Chapter 4
Tristano
Capri’s grip loosens around my arm as she nearly doubles over. Her French-manicured nails left marks all down my bicep.
What the fuck did I just agree to?
Save a life I hardly know? This Rocco character could be the biggest piece of shit in the world. And marry a fucking lawyer? I might as well hand off half my shit now. Well, half of whatever’s on the books, at least. Either way, what the hell did I just agree to?
Nah. I’m not doing it for him, or her.
It’s for that sorry sack with an ear-to-ear grin on the lounge-chair. My dying father. I guess Capri and I aren’t so different – we’d both break our backs for our family. There’s something admirable about that, I suppose.
“Alright, Stanz. How’s this going to go down?” Rocco puts his hands on his hips. Beads of sweat trickle over the vein on his temple, and the heat is reopening that bloody lip. He’s hard to look at, to be honest.
My father shrugs, all smiles. “My boy just got engaged. Hah .”
“Starting to think the cancer went straight to your head,” I say.
Capri takes a breath and literally shakes the jitters out of her arms. “Certainly don’t feel engaged.” She lifts a naked ring finger.
“You’re already starting.” I arc my eyebrow.
“Alright, alright. Capri is going to move into Trino’s house – which is beautiful, by the way. Right on Water’s Edge overlooking Manhattan. You’ll love it.” My father’s being a salesman all of a sudden.
“I don’t exactly have the luxury of dreaming of dirty beach property right now, Mister DeMatteo.”
“You can call me Dad.” He opens his arms, and Rocco pushes him. I like Rocco more for that, because I wanted to give him a fresh slap too.
“Oh, I forgot how civilians act with a target on their head. Heh.” My father puts on his black gloves again. “Fine. Listen up. As our first family gathering, Trino and I will take point in the living room. You two can go in the basement and wait ’til the deed is done.”
“Can’t we just sneak out through our neighbors’ yard, or something?” Capri asks. “I really don’t need to see any more blood today.”
I step in. “That’s not how this works. We’re dealing with Sonny and Groundhog, right?
Well, they have two goons who are experts on surveillance parked down the street right now.
They find anything out of order, they’re coming in for clean-up, and our two targets will never show.
So, what’s the grace period for?” I eye Rocco.
“They think I can get an appeal on Esko’s case. I have twelve hours to obtain proof. Closer to ten now, actually.”
“Alright,” I say. “It would be suspicious for Sonny’s men not to have any reports in twelve hours, so you’re going to go out to your car and give them something to talk about, make them think you’re trying to flee.
But really, you’ll just get something from your car and head back in.
Make sure you’re on the phone as you do it.
We want them to think you’re busy getting that appeal.
After that, close all the shades, then take your daughter and hide in the basement.
Mine and my father’s shadows don’t exactly align with yours, so we’ll have to be careful. ”
Capri’s eyes scan me in surprise.
“Who’s Jackie fucking Junior now?” I strut toward the glass double doors, internalizing that cute smirk of hers.
“Excuse me!” Her flip-flops slap as she runs up to me and reaches to cover my eyes. “That’s my room. You’re not allowed in, as my future husband and all.”
“Get out of my face, bug.” I peel her fingers off to see a worried face staring up at me.
“Trino,” she says while the others are out of earshot.
“What?”
“Are we going to be okay?” Her nose wrinkles.
“Yes, Capri. Just let me concentrate and do my job.”
She smiles and kisses me on the cheek. “I can do that.”
In a million years, I would never show her that her lips on my skin made my entire body tremble. She’s the first woman I’ve even looked at in broad daylight in years, and damn, with a few tattoos and a piercing, she’d be smoking hot.
I step into her room and look past the doorway, noticing two shadows in the distance in front of the fogged glass by the front door. Shit. I grab Capri hard by the shoulder and put a hand over her mouth. With my head, I signal my father to come beside me.
“Change of plans, Rocco! You and your daughter are coming with me,” Sonny’s voice sounds through the mail slot. “Don’t make me knock twice.”
Capri’s eyes are wide with fear, but mine are calm and even. Even with civilian obstacles, I know what to do. This is what I call a spur-of-the-moment job opportunity.
“Rocco. Answer the door,” I whisper. “Me and my father will wait here when they look for your daughter.”
“He’ll beat me to a pulp again,” Rocco says in shock.
“Nah. He already roughed you up. Probably wants you to make your calls on his watch,” my father says, but I hold out my arm – a thought just hit me.
“Either that, or he spoke to another lawyer and found out you’re full of shit,” I say to Rocco. “Which means he might shoot you on the spot.”
My father nods and pulls out his pistol. “Alright. Head toward the door and pretend you’re on the phone.”
“Are you really going to make me cause a scene with your neighbors outside?” Sonny cackles.
Rocco’s legs shake as my father pushes him forward.
“Sell it, Rocco. That way this doesn’t end in a mess,” my father’s voice rattles.
Rocco picks up his phone and activates the Ring camera app – except the screen is black with no video and recording is somehow disabled.
How the hell did he hack their camera?
“Sonny, I’m on the phone trying to get you your proof,” Rocco’s voice quavers as he shouts at the door.
“Oh, is that so?”
I shake my head at my father, and he agrees. This isn’t a pick-up job. It’s a hit.
“Well then, you wouldn’t mind letting us in so we can help move things along.”
“That’s fine. I’ll be right there. Just hold on.”
“I take priority over little Ms. Paralegal, Rocco,” Sonny’s voice gets deep.
Tck! Tck! Tck!
The shadow of a gun bangs on the glass. Sonny sure has gotten reckless since his brother’s conviction. I’ll use that to my advantage. Emotion doesn’t trump tactics on hits. It only creates noise.
Both shadows pull away from the glass, and I can tell by their feet that they’re facing one another – likely trying to decide whether to bash the door in.
I whip out my pistol and motion for my father to follow with Rocco. “Stay here,” I tell Capri.
Sonny’s the type to play with his food, which is why he employs a beast like Groundhog in the first place. Throw a life sentence for his brother in the mix, and we have a fucking nutjob on our hands – one that should be blind to us coming here.
I roll my silencer onto my gun as we make way into the hallway, crouched, watching the shadows. “If even one unsilenced shot goes off, the watchers Sonny has outside come in blazing. Quick kills, Pop.”
When my father flashes his silenced pistol at me, it’s clear he’s on the same page.
That’s why we work well together all these years.
In some sick way, it makes me sad there won’t be many more jobs together.
Something about the way he acted outside makes me soft.
And this Capri woman in the other room… this isn’t the time to feel .
“Time’s up, Rocco, ” Sonny warns.
I motion with my hand for Rocco to respond, and when he does, I sprint quietly beside the door.
“Coming!”
Now that I’m where I want to be – in a curved nook big enough to hide when they barge in – I shove my gun into my pants and pull out my true weapon of choice – wire. That’s how I got my name, after all. Tristano – Knots – DeMatteo. And my father is the Glove.
My heart pounds as I hear whispers outside. The pulse flows through my arms, my legs. The kill is coming… I can taste it.