24. Noah #2
It’s a Mediterranean Tuscan style villa painted pale orange with cherry wood trim.
I count six balconies and terraces throughout the four floors.
Sculpted bushes fill the front yard and about half a dozen luxury cars that I couldn’t even begin to name are parked around the circular end of the driveway.
Elias exits the SUV first, followed by Del, me, and Matt.
A short set of stairs lead us from the driveway to the front door where Finn and his security team wait.
Finn is in his seventies with dark gray hair and a leathery, tanned face.
He’s wearing a bowling shirt and slacks and shiny black dress shoes.
He’s a small guy, short and thin and frail.
I wonder if the old man is sick as he coughs into a handkerchief.
He also leans over slightly, relying on a cane to keep him standing.
Unless the cane is a weapon, and the sickly demeanor is all an act.
“What a pleasure to meet with not only the long-lost daughter of Gio Lenetti, but the Carter brothers,” Finn says, his arms opening wide in a theatrical greeting. “We always wondered what happened to little Lance after that tragic night. Percy made sure to wipe you from existence, didn’t he?”
I hold my arm in front of Del when he tries to take a step forward. Finn pays him no attention, focusing on me, and giving my body a once over before snarling.
“However did you convince these two QBM men to work with the Empire? And your father agreed to it? Call me perplexed.”
He smiles, but it’s all fake. Underneath, I know he’s pissed... but maybe a little intimidated too.
We don’t respond to his goading.
“If you don’t mind, my team will need to check your weapons at the door,” Finn says, raising an eyebrow at me.
Does he think I'm in charge? I’m not. Maybe he thinks being the daughter of Gio Lenetti puts me at a higher rank over Elias.
“We won’t be doing that, O’Connor,” Elias says, his hand near his belt where I know he’s storing at least one of his guns.
“This is a peaceful meeting,” I add. “We’re not here to fight. Like I said on the phone, we have information about Cillian’s death.”
“And why should I believe you?”
“Because we know who’s responsible.”
“You could have told me who over the phone,” Finn counters.
“Maybe we also have an offer for you,” Del adds. “But in order for us to discuss that offer, we enter with our weapons.”
Finn’s eyes dart from me to Del, then to Elias. He could easily turn us away or start firing at this moment. But he must be curious enough to hear what we have to say because, after a few minutes, he nods at his security team and they back away.
“Only you, princess. The rest stay out here.”
“Absolutely fucking not,” Del says.
“We’ll leave the blond one, but Lance and Elias are coming with me.”
“Your father will kill me if I let you go—” Matthew begins, but Finn cuts him off.
“Fine.” Finn waves his hand at us. “You three. Follow me.”
I turn to Matt before leaving. “We’ll be okay. Stay out here in case we need cover and a fast getaway. Take my phone since Del and Elias tossed both of yours.” He clenches his jaw and hastily grabs the phone out of my hand.
He’s definitely going to call my dad while we’re inside.
Finn takes us through a wrought iron door and into a hallway, passing the living and dining rooms that are adorned with crisp white furniture, cherry wood floors, large windows, and French doors.
We walk by the kitchen—which I hear is one of two—and I peek inside to see quartz countertops, a large island, sleek metal appliances, and another pair of French doors leading out to a backyard area.
Finn stops at the end of the hallway in front of opened double doors.
One of his cronies gestures for us to enter.
It’s a cigar room with five large leather armchairs organized in a circle and a small table in the middle.
Two walls are filled with floor to ceiling bookcases, another wall is full of windows, and in the middle of the fourth wall is a lit fireplace.
The flames offer a cozy vibe during this intense meeting that’s about to happen.
Someone comes around and offers us drinks, but we all decline, except for Finn who takes a glass of whiskey. The server also offers us cigars. Del and Elias take one and the woman lights it for them.
“I hear congratulations are in order,” Finn says, holding up his drink. “Engaged. Is it true love or merely a ploy? What’s next? Merging the QBM with the Empire? No, Gio wouldn’t allow that. Does he know you three are here now?”
He’s clearly not intimidated by our united front. He should be. We have triple the number of soldiers to his measly dozens of members.
“So, tell me... what is this information you have about my son’s killer?”
“We know it wasn’t a deadly home invasion,” Del says.
“Of course, it wasn’t,” Finn scoffs.
“We believe it was one of the families Cillian had screwed over.”
“Oh yeah?” Finn asks and takes a puff of his cigar, chasing it down with a sip of his booze.
I scrunch my nose at the smell of smoke filling the air and raise a brow at Del letting him know I won’t be kissing him until he brushes his teeth. He looks back at me confused, so I guess my judgment wasn’t all too clear.
“You don’t sound surprised,” Elias says, taking a drag and puffing out smoke rings. He appears relaxed with his leg propped on his knee as if we’re not in the middle of a tense meeting with the leader of a rival mob.
“I know who killed my son,” Finn says, his smile making my insides turn sour.
Something isn’t right.
“Who?” Del asks, taking the bait.
“A contract killer,” Finn answers, looking at me then Del. “Two, actually. The Marionette and Colpa Sicario.”
This is bad. This is really bad. We need to leave.
“Don’t know them,” Del says.
“You don’t, huh?” Finn laughs, and it’s one of those villain laughs that sends a chill down my spine. “Imagine my surprise when I discover the two people I hired to get rid of my useless son are my two biggest rivals.”
Finn pulls a gun from his holster and fires it at Del and Elias, who duck just in time, clamoring to the floor. I was sitting closest to Finn and before I’m able to take cover, the old man grabs me by the arm.
The cold metal of a gun’s barrel digs into my temple.
“Let her go, O’Connor.” Del says, scrambling to his feet and aiming a gun at the mob boss. Elias points his weapon at Finn’s soldiers, who wait for his orders to open fire on us. “If you hurt her, I will make sure you die a slow and painful death.”
The fear in Del’s eyes ignites a fire in my stomach. I will not let this mother fucker kill me and leave my puppet alone again.
I ram my elbow into Finn’s stomach, and he releases me. I turn around, slamming the heel of my hand into his nose, and he topples over onto his knees, clutching it as blood pours out.
“How did you figure out who we are?”
I kick him, and he falls to the ground.
Behind me, I hear Del and Elias firing their guns as they fight off Lords members.
Finn groans and I kick him in the stomach. “Tell me!”
“We need to get out of here, Vixen,” Del yells as he stabs a man in the neck and lets him fall to the ground with a thud.
“Tell me, Finn!”
“Fuck you!”
“Did you blow up my apartment building?”
He starts laughing again, like a madman, and it’s clear he’s not going to talk. I pull my gun from my holster and fire, hitting Finn in the middle of his forehead.
I stifle the urge to celebrate the perfect shot. Those extra sessions at the gun range have really improved my aim.
“I’m so proud of you, sweetheart,” Del says, appearing by my side and staring down at Finn’s lifeless body. I relish his praise, not even caring that he called me sweetheart.
“Time to go, now,” Elias says, shooting out of the door into the hallway.
The moment we step out, bullets fly by our heads.
“Fuck!” Del yells, pushing me behind him.
He shoots his gun down the long hall, and it’s followed with a thud, letting me know he hit his target. We inch forward cautiously, dodging bullets and blasting our weapons in return.
Del won’t let me on the front lines, so I stay behind, covering for them anytime they need to refill their ammo.
“Where’s Matt? He should be in here covering us,” Elias yells.
Minutes of constant gunfire go by before my cartridge empties. I step back out of the way and that’s when two large arms grab me from behind. I scream as a hot, searing ache blooms throughout my stomach.
“Del,” I wheeze.
He whips around at the sound of my voice and runs to where I’ve been left on the ground to die. I’ve never felt pain like this. Hot, sharp, throbbing.
“No, no, no, no,” Del says over and over again.
“It’s fine, it barely hurts,” I lie, my vision starting to blur. The room is spinning, and I’m burning up. No, I’m freezing. I’m both.
“It’s too much blood,” I hear Del say. My eyes flutter as I weave in and out of consciousness.
“Don’t fall asleep,” Del says. It feels like I'm floating.
“I’m really tired, Puppet,” I whisper.
“Please, Rainbow Bright, stay with me. Please.”
And right before I pass out, I swear I hear Del say he loves me.