Antonio
I firmly tucked two guns at my back before slipping on my suit jacket, making sure the knife holster on my arm was hidden.
There was a knock on the door.
“Boss, you ready?”
The sarcasm in Lorik’s voice annoyed the shit out of me. He thought it was funny as hell, making fun of my new role within the family. Fucker could be glad I went from wanting to break his neck to only wanting to kick his ass in the last few months. If it weren’t for the smile he put on my little sister’s face, he would probably have been buried and forgotten by now.
Lucky bastard.
“Yeah, I’ll be right out.”
I spotted a piece of paper inside a half-open drawer, and a thought popped out of nowhere. It felt stupid, but necessary at the same time. So I grabbed the paper, pulled out a pen, and wrote a few words. Just a few. Why, I didn’t fucking know. But I did.
“I’m still out here.”
“I fucking know.” With the folded piece of paper in my hands, I opened my bedroom door, staring right at Lorik’s smug grin. “You could at least try to keep your fucking pants on.”
“Bro, when it comes to your sister, I have no control over when or where my pants will be on.”
“Good God, you need to get a fucking filter before I decide to shove my boot up your ass.”
“Hey,” he held his arms wide, “as long as me fucking your sister gets under your skin, I’ll use it.”
“You’re such an asshole.”
He shrugged. “I’ve been called much worse than that…in Italian, my man.”
I had to smother a laugh, thinking of my sister and her fiery temper being all up in Lorik’s ass most of the time.
As we walked by the door of Doe’s bedroom, I stopped, wondering whether I was making things more complicated than they already were. The better option was probably to walk past, to push every thought of her out of my head. But I didn’t. I slipped the paper beneath her door, and when I straightened, Lorik stared at me with a giant question mark on his forehead.
I glowered at him. “Do not say a single fucking word.”
“Uh-huh.”
I buttoned up my suit jacket while we walked down the stairs. “What did you tell Karina?”
“That we’re doing another run around town, keeping drugs off the street and shit like that.”
I rolled my eyes. “You make us sound like fucking vigilantes.”
“Well, it was either that, or telling her we’re on our way to meet up with some trigger-happy Russians, and we’ll probably get shot at with no more than a two percent survival rate.”
I stilled. “Yup, your version sounds much better.”
“Exactly.”
“So,” I grabbed the keys to my Audi, “let’s go get shot at by some Russian fuckers, shall we?”
All the way to Boston Harbor, we drove in silence. Lorik busied himself on his phone, communicating with Lucio regarding all the security measures that had been put in place. My mind was on Doe, and why this Russian asshole wanted her back so much. Surely a man as wealthy as he was could afford to buy himself a hundred other sex slaves. Fuck knew it seemed like the goddamn trade was flourishing. So, why go through all this trouble to come all this way, and to go so far as to kill an innocent girl just to get Doe back? Was it just pure infatuation? Obsession?
As we approached Boston Harbor, my blood started to simmer. Ever since the fateful night my father died, entering the harbor always brought with it an air of melancholy, a glum feeling of immense loss and tragedy. And I had a feeling that after tonight, it would be no different.
“They’re already here.” Lorik looked down at his phone. “Arrived on powerboats down at the marina.”
“How many?” I took a sharp turn to the left.
“Can’t be sure. Sly fuckers came in scattered.”
“Makes sense.”
We drove up to the warehouse where Lucio and the others waited. I glanced up at the roof, unable to see the snipers we had at the ready. It gave us that little extra security of knowing we had ghosts watching our back.
I parked the car and got out, Lucio joining us. “You’re ten minutes late.”
“Just making an entrance, cousin. I believe our guests are already here.”
“Yup.” He pointed toward the warehouse behind us. “They’re in there.” And then he pointed to two other warehouses across from us, and one to the right. “They’re also in there, and there.”
“Clever fuckers, aren’t they?”
Lucio lifted a shoulder. “At least we know where they are. Plus, we have eyes on the roof as well.”
“Okay,” I straightened my sleeves, “let’s get this massacre started.”
I went to stand right in the middle of the three warehouses, making myself the easiest fucking target ever by holding my arms out wide. “We’re here. So, come on out so we can get this over with. I have a delicious home-cooked meal waiting for me, and I’m fucking starving.”
Four men came walking out of the warehouse on the right. From the corner of my eye, I saw Lorik with his elbow firmly placed on the roof of the car, his gun already aimed. Lucio was two steps behind me when more men surfaced from the warehouses across from us. One of those men was the fucker with the big mouth who barked out orders the other night.
“Mr. Valenti. You’re late.”
I smirked. “You can’t rush greatness.”
Lucio snorted behind me.
“And apparently there’s nothing wrong with your Italian ego, Mr. Valenti.” The big-mouth motherfucker scowled at me.
I smoothed my hand down my suit jacket. “I’m sorry. It seems that you know who I am, but I have no clue who you are. What should I call you?”
He smoothed his hand through his light blond hair. “You can call me the fucking president, for all I care.”
“Russian fucker it is, then.”
The ugly bastard glared my way before leaning to the side and looking past me. “I don’t see the girl.”
I removed my sunglasses and placed them in my pocket, acting as cool as a Sunday afternoon stroll. “You don’t see her because she’s not here.”
His eyebrows knitted together. “But is that not the reason for our little get-together? For you to hand over the girl?”
“Yeah, about that,” I placed my hands in my pants pockets, “I contemplated your offer, you know, the one where I give you the girl in exchange for you to not go around killing people on my streets. But then you went and killed an innocent little waitress anyway.” I shrugged. “So, I came to the conclusion that whether I give you the girl or not, you’ll be trying to put a bullet in my skull either way.”
For a long time, his scrutinizing gaze remained on me while he tapped his lips with the pair of folded sunglasses he had in his hands.
I took a step forward, leaning closer. “Are you having trouble understanding? You look confused.”
He snorted. “I see you’re a funny man.”
“No. I just get sarcastic whenever I’m annoyed by cocksuckers like yourself.”
“You know,” he stepped closer, “for a man in your position, you’re really fucking cocky.”
“A man in my position?”
“Yeah, a man who is pretty much fucked because he couldn’t keep his hands off another man’s merchandise.”
Instantly, I lost my cool Sunday afternoon drive demeanor, suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to shove my gun down this fucker’s throat. I stepped right up to him, our chests inches apart in an ultimate showdown of who had the biggest balls. “You know, around here, we don’t refer to women as merchandise. They have a pulse. Breathe the same air as us, so we like to treat them with this thing called respect.” I tilted my head to the side, my deadly glare pinned on him. “So, I suggest you crawl back into whatever cave you came from and fuck out of my city.”
He smiled. “Not without the girl.”
“Why? Why does your boss want her back so badly when he buys and sells hundreds of other women? Why her?”
The Russian fucker shrugged. “He likes her a lot.”
“Then I suggest he find someone else he likes, because he’s not getting her back,” I leaned closer to his face, “ever.”
Animosity and hostility roiled the atmosphere around us. It was toxic, the foreshadowing of ultimate carnage and mayhem. Even the hot, humid summer night air seemed to add to the lethal anticipation of it all. The weapons hidden behind my back started to tempt me, urging me to make the first move and put a bullet in this asshole’s brain. But I kept my cool, while my instincts remained on high alert.
“You have no idea who you’re fucking with, Valenti, so I’ll give you one last chance to hand over the girl.”
“I don’t give a shit who your boss is, but he’s not getting what he wants, because she is no longer his.” I bit my bottom lip, searching his face before saying, “She’s mine now.”
For a few more seconds, we glared at each other like two hungry predators with the urge to tear each other the fuck apart.
An evil grin spread along his ugly face when he took a few steps back. Lucio and I both knew what was about to happen next, and before I could reach for my guns, Lucio pulled me down to the ground, shouting, “Take them down, now!”
Bullets started flying while Lucio and I ran for cover. The deafening sound of gunshots echoed through the summer air, shattering the beauty of a picture-perfect sunset.
Lucio and I managed to reach one of our SUVs and took cover behind it. “You hurt?” Lucio only gave a quick glance my way before pulling out his guns.
“I’m fine.” I had my weapons already in my hands, leaning around the car to try to get a better look. But then I noticed Lorik wasn’t standing by my car anymore. “Where the fuck is Lorik?”
Lucio moved in next to me. “He was right there a few seconds ago.”
“Well, he’s not there now. Fuck.”
“Shit.” Lucio searched left and right, as far as he could see without getting his head blown off. “I don’t see him.”
I glanced up at the roof, spotting the snipers who managed to push the Russians back inside the warehouse. “I need to get over there. Cover me.” Without giving Lucio time to respond, I ran. I fucking bolted across the asphalt to the other side where my vehicle was parked.
Bullets were raining down like a fucking storm of ammo, but I was too preoccupied with getting to Lorik. Something was wrong. I could feel it.
Lucio aimed at the warehouse, shooting back, clearing a path for me. As I rounded my Audi, I froze the second I saw the scene in front of me.
Lorik, leaning against the car, breathing rapidly while he clutched the side of his chest…blood pouring through his fingers.
Jesus Christ. Lorik had been shot.
“Lucio!” I screamed through the noise of gunfire. “Fuck!” Crouching down, I tried to look over his wound. “Jesus, Lorik.”
“I’m fine. Just a little graze.” He could hardly speak.
“Shut up, would you? You have a fucking hole in your chest.”
“No, really,” he tried to sit up straight then winced, “I’m okay. You go on and kill some Russian fuckers.”
“No way, man. Can you imagine how in how many ways Karina would try to kill me while swearing at me in two different languages if you had to fucking die?”
Lorik tried to laugh but then groaned out of pain instead.
Lucio all but slammed into me. “Fuck. You okay, bro?”
I scowled at him. “Does he fucking look okay?”
Lucio ignored me then waved over a few of our men who stood close by. “Get him to the hospital ASAP. Ask for Dr. Ramirez. He’ll know what to do. Take Antonio’s car.”
Lorik cringed and let out heavy breaths as they picked him up and pulled him into the car.
Lucio looked my way. “When this car moves, we need to run for cover.”
I nodded, readying myself to bolt towards the nearest building. But then the gunfire ceased and an eerie silence followed. Lucio and I stared at each other in question, wondering what the fuck was going on.
I gestured toward Lucio, telling him I was going to stand up. He shook his head in protest, but I ignored him. I stood slowly, first peeking over the roof of the car as the engine started.
And there he was, the ugly Russian fuck standing in the open with his arms held wide, two tiny red dots appearing, one on his head forehead, the other on his chest.
Our rooftop ghosts had him pinned.
The car drove off, and I prayed to God Lorik would be okay. My heart was racing with adrenaline, my mind one giant maze of f-bombs.
I held up my gun and aimed it at the Russian, who stood still, the red sniper marks still on him.
Lucio came in next to me, his gun aimed and ready. My gaze swept the surrounding area, bodies piled everywhere. I had to give it to Lucio, he knew what he was doing. This fucking plan was so well executed, even I was astonished. Lucio had men come out of fucking nowhere, like ghosts, and he was prepared for everything. These fuckers didn’t stand a chance. Pity Lorik ended up in the crossfire. Jesus, I hoped he was okay.
“You want to put an end to this one?” Lucio’s eyes were on the Russian like a fucking hawk.
As much as I’d have liked to see the fucker bleed to death, we needed him. “No. Cuff him, gag him, do whatever, then take him back to the house.”
The guy smiled. “I know what you’re thinking, Valenti. But you might as well just kill me now because I’m not talking.”
With Lucio’s back covered by the snipers, he rushed forward, grabbed the guy, and slammed him face first onto the asphalt. “Yeah, we’ll see about that. My cousin here has a taste for weird, sadistic shit.”
I shot Lucio a warning glare, and he smirked.
“Let your guys take him to the house and secure him in the bunker room. You and I need to get to the hospital.”
Lucio nodded then proceeded to drag our little Russian friend to an SUV.
I grabbed my phone and dialed Dr. Ramirez, my heart about to claw its way out of my chest from worry. Lorik had to be okay. Losing one of my men wasn’t an option. And that was what my annoying brother-in-law-to-be was…one of my men. Family.