CHAPTER 19 - RED
CHAPTER
Red
D EL IS CONFIDENT the clientele in the Scorpio Lounge are none the wiser about the shooting.
Nor the police. This is good because the last thing any of us need is police swarming everywhere, including over other properties associated with me.
If the remaining cocaine is discovered, I’ll lose thousands, not to mention the gear’s street value.
I don’t want customers put off from frequenting my establishment due to a ‘turf war’ either.
My eyes narrow. This is far from a turf war. It’s personal . But when push comes to shove, all I want is Steve back. He was a top man - one of my best.
My fingernails dig into my palm as we speed along the road in one of our fleet of Transit vans.
One of my best men lies dead and for what?
Because our suspicions were correct, and Arianna’s actions have been construed as ours .
I will not let that go. The Bristonis and Galvatores - whoever is responsible - possibly both, will pay for this error.
And they will pay greatly.
I don’t care what Arianna wants. What is she thinking, asking me to spare her family? Does she really believe that old cunt of a father of hers isn’t capable of this? She’ll learn and learn the hard way; I’ll make sure of that.
She is a selfish bitch, bleating on about being dead inside. The woman needs to think herself lucky that I didn’t kiss her for real. Then she’d know what “alive” really means.
But however tempting it is to kiss Arianna properly, I will not allow my lips to take hers for real. I will not infect myself with anything made from Galvatore DNA.
That, and in case my worst nightmares are realized and I enjoy it as much as my cock believes...
Fuck. I shouldn’t have even chastely pressed anything of mine against her.
Dragging the back of my hand across my mouth, I hope that if there are any Galvatore genes left on my lips, they won’t take hold.
I’ve made my point and that’s that.
Besides, whether the Galvatores are behind Steve’s death and what happened tonight is irrelevant. I know what they do and how they do it. I’ve seen it countless times and now, because of Arianna, my men, my firm and my family are targets.
It will get messy, but not with further casualties from my side. One is enough.
My jaw aches, and such is my stress, my shoulders and neck feel like they’re connected by steel girders.
Oh, you have lots to learn, little girl , I think, my anger deepening.
“What are you planning to do when we get there?” Del glances at my shirt. “Hey, you realize you’ve taken a bullet?”
I ignore him. Anyone who knows me realizes I’ll pick off anyone and everyone off from either of those two bastard firms. Whoever wanders into my sights first - the higher up the chain, the better.
I’ll storm both headquarters and open fire on each and every fucker until I reach Bristoni and Galvatore themselves.
As for the bullet in my shoulder - I don’t give a shit. I’ll deal with that myself later with a pair of pliers. I’ve done it before more than once, so I’ll do it again.
“Now do you see that insisting on keeping that woman under our roof is detrimental?” Liam barks. “It’s only been days and the shit’s kicked off already!”
I glare at my brother. I still want to kill him. It’s galling me that because of this situation I’ve no choice now but to keep him close. Regardless of what he did, I need him now, and he fucking knows it.
“Keep your opinion to yourself,” I growl. “Remember that if I hadn’t been forced to eject you, Steve would not be dead!”
The following loaded silence sticks to my eyes as I concentrate on the road ahead. I’m driving because I don’t trust myself not to kick off at anyone in this van otherwise. “You’re lucky it’s not you dead on the tarmac!”
“You have one of my family, and now we take one of yours.”
Steve wasn’t family in the blood sense of the word, but he was to me .
Liam would have taken those bullets if Steve hadn’t thrown himself on top. That hit was meant for Liam. Or more likely, me .
It was for a Bateman, not Steve, yet Steve paid with his life by doing his job and following my orders. That alone makes my rage limitless, so it matters little whether it was the Bristonis or the Galvatores who claimed one of my family, for they will both pay.
But then I realize something else - something that is more important than anything.
Aside from my raw urge to annihilate, I will not put any more of my own at risk.
Without warning, I tug the steering wheel into a hard lock; the tires screeching as the van skews. I slam my foot to the floor and accelerate back the way we came.
“What the fuck?” Oscar clings to the door. “What’s going on?”
“Change of plans,” I mutter. “We’re not paying anyone a visit tonight.”
“What? You’ve got to be fucking jok...”
“They’ll be expecting it,” I say, not that I need to explain myself. “We won’t play into their hands.”
And we won’t.
My temper is legendary, and immediate retaliation is presumed.
We were about to fall right into the trap, but the Bristonis and Galvatores won’t get what they seek just yet.
They’ll get something far worse. Something to crucify both of them, but better still, Arianna too for bringing this shit to my door.
And I’ve just decided exactly what it will be.