Chapter Seventeen
The feel of the throwing knife in her back pocket and hope that the tracking implant actually worked were the only small comforts Mica could latch onto to keep from coming unhinged. She’d never been this afraid. Vitale Vinsanti was a sociopath if one ever lived. She’d listened to Jimmy brag about his brother and the stories had always made her skin crawl.
Mica prayed over and over. Not to any God, but to Deacon and to Matty. Come for me, come for me. They were her only chance at survival and if they had not caught up to her by the time she reached whatever destination Vitale had planned, she would have no choice but to use the knife in her pocket.
First on Vitale and then on herself. She’d not die at his hands, but she’d damn sure take him to hell with her. As terrified as she was at the thought of taking her own life, she was more afraid of what he had planned for her.
Come for me. Surely by now Nellie Mae had told Deacon about the tracker, and if he told Matty, then they already knew where she was. But could they catch up? That question prompted her to take action.
She gagged, then put a hand to her mouth. “I’m going to puke. Pull over.”
“Fuck!” Vitale yelled at the driver. “Pull over.”
As soon as they were parked on the side of the road, Vitale barked at the driver, Marco. “Let the bitch out, but keep your fucking gun on her.”
Marco opened the door and she got out and went behind the car, bent over and made retching noises. She went on that way for a minute or so, then straightened. “I have to pee.”
“Then squat.”
“Not right here on the road,” she argued.
“Fine.” Marco pointed toward the brush on the side of the road and inwardly she cheered.
She headed into the brush. Marco followed, but a bit too slow, which gave her the opportunity she’d hoped for. Mica broke into a run, heedless of the brambles that tore at her clothing and skin.
“Get her!” She heard Vitale’s shout and picked up the pace. Marco was shouting at her, but she ignored him. The underbrush was thick and made for decent cover so she kept running until her path was suddenly blocked. A big and very angry rattlesnake issued a rapid warning.
Mica froze. The snake was too agitated to try to ease around it.
Marco barreled in between her and the snake. “Don’t fucking move,” he had time to say and point his gun at her before the snake struck.
His howl was accompanied by gunfire. He must have emptied nearly the entire clip at the ground and managed to shoot the snake. Mica took off the moment the snake struck, but unfortunately, Vitale had decided to follow and she ran smack into him.
He grabbed her, backhanded her across the face, and then shoved her in front of him. “I’ll fucking beat you senseless, you fucking bitch.” He pulled a gun from his jacket and pointed it at her.
“You might want to check on your man. He’s probably feeling pretty shitty right now, considering he was bitten by a rattlesnake. I’d suggest getting him to a hospital.”
“Fuck him.” Vitale shoved her again. He forced her back to the car. “You’ll drive. And you won’t pull anything smart or I’ll shoot you in the fucking knee, you hear me?”
“I’m not deaf.”
“Then get in the fucking car.”
“You can’t just leave Mar—”
“He’s dead already.” Vitale waved the gun at her. “Now get in the goddamn car.”
Mica got in and started the car, hoping with everything in her that Deacon and Mathias were coming for her and were getting close.
*****
“Where are they now?” Deacon looked over at Mathias.
“Looks like they’ve stopped.”
“Where?”
“On the highway.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“Unless it’s Mica,” Mathias said. “She’ll do what she can to slow them down, hoping we can catch up.”
“We’ll catch up.”
Deacon’s phone rang and he answered. “Thanks for getting back to me.” He looked out of the front window and then his side window before speaking to Mathias. “Do you see a helo?”
Mathias looked out of the side window. “Yeah, coming in from the southeast.”
Yeah, I hear you.” Deacon said into the phone. “Yes, next exit.”
He looked over at Mathias. “We have a new ride.”
“Works for me.”
Five minutes later, they took an exit and went off-road. Less than a minute after that, the helo set down a hundred yards away. The side door opened as Deacon and Mathias got out of the truck.
The pilot looked over his shoulder. “Long time, Deacon. Where we going, brother?”
“To pick up my woman.”
“Oh? Didn’t know you had one.”
“I do now.”
“So where is she?”
“Currently in a car with two mobsters.”
“Okay then, where to, boss?”
“They’re moving again,” Mathias announced.
“You’re tracking them?” the pilot asked.
“Mica put an app on his phone.”
“Who’s Mica?”
“My girl.”
“All righty then. Show me that app, big fella.”
“Name’s Mathias.” Mathias handed his phone to the pilot.
“Wiley.” The pilot replied and looked at the display. “Who’s this gal to you, big guy?”
“My sister.”
“I see.” Wiley turned his attention to the controls. “Strap in, boys.”
Deacon took the empty seat beside Wiley. “I appreciate your help.”
“Glad to help. It’s been awhile.”
“Too long.”
“We’ll have to catch up. After we get your gal. You and Mathias have any backup?”
“I figure you’re all the backup we need.”
“Amen to that brother. Don’t worry. We’ll get her back.”
Deacon nodded. There was not a doubt in his mind that they’d bring Mica home as long as they found her alive and well. He’ll kill every son of a bitch in the Mafia to save her and God help anyone who tried to stop him.
*****
Mica’s hope faltered when Vitale pulled out his phone and placed a call. He told the person on the other end of the call that they were twenty minutes from the airfield so have the plane ready to go.
Mathias and Deacon couldn’t save her if she got on that plane. She tried to come up with a plan. If she ran the car off the road, Vitale would probably make good on his threat and shoot her in the leg. So how was she going to stall their arrival at the airfield?
“I’m not responsible for Jimmy’s death, you know.”
Vitale sneered at her. “Sure you are. You shot off your fucking mouth.”
“Are you so certain of that?”
“Why else would you have fucking run then?”
“Why would I not? You know Victor would have had me killed. I survived and his son died. Do you really think he was going to let me live and inherit everything Tony owned?”
Mica saw the surprise on Vitale’s face. “Yeah, Tony left it all to me and Victor knew Jimmy had been my client for years. He and Tony both hated Jimmy but I wouldn’t let them touch him.”
“Why?”
“Because I liked him.”
“You mean you liked being his fucking whore.”
“No, I liked him being my fucking bitch. You didn’t know that, did you? Why do you think Jimmy protected me from you and the rest of your family? He loved me. Loved what I did to him and made him feel. He wanted me. That’s why he killed Tony.”
“How do you know why he offed Tony?”
“Because we planned it, you idiot. Jimmy would kill Tony and then I’d inherit everything Tony had, Jimmy and I would team up, and we’d get rid of you and Victor so we’d have all of it.
“I think you’re the one who ratted on Jimmy.”
“No fucking way.”
“No? Well someone sure as hell did and whoever it was didn’t want me and Jimmy to take over so if it wasn’t you, then who?”
“Shut the fuck up. Just shut up. You’re full of shit. None of that’s true.”
“No? Then how do I know that Jimmy and you are the ones who put your brother Vito in a body bag?”
Vitale went a little pale, and Mica thanked her lucky stars that Jimmy had such a habit of running his mouth about things he shouldn’t when he was using drugs and getting his jollies.
She let Vitale stew on what she said and tried to figure out what to do next. Unfortunately, she had not come up with a plan when he ordered her to make a turn off the main road.
Within minutes after making the turn, they arrived at a small airfield. Vitale directed her to a hangar and ordered her to park the car. The moment she did, two men emerged from the hangar. Vitale got out, spoke with them, and then walked into the hangar.
The two men approached the car, pulling weapons as they did. One of the men opened her door. “Get out.”
Mica considered locking the door and trying to drive away. She even went so far as to reach for the start button. Nothing happened. Of course, Vitale probably had the key fob in his pocket.
With no real alternative, she got out of the car and was escorted inside the hangar and upstairs to a private salon. Vitale was sitting on the sofa with a drink in one hand and his phone to his ear.
“Yeah, we should be there in a couple of hours. Have the place ready. We’ll have some fun with this bitch.”
Mica really hated how much those words scared her. She despised being afraid. Fear would only make her weak and rob her of the ability to think and now, more than any other time in her life, she needed a clear head.
She believed that Deacon and Mathias would come for her, but she had to stay alive and she had to stay on the ground until they arrived. She couldn’t get on a plane. But how was she going to stall Vitale?
An idea came to her. “If you really want to have some fun, I can show you how I made Jimmy so happy.”
Vitale looked over at her. “Jimmy liked to get his ass spanked.”
“And watch me with other women. He liked the way I punished them.”
“Do you see any women here?”
“There are bound to be hookers nearby. Have your men go get some. And while they’re out, have them pick me up some floggers, rope, and dildos, maybe a couple of strap-ons.”
“Are you shitting?”
Mica went over and sat down beside Vitale. “Look, I know Jimmy never let on about us and I know he didn’t want me to have anything to do with you. He was scared of you and also jealous. But that’s beside the point. He paid me ten grand a night because I’m the best. I made bank for Tony and honey, my clients are the reason Tony always got the contracts, never got building violations, and always had the politicians kissing his ass.”
She could almost see the wheels turning in Vitale’s head. “Tony isn’t the only one who benefited from my talents. You and I could not only make money, but more important, make you the most powerful man in Vegas.”
There it was. She saw it in his eyes. His tell. He blinked twice in rapid succession and his skin flushed a bit.
“I have other plans for you.”
“Yes, of course, rape, gut, and dissolve me, which will net you nothing.” She hoped her ability to act had not deserted her because right now she was scared enough to wet her pants. She had to hold it together, to press the advantage she’d discovered. “Think about it, Vitale. I don’t do you any good dead. You’re a smart man, so tell me, which means more? Revenge on me for something I didn’t do, or pick up where Jimmy left off and succeed where he failed?”
Vitale yelled to the two men stationed at the door. “Call Carmine and tell him we want two girls, a blonde and a redhead. And take a list from the bitch here and get what she wants. We’re gonna hang here for a while and have a little show and if we like what we see, we just might have a change of plans.”
Mica could have cried with relief, but instead, she smiled at Vitale and got up to make a list for his men. With luck, it would take them a bit of time to get to the nearest city, pick up some girls, and the things on her list.
Her hopes were almost dashed when the man who wrote down the items she recited merely took out his phone and placed a call to someone he identified as Carmine. Once he got off the phone, he called out to Vitale, “Carmine said he’d be here in under two hours.”
Two hours. Please get here, please come. She prayed. Mica would do what she had to do to stay alive, but she knew there was a better than average chance that no matter what she promised Vitale, his father would have the final say, and he wanted her head on a spike.