CHAPTER 10 - RED
CHAPTER
Red
SWEATING WITH STRESS, I launch across the car park of the Scorpio Lounge and dive into the passenger seat of the van. “Drive!”
I slam the door as Cal puts his foot flat on the accelerator, spraying gravel in all directions, and the Transit screams out onto the road. There is no time to waste.
The two minutes’ wait for the van to be readied felt like a month. Since finding out Arianna’s location, each further second delay holds greater importance. “Faster,” I mutter, slotting my seat belt into the clip.
I’m happy not to wear one. It will only slow me down at the other end, but neither do I want to risk getting pulled over by an overzealous and eager traffic cop. By the time I explain who I am and that half the force is already in my pocket, more time will be lost, so I’ll wear the fucking belt.
Pulling the scrap of paper from my pocket where I scrawled the address Galvatore relayed, I stare at it, hoping that by looking at it hard enough speeds the journey up:
My forehead crumples with deep lines. It’s not an address I’m familiar with, but Knightsbridge is the territory of both the Galvatores and the Bristonis, so whoever safe house it belongs to matters little.
All that matters is getting Arianna out of there and back with me.
On the bench seat next to me, Oscar fiddles with his pistol. “You’re not using that,” I remind him.
“I’ll honor your wishes. Not that I agree with them. The gun is for backup. If the cunts pull on us, I ain’t standing there being shot up!”
I nod tersely. I can’t disagree with that. I can’t and won’t allow my brothers or men to get shot, word given or not. No guns will be fired, and no one will be harmed, providing we are not attacked.
Any injuries or death caused after that will stem from necessity, and like it or not, Galvatore knows it. Not that I care what the old bastard thinks or wants.
“Liam isn’t happy.” Oscar faces forward, staring out of the Transit’s windscreen as the roads of Southwest London speed past and gradually change into areas on the other side of the river.
Not our territory...
“Liam’s needed at the casino. He’s better off there.” Cal and Oscar accompanying me on this mission was the only option. It will be hard enough as it is to keep our heads and not go in guns blazing. Liam’s the hothead. He cannot control himself and would do it anyway, risking us all.
Especially Arianna.
I can’t afford anything to do that, so my brother has to live with my choice to exclude him. It’s the best way.
I follow Oscar’s line of focus out of the windscreen.
Being in this general area holds its own risks.
There are plenty of other firms this side of the river: small ones waiting patiently in the shadow of the Galvatores and Bristonis who’d give an eye for an unexpected opportunity to try their luck with us being in No-man’s-land.
On any other day I’d welcome the affray, but not tonight. Not with so much at stake.
“So, we all know what we’re doing?” I ask, to be met with nods.
“Just make sure it isn’t a trap,” Oscar adds. “You’re taking Galvatore’s word on this, remember.”
I remember all right, and it’s a gamble. But gambling is my only option. As the decoy, I expect to get hurt, but I trust Galvatore’s word that Matteo is not aware of our pending arrival and instead of Maria arriving to see him, it will be me.
I have to trust what he said because there’s no other choice.
As we near the target address, my nails dig into the palms of my hands.
Matteo is in there right now, and therefore, so is Arianna.
My hands tremble, and I feel sick with nerves. Not from fear, but in case I’m too late and Arianna is not there.
Or worse, dead.
Anything else besides that I will deal with.
Somehow.
I’ve made all the required calls. The property I’ll take Arianna to once I have her, which I will, is one not linked to me. In the time I must wait before killing Matteo Galvatore, Luca Bristoni and anyone associated with them, no one can trace her whereabouts.
Everything is ready, waiting and in place, so once this is over and I have Arianna safely back with me, I’ll go for blood.