but there are always people willing to talk in exchange for a small gift.”

 

Staring at him coldly, Enzo calculated his chances of getting a shot off before Scarvo did. Bullets were fast, but he had no way of estimating the rival boss’ reaction time. He could still kill Madelyn even if Enzo shot him, and that wasn’t a risk he was willing to take. “Good for you. You know how to manipulate people. The last time I checked, that was all part of the game. So is letting someone else take the fall for a crime. Sorry if I hurt your sensitive feelings, but this little scheme is over. Just tell me what you want, and I’ll make it happen.”

 

Scarvo scrunched his eyebrows and had the nerve to let out a short bark of a laugh. “I never said I would bargain with you. In fact, I’m quite sure I mentioned that over the phone. But if you insist, I suppose we could work up a fair price.”

 

“What?” Enzo demanded, losing patience. His body was ready to act, all his muscles tensed, his finger ready on the trigger. But his heart was slowly ripping in half, tearing a little more for every second that he had to see Madelyn sitting there. Shades of deep purple and blue covered her face, and though she held her head proudly, he could tell that it pained her to do so. What hurt the most was the Enzo knew the truth: he had done this to her. Just because it wasn’t his fists impacting her beautiful flesh didn’t mean it wasn’t his responsibility.

 

Benny smiled. “Well, I wasn’t sure what I wanted from you at first. I have plenty of money, so I don’t need any of yours. Even the territory that you cover in the city isn’t all that valuable to me. I’ve established my own beat, if you will, and I do pretty goddamn well.”

 

“What, then?” Enzo’s patience was running thin.

 

The other man’s grin widened. “I invited Ms. Rowe over so she could give me all the information about the case. She was a little stubborn at first, but after I reminded her of who was in charge, she sang like a pretty little bird. I recorded her confession, and I’ve sent it off to the authorities. My name will be cleared by the close of business today, and everyone will know for sure that you were the one who murdered George Lewis, among other things.”

 

Right on cue, two more of Scarvo’s men came into the basement. Their weapons were drawn, and now it was one on one. Enzo’s backup was occupied, and his chances of getting out of this basement alive were getting slimmer by the moment.

 

“So,” Scarvo continued, “you’ve got a choice to make. Your life is over on the outside, since you’ll be going to jail as soon as the cops realize what kind of evidence they’ve got on their hands. You can accept that and walk away from all this, or you can buy your freedom. Kill the girl and surrender to me. You’ll work for me, and I’ll get you a reduced sentence. I have a lot more pull than you might think.”

 

Enzo’s eyes flicked from Madelyn to Scarvo and back again. His brain was having a hard time absorbing all of this. He had expected a bargain or a shootout, but nothing quite like what Scarvo was proposing. His fingers ached where they gripped the gun, and his heart thundered in his head.

 

“I’m not a patient man, Marino. Choose the woman or your freedom, but you can’t have both.”