Page 36

CHAPTER 36

M assimo

I’m not sure if the blood dripping from my hands is coming from my wrists, which have been rubbed nearly to the bone, or the wound in my shoulder that bled through the bandage before Lea helped me put it on.

The drugs have mostly worn off, so I’ve my wits about me, but they’re not much use right now.

Emilio looks defeated. I’m pretty sure he cried at some point, but he turned away from me. Leo seems to have accepted everything. I guess it’s easier when you trust a higher power more than anything else.

Erica, the traitors, and the leftover Bratva refugees are still trying to find Lea. It’s only a matter of time, but every second that passes is one that gives Lea a chance to get away.

Maybe I can distract them and buy her more time.

“Hey, Paulie! You fucking asshole!” I yell.

“What the fuck do you want?” Paulie grumbles, walking closer.

“Why don’t you forget all about this, huh?” I ask. “Everyone else here is fucked, but I always liked you. Cut us loose and I won’t consider you a traitor. I’ll tell my father to make you a Capo, and you know he listens to me.”

It’s all bullshit. The only thing Paulie will get is a bullet between his eyes, but if he’s looking at me, he’s not looking at his screen. He’s not searching for Lea.

“That’s all it takes?” Paulie sneers. “A good word from Mighty Massimo and suddenly I get to be a Capo? Forget all the shit I did for the family, right? Forget all the years I’ve put in? Nah, Massimo. I like my chances better with the madam.”

Paulie storms toward me, flips his M16, and drives the butt of the rifle into my skull. I turn my head to soften the blow, but it still makes me see stars.

“Ignore him!” Erica calls out. “I want him to be conscious so he can feel the flames. We might even get to listen to him scream.”

“Fuck you, Massimo,” Paulie says, driving the butt of the rifle into my shoulder.

“Ah, fuck,” I mutter, gritting my teeth as the pain cascades through my body.

“I think I’ll start the fire under your chair,” Paulie chuckles. “I bet it’ll burn the skin off your bones before you choke on the smoke.”

I stare daggers at him, but I’ve lost his attention. He turns away and walks back to his laptop.

“I got something,” Paulie says. “Her name is Eleanor Fuller.”

The daggers abruptly change course and go straight through my heart. Fuck. If they’ve got her name, then she won’t be safe unless she has already done what I asked. Hopefully, the time it’s taken them to find her has given her enough time to get out of Las Vegas.

“I’ve got something too,” a Bratva guy says in a Russian accent. “Security camera. Wait—the footage just got wiped.”

“She’s using a masker,” Erica says. “That’s fine, just follow the static.”

“No, ma’am,” the Bratva guy replies. “I mean the footage is gone . All of it. Every single camera in Las Vegas just got wiped and taken offline.”

“What?” Erica yells and her back stiffens. She jerks her head toward me. “Who the fuck is this Eleanor Fuller?”

I want to rage, but all I can do is laugh. Lea is smarter than I gave her credit for. Not only is she getting out of Las Vegas, but she’s got the hacker covering her tracks. If the cameras are offline, they’ll never find her. After I’m gone, she’ll have enough money to disappear without a trace.

“Seriously, Mo,” Emilio mutters under his breath. “Who the hell is she?”

“The only person who has made me feel alive since Layla got murdered,” I sigh. “But it’s time to make peace with whoever you believe in, because we don’t have much time left.”

“Already made it,” Leo murmurs.

“There’s nothing after that? No way to find it?” Erica asks, her voice distressed.

“No, ma’am,” Paulie confirms. “If the cameras are offline and the footage is wiped, we’d have to search the entire city. We don’t have enough men for that.”

“Then forget it,” Erica says, lighting a cigarette. “Torch the building. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Paulie nods and motions to several guys. They grab canisters of gasoline and start pouring it all around the warehouse. Leo winces when he gets splashed. Emilio curses and screams, then sputters on some that goes in his mouth. I stare Paulie in the eyes while he dumps it on me, and I get more than either of my brothers. That’s fine. I’d rather go quick.

“I really hope all three of you assholes scream,” Paulie chuckles. “That way we have something to listen to while we drive away.”

This is it. This is how the Morandi family ends. Erica is a fool if she thinks Matteo is going to run the family one day. Our father won’t retire, after losing all three of his sons. He’ll sit at the head of the table until he rots, but he won’t have the strength to keep the family together without us. The only thing Matteo will inherit is a worthless throne and a table nobody sits at anymore.

At least I won’t be around to see it.

“We got a problem!” a Bratva guy yells. “Vehicles! Lots of them! They’re headed this way!”

“What the fuck?” I glance at Emilio who looks equally stunned.

“It’s the boss!” Paulie yells. “Oh, shit! Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

“Light the warehouse up!” Erica calls out. “We’ll have to fight our way out!”

“Fight our way out?” Paulie’s voice is panicked. “That’s suicide!”

“Do you think the outcome will be any better if we give up?” Erica questions, then she turns and flicks her cigarette toward a puddle of gasoline.

The fire erupts in an instant. I can feel the heat as it spreads, but thankfully, it’s moving in the other direction. Erica, the traitors, and the Bratva refugees run toward the door. I start rocking the chair, tearing more skin against the steel on my wrists, and kicking at the shackles.

“The chairs are bolted to the floor,” Leo says. “I already tried that while you were yelling at Paulie.”

“Thought you made peace with it,” I mutter, not giving up, despite the pain that radiates through my body.

“Doesn’t mean I want to die,” Leo sighs. “I thought I was avoiding fiery damnation when I became a priest.”

Gunfire erupts outside the warehouse. The flames are getting closer. The warehouse is filling up with smoke, and I’m lightheaded. It’s closer to Emilio than me, and he’s freaking out, trying to keep his feet away from the fire.

The gunshots peter out. I can hear yelling, but the flames are making so much noise, I can’t make anything out. A second later, the warehouse door flies open, and I see the meanest motherfucker to ever put on a kilt.

“Rowan!” I yell. “Over here!”

Rowan holds up his arms and rushes toward us. He’s not alone. My father is right behind him, and he’s got a chain around Erica’s neck, dragging her behind him while she screams.

“The lass wasn’t lying,” Rowan grunts, finding a clear spot to hop over so he can get to me. “Fuck, got yourself into a bit of a mess, eh?”

“You’re not even supposed to be in Las Vegas,” I mutter, realizing the only lass he could be referencing is Lea. “Nobody listens to me anymore.”

“I listened, I just ignored it,” Rowan chuckles. “Thought you might need me. Guess I was right.”

“Help Emilio first,” I growl, motioning to my brother who is nearly sideways in his chair with the fire dancing around him. “We’re covered in gasoline. If the fire gets to us, there’s no saving us.”

“I can’t help either of you,” Rowan says, trying to move my chair. “Dante, we need the fucking bolt cutters, lad!”

More of my father’s men storm into the warehouse. The fire has spread too much for them to put it out, but they clear a path and put out the flames that are close enough to ignite us. Dante hurries over with the bolt cutters and releases Emilio first, then he tosses them to Rowan, who cuts me free. He tosses them back to Dante who runs over to Leo.

I stagger when I get to my feet, partially from blood loss, and partially from smoke inhalation.

“Easy, pal,” Rowan says, pulling my arm across his shoulders. “I got you.”

“I’m fine, help Leo,” I mumble.

“Dante’s already got the chains off,” Rowan says, glancing over his shoulder. “You need medical attention.”

Rowan dodges the flames as he helps me out of the warehouse. I cough and gag on the smoke, staggering along until I taste clean air. I gasp a few times, then everything seems to melt away, because I see Lea running toward me with tears in her eyes. I immediately pull away from Rowan.

“Massimo!” she squeals, nearly bowling me over with a hug.

“You really are the most disobedient girl in the world, aren’t you, bambina ,” I sigh, stumbling to keep my balance as I wrap my arms around her.

“You can punish me later,” she sniffles.

I hold her in my arms while my brothers are pulled out of the warehouse. They collapse on the ground and try to get their breath. I’m feeling it too, and my father’s personal doctor is waiting to attend to me.

“Excuse me, miss,” he says, tapping Lea on the shoulder. “I really think I need to have a look at him.”

Lea nods and pulls away. I stumble to the hood of a car and support my weight while the doctor examines me. He slips an oxygen mask over my face and cuts through my shirt with a pair of scissors. My shoulder is throbbing, and the wound has opened up so much I’m not sure a few stitches can repair the damage now.

“We need to get you back to the house,” the doctor says.

“Not yet.” I stagger away from him and toward my father, who is still holding Erica by the neck.

Emilio moves in front of me before I can get to them. Lea rushes to my side, offering me what little support she can.

“She’s my wife, Mo,” Emilio says firmly, then he coughs. “I’ll deal with her.”

“After what she did?” I growl, leaning more weight on Lea than I should. “Get the fuck out of my way.”

“It’s Emilio’s call,” my father announces, dragging the screaming Erica toward us. He tightens the chain around her neck so she can’t speak. “When a wife turns traitor, the husband decides, and we do not question his judgment.”

I bite my tongue to silence my rage. My father’s right. Those are the traditions we live by, even if Erica murdered my wife. I take a step back and nod.

My father releases the grip on Erica’s chain and tosses it to Emilio. Emilio yanks Erica to her feet and pulls her close.

“P-please, Lo! Please!” Erica begs, tears streaming down her face. “I-I’m sorry! I just got… tempted by the Bratva! I had no choice! I was looking out for our family!”

“ This is my fucking family,” Emilio growls, motioning to everyone except his wife. “You weren’t looking out for them at all. You were looking out for yourself.”

“No, baby, please,” Erica whimpers. “Think about Matty… and Mia…”

“I am thinking about them,” Emilio says harshly.

“T-they need me!” Erica whines.

“No, they don’t need you at all.” Emilio yanks on the chain and then starts wrapping it around Erica. She shrieks, but he pulls it tight around her neck. “The smoke will probably kill you before the fire does. I won’t pour gasoline on you—consider that one last act of mercy.”

“Oh, god,” Lea whispers, clutching my arm.

“Are we sure all the traitors are here?” I ask, glancing at my father. “Big Boyd wasn’t at the house. I sure as fuck hope he hasn’t turned.”

“He’s at the casino,” my father replies. “He was as shocked as I was when I filled him in, but I still thought it was best for him to sit this one out. It might be a while before I can trust anyone who was that close to Erica.”

“Understood.” I nod in agreement and watch as Emilio drags Erica toward the warehouse, then I pull Lea closer. “Come on, bambina . You don’t want to see this.”

Justice will be served. I can make peace with that. I don’t have to be the one who finishes her off, nor does the need for personal vengeance gnaw at me, like it did when I went after the Bratva.

The only thing I need is right beside me.