Chapter 12
Christiano
The past few months have been grueling. The only positive is that Augusto married the head of the Yakuza’s daughter, and peace has been established between them.
Thank God for small mercies.
I have a feeling luck is on my side for a change because earlier Rosie spotted the Mooney brothers’ yacht docking in Miami. The instant she notified me, I got on the private jet, and after the three and a half hours flight, we landed in an airfield just outside the city.
The fuckers have been sailing around the coastline, doing their best to avoid me, so this might be my chance I get to end the seven-year war.
I want them dead so I can focus on Sienna.
Once I put James and Charlie Mooney in the ground, I’m marrying my woman.
Even if I have to force her.
My thoughts are inundated with Sienna as Nico brings the SUV to a stop by the docks, and I listen as the engine drops to idle before cutting out.
I only brought Hugo and Nathan along for backup. The four of us open our doors at the same time, getting out while on high alert and weapons ready.
The night air is surprisingly cool for this time of year as my eyes scan over our surroundings. The sound of water lapping against the docks gets my attention while we make sure the immediate area is clear.
Nico keeps his MP5 aimed at the ground, and Hugo flanks us, machine gun ready in his grip. Nathan hangs a few steps back to cover our backs.
As we move forward, Nico remains half a step behind me, so he’s close enough to react immediately should shit go sideways.
All my attention is on the yacht at the end of the pier. It’s large and luxurious, with three decks, polished chrome rails, and dark-tinted windows. Two armed men stand near the stern, smoking while having a conversation instead of paying attention to their surroundings.
One of them glances in our direction and startles so badly, he fumbles with his gun. Hugo reacts instantly, firing a shot that takes out the guard. The second man brings up his weapon, but Nico drops his ass on the deck with a bullet to the head.
“Stupid fuckers,” I growl, which earns me a chuckle from Nico.
With the shots giving our surprise attack away, we rush forward, boarding the yacht as quickly as possible. Hugo keeps his attention on the deck above, and Nathan remains on the pier, making sure we’re not ambushed from behind.
My heartbeat is steady as Nico, and I enter the main cabin, the luxurious space furnished with cream leather seats lining the walls. I notice a bar littered with glasses, half-full bottles of whiskey, and plates containing leftover food.
Suddenly, a third guard storms in from the corridor, which probably leads to the cabins, and as he raises his weapon, his eyes widen when he recognizes me. “Fuuuuck! It’s Falco!”
I pull the trigger of my semi-automatic machine gun and watch as the bullets riddle his body, throwing him backward against a wall. He slides down, leaving blood smears on the white paint.
James Mooney lunges from behind the bar with Angus and Peter, their personal bodyguards, right behind him.
There’s no sign of Charlie, who’s the head of their operation. I’ll be fucking upset if he’s not here.
Everyone starts shooting, the gunfire loud and the air smelling like sulfur.
Nico takes out Peter, while Hugo tackles Angus.
I duck and roll to avoid getting my ass shot up and manage to bury two bullets in James.
One hits his shoulder and the other his abdomen, making him fall back against the bar counter.
Glass and bottles crash to the floor as he goes down hard, letting out a shout of frustration and pain.
Nico shoots Angus in the back of his head, and as his blood splatters over Hugo’s face, he snaps, “I had him.”
Before Nico can respond, Charlie emerges from the corridor, holding a gun ready in one hand and a knife in his other.
I gesture for Nico and Hugo to stand down and meet the fucker’s eyes. “Time’s up, Mooney.”
Seething with anger, he’s barely able to talk as he hisses, “Mother-fucking Sicilian scum.” Dropping his gun, he charges at me.
Just as I jump back, the blade of his knife slices across my forearm.
The pain is sharp and welcoming, and letting out a dark chuckle, I grab his wrist before he can pull back.
Yanking him closer, I drive my knee into his stomach and watch how he folds in two like a chair.
Before he can drop, I grip him by his throat, and keeping him standing, I headbutt him.
The crack of his nose breaking is music to my ears, and as blood starts running from his nostrils, he swings at me again, catching me across the ribs with his knife.
I throw my entire body into his, shoving him up against a wall where his brother is trying to drag his body out of the way.
With years' worth of rage and hate clouding my vision, I begin to beat the fuck out of him until his legs give out and he drops to one knee, breathing hard and struggling to stay upright.
From the corner of my eye, I see James crawling across the floor, trying to reach Charlie’s gun, but Hugo finishes the fucker with a single shot to the head.
Charlie’s eyes widen at the sight of his brother dying. He spits blood from his mouth and tries to speak, but I’ve had enough. Pulling my Glock from behind my back, I shoot the bastard twice in the chest. He falls forward, grabbing hold of my right leg before tumbling to the side.
Crouching beside him, I keep eye contact and savor his dying breaths until the final one rattles from his chest.
The cabin goes quiet, and I become aware of the burning pain where the asshole cut me.
“We need to move,” Nico says to get my attention.
Rising to my full height, I order, “Burn the yacht.”
“Bring the gasoline,” I hear Hugo call out to Nathan from where he’s standing by the doorway.
Making my way off the yacht, I’m hit with fresh cool air coming from the ocean. Nathan returns with two canisters, passing me as he boards the vessel.
Nico joins me on the pier, lighting a cigarette while Hugo and Nathan douse the cabin and deck with gasoline. When they set it all on fire, my eyes track my men until they’re safely on the pier, then I watch as seven years go up in smoke.
As the sound of sirens begins to carry faintly over the water, it all feels a little anticlimactic now that it’s over.
“Cops are coming,” Nico says, gesturing for Hugo and Nathan to head back to the SUV.
“It’s done,” I murmur before turning away from the flames devouring the yacht.
Now it’s time to claim Sienna once and for all.
“Once I have Sienna settled in my penthouse, we’ll deal with the Albanians,” I tell Nico.
“No rest for the wicked,” he sighs.
After Alfio unlocks the door, I enter Sienna’s apartment. Seeing the alarm is off, I begin to frown, but then I notice Sienna sitting on the baywindow seat.
I wonder why she’s sitting in the dark but I don’t say anything as I walk to one of the couches. Taking a seat and leaning back, I let out a sigh while staring at her.
I’ve given her more than three months since we last spoke. Not by choice, but because I was busy.
Turning her head to me, she asks, “Is my time up?”
Not bothering to talk, I nod.
Dismantling the Irish mob and slowly eliminating them all kept me going the past seven years, and now that it’s over, I feel weird. It’s as if all the tension has been bottling up, and now that I’ve killed the Mooney brothers, I don’t know how to decompress.
Sienna looks at me for a while, then getting up, she walks toward the wall.
“Don’t switch on the lights,” I whisper, sounding as exhausted as I feel.
Pausing in the middle of the living room, she asks, “Did something happen?”
“I killed the Mooney brothers.”
I hear her gasp, but she doesn’t comment on it.
Getting up, I take hold of her hand and pull her to the bedroom.
“What are you doing?” she asks, apprehension lacing her words.
“Relax. I just want to sleep, princess.” I sit down on the side of the bed nearest to the door and take off my boots. “Lie down.”
“This is not a good idea,” she says, her voice soft as if she doesn’t want to disturb the darkness.
“I don’t care.” I remove my gun and place it on the bedside table before lying down and patting the space beside me. “Now, Sienna.”
I hear her exhaling a huff as she moves around the bed, and when she carries out the order, I turn onto my side and take hold of her.
Pulling her close, I engulf her with my body and bury my face in the crook of her neck.
I take a deep breath of her calming scent, shuddering from finally being close to her again.
Every few minutes, a tremor moves through me.
Sienna shifts and wraps an arm around me while bringing her other hand to my head. When her fingers trail through my hair, I grip her as tightly as I’m able to without hurting her.
My voice is hoarse as I admit, “I’m struggling to decompress.”
I’m surprised when she asks, “What can I do to help?”
I press a kiss to her skin, then lifting my head, I let my lips brush over the line of her jaw.
Her head jerks back, and it has me begging, “Please, Sienna.”
When I lean in again, she keeps still, and the moment our mouths touch, the noise in my head quiets down.
Just like last time, I only have to scrape my teeth over her bottom lip for her to open. As my tongue brushes against hers, an intense shudder spreads through me.
I push Sienna onto her back and cover her body with mine. Having her beneath me is fucking heavenly, and as I devour her mouth, the tension from having to be strong all the time begins to ease.
“Christ,” I groan, devouring her mouth while dominating her tongue with hard strokes of mine.
Sienna kisses me with the same passion I have for her, and when my hand moves up her side and covers her right breast, she doesn’t stop me.
She’s never allowed me to go further than this because she wanted to be engaged before sleeping with me.
I try to keep it in mind, but then she arches her back, pushing her breast harder into my palm.
My respect for Sienna wars with the incredible need she creates in me. Even though she ended things between us, I’ve been faithful. The last time I had sex was right after my twenty-first birthday. That’s when I realized I only want one woman. Sienna Vitale.
Spilling blood took some of the edge off, but having her beneath me, kissing her, touching her, it pushes me right fucking over.
Desperate to feel more of her, I shove my hand beneath her pajama top before covering her breast again.
Fuck, her skin is so soft, and she fills my palm perfectly.
I need her desperately, an overpowering urgency building in me while my mouth completely dominates hers.
Christ.
All the murder and mayhem in my life falls away. There’s only Sienna, the woman I want more than anything on this godforsaken planet.
Yeah, there’s no fucking way I’m letting her postpone things between us any longer.