“Nice try,” Lupo said with a smirk. “Maybe you should look like me before you head into the flames.”
Michelle saw the top of the blade shining far too brightly. She heard Rodolfo crying out between coughs for the one-eyed man to stand down. But Lupo’s henchman charged forward. Michelle managed to turn her head. A fist slammed into Rodolfo’s gut, and she knew that she at the mercy of Lupo and the blade.
“Hey! Right here!”
Frankie furiously waved his arms in the air as a taxi raced by, the tires splashing against a puddle and soaking his slacks.
“Jesus Christ,” he muttered. “Who would turn down a fare?”
“He was probably off the clock,” Lorenzo said as he started to stomp down the sidewalk.
“Yeah,” Frankie agreed with a shrug. “But even then… we have cash in hand.”
Frankie tried and failed to signal another cab, and Lorenzo quickened his pace. Michelle was already well on her way back to the source of a fresh crime. He hated the idea of her coming upon her restaurant in flames. Even worse was the idea that she would be caught in some brand of crossfire. How fast could he walk?
He broke into a run as Frankie tried and failed to call another cab. The subway was the best option.
“Enzo!”
Lorenzo pushed the sound of his brother’s voice aside as he raced down the dirty staircase and pressed his Metro Card into the slot just beside the turnstile. At first, the revolving metal showed no signs of giving, and he was about to leap in the direction of the trains when Frankie caught up to him.
“Like this, Enzo.”
Frankie made like a suave saboteur as he opened his wallet and got the turnstile to give with a single push. Was it something in the wrist action? It didn’t matter. Not right now. Lorenzo rushed toward the platform and felt Frankie at his back once more.
“We’ll get there in time,” Frankie promised.
“How can you be so sure?” Lorenzo challenged. His hands were balled into fists at his side, and he stared his brother down. Frankie snorted and pressed his hands into his pockets.
“I mean… just saying that she seems tough… or whatever,” Frankie said. “Isn’t that why you like her?”
There were other reasons, things that he did not share with his brother. For the moment, he was simply grateful for the sight of the next train, and he dashed through the sliding doors.
“Enzo, I’m still right here.”
Lorenzo shied away from his brother’s glance as he stood standing, one hand on the pole at the center of the car as he pushed his other set of fingers against the glass. Below the ground, there was only darkness, and he could only picture the worst of fates befalling Michelle. He should have walked into Angelo’s apartment with a better game plan. Or at least have been ready to turn on a dime when she started to talk. Now, there was only darkness, and the occasional rat. He was on the verge of giving in to despair when he finally registered the feel of his brother’s hand on his shoulder.
He could always count on family.
Lorenzo held his breath until the train reached its stop. He felt Frankie at his side as they climbed another set of steps, the smell of fumes mingling with cloves and incense. He didn’t hate the scents… but he wanted the smell of roasted meat and sauteed garlic to join the air. That would be a sign that Michelle had arrived in time to resume cooking and make her stand. He turned the corner and saw a puff of smoke.
There was no other place that she would go… and now it was the worst place that she could be.
“Michelle!”
He forgot his gun as he ran at full force toward the back entrance. The moment he saw her, a sharp blow met his gut.
“Well! Look who’s here.”
Lorenzo struggled to recover his stance as he glanced up to see Joey Lupo with a knife near Michelle’s face. She started to say something when Lupo slapped her face hard.
“Leave her alone!” Lorenzo yelled.
His legs sputtered, but he still tried to reach her. Barreling forward, Lorenzo wrestled with Lupo and couldn’t help but grunt in pain when a sharp blade connected with his side. He doubled over, hating himself for failing when Frankie plowed forward and found Lupo’s henchman ready to finish the job.
“Motherfucker!”
The men wrestled, and Lupo started to take fresh aim.
“No!”
Biting through his pain, Lorenzo saw Michelle take up the knife that had fallen from his side. Crawling across the pavement, she managed to strike a blow on the henchman’s back as he tussled with Frankie near the ground. The henchman let out one loud gasp as he turned on his knees, his face a mask of confusion as he face-planted against the asphalt.
“You’ll pay for that, you little bitch!”
Recovering all the strength that he could summon, Lorenzo clutched his side and saw Michelle shudder as she stared down the barrel of Lupo’s gun. Frankie was too winded to be of any help, and Lorenzo’s legs flailed once he took a solid step forward. With one kick, Lupo’s gun flew. The single bullet that left the barrel struck the restaurant’s window. The fire already underway grew in force, exploding and knocking Lupo on his back. Despite the heat from the flames, Lorenzo forgot his pain as he reached for Michelle.
“You okay?” he asked.
She said nothing as she watched her restaurant burn. He saw her eyes fill with tears as he formed a plan of action and looked back to his brother. The wailing sound of fire trucks pierced the air. This was about to get tricky.
“We need to get them out of here,” Lorenzo said to his brother.
“I’m on it,” Frankie said. “And you need to get that wound looked at.”
“I’m not—” Enzo started.
Another massive explosion cut his words off. Lorenzo pulled Michelle away from the blaze and told her not to look back.
“This was my whole life!” she wailed. “And now it’s gone.”
“I know,” he said. “But we’ll get you somewhere else safe.”
“Where?” she demanded. “What am I supposed to do now?”
The fire engines were closing in. There wasn’t much time. “Go, go with Frankie. I’ll catch up.”
Michelle was in too much of a daze to argue. She allowed Frankie to corral both she and Rodolfo. Walking with purpose but not too quickly as to catch the authorities’ attention, Frankie led them both to the subway entrance, not looking back.
Enzo’s gaze followed them until they disappeared down the stairwell. He knew he could count on Frankie, he had to. The alternative was too much to contemplate. His mind had just turned to his older brother when he felt his world go dark.
10
Four hours later, after being tended to by the paramedics and taken for evaluation at the local hospital for his wound, Lorenzo struggled to catch his breath as he stood outside the Williamsburg walk-up. He knew the code. It was a gift from Caitlin only a few days ago, should he ever need a place to crash for the night. Ignoring the pain in his side, he keyed in the right digits with trembling fingers. The docs had fixed him up but he was still a bit woozy. As soon as the door swung open, he started inside.
He seized Adamo’s arm as he narrowed his eyes. “Where is Michelle?”