46. Luciano
Chapter 46
Luciano
~3 days later~
" Principessa , please don't tell me you just robbed a bank. Or at least, if you did, please tell me you covered your tracks."
Being bombarded with notifications from my accountant about Juliet's sudden surge in account balance was not fun, especially since I was in the middle of finalizing tonight's plans.
"Uhh… Well… I didn't rob like a national or federal bank… Do personal bank accounts count?" Juliet's sheepish voice came from the couch, her head refusing to meet mine as the speed of her fingers tapping against her keyboard increased.
"Juliet, what did you do?" I asked with a stressed sigh, rubbing my temples from the dull ache that quickly formed from her reaction.
"Nothing!" Yeah, that was a little too fast of an answer on her end in a very offended tone.
"Juliet, if I have to pry it out of you, you will not be walking or sitting for days," I warned her as I approached her, standing inches from her scrunched-up form on the couch. "And it won't be my hand this time."
Her head shot up at me, her wide eyes trembling a little at the sight of my looming face. "I only took the money from the people we're killing." Good to see I haven't lost my touch if she didn't fight me much. "I mean, they're not gonna miss it, and it's not like I'm going to use it for personal use. It's gonna go towards the business."
Okay, I couldn't argue much with her there because her points were rather valid. "Then open a separate account to funnel your business shit into before my account gives me an aneurysm with all these notifications of strange activity on your personal accounts," I told her with a roll of my eyes, releasing the tense breath that lingered in my chest.
"I will… I just kinda forgot…." Juliet mumbled while averting her head from me. "I got too caught up doing other stuff… Like tracking down the actual bad guy."
With an empty sigh, I shook my head at her with a small smile. "Juliet, you don't have to handle everything. You have a team put together for you to utilize. So, start delegating. Besides, you have other things to focus on, like university. I mean, you may be set for life being with me, but I still want you to get yourself set up with your own goals and dreams."
Pouting up at me, Juliet huffed and closed her laptop begrudgingly. "I know… But I don't want to be useless to you. I feel like I have to do stuff. Otherwise, I'm just a moocher." She admitted with a sigh.
" Amorina , you are not useless, never. Don't worry about me or syndicate business because that is not your battle to be fought. Yes, you're associated through me, but we don't expect you to fully immerse yourself in it or anything. All we want is for you to live the life you want and to be happy, especially me. You want the degree in computer sciences, analytics, or whatever else you said, so get it." I would never ask her to be involved if I could help it. It weighed on me enough that I pulled her into this life, so the last thing I wanted to do was put her in the direct line of fire.
Humming softly, Juliet nodded at me before getting up and hugging me tightly. "Are we still going out tonight? Everything in order?" She questioned after peering up at me with hopeful, eager eyes.
Chuckling, I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Yes, everything should be good to go, but I was in the middle of finalizing everything when my accountant rudely interrupted me. So, be good, and don't do anything for the next two hours while I prepare with the others." Or at least behave as much as my little brat could.
Squealing happily, she eagerly nodded her head while bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Yes, sir." Giggling giddily, she jumped back onto the couch and bundled herself up in her blanket with a wide grin. "I'll just take a nap until we're ready to go."
With that much energy bouncing at her? Doubtful, but if she said so, then who was I to argue? Giving out a soft, mocking chuckle, I reached down to cup her face, leaning down and kissing her softly. "Sleep tight then, principessa ." Again, I was very doubtful of her actually napping, but there was no point in engaging in a pointless back-and-forth with her right now.
Turning on my heel, I looked at her bundled form on the couch with an admiring smile before returning to my office, where the others still remained. "False alarm, nothing to worry about," I informed them with a dismissive roll of my eyes. "So sorry about that, but where were we?"
"Remember—"
"I know, I know, I know," Juliet cut me off with an annoyed scoff. "You've only said it the whole damn ride here. If anything goes wrong, shoot and speed on out of here. Don't try to play hero and go after you, don't leave the car unless you or one of the other Syndicate members come get me personally, and do not leave the car under any circumstances unless a bomb gets thrown into it. Oh, and don't leave the car."
Little smart ass.
If I wasn't on the clock, then I'd bend her over the center console right now and spank her ass red for being mouthy with me. Well, I could always do it later when we got home—if we could even stay awake that long.
Tonight was going to be a long one, from the raid to the fight right after, and we were probably all going to be dead tired by the time we got home tonight. One step at a time, though.
First order of business: Champion's Lounge.
With one final look and kiss of Juliet, I slipped out of the car and slipped my earpiece in. "Everyone check-in," I commanded after checking in myself.
The next minute flew by with a slurry of names being a constant flow into my ear as I strapped myself down with my weapons. "Alright, everyone ready?" Once I got a positive response from everyone, I rounded the car, gave Juliet one last longing look, and blew her a kiss with a wink, making her giggle and smile like a lovesick teen.
"Everyone get into position and wait for my signal." This operation would be nothing shy of perfect. We've gone over the plan and scenario so many times over the past few months, accounted for strays, and planned for those, too.
I knew how important it was to see this place fall for Juliet, and I didn't want to disappoint her. This place falling tonight would also be a huge message to everyone in the old mafia that even they're not truly safe from us and that they are next on our list. We have rid the city of the smaller rats and bugs over the past months, a tactical decision on our end in hopes of shaking up the old. The plan did work somewhat because we had a few crawl out of their dark corners to grovel at our feet. They were promptly taken care of once we wrung them of their use. Now, it was time for stubborn ones to go, the damn cockroaches.
Caroline Heral was one of the bigger names in the old mafia, so her falling tonight would serve as a blaring message to the others that their time was up. I intend on making a spectacle of her death tonight. Which brought my attention to my bodycam to ensure it was running. This whole thing would be recorded and played at tonight's fight event for everyone to see.
Don't fuck with The Syndicate. Don't fuck with me, Luciano Agosti. And most importantly, don't fuck with my wife.
Time to get rid of this splinter.
"Alright, everyone is in position and clear on their roles and plans?" One last check before we stormed the place and decimated it.
Once I got a positive response from everyone, I gave them the go-ahead with an unhinged grin on my face when the sounds of chaos ensued from the doors being kicked in from all sides.
"Round them up! And remember, Caroline is mine." None of my attention went to the chaos around me as I stalked my way through the place, pulling the trigger on anyone who got in my way in a semi-threatening manner.
"Carol! Come out and face the music of your doing!" I shouted down the hallway with a crazed grin when I caught sight of her frantic figure running for her office.
The flimsy door—it felt flimsy to me—stood no chance against my loaded kick that nearly sent it off the hinges. Three gunshots from me went off in succession with each other the second I entered the room, sending the three guards to the ground dead before they even had a chance to aim at me. "You know Carol, if you weren't so much of a snake, I might have let you live. Too bad you burnt any bridges between you and The Syndicate when I happened upon Juliet." I mused in a sarcastic voice.
"Luciano, come on, let's be reasonable. Killing me would be detrimental to you all, and it'll be seen as a huge betrayal. You've already made a lot of enemies with what you have all done in the past few months. So, be reasonable here. Besides, I can provide so many resources to you all." Her yapping excuses droned on and on, and I couldn't care less for them.
Annoyed with her pointless excuses as to why I should spare her pathetic life, I raised my voice at her, making her flinch and shut her mouth. "If you weren't a trafficker, then maybe I might consider it, but you know the rules, Carol. Don't try to deny it either. I know the truth." Slowly, I approached her with dangerous and calculated steps, glaring her down as I approached her like a lion would an injured prey. "This is the end of the line for you."
Lunging at her, I tackled her to the ground in one smooth movement, zip-tying her wrists and ankles before dragging her down to the main floor where some others were bound and gathered in a small group on the center stage. "You're lucky I'm not one to lay my hands on women, even if they are absolute scum." Unless I wanted my parents to rise from the dead to beat my ass and drag it Hell, I refused to risk it.
I was a gentleman of a mafia boss and reasonable to an extent. At least, I liked to see myself as so.
"If anyone tries anything, shoot them, but don't kill them. I'm going to get Juliet." I gave the order to everyone before shoving Caroline into the group of people and turning around to leave momentarily.
As much as I wanted to execute everyone on the spot, maybe beat some to death with my fists, the only person who had the right to end them or command their end was Juliet.
Thankfully, Juliet was where I left her, safe and sound in my car. Although I was in a serious, killer mood, I couldn't help but let that exterior crack away at the sight of Juliet pressing her face against the window to purposedly smoosh her face. " Principessa , you're my wife, not my dog." I joked with a soft laugh after opening the door to her grinning face.
"But it made you smile." She retorted with a smug snicker before getting out of the car with my help.
Holding my hand tightly, she smiled nervously at the building for a second before letting me lead her in. "I really can't believe it's going to disappear after all this time." Her hands trembled in mine as we walked deeper into the place, only stopping once we were a few feet from the group of bound people.
"Doesn't feel good to be on the other end, does it?" Juliet spat spitefully at Caroline after approaching her with me right behind her. Her body lurched forward in the next second, and a hand shot out across Carol's face, leaving some lovely bloody slashes on the screaming woman's face. "At least you have the mercy of knowing how it ends for you."
"You little bitch!" That spat from Caroline earned her another slap from Juliet, which added a nice new set of nail marks across her face.
"Break their knees so they don't escape and gas the place," Juliet commanded everyone with her chest proud and head high. "I don't care if you kick them in or shoot them out. Just make sure it is done."
Slowly, Juliet backed away with me to watch our men carry out her orders from a safe-ish distance. Tucking herself into me, she leaned into me for support as she watched the scene unfold with a twisted, satisfied smile. "You know, I really thought the screams would get to me eventually, but I don't think I'll ever get enough of them." She commented with a soft sigh and giggle.
Drowning the pained screams and pleas out, I leaned down, kissed Juliet's cheek, and whispered into her ear. "My, my, what a twisted little thing my wife has become." This behavior shouldn't be encouraged normally, but we weren't anywhere near normal.
A quick minute or two passed, and the screams died down to pained whimpers and sobs once our men were done carrying out her orders. It didn't take long for the smell of gasoline to fill our nostrils and the sounds of sloshing in plastic canisters to our ears.
"If I was more fucked up, I'd find a way for you to be assaulted like I was before killing you slowly, but I'm not a total monster. So, count yourself lucky." Juliet feigned an apologetic sigh before slipping her hands into my pants pocket and fishing out the lighter. "You are going to be nothing but ashes along with this place, and once it's all gone to the ground, I'm going to build my business on top of it. I will be stepping and dancing all over your grave every single day while I rid the world of shitty people like you."
"Everyone, do one last sweep of the building to make sure it's clear, then clear the building yourself," I ordered everyone, looking around the room to ensure it was received and noted.
Countless footfalls filled the tense air as everyone swept the place one final time from the basement up to the rooftops. Then, a heavy, suffocating silence compressed the air once the place was cleared beside Juliet and me, along with the group of rats, to be executed.
"Y-you can't be serious. Please, be reasonable." Caroline begged with a nervous smile. "Please, I treated you well when you were here. Kept you fed, gave you a place to sleep."
The soft click of the lighter flipping open and the ignitor being pressed on silenced the older woman instantly. "And this is me being reasonable in return." Juliet retorted with an empty smile. "I'm not giving you the most horrible death I can think of. You get to rest for all of eternity after this. It might not be in peace, but that's a problem for you and the devil to discuss."
Tilting her head, she gave out a rather unhinged laugh. "Oh, wait, that conversation and judgment has already passed." Setting the lighter off, Juliet waved it in front of her face with a look of obsession and satisfaction. "Guess there are perks to being married to him. So, you're out of luck everywhere it seems."
The lighter clicked with each flick of Juliet's finger. "Hope you burn in Hell as much as you will here."
WHOOSH!