My face falls in disappointment. Not
good.
Carlo crouches in front of my father
checking him out. My father has a gash across his face from where
Demetrius hit him. Carlo helps my father to stand.
*****
Megan:
At the car, Alex gets out of the driver’s
seat and greets us, opening the side door to help my father in.
Antonio has not left my side.
Joey and Vito investigate the area while we
get ourselves together after the traumatic ordeal. I tip my head to
check on my father when I see a girl in the car. As Antonio opens
the door, I see that it’s Lisa and suck in a horrified gasp when I
see her face. She looks like she did ten rounds with Mike Tyson. My
stomach churns knowing full well who did this to her.
Carlo loads the back of the
vehicle with all the weapons. I see the rifle I used and wonder if
either or both of the people I shot tonight died. The term,
survival of the fittest
,
never meant much to me until now. It is kill or be killed, or, at
the very least, hurt or be hurt. There is no margin for
error.
My father sits in the middle of the
backseat. Antonio sits down next to him and pulls me into his lap,
and Carlo does the same with Lisa on the other side. We are crushed
into each other in the small space. I want to say something to
Lisa, but everything I can think of seems insignificant compared to
what she’s been through. I remain quiet like everyone else.
When Vito and Joey get in the front seat,
Alex drives away from the curb in a hurry, and we head back towards
the casino. I feel gentle fingers at my chin. Antonio unclasps the
strap on the helmet and removes it for me. I am relieved when I’m
free of it. I rest my head back against Antonio and close my eyes.
I feel a light pat on my knee. I raise my head to see my father
weakly smiling at me.
Alex gets us to the casino in record time.
He drives us down into the underground garage. I keep my eye on
Lisa as I get out. I am worried about her.
I whisper to Antonio, “Is she going to be
okay?”
Antonio’s face is hard, but softens when he
looks at me.
“Carlo will take her to Doc Howie. They’ll
take care of her.” His expression changes again, and I can guess
what he’s thinking about. His gaze travels up and down my body,
even in this ridiculous getup.
My father is standing with Joey and Alex. I
walk over to him, concerned about the bullet he took in the
arm.
“Dad, are you going to be okay? Do you want
me to go with you to see Doc Howie?”
“No. You go get some rest,” he says. His
expression is different, as though he sees me in a new light.
I am suddenly brutally tired, feeling the
effects of no sleep and a highly life-threatening situation. I just
want to wash off the ugliness of the night, and I am anxious to get
out of these clothes.
Antonio and I step into the elevator alone.
He is holding my hand. Since he found me on the roof with my
father, there hasn’t been a second that he hasn’t been touching me.
I close my eyes for a second just to rest them.
We make it to my room, my legs are barely
carrying me. I unsuccessfully fiddle with the zippers and Velcro on
my bullet-proof vest. Antonio notices my struggle and strips me
effortlessly out of my gear. My fatigue fades as he strips off the
layer of thermal underwear I had put underneath all the padding.
I’m standing before him in just my panties and bra. He rakes his
eyes up and down my body and attacks me passionately. Antonio
crushes me against the wall, lifting me by my legs and wrapping
them around his waist. If he could unzip my body and crawl in, I
think he would. It’s like he can’t get close enough. My heart
thunders wildly as my hands dance in his hair. He carries me to the
bed and sets me down. I put my fist in his T-shirt and yank it over
his head. My hands brush down his sculpted chest. All my sleepiness
is replaced with need. His eyes are black and heated...he is ready
to take me. I let him as I spiral down into the glorious abyss that
is only Antonio.
We lay quietly in the darkness. I am leaning
over Antonio’s chest listening to the sound of his heartbeat as it
slows down. He uses his finger and traces designs on my shoulder. I
relax blissfully.
“Antonio?” I whisper.
“Yeah,” he responds huskily.
“Is this ever going to be over?”
I lift my head from his chest and gaze into
his glowing brown eyes. Our faces are close. He wraps a thick piece
of my hair in his hand and holds onto it.
“Listen to me,” he commands and he tugs my
hair gently. “The first best day of my life was when I met you. The
second best day of my life will be when you walk down the aisle to
become my wife. The third best day of my life will be when you have
our baby. You are the center of my world. You make the bad all
better.”
Did he just ask me to marry him?
“Everything that we have
been through together is nothing compared to being without you. I
can’t make you any promises about what other people do or how it
will affect our lives, but I can tell you I want everything else.
The white picket fence and the two point five kids. Megan,
you’re mine
, forever.
Making you happy is the only important thing to me.”
He puts his hand on my back and pulls me
close to his face. We are nose to nose. His intensity scares me
sometimes, but it’s also something I love about him. I don’t let my
eyes stray from his because I want him to know that I want it too.
I lean down and kiss him. We’re quiet again, and after a few
minutes, I fall asleep dreaming of big cakes and wedding gowns.
Chapter 17
Made man: follows through on contract
killing
Antonio:
It’s early in the morning, barely 6 a.m. It
is the only way to sneak out of here. I grab my clothes and throw
them on as quietly as possible. I strap on my gun and put on my
leather jacket to cover it.
Vito is sleeping soundly on the couch. There
will be hell to pay with him later, but he will just have to
deal.
I need Megan. I don't think in my entire
life I've ever needed anyone as much as I need her. Just having her
close to me fills the void that has grown over my eighteen years of
life...the mafia void. It's the coldness that seeps in year after
year, fight after fight, beating after beating. My girl wants this
to be over. The only way is for me to end it today - alone.
I head to the firing range not speaking to
anyone. I wave to Gilly and take what I need from the bins. The
underground garage is deserted, everyone is still asleep. I grab
keys in the interrogation room, I find the vehicle, and get in. I
spin out of the garage and up the ramp.
I drive automatically, not really seeing
anything but red. I screech to a stop at a building that I know is
owned by Don Furlotti. I’m not really sure where he lives, but I’m
gonna find out right now.
What I plan to do could jeopardize
everything and start a major crime war. I’ll have to take that
chance...for Megan.
Pumped up, I jump out of the car. There are
two guards at the entrance. They don’t even see it coming. I
clobber the first one with the back of my arm, and pounce on him
knocking him out. The second guy is shocked and hesitates too long.
In the broad light of day, I yank the guy from behind by his neck
and put him down to the cement. I grab my gun out of its holster
and point it at his head.
“Is Furlotti here?” I say murderously. The
guy struggles, but I squeeze harder on the back of his neck.
“I don’t have time to fuck around. Is
Furlotti here?” He doesn’t answer for a second time, so I knee him
in the gut. He chokes and sputters. “Last chance,” I say in a
deadly tone.
His voice cracks when he says he says
yes.
“Thank you,” I say sarcastically and hit him
in the head with the butt of my gun. I search his pockets for a key
card which I find quickly.
I enter the building easily, knowing he’s on
the top floor. That’s where they all stay. I push the elevator
button, the lobby is deserted. When the doors slide open, the car
is empty. I swipe the key card and press the top floor.
The elevator dings, the
doors slide open. I cautiously look up and down the hall it is
deserted too. There is a big fancy door way down the end of the
hall.
Jackpot!
My legs move of their own volition quickly
and efficiently. I doubt this key card will open the door. I toss
it aside and knock. I move away from the peephole. A deep voice
echoes from behind the door.
“What is it?”
I don’t respond, and knock again. I plant to
myself against the wall.
“What the fuck?” the guy curses.
I knock again, pretty confident that this
guy will open the door out of sheer aggravation.
“Dammit! What?!” he yells.
I knock a final time hoping
this one will do the trick. The door opens slowly, and I stay
patient. I let him come all the way out into the hallway, then I
jump him, using the butt my gun again, and send this one into lala
land too.
Chooches!
I move slowly across the entryway. This
place is just as palatial as Ennio’s place. The apartment is
completely quiet. I stay pinned to the wall as I move.
A door opening startles me. I brace myself
to react. It is Furlotti coming out of a bathroom.
I lunge grabbing him. I restrain his arms
and put my gun to his head.
“Where’s Demetrius?” I ask in his ear.
“Antonio? What are you doing?” he asks me.
He is stunned and completely perplexed by my actions.
“Where’s Demetrius?”
“What the fuck is going on?” he asks
angrily.
“Your fucker put a contract out on me,” I
say seething. “Did you order it?”
“Why would I do that?” he asks.
“I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?”
“There must be some confusion, Antonio. I
have nothing against you or your family.” He sucks in a deep
knowing breath. “Demetrius is acting alone. I didn’t sanction
anything.”
Around the corner, comes his head enforcer,
Carmin. He sees me and quickly raises his gun at me. Mr. Furlotti
tells him to stand down. He lowers his gun and puts it on the
floor.
“Believe me. Demetrius is more problems than
he’s worth. He has been fucking out of control. What has he
done?”
I laugh a pissed off chuckle. ”Besides
trying to kill me, playing fucking games, and kidnapping?”
“Antonio, I had no idea.” He pauses. “That
kid has cost me. You can have him.”
Part of me believes him. It wouldn’t make
any sense to put a contract out on someone in a family you just
made an alliance with. It would make you look untrustworthy to the
rest of the underworld.
“Then tell me where he is.”
“He has an apartment right here in this
building.” He gestures to Carmin. “Nobody hurts Antonio. Let him do
what he has to do.”
A look passes between them. Carmin looks
resigned that this is the way it has to be. I release Don Furlotti,
but stay alert, concerned that they are conceding too easily. He
steps away from me.
“I’m sorry. Things shouldn’t have happened
this way. I should have dealt with Demetrius a long time ago.”
“A lot of good it does me now,” I say.
“Demetrius needs to be taken down.”
“He is on the fifth floor. Apartment 501.”
He says remorsefully. “Tell your pop that this was a big
misunderstanding. If there’s anything I can do to help, please
ask.”
“Yeah, you can send
your cleaner
to 501!” I
say sarcastically, knowing full well that Demetrius was his
cleaner.
I don’t stand around
anymore. I have a job to do. I realize that Don Furlotti is using
me. There is always a certain fear in his eyes around Demetrius.
He’s allowing me to do a
job
he should have done a long time ago. I am
his
out
. It is
clear they want Demetrius gone as much as I do.
Instead of the elevator, I take the stairs
two at a time down to the fifth floor. His apartment is easy to
find. It’s on the end. I decide surprise is better than anything
else I’ve got up my sleeve. I take a running start, lift my leg,
and knock down the door with an earth-shattering crash. It
splinters and falls effortlessly.
With my gun drawn, I hurry
inside, spinning around looking for Demetrius. A girl is standing
in the kitchen, she screams when she sees me. I motion for her to
get down, and she drops quickly.
Smart
girl!
“Get out,” I say only loud enough for her to
hear me. I hear her start to crawl away, out and over the shattered
door.
I rush forward to the room
up ahead, expecting Demetrius to jump out at me. Kicking the door
down and the screaming was enough to wake the dead. Lying on the
bed on his back is Demetrius. I don’t hesitate.
Don’t think, just do.
I immediately
fire two shots into his chest. His body bucks with the force of the
bullets.
I slowly approach him. I
keep my gun ready and look down at him. He is ghostly white, and
his eyes are open and lifeless. I reach down and touch his arm
checking my suspicions. I’m right. He is ice cold. He was already
dead.
Shit!
I walk out of the apartment, down the stairs
and out into the street, feeling a sense of relief that the fucker
is out of our lives. Two new guys are by the door. They let me
pass. I am so fueled and hyped up, they are fortunate they didn’t
try anything.
I get behind the wheel with the keys in the
ignition, something makes me look up. Sitting against the building
curled into a tight ball is the girl from the apartment...she
glances at me, and a spark of recognition hits me.