Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Christian
I took the last two days off to spend time getting Lilly and Rosie settled in.
It was a different experience for me. Knowing her story enraged me and curiosity compelled me dig around and see who this husband of hers was. She didn’t give me a name but I found it.
Miguel Diaz. That was him. The name of her husband. He was killed in a police shoot last year. I dug around a little and saw that guy was one nasty motherfucker. I don’t know how he got a woman like Lilly. She would have been twenty two when they got married. It all fits together now like a puzzle.
That four year absence makes sense. Now that I know where she was. When she said she went through hell, she really did.
She looks better today but a bit shaky. Doc told me that those bastards must have had to punch her hard and several times to mess her up the way they did. she was lucky none of her facial bones got broken. Hearing that made me want to end the fuckers all over again.
I didn’t want to leave her today but with the heist planned for Friday, it’s time to get back on track.
Two weeks have flown by and it’s time to gear up for battle.
The guys were already in Vincent’s office when I get there.
The last time I saw everyone was back at Lilly’s apartment. It’s been awhile since we killed anybody the way we wiped out those assholes.
We…
It was me. I pulled the trigger.
When Lilly gave me Brent’s name that was all I needed, Vincent did the rest.
Mention the word rape to any of us guys and it’s enough. Rape with the intention to make a little girl watch her mother being beaten up too and that was their death warrant.
Vincent and the guys found them, gagged and tied them. then I ended them.
One bullet to the head each. But Brent got special treatment. I made Brent watch me blow his friends brains out first then I blew off his dick. Then his head after.
Vincent paid their boss a visit after with a message to stay the fuck away and he got Lilly’s money back.
I found out that motherfucker slapped on a high interest rate on a fucking loan that was only five grand.
They scared Lilly into paying what they wanted.
Vincent made Lev transfer the money to Lilly.
That fucker will never do shit like that again.
The guys greet me as I walk in. Everybody who needs to be here is here. Vincent, Salvatore, Nick, Gabe and Gibbs. We’re the core of the crew.
Vincent fixes his gaze on me. “You alright?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
“How’s your girl?” he says. I don’t miss the label they’ve given and I won’t argue it either. as long as she’s with me, she’s mine.
“She’s getting better,” I answer.
“You good to be here?”
“You know I am.” I take a seat next to Salvatore.
“Cool,” Vincent says. “We have a few big days coming up and I want us to go in for the kill on these guys and get our guns back. Here’s what I propose.
The team that goes in on Thursday night to get the location of Collection Point A will monitor the place just in case anything happens.
That way when we move in on Friday there won’t be any nasty surprises.
We’ll have help on Friday from Claudius so we’ll full muscle.
We’re gonna split up into different teams. I’ve asked Claudius to focus on just getting guns out while we take out Falcone.
Anyone have anything to add, or questions? ”
“Not me. Good plan Vince,” Salvatore says with a nod and the others nod their agreement too.
It is a good plan.
“Of course we won’t have much time to put a plan together once we know the location. We’ll just have to go in guns blazing. I need you guys to hold it together and keep it tight. No one is to go off and be a hero.” He looks at me when he says that. “You hear me Christian?”
“Yes Boss,” I answer with a smirk.
“Just stick to the job you’re given and this should work.
We’ve been in touch with Angelo so he knows we’re doing what we can to get the guns back.
If something goes wrong, or fuck, if one of those hotheads get a hold of the guns, you are to retreat.
Those guns are lethal in every sense. One shot from one of those revolvers and your dead. ”
He isn’t kidding. The bullet splits into six rounds, so it’s exactly like having six bullets come at you in one shot.
Then they break apart when it hits the target with poison.
You’d be dead within five minutes of contact.
That’s why the fucking guns are worth so much.
Their weapons of mass destruction literally designed to fuck you up and make sure there’s no return for you.
“Point taken,” I say.
“Salvatore is joining Gibbs with that team on Thursday. They’ll be able to set up surveillance and that’s where we’ll join in. Christian I’ll then need you to do your usual magic.”
“You can count on it. Once I got the location, there’s not a damn thing we won’t be able to see,” I answer with confidence feeling better than I have in a while. strange given that we haven’t exactly resolved the situation.
“Good. Unless anyone has any questions meeting adjourned,” Vincent declares and we all rise.
I have a feeling the next few days are going to define me in more ways than one.
Maybe it’s more than just the next few days considering I have Lilly and Rosie around. In a handful of days I have a woman and child at my house. Who’s the playboy bachelor now?
* * *
I spent the rest of the day wrapping up the work I had for my clients. I don’t want to have any emergencies at work that roll over into next week. I got way ahead of myself and by the end of the day I was proud of what I’d managed to get done.
My office is door is always open here so the little knock I hear throws me off kilter.
But when I see my mother standing there by the door there’s something about the sight of her that soothes me.
“Ma,” I say getting up to give her a hug.
“Hey,” she beams. “I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time I wasn’t sure when you’d be free. I wanted to see you today.”
“Ma you can come see me any time.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that.”
“I do.” I look at her and study what she’s wearing. She’s in one of her elegant dresses and she’s had her hair done. “Ma you look ready for the red carpet, what’s up?” I smile.
“Christian, you’re too good to me. Thanks for the massive compliment. I just thought I’d dress up and go to the theatre to celebrate something I should have done a long time ago.” She gives me an uneasy look.
“I’m glad to hear about the theater but what’s happened?”
“Well, I um… filed for a divorce. I know I shouldn’t exactly celebrate something like that but I kind of have to.”
I’m shocked, but this is good news. It’s also a worry. Wives don’t just leave a mafia family without repercussion, and I doubt that my father would allow her to embarrass him in such a way.
“I’m glad you did that,” I begin .It is a good thing she’s done it and it must have taken some kind of balls. “Ma, Pa’s allowing you to leave?”
She laughs a little. “My dear son. I’m no fool.
I wouldn’t have done such a crazy thing if I didn’t know what I was doing or have the ammunition to do it.
I went to Julian so I went above him and he spoke with your father first. I don’t know what he said but it would have been a serious threat.
I figured if anyone would help me it would be Julian. He did and now I’m free.”
Damn. That was a really good move and I know why she did it.
Before my uncle Julian gave over the empire to Vincent he was no different from Pa in regards to cheating on his wife.
Then he changed for her. The whole plan to go back to Sicily was because of that.
No one told me that was the reason but it was obvious. It seems like Ma picked up on that too.
“I’m proud of you Ma. This is good.” I nod.
“Thanks.”
“What will you do?” I ask.
She smirks and shakes her head. “I don’t know, but I don’t care. I can do anything, so I’m going to the theater,” she answers reaching up to tap my cheek. “I’ll see you later.”
I’m happy for her. I watch her go then I shut down everything. It’s time to go home. Part of working so hard today too was making sure I had time to spend with Lilly.
I rode my motorcycle today so I should be home in no time.
The sprinkle of rain flutters over me as I make my way out to the parking lot.
We needed rain. It’s been so hot that a little moisture is most welcomed.
The weather should take that drastic change soon with snow and ice, then it will be a wonder as to how it can it can be stifling hot in Chicago in the summer months.
Before I get to my bike I have this weird sensation like someone is watching me. I’m always the first to pick up on that vibe. Always and it never fails me. Not fucking once.
The other thing about that is I’m usually right that. It’s never once been paranoia. That’s what happens when the streets are embedded into your mind. You almost develop a sixth sense. Sometimes a seventh.
So when I turn to look and see a fucker wearing a hooded sweatshirt bleeding into the alley way, I know it was him. Question is why.
I’m about to find out.
I take off after him and when he sees me he runs. A sure sign of guilt.
This is the second fucking scenario where I’ve given someone a chase and they’ve been so far ahead of me it’s almost pointless running after them. But still I try.
The fucker is fast, really fast and agile too. He practically climbs up the gates separating Giordanos Inc from the warehouses like he’s walking on air and jumps down effortlessly.
I do the same but when I land on the other side I can’t see him. Fucking fuck.
Where the hell did he go?
I pull out my guns in prep for shit, just in case the wise guy thinks he can surprise me.
I don’t see him though. I look around, searching the corners he could have gone down but I can’t fucking see him. I can’t find him anywhere.
Clearly that was one of Falcone’s guys. Sent to watch me.
I think for a moment and something doesn’t fit.
Falcone would have sent more guys if it was him, and the guys would have had guns. At least one bullet would have been fired my way.
Besides one lonely guy watching me from an alleyway isn’t really his style. The whole tech genius’ we’ve come across and the hackers, workers playing sides. That’s him. He’s not old school enough or idiot enough to send a guy on Giordano property after we tried to kill his ass.
So if it wasn’t one of Falcone’s guys who was it then.
Who else needs to watch me?