The fence out front isn’t as secure as the small wall that lines the rest of the property. It’s slated, meaning guns could easily shoot between them although I doubt anyone is stupid enough to do that. From what I can tell there are at least six soldiers that patrol the grounds at night. They space out around the property and circle it. That’s only on the outside. Not knowing what’s inside is what gets my adrenaline pumping. The fact that I’m so close to finding the bastards makes my heart leap in my chest. Revenge for what they did to us is the only thing I care about. I want them to feel what we felt. I want them to hurt the way we hurt and then this whole thing can end.
“Didn’t sleep?” I look up when I hear Tino. Looking back at the clock I see it’s midnight. Perfect timing. I’ve sat here for the last six hours. Six hours of learning my target.
“You ready?” Tino nods his head as close the laptop for the last time. Grabbing my phone off the charger that I stuck it on, I wind the cords up and shove them into the bag that Tino holds out to me. Making sure my phone is running the way I want it to, I slip it into my pocket.
“I’m ready. You sure you don’t want to sleep?”
Shaking my head, he already knows how I operate. I need the push.
We walk out of the café and toss our stuff into the rental. The Ricci house isn’t far from here. I climb in the passenger seat as Tino climbs in and starts the car. My heart beats a little faster now. I’m ready for this. We pull out and drive in silence. There is nothing that needs to be said, nothing that could be said. We both know the plan and that’s the way it is. I need to finish this. I need to find some kind of closure for not only myself but my family. The closer we get, the more nervous Tino becomes. I can see him shifting in his seat but it doesn’t bother me. Reaching over, I grab his hand, giving it a squeeze. We pull down the small road behind the house when Tino stops the car. Exactly where I wanted him. A small smile tugs across my face. He listened to me. He followed my directions.
“Tessa,” he whispers my name. It’s too late. He can’t stop me now. I climb out of the car and he follows. Checking my gun and my phone one last time, we meet at the front of the car. Tino moves quickly, grabbing my face in his hands. His lips crash into mine. A kiss that pours all his feelings into me. A kiss that makes my knees weak and my lungs to deflate. When we pull apart, he’s breathless as he stares into my eyes.
“Don’t make me lose you.”
“You won’t. I promise.” He nods once more before I pull back and turn to run through the trees. I know exactly where I’m going. Sticks crunch under my boots; limbs hang down forcing me to push them out of my way. One scrapes my arm as I run but I don’t stop. Not until I get where I need to be. Once I’m in place, I wait.
Chapter Ten
Enzo
I run my hand over my face before cracking my neck from side to side. The impending headache that feel in my temples is a reminder that I need sleep. It’s two in the morning and I’m still sitting in my office going over paperwork that could have waited.
“Why you up?” I hear a voice. When I look up I see Preacher standing there with a glass of what appears to be milk in his hand.
“Working. I could ask you the same.” He holds the glass up with a half smirk.
“Your mouthy ass sister thought she needed a drink. You know after I wore her ass out,” he chuckles. I raise my hand not wanting to hear any of that. This man makes me rethink bringing him here.
“Not what I needed to hear, thank you.”
“You knew she was innocent,” he says with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Even still,” I grumble. Reaching into my desk drawer I pull out the vodka and a shot glass, pouring one for myself.
“And you wonder why you can’t sleep. You should stay at the clubhouse with as much as you drink,” Preacher adds.
“It isn’t that much. Don’t you have a drink to deliver?” Tossing my drink back, Preacher laughs before turning and walking out of my office. I close my eyes and remind myself that Gaia is happier with him around. I’ve seen it firsthand. I never thought I’d see the day that my little sister smiled the way she does when he walks into the room. It makes me happy. A slight smile curves my own lips when my phone rings. Hitting the button for the speak, I answer.
“Yes?”
“You still awake, boss?”
“I just answered didn’t I?”
“Yes, sir. We have a situation. Can you come down to the basement,” Andre, my head of security says. I close my eyes tightly not wanting to deal with anything else tonight but I suppose one more thing couldn’t hurt.
“I’m on my way.” I click the button and shove out of my chair, grabbing my jacket off the back and slipping it back on as I stalk down the hallway. I descend the stairs wondering what could possibly be going on at two in the morning that requires me to be in the basement. Not that I don’t like it down there, I do.
As soon as I hit the basement, I see a few of my men. I nod at them and they nod in return as I make my way down the short hallway. When I step into the room, I’m a little shocked.
“Andre, if you brought me down here for your little sex adventures I will put a bullet in your head,” I say as I look to the girl tied to the chair.
“Is this really a mafia basement? This is so not a kill room,” she says watching me like a hawk. She has the prettiest eyes that I’ve ever seen and a smile that could stop hearts, yet she’s sitting tied to a chair in my basement.
“And what should a basement or kill room, as you say look like?” I ask cocking my head to the side to wait for her answer.
“Um, first of all there should be a no carpet. Do you really want blood on the carpet? It’s hard to get out, stains easily. Second, there should be a drain.”
“A drain?”
“Yes, to wash away the evidence.” She rolls her eyes as if I should know all this already. It’s a little amusing that she’s being this talkative.
“Wash away the evidence, hmm? What evidence would that be?” I entertain her. Why not? It isn’t like I’m going to fall asleep anytime soon.
“My blood when you kill me?” She questions. I look to Andre but he just shrugs.
“And why am I killing you?”
“I’m in your basement.”
“As I can clearly see. Why is it you’re in my basement at this hour?” I look at my watch to make my point but the girl just smiles. Damn, that is one smile I would like to see wrapped around my cock.
“Well, you see. What happened was, I was out taking a walk,” she begins when Andre slaps her across the face. The sting does nothing to her. The slight cut that it caused on her lip calls to me. Who is this girl?
“That’s a little rude considering her asked me,” she smarts off.
“Why am I down here, Andre?” I growl, the annoyance finally starting to get to me.
“We caught her coming in the back door.”
“And you couldn’t handle her on your own?” I ask.
“I don’t think he can,” she chimes in winking at me.
“This is what I pay you for!” I roar, my anger directed at my head of security. He should have handled her, disposed of her, not called me down here for this. I run a goddamn empire and he has me in the basement because someone didn’t do their job effectively.