Page 184 of Savage Empire

“You’re okay with killing thirty-five of your men to get to your father?” I ask doubtfully.

“They aren’t my men, they’re his.”

“Don’t try to talk him out of it,” Nico says darkly. “Now that we’re talking about slaughtering a whole house of men, I haven’t had this much fun in ages.”

“It’ll be dangerous.”

“It’ll be worth it.”

I don’t bother to disagree. This isn’t my mission to run. This is a favor I’ve been trapped by honor into fulfilling.

“Let’s do this then.”

“Let’s go kill a Capo.”

Famous last words.

We descend on the mansion like shadows. Cloaked in black and sweeping through the surrounding area while strategically avoiding lights and cameras. Each of us is wearing protective vests and a night vision monocular over one eye. And of course, we’re packing heavy heat. Two suppressor equipped guns each, one in hand, one strapped to our ankles, and all of our belts filled with magazines and knives to spare.

We’re as prepared as we can be, but this is still an operation built on a fucking whim, and something is bound to go wrong.

The first floor is cleared easily. Abramo, Nico, and I work together like a fine-oiled machine, moving in sync and covering each other’s backs. Bodies drop all around us, not a single return shot being made and alerting the guards above. Once the level is cleared, we make our way up, and things get more intense very quickly.

The second floor is heavily guarded, and our element of surprise is taken away within seconds. We’re taking oncoming fire as we take out the men one by one, and it isn’t long before my bad feeling is proven valid.

Nico is hit in the vest, the impact slamming him back into a wall. And before I can think, I act, moving in on the man who’s gunning for him. He sees me coming, throwing a knife straight at me, and I dodge on instinct. It slices through my side, missing the vest and drawing blood along my ribs.

“Motherfucker,”I grunt, lifting my aim straight for his head and firing three times. He drops like a sack of flour and I reach down to help Nico up.

He groans but comes to his feet easily, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

“You good?”

“Bruised as fuck, but fine,” he confirms. “You?”

Searing pain blazes through my shoulder, a loud bang coming from around the corner.You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

Nico whips around and lights up the gunman who just hit my shoulder while I clutch it. My hand is smeared with blood in a matter of seconds.

“Not your lucky day, is it?” Nico winces, pulling a long cloth from his pocket. He wraps it around my wound tight and quickly. “Let’s finish this and get you the hell out of here.”

And that’s exactly what we do. Despite my injuries, and the bruises Nico is going to have under his vest, we come out relatively unscathed. Abramo is almost shot too, but the worst he comes out with is a knee to the balls. A small price to pay for putting your sadistic father into the ground. Or rather, into flames.

Ashes to ashes, and all that.

The plane ride home is fucking miserable, but faster. The private pilot manages to make the trip in just over an hour, rather than almost two. I’m pretty sure he flies it recklessly and illegally, but with a bullet in my shoulder and nothing but gauze keeping my side together, I’m not complaining.

“Doc is fifteen minutes away, but I’ll get Dad,” Nico says, rushing off the plane. We landed in the long field beside the main house, leaving me with only a small walk to get inside.

Every step fucking hurts, but soon enough, I’m through the side door near the kitchen, and starting to tend to myself. Nico should have found our father already, but of course my wife is the first one to stumble upon me. With alcohol dripping down my shoulder, and medical grade pliers sunk into the hole in my arm.

She should be sleeping; it’s fucking three in the morning.

“What the hell happened?” she screeches, eyes filled with worry as she notices all of the blood.

“Repayment,” I mutter, breathing hard. “For Abramo saving your life.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” She clutches her stomach, stepping closer though she looks like she may be sick.