Chapter Twenty-Four
Venezio
By the time I came out of the exam room, leaving Steph with Sal for care, Brio had already joined Lorenzo, Emilio, Cosimo, and Miko.
“What the fuck, Venezio?” Lorenzo asked.
I walked over to the seating area and dropped into a chair, exhaling hard.
Something about that had the men exchanging glances.
“That bad?” Miko asked.
“You got no fucking idea. It’s been like some fucking action movie the past day.”
“Well, let’s rewind it back to the beginning,” Lorenzo said. “That’s the charity woman.”
“Stephanie, yeah.”
“I’m assuming she now knows all about us.”
“Some, yeah. I didn’t have much of a choice when she’d nearly been killed several times.”
“It is what it is,” he said, shrugging. “Who the fuck is trying to kill her?”
“Well, he was trying to kill me. She was just with me. Remember that shit with the truck getting jacked?”
“By ‘that shit’ you mean killing that guy,” Brio corrected, “then yeah.”
Leave it to Brio to be the blunt one.
“Yeah, well, his friend or brother or… whatever came for revenge. He followed us to a charity event we were at last night. When we were busy, he slipped a tracker into Steph’s bag. Then, well, then he was chasing us through the city.”
“Christ,” Lorenzo said.
“Yeah. And it gets… complicated.”
“Let me guess,” Cosimo said. “You fucked her. So then when she found out you were doing shit behind her back, she decided to say fuck you and took off.”
“Uh, yeah, exactly that.”
“Then the fuck went after her because she was an easier target,” Cosimo went on.
“Yep. She got away and went into Central Park. Nearly fucking died of hypothermia. I got her in a cab. We went to the safe house in Brooklyn.”
“Told you we should check the safe houses when we couldn’t get in touch with him,” Emilio said to the boss.
“Why couldn’t we get in touch with you?”
“My fucking phone died. And Steph lost hers in the park somewhere. I should have gone to get a cord sooner, but I was trying to get and keep Steph warm. She was like a corpse.”
“Then you fell asleep… and other shit,” Cosimo, never one to beat around the bush, said.
“Yeah.”
“How’d he find you in Brooklyn?”
“That I don’t know. We got rid of the tracker when we were on top of Ant’s building. I guess it’s possible he saw us get into a cab, maybe caught the medallion number and tracked the driver down, offered some money. That’s my best guess.”
“Plausible if he was desperate enough,” Lorenzo agreed. “Can someone get in touch with Zeno? Get him on this. Figure out who this fuck is, who the guy that got offed is. And if they’re linked up with a bigger crew or not.”
“On it,” Miko said, already walking away.
“Sorry to pull you guys away from family shit this time of year,” I said.
“This is family stuff too,” Lorenzo said, shrugging.
“I meant family-family.”
“Yeah, man. You’re family-family too,” Cosimo said. “Think you’re the only one who hasn’t realized that yet.”
“So, he came to the safe house.”
“I don’t got the details there. I was in the bodega getting the damn charging cord. Steph was alone. I’m guessing she snuck out the window and down the fire escape. Then we were running. Didn’t get a chance to do much talking.”
“He’s alive?” Brio asked.
“Unfortunately.”
“Didn’t wanna kill him in front of her?” he asked.
“That’s part of it. But we were down by the beach on the Brooklyn side of the Manhattan Bridge.”
“Cameras,” Brio said.
“Exactly. I planned to knock or choke him out. But Steph fucking went against direct orders again and came back, whacked him with a bottle. Then we ran across the bridge, hopped in a cab, and came here. That’s it. That’s the story.”
“If you want, I can let you know when Zeno gets a name and I get the fucker down in my little playroom,” Brio offered. “Or you can take care of your girl and I can have fun by myself.”
Brio’s idea of “fun” included really interesting forms of torture.
“Honestly,” I said, exhaling hard, “I just want it done. Got plenty of other shit to handle.”
Brio, the sick fuck, looked pleased at the idea of getting to be the only one doing the damage.
“Merry Christmas to me,” he said, rocking back on his heels.
“Anything else I need to be aware of?” Lorenzo asked. “Any possible evidence that needs cleaning up? Or issues with cameras?”
“We both walked away from each encounter. Doubt the law, if it caught any of it, gives a fuck. I imagine the safe house door is broken, if he got in. And my gun is still there.”
“Don’t worry about the safe house,” Lorenzo said. “I will have someone in there to refresh everything.”
“That’s it then.”
“One more thing,” Lorenzo said.
“What’s that?”
“The big shipment…”
Shit.
I hadn’t even thought about that. It was supposed to be coming in soon. Though I was sure Steph was behind on placing orders, collecting donations, all that shit.
“I’ll figure it out,” I assured him. “Once I get Steph out of here, I’m sure that shit’s gonna be at the forefront of her mind.”
“You think she would be willing to take a bribe about it?” Lorenzo asked.
“Fuck no. But I bet she could be enticed to look the other way if you donate all that money to the charity.”
“Done,” Lorenzo said. “Just get it set up.”
“On it.”
“Glad you’re alright, man. None of us got any sleep last night.”
With that, they spoke amongst themselves, letting me go check on Steph.
Honestly, her feet were fucked. I’d never seen anything like it. That said, she was currently out of pain and under good care with Salvatore, so that made me feel better.
I wanted to get her home, comfortable, with a decent meal in her stomach. I knew there was gonna be a shit ton of talking and figuring everything out now that the threat was about to be neutralized.
“What’s up?” I asked as I came back out of the exam room to find Lorenzo and Emilio still standing there.
“We’re going to get going. But I just wanted to tell you so you know to look out for him, I’m gonna send you a guard until we find this fuck.”
“Don’t wanna pull anyone away from their Christmas shit.”
“It’s non-negotiable. Shouldn’t be longer than a day. Still got plenty of time for Christmas shit. Just wanted you to know to look for him.”
“Okay. Thanks, man.”
“Any time,” he said, clamping a hand on my shoulder then making his way toward the door.
“New phone,” Emilio said, passing me a box for a burner. “Just to hold you over. That’s my number on it. Once you text me, I will send you a list of everyone else you need to have for the time being. We’ll get your phone back as soon as possible.”
“Thanks, Milo,” I said, taking the phone and watching him follow the boss out.
“I was thinking,” Brio said, making his way over to me.
“If it’s torture plans, my fucking head is banging, man, I’m not in the mood.”
“Nah, man. Been thinking about Christmas presents.”
“Okay…”
“You get one for her yet?”
“For Steph? No.” Should I have?
“Just saying, lots of good dogs in the shelter who’d like a home for the holiday. And dogs make good buddies during a recovery.”
“I will give it some thought and let you know.”
“I’ll throw in all the shit to go with it for free. They got big ones, small ones, fluffy ones, old ones, puppies, you name it.”
“I got a feeling if I don’t give you a direction, you’re gonna show up at her door with whatever you want then.”
“You’re not wrong.”
“I will feel around for what kind. Know her friends got a French Bulldog she loves. Maybe I’ll ask them what she might want.”
“Get on it quick.”
“Will do.”
I watched him leave, shaking my head, wondering how someone with such a bloodlust could be such an animal lover.
I mean, I heard a story that he’d once heard about some big dog-fighting ring where the perpetrators got slaps on the wrist. He’d been so enraged, he taken several of them into his little torture room, chained ‘em around the necks like dogs and made them fight. Then once the lesson was learned, he went ahead and killed them anyway. Because ‘there’s some kinda sick you just can’t fix. ’
The door opened and Cosimo came back in. “Got a driver waiting out front for you. Take your time, but he’s keeping it warm.”
“Thanks, Cos.”
He shrugged that off and headed back out.
“We’re all set here,” Salvatore said from the exam room doorway. “Got your kit, meds included. And I’m gonna need an address to come to check her feet tomorrow.”
“Thanks so much, Salvatore,” Steph said, looking suddenly worn out.
“Don’t gotta thank me. Just stay off your damn feet.”
“But I have cushions now,” she said, waving down to her bandaged feet. “I know, I know,” she said when Sal shot her a look. “Sit on my ass and be catered to.”
“Exactly,” he agreed. “I’ll carry the kit out if you’ll carry the patient.”
“I would say you don’t have to carry me,” Steph said when I got close. “But I’m pretty sure Salvatore will have a conniption if I don’t let myself be carried around.”
“I don’t mind,” I assured her, lifting her up into my arms. “How you feeling?”
“Still numb. I’m not looking forward to the locals wearing off.”
“That’s what the pain medicine is for. You take it ahead of the shots wearing off. But we gotta get some food in you first.”
“Food,” she said with a little sigh.
“Anything you want,” I assured her as I pressed her into the backseat of the town car.
“Keep her warm. Keep her off her feet. Keep them elevated, if possible. I’ll be over tomorrow to check on her,” Salvatore said, passing me the care kit.
“Thanks again, man.”
“You sure you don’t want me to look at anything?”
“I’m fine.” My face felt like a punching bag. But it was what it was. I’d had worse. A couple of aspirin and I would be good as new.
“Let me know what time tomorrow. And if you got any questions, you know where to find me.”
With that, I slid into the back with Steph, telling the driver the address, then pulling her legs over my lap.
She leaned into me, sucking in a deep breath.
“Are you really staying with me?” she asked, voice small and vulnerable.
“As long as you’ll have me.”
And I really kind of hoped that she might feel like that was forever.