Chapter 30
CHAPTER 30
S hinji
We land in Felicidad, Florida, in the early morning hours and head to the Luxe Continental Hotel to meet with the representatives we sent earlier. We’ll arrive in time for breakfast with our host.
The balmy air is a huge contrast to the semi-arid climate in Serenidad. The city air evokes sultry nights, short flirty skirts exposing thick expanses of thighs, salsa and merengue dances by the moonlight, and hours of lovemaking.
I take Lakeshia’s hand and kiss her knuckles, wondering if we’ll have downtime after dealing with Tomasso. I hope so.
Our driver stops in front of the hotel, and we exit the vehicle without rushing and drawing attention to ourselves. Heads turn as Takeshi and I check in. There goes our anonymity. I should know better. My spouses exude sex appeal and any magazine would be damn lucky for them to grace their covers.
After collecting our keys, we go to our suite to refresh and change.
While Takeshi makes a call, Lakeshia pretends she’s slick and isn’t playing with the kittens.
She’s in denial about her attachment to them. After declaring they are my responsibility, she’s the first one with their bottle and formula to feed them. According to her, we couldn’t leave them at home with Katsuo or our men because they’re strangers who’ll take one look at their faces and catnap them, and how could she put me through that kind of loss?
It took everything in me not to laugh in her face. But I didn’t have the heart to tell her shoot outs and feeding sessions aren’t compatible.
She coos at the kittens as they use her body as a playground. I can’t blame them. Lakeshia has lush curves that I can’t help but lose myself in. Although her body is softer than Takeshi’s, being with the two of them is like living in nirvana. Especially when I’m between them. Having his hard muscles on one side while her supple body brackets me… How I wish we had time to play before heading out.
Lakeshia giggles as she tends to the tiny felines, and my heart seizes. She’s tentative with them, as if they’ll condemn and reject her for the slightest mistake. But this is where she’s lucky. Cats are not people and they’re more forgiving than the humans who are supposed to love me…
I shake my head to clear my thoughts. Now’s not the time to dwell on the past.
“Let’s go. Gio’s waiting on us.” Takeshi disconnects his call and pockets the phone.
Lakeshia pouts as she disengages from the clinging kittens. Before we leave, she relays the feeding instructions to the guard we leave behind.
When she’s no longer within earshot, I whisper to him, “If anything happens to these kittens, save me the trouble and kill yourself before we return. It’s the only way to guarantee a painless death.”
He gulps. “Hai.”
I join Takeshi after issuing my warning and he steers us toward the elevator, wheeling a small suitcase behind him.
We get off on the sixtieth floor. Thick carpeting muffles our footsteps as we approach the only double doors. A man in a black suit waits for us at the entrance.
Takeshi and I have been here many times before during negotiations and other business deals with Gio. It’s the hotel’s private dining, only open to the hotel’s VIP clientele and available for reservation once a day.
The maitre d’ leads us inside toward the wall of windows overlooking the city. Tropical waters serve as a backdrop to skyscrapers, lush palm trees, and Spanish-style single-family homes.
Gio sits at a table facing the view. His enforcer, Zo, stands slightly behind him and to the side. The man is my opposite in many ways. Where I enjoy conversation, he treats words like a precious commodity. He’s worse than Katsuo. Despite his reticence, I’ve always admired him for his work ethic and dedication.
“Glad you made it here in one piece.” Gio waves toward the empty chairs facing him. “I’ve ordered a few items to make things go faster.”
The maitre d’ who’d disappeared upon our arrival at the table, reappears, leading an army of wait staff carrying platters filled with pastries, frittatas, pancakes, breakfast sausages, lox, and a slew of other dishes.
Takeshi pulls out a chair for Lakeshia before seating himself, and I take the chair on her other side.
“Before we begin, we’d like to thank you for your assistance in this matter.” My husband transfers the suitcase to Zo who hands it to Gio.
Gio glances at the luggage. “From Katsuo?”
“And the kids. They miss their cousins and aunt. I’m sure Portia packed some items herself for your little ones.” Takeshi barely contains his amusement at playing courier for the family.
“Will I find any of Kori’s creations inside, too?”
Zo zeroes in on Takeshi as he waits for my husband’s response.
Once Jessie had her triplets, she and Portia decided they wanted their children to establish a familial relationship. Although the Oliveri children outnumber Katsuo’s, they bonded immediately. Even if they hadn’t, once they sat down for one of Kori’s meals, Aunt Portia and Uncle Katsuo’s house became one of their favorite places.
“Of course. Kori also made treats for Figlio.”
Gio, like his kids, fell in love with Kori’s cooking and tries to steal her away from Katsuo during his visits, but he’s failed to entice her each time.
“Good.” Gio nods at Zo, who slides a slightly larger suitcase to Takeshi. “The kids can’t wait to see everyone this summer. Until then, they collected a few things from Felicidad for everyone.”
Takeshi accepts the gifts. “I’m sure they’ll terrorize Katsuo and Portia until your next visit.”
Gio nods, then snaps his napkin and lays it over his lap.
We take it as a sign to serve ourselves. While everyone eats, Takeshi asks, “How’d you get Tomasso to agree to a meeting?”
“He approached me without realizing the Oliveris and Kimuras are allied through marriage and not just business interests. After Katsuo explained your situation,” Gio stares at Lakeshia, a furrow creasing his brow, “I thought accommodating him with a sit down would be the most expedient way of getting rid of a future nuisance.”
“Oh?” I ask.
Gio’s nostrils flare, and his grip on his fork tightens.
Zo answers, “Tomasso has a reputation for turning on his associates. He can’t be trusted, and the motherfucker thinks he can muscle in and take over Oliveri territory. So this vendetta of yours works in both our favors.”
“Does that mean you’re joining us?” Lakeshia asks.
Gio shakes his head. “I’ll provide manpower to support, but he isn’t worthy for me to show in person. Plus, revenge is a personal business. I don’t appreciate when others interfere with mine, and I damn well won’t steal the honor from a respected partner.”
“When do we meet your men?” Takeshi asks as he scoops eggs onto Lakeshia’s plate.
“They’ll soon arrive. You’ll want to place them out in the open. No offense, but Japanese faces will tip him off to the ambush.”
Takeshi nods in agreement as if he expected Gio’s offer from as far back as five days ago.
While we eat, we discuss timing, the venue, and other potential hazards to be aware of from Tomasso.
From our research, we’ve known about his formidability as an adversary, but Gio surprises me with additional insight.
Adrenaline spikes in my blood, but I temper my excitement, reminding myself of Takeshi’s concerns from yesterday. I reach under the table to caress Lakeshia’s thigh to reassure myself Takeshi and I can uphold our promise to protect her.
In a few hours, my worries will prove meaningless and we’ll be on a return flight back to Serenidad to start our lives. And soon, we’ll work on creating the family I’ve always dreamed of having in earnest.
Our men are in place and waiting. We’re in the grand dining room of an Oliveri compound slated for demolition. Despite its fate, the room is like a museum storage closet rather than an area prepared for destruction. A dozen chairs surround a massive table in the center but around the main furniture are busts and statues from a hodgepodge of styles. The furnishings aid Takeshi, Lakeisha, our men, and me in hiding for what I hope is the perfect ambush.
I can barely see in the walls for all the stuff inside. If I didn’t know Gio better, I’d think he is a hoarder; however, according to him, we’ll be doing him another favor if we level this place during our endeavors. I tap my foot against the hard case housing the RPG I took from Evan. It’s a bit of overkill, but I’m keeping it close for insurance.
Takeshi is his usual calm self on the outside, but he can’t hide how fast his mind is racing from me. Lakeshia’s pacing probably doesn’t help calm him. It sure as hell isn’t doing anything for my peace of mind.
When she passes by me for the thirtieth time, I grab her hand and halt her momentum.
“You’ve got this, remember?”
“I know.” She sighs and slumps into my side. “I’ve waited for this day for so long, however now the day’s arrived, I can’t quiet my intrusive thoughts. The worst of which tells me my training is worth shit because Tomasso’s edge is too sharp.”
“Your aim is a little too accurate for that line of thinking.” Takeshi’s sardonic tone teases a small smile out of her.
“You’re right.” She pats her body, counting the guns and throwing daggers she armed herself with.
“Lara Croft has nothing on you.” I wink at her. I take a deep breath and force the tension in my body to loosen. Encouraging Lakeshia works to calm my fidgeting, and I look toward the closed doors, waiting for the next phase in our plans.
Takeshi’s vibrating phone comes right on time. He puts the call on speaker. “What do you have Ichiro?”
“He’s five miles out and approaching the first jammer. He’ll lose his signal in ten seconds.” Ichiro is in a back room outfitted with tons of computers connected to satellite dishes and other surveillance equipment.
Since discovering Tomasso’s routine, it was easy to have Gio’s man follow Tomasso’s driver as he dropped his car off for service while Tomasso waited at home. Whereas Tomasso is always on guard for suspicious people, his driver is a different story. A bribe in the mechanic’s hands bought us a car with an undetectable tracking device and real-time notification whenever Tomasso goes on the road.
To aid our cause, Ichiro recommended placing cell phone jammers along the route to Gio’s compound. For the five-mile stretch, Tomasso will lose contact with the outside world until we determine otherwise.
“Alright, signal everyone.” Takeshi waits for Ichiro’s confirmation.
“Texas, New York, Chicago, and Florida have all confirmed receipt of their instructions.”
We wait in uncertainty. Would Tomasso think to travel with a signal booster rendering all our jammers irrelevant?
“He’s headed inside,” Ichiro says, giving us the news we needed to hear. “You’re on your own until he gets to the room.”
Takeshi disconnects, stretches his neck until a small pop sounds, and retrieves his gun. “Remember, Tomasso stays alive. It’s open season on everyone else.”
I grunt in agreement. Tomasso deserves everything Lakeshia envisions for him.
Anticipation thickens the air as the seconds tick away. In the stillness, I can hear the slow glide of perspiration as it travels down my brow. The low register fills my ears while our combined forces wait for the action to begin. In the endless seconds of our wait, we glance toward each other, ready for the moment Tomasso clears the doorway.
The doors swing outward on silent hinges, revealing Tomasso’s men, but no Tomasso. Six men file inside. “Where’s Gio?” one asks with a narrowed glare.
The other men mirror his unspoken suspicions with glances toward each other. They slowly inch backward toward the entrance they came through.
“Don, scappi! è una trappola!” Someone yells and Gio’s men open fire before we glimpse our quarry.
Tomasso’s men flee and Lakeshia shakes her head. Horror stamps itself on her features, creating a desolate landscape on the face I’ve come to treasure.
“No…” Despair rings in her barely audible voice. “No, we were so close.”
Before I or Takeshi can offer her encouragement, she straightens her shoulders. “Fuck this. I can’t live another day knowing he’s alive.” She bolts.
I’ve never seen her run so fast. It takes me a few seconds to understand the ramifications.
“Shit! Lakeshia, come back!” Takeshi yells while taking off after her.
I swing the RPG case over my shoulder and follow, but a gun hurtling at my head causes me to duck and fall prey to a surprise fist slamming against the side of my head. Ringing in my ears disorients me and gives my attacker the chance to punch me in the gut. I double over and cough, but I don’t have time to indulge in a passive reaction. The air shifts close to my head, and I duck and tackle my assailant.
“I don’t have time for this shit!” I yell as I pummel the asshole who’s interfering with my ability to protect my wife. He gets another hit in, and I spin around to his back to hold him in a headlock and apply pressure until I hear the satisfying snap from twisting his neck.
To my side, Takeshi extracts a blade from his attacker’s forehead. We nod at each other and dash around a melee of Gio’s, Tomasso’s, and our men. Bullets whizzing by our heads further complicate our race to Lakeshia.
She’ll be fine. She has to be. I only just found her and we have too many years yet to live…
I swallow my budding anguish and silence the voice in my head trying to drag me into a hopeless pit. I’ll find Lakeshia kicking ass and showing Tomasso why targeting her is a bad idea.
I exit the building seconds after Takeshi. Where the hell is she? I search frantically for her brown complexion. Instead, I duck as a bullet coming from one of Tomasso’s cars nearly hits my leg. A line of four vehicles with flat tires sits immobile while we exchange bullets.
But where the hell is my wife?
Takeshi grabs my elbow and pulls me behind overgrown topiaries.
“Have you seen Lakeshia?” I aim my gun and steady my arm, anticipating a shooter to pop up and expose their hiding spot.
The second they do, I pull the trigger. The bullet hurls them backward, reducing our opposition by one.
“Not yet, but let’s say that’s good news. No body means she’s alive somewhere.” Takeshi takes out two people with ease.
“Who the hell is that?” I point in the distance.
A cloud of smoke billows, growing closer the longer I stare. Within seconds, a car appears, sliding as it takes a corner.
“Found her. And Tomasso.” Takeshi points to two figures separated by two car lengths.
They’re pointing guns at each other. My heart stutters to a stop before beating triple time. Why is she endangering herself this way? We make our way toward Lakeshia, a sense of urgency granting us superpowers and ensuring we don’t connect with the ground in our race to protect our wife.
“It’s about time you gave up running and faced your death at my hands.” Tomasso smirks but the deadly glare he directs at Lakeshia belies his humor.
“Oh, Tomasso, how you’ve misplaced your confidence. Your men won’t walk away from this today, and you…” Lakeshia mimics his grin. “You’ll be praying for me to kill you, and my father will finally get the peace and justice long overdue to him.”
Sadistic braying leaves his mouth. “He was a pussy when he lived and deserved his death.” Tomasso rakes his gaze over Lakeshia. “And from the looks of you, he spawned another worthless pussy.”
Lakeshia’s limbs shake. And if I can see it, so can Tomasso.
“Don’t let him antagonize you, Lakeshia,” Takeshi yells. “Remember why we’re here.”
“Keishi, this isn’t good.” I run faster, needing to reach her before Tomasso hurts her.
“I don’t need you to tell me. Haul your ass now!” Takeshi increases his pace.
Lakeshia nods, stiffens, and adjusts her aim. “This worthless pussy made sure your nephew will never come in one and curse this world with another Giametti.” Her bragging couldn’t make me prouder.
The moment she pulls the trigger, a car—no, the car I spied earlier—careens between her and Tomasso, spraying gravel and dust in its wake. The vehicle rocks to a stop, shielding her target, Tomasso’s gun hand. The lucky bastard. If not for the car, Lakeshia would have landed her shot, and I would have relished his pain-filled scream.
Finally, Takeshi and I reach her. I launch myself at her, using my body to cover her as we fall to the ground.
Before the dust settles, a man leaps out of the rear of the car. “Zio Tomasso, they’re hitting everywhere. The warehouses, safe houses, shipping containers, clubs, everything. We have to leave.”
Lakeshia’s earlier shaking returns, but worse. This is no gentle tremor but a ten-point magnitude earthquake.
“P-p-paul?” Lakeshia’s voice is a hoarse rasp and her eyes begin to cloud over.
Paul? The motherfucker who raped her? I stare at him, memorizing his features and envisioning them frozen in a pain-filled mask.
“Not before we kill that bitch.” Tomasso points at us, circling the car and storming toward us.
Takeshi shoots at him, stopping him from nearing us. “Not happening. You two have a lot to answer for, and I’ll make sure Lakeshia gets the revenge she deserves.”
“Lakeshia? Don’t you mean Sheila?” Paul raises his voice above the din. “After what you did to me, you have the goddamn nerve to show your face you fucking bitch! The only person getting revenge is me.”
He stalks forward but another figure exits the car, yelling at both men. “Don Tomasso, they hit Vegas. We’re hemorrhaging faster than sifting water and we need to leave. So end this now or everything the Giamettis built will disappear overnight.”
Tomasso rears back. “They—Paul.” He grabs his nephew. “We’ve got to leave this instant. Now that she’s surfaced, she won’t be able to hide from us again.” Tomasso drags Paul toward the car that’s already in motion. The three men leap inside.
Takeshi empties his guns but misses the vital parts of the vehicle to stop it. “How’s Lakeshia?”
She hasn’t stopped trembling and her eyes have the same faraway expression from when we questioned Tomasso’s man.
“Not good. And things won’t change the longer those assholes walk this earth.” I rise and retrieve the hard case with the rocket launcher.
I assemble it quickly, glad the flying bullets have died down.
Tomasso’s vehicle moves at an ungodly speed, but the smoke cloud they’ve kicked up makes it easier to aim.
“Aim to disable, not kill.” Takeshi helps Lakeshia stand.
“Why? We could end this now with one hit.” I heft the weapon onto my shoulder and aim through the scope.
“Look at her, Shinji! Killing them now won’t help her. Don’t you find it odd she’s said nothing since Paul appeared?”
I glance at her and freeze. The confident woman who never allows fear to stop her from pursuing her goals has almost disappeared in front of my eyes. Takeshi is right. I have to swallow my disappointment. I look through the scope of the launcher, but I’m too late. They’re out of range.
I slide the weapon off my shoulder. “Take her back to the hotel. I’ll wrap up here and talk to Gio.”
“You’re sure?”
I nod. “Right now, you’re the best able to get her out of this state. I’ll join you when I’m done.”
Takeshi’s mouth thins. “Be careful. I won’t hesitate to punish you for getting hurt.”
I shake my head with a chuckle. “There isn’t much danger left. All Tomasso’s remaining men are dead.”
“Still…” He stares off in the direction Tomasso is headed. “He might have reinforcements lying in wait. Be vigilant.”
“I will. After all, I have two very important reasons to make it back in one piece.” I glance between my disassociating wife and concerned husband.
He’s not alone in his fears. The sooner we get Lakeshia back, the sooner we can discuss how we’ll move forward after today’s events.
Takeshi squeezes my shoulder, his strength a silent reassurance and commiseration. “Come on chiisai senshi no megami. Let’s get you to safety.” He leads Lakeshia towards the rear of the compound where we hid the cars.
I watch them until they disappear before turning my attention to the men carrying bodies out of the building. They line them up in two rows. Meanwhile, other men take the corpses of Tomasso’s men, lying dead by the immobilized cars, into the building.
Although Gio provided his men, he won’t take their deaths lightly. I snap pictures of everyone for my records. These are men in arms, worthy of being recognized for their sacrifice, be they Kimuras or Oliveris. Once we clear our people from the building, leaving only Tomasso’s men behind, I heft the rocket launcher over my shoulder.
I would have preferred using it to end the motherfucker, Paul. Frustration, accumulated over weeks of planning with no satisfying outlet, pounds behind my tightly held control. But if I see Lakeshia in the same state she left in, I’ll lose my cool. However, a building has no feelings, and blowing shit up right now will have to do.