12. Enzo
Enzo
12
This fucking day.
Nico is ready to go to war, and I couldn’t stop him if I wanted to. At least with this situation, it’s warranted. The idea that this Matt asshole has laid hands on our sweet Christina in anger is wholly unacceptable.
He deserves to go to Hell, and we are certainly going to make sure he gets there. Today, if possible.
Killing scum that hurt women is one of the perks of my chosen profession. The fact that Nico needs his first kill in order to become a made-man and can do so by eliminating a worthless piece of scum from this world?
Perfect.
Technically, they prefer to make the first kill a hit, but there’s no explicit rule that says it has to be. This day has been coming for a long, long time. In order for Nico to become what he has been trained for; this has to happen.
It’s time.
I know the fact that his father has tried so hard to make him wait has frustrated him. But it’s been for his own good. Taking a life, even when it’s warranted, changes you. Albert isn’t a great father, but in his own way, I think he was trying to give Nico as much time as possible before the inevitable. Whether or not Nico will admit it, this will change him.
The first kill can be a name on a checklist, or it can be a name that inspires the nature of your reign.
Matt Ricci hurt the new Venitti princess. In doing so, he disrespected her, our father, and our entire family.
The message Nico will send to the men with this kill will do far more to inspire loyalty than just picking off a random foot soldier.
It’s a kill for our honor.
The best kind.
Besides, this kill, combined with his twenty-fifth birthday next month, will be putting things in motion for him. Albert will step back. The first kill is the first step in the transition of power.
Nico is finally ready.
“Give me the fucking keys,” I demand, snatching them from his hand and motioning for him to get in the car.
I won’t stop Nico’s anger. I won’t try to reason with him – I want him to do this, almost as badly as he does.
But I want us to survive it, so… I’m driving.
Nico is a terrible driver on a good, calm day.
Today, he’s seething.
The actual plan doesn’t take much – just 15 minutes and some communication with the men in the area. We have his name. That’s all someone needs. It’s crazy what information is readily available online. Addresses are just the start. It’s no longer the quick internet search that does someone in. No. It’s the stories they post in real time for the entire world to see.
I didn’t even have to request to follow Matt to know that right now, he’s at baseball practice, and that soon, he will be driving home.
Or he would have been.
Instead, we’ll take him to his grave.
Before I know it, we’re headed down the driveway. Nico is checking his weapons, practically vibrating with rage.
Alec and his guys pull out behind us. It’s a standard precaution. Never go anywhere without backup. Not even for a last-minute impulse kill.
I smile to myself, the adrenaline pumping. This life isn’t for everyone, but it’s perfect for me.
And I fucking love it.
I zip down the highway, more at ease with every mile.
My phone rings over the car speakers.
“Alec,” I say, answering the call from a button on the steering wheel.
“We’re staying close but we’re staying back. Signal if you need backup.”
The call ends.
I sense Nico fidgeting beside me, the only giveaway that he’s emotional. Fuck. Keeping his anger in check is going to take more babysitting than I thought.
“You know you can’t kill him in public,” I say to Nico as I turn down the street that leads to the University’s sports complex, feeling the need to check in with him. “Right?”
It might not seem like it, but there are rules for the way we do things. Avoiding media attention is a big one. Murdering a high-profile college athlete in the light of day?
Ill-advised and we’d be answering to Albert in a heartbeat. Not what I want to do.
“Fine,” Nico says. I raise an eyebrow at his petulant tone.
When I glance over at him, he’s sitting with his ankle crossed over his knee. The impatient jiggle of his foot is his only tell.
“Nico. I know you’re pissed. I am too. But we can’t clean up mistakes in the middle of the day.” I turn into the parking lot. “Not at the University.” I pull into an open spot near a tree lined section along the edge of the parking lot. “Not now.”
There are only a few cars left in the lot. Practice has ended and we watch guys disperse from the field, lugging their bags to their cars and speeding away, a few at a time.
“What if he tries to leave?” Nico sits upright, clearly on edge now as we wait. His fingers tap impatiently against his thigh.
“I won’t let that happen.”
“What if he does?”
“We’ll follow him. Alec will follow him. He won’t get away.”
It seems to ease some of his concern.
“I promise.”
According to Matt’s social media, he’ll help his coach put away some of the equipment, and then he intends to hit the weight room before going back to his place to get ready for some party he’s having.
It’s perfect. It’ll be days before anyone realizes he’s gone.
By that time, whatever evidence may remain will be lost to the bottom of the sea. A perk of access to shipping terminals.
If this were my plan, we would probably wait a few hours to grab him.
As a future consigliere, I do tend to think more strategically than my brother.
Matt Ricci is a dead man walking. We won’t be absolving him of his sins anytime soon. Anyone who even looks at Christina with malice should die a painful death. But he’s also one of the star baseball players of the Millerton University team.
Regardless of how this goes, it will eventually draw attention.
I watch the baseball coach hover near his truck. Matt seems in no hurry, lugging the bags of equipment slowly across the field.
Leave. Leave. Leave.
My hands tap against the steering wheel. I really don’t feel like hiding two bodies today.
The coach stops scrolling on his phone and pauses, looking around him.
It sets my nerves on edge. Humans are more like animals than they even know. Prey have a way of knowing when they’re being hunted. Not all, but more than I would like. Does this man know?
Can he feel it?
I grind my jaw, thinking through our options when he lifts his phone to his ear, his mouth moving animatedly. Whatever gave him pause has nothing to do with us.
The man waves a hand in Matt’s direction, jumping into his truck and pulling away. Fast.
I watch his taillights disappear in the rearview mirror, waiting until he turns on the road before hopping out of the car.
“You have the stuff?” I ask Nico.
“Of course,” I say, smirking. I’m ready. When armed with a well-executed plan, kidnapping is my favorite part.
“All right. Let’s go.”
Matt doesn’t see us coming. The little prick is too caught up in himself to notice anything around him. Typical.
His lack of focus is even more evident when he checks his phone, turning his momentary distraction into outright oblivion.
It’s only a few seconds, but it’s all the time we need.
“Hey, Matt?” Nico shouts.
Matt’s head snaps up. His face matches the photo we saw of him on his profile. Caught him.
My lip curls in disgust and I clench my fists.
I can’t help but react to seeing this fucker in person. The man who dared put his hands on my princess.
If this were my kill, I’d draw it out. Make him pay for every cruel word or thought he has ever had towards Christina.
But it isn’t. This kill belongs to Nico. I have to hold onto my restraint for him.
“It’s Matthew, right? Matthew Ricci?”
“It’s Matt. Who are you?” His eyes narrow as he takes in our appearance. “And why do you care?”
He zips up his bag and slings it over his shoulder.
“You’re Christina’s ex?” I ask. I already know the truth, but I want to hear him say it.
Besides, confirmation is a safety technique. It wouldn’t be fair to take this rage out on someone else. I take a step to the right as Nico steps left. I’m not against killing random men who look at us wrong. I just don’t have time for diversions today.
Matt nods his head, looking from Nico to me and back again.
Perfect.
“Do you know who we are, Matthew?” Nico steps closer. His voice drips with excitement.
“If you’re pissed your little girlfriend is a whore, it’s none of my—"
I step forward and plunge the needle into his neck. We’re armed with Glocks, knives, and Trazadone. Luckily, this sedative works fast. Not even a minute later, we’re there to catch him, holding his limp body between us as we walk him over to our car.
Perfectly normal. Nothing to see here.
His feet drag a little as we hold him upright. His useless body is heavier than I imagined. He’s not built. Tall, six foot three maybe. Broad shoulders. But not strong by any means. Just annoyingly fucking heavy.
Good thing I’m strong.
We shove him in the backseat of the car and close the door, hopping into our own sides and speeding away, the guys are on our tail immediately, so I know we haven’t been caught.
Luckily the college is only a few miles away from the warehouse.
We own nearly the entire city, including the police force. But when it comes to murder – it’s better to cover all your bases.
Instead of cutting him into pieces in an open field, we need to do so in private.
There are rules, after all.
The Venitti family has a good reputation for disposing of our enemies’ bodies in the river like upstanding mafioso. Not like those bastards in some of the rival families.
The sun starts to fade in the sky as we turn down the road that leads to the warehouse and our other buildings along the edge of the docks. Enzo pulls the car to a stop beside the large sliding door of one of the shipping containers that we turned into an interrogation room.
The water laps at the concrete barrier, muffling the sounds of Alec and his men, gathered to stand guard.
The waves are aggressive from the lingering storms. I’ll need to make sure any evidence of consequence is weighed down.
Nico gets out of the car with haste, rounding the back and dragging Matt across the pavement like the trash he is, no longer concerned about appearances. There’s nothing to hide here.
This is our territory. It’s about our revenge.
So Nico takes Matt by an ankle and I take another, and we drag him across the damp pavement, allowing the back of his head to grind against the abrasive ground.
We leave a streak of blood behind us, and I sigh, making a mental note to pour some bleach out here before we leave and call the clean-up crew. Because this is unsanctioned – Albert is going to make us pay the cost out of our own money. Worth it.
I drop my hold of Matt to flip on the lights. The fluorescent bulbs flash into a steady brightness that is hard on the eyes.
Nico lifts his body into a chair and begins to secure the ties. I watch him make quick work of the rope, his fingers tying off tight knots that dig into his skin.
I hope it burns. This man never deserved Christina. He certainly doesn’t deserve our mercy.
Nico slaps him across the face repeatedly until Matt wakes up. The fear in his sleepy eyes makes me laugh.
Nico squats beside him. He slaps his face again, leaving behind a red handprint on Matt’s pasty white face.
“Good morning.” His voice is unhinged, even to me.
This isn’t a random first kill. It’s a trophy. And I can feel that Nico intends to savor every moment of it.
“W-where am I?” Matt stutters.
From where I stand in this shipping container turned cell, it looks as if Nico trails a finger lovingly down his cheek. It’s not until the blood drips against the floor that I realize he has his knife in his hand.
Damn. I gotta give it to him. He’s embracing the drama and it’ll make for a better story than my first time.
Mine was some nameless, faceless man I don’t remember.
If I have a son, I promise myself I’ll do it this way for him.
Matt cries out, his voice still weak from the sedative.
I take a few steps towards the nearest wall, leaning against it for a better view. I cross my arms against my chest as I watch.
“P-please,” Matt whimpers. His lips tremble, the blood still dripping down his face.
Nico laughs, gripping Matt by the neck.
“How does it feel?” His knife digs beneath the skin flaying open a piece before he carves it away.
“Hmm? How does it feel to be powerless? To have your life in the hands of someone bigger?”
Another cut. “Still think it’s fun?”
Matt’s screams turn to sobs.
“Please. Please! I won’t touch her again.” His voice cracks. “I swear.”
It’s the wrong thing to say.
Nico’s smile twists into something terrifying.
“No. You won’t.”
He moves his blade to one of Matt’s wrists, just below where his arm is tied down to the metal chair.
“This is going to hurt.” Then he grins manically and begins to saw.
I wince as blood spurts out of Matt’s arms and his screams bounce through the room.
Fucking hell.
I’ve seen enough.
Murder is part of my daily life as much as the next mafioso, probably more, but torture? Not my style.
I shake my head. I guess that’s why it’s best he’s left for Nico. I would’ve just choked the bastard to death and thrown his body over into the water.
“I’ll be outside,” I say, turning my back on Matt’s pleas for mercy. “No rush.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll take my time.”
The next scream that comes out of Matt’s mouth makes my skin crawl.
Now seems as good a time as any for a cigarette.