43. Chapter 39
Chapter 39
Nikolai
“ I t’s that one.” Viktor yells over the wind as he opens the door on the side of the plane.
“Are you sure?” I shout back over the screaming wind.
“I know it. When we worked with the Italians, we smuggled on their ships. That’s Don Leonardo’s ship, for fucking sure.” Viktor’s wild eyes lock onto mine, adrenaline pumping in the air. “This is fucking crazy.”
“That’s why it’s going to work.”
A wild smile takes over Viktor’s rugged features. He pulls me into an embrace, pushing his forehead against mine.
“If they kill you, I’ll sink that fucking ship.”
Percy’s voice wrenches us back to reality from the pilot’s seat. “Go, go! Now, or you’ll miss the boat.” He screams over the noise, his leathery voice struggling against the elements.
“If they kill me, make sure you save her.” I growl back to Viktor.
He nods as I turn and fling myself out of the plane into the dark abyss below.
The air whips against my face, shrieking at me, trying to push me back from the certain death I’m hurtling towards. I cut through the night sky like an anchor slicing through dark water. Then, just before I crash into the wall of darkness below me, I pull my parachute, angling it at the perfect time to make the landing. We found one black parachute. All the others were white and would have been spotted before you had time to say “Don’t shoot”.
I roll into the landing, taking away the extra force from impacting my ankles. They’ve probably seen me, but I have a feeling luck is on my side tonight. The moon hasn’t come out, so the darkness is pitch black. They’ll have only spotted me if someone was watching for me. I kick the parachute into the sea, check my gun, and adjust the silencer.
Perfect.
I move through the ship like a ghost hellbent on revenge. None of them see me coming. Fate flips a coin as I pass by the guards, the ones who see me find early graves in the dark water. Let every body be a lesson to anyone who ever dares touch my Isabella again.
Nobody fucks with my wife.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I recognise her brother’s voice immediately, deep but somehow petulant. It has the tone of Don Leonardo’s voice with none of the authority.
I peek my head around a corner to see two men standing at the edge of the railing. A man in shades shrugs while Fredo sways like a sick sea dog. Who wears shades at night? The Cosa Nostra love their fashion, even if it makes no damn sense.
“Luiz said he saw something in the sky.” The moron with the shades shrugs again, defensively.
“In the fucking sky? Does he believe in ghosts now? You bring me up here for this bullshit?”
They don’t hear me coming, no one ever does. I send a bullet through the shades to help the asshole see better, and kick his corpse over the railing into the sea.
Fredo’s eyes widen with fear as my hand clamps over his mouth and I raise the gun between his eyes. I press my finger to my lips, holding his gaze in a grip of fear.
“You make a sound, I send you for a swim. Understand?” Fredo nods and begins to tremble. “Take me to Isabella. Now. If you try anything, I will kill you.”
Fredo gulps before following my orders. I press my gun into his back as we walk, controlling him like a puppet. He leads me into the ship, through a maze of corridors and twisting hallways.
“How much further?” I growl.
“N-not far.” He whispers back. “She’s being held in the centre of the ship, on my father’s orders.”
I expect nothing less. I dig the gun deeper into his back.
“If you’re lying to me…”
“I’m not! I swear.” He squeals like a little pig.
Every mafia family always has a runt. Fredo looks the part, but he’s a coward. Isabella would have made a much better heir to Don Leonardo’s throne.
We fall back into silence, crawling through the ship slowly, so I can take note of every turn we take. Fredo might be leading me to Isabella, but he certainly isn’t coming back with us, so I need a layout in my mind.
“How did you get here?” He hisses under his breath.
“Never underestimate a man willing to die for who he loves.”
Fredo can’t stop himself from scoffing. “Love? What, my sister? I heard she shot you! Left you for dead. She’s nothing but trouble. My dad might be harsh, but sending her to learn her place will help her.”
I hold silence over him for a moment as we walk, letting him get uncomfortable. Letting him play into the stories I know he’s heard about me. The scarred beast who can’t control his anger. I let him squirm.
“You don’t know love until you see them at their weakest. If you can’t love all of them, why love at all?”
Fredo doesn’t have a snide little comeback for that. We continue deeper into the belly of the ship, through the maze of identical doors.
We descend a staircase and take a sharp turn, only to clatter into an on-rushing body. It springs out from the cover of the wall and sinks a knife into me with all its strength. Time freezes. Wild eyes and heavy breathing are accompanied by a familiar touch as she pulls the knife from my flesh.
I missed you, too.