Page 193 of Vita Mia

“DO YOU THINK YOU’REgoing to win? That you can trust the Odessa?” Brian croaked followed by a groan of pain.

Nico looked over at the man who was stretched on the sofa. His long coal black hair was listless and stuck to his face. His leg wrapped between two iron boards. He looked to be suffering immensely.

“I know the money we paid them isn’t enough. But you, you’re the real prize.”

“They will kill him and you, then take me. You’re a fucking idiot!” Brian said.

Nico smiled. “If they wanted me dead they would have done it by now. The Odessa wants what your uncle has, and they know my Don is the way to get it. When they have you and a taste of victory over Tarzan the real fun starts. Doesn’t it?”

Brian looked away from Nico. He winced and pulled himself up to a sitting position. “Trust me, this ends badly for all of us. My uncle could save the day. Help me get a call to my people and we’ll renegotiate our terms.”

Nico dismissed him and continued to stare at the television.

“Battaglia! You will not win! Do you hear me? My uncle will gut your black bitch and piss on your wife’s grave. He will!”

Nico was up and out of his seat before he could control himself. He grabbed Brian by the throat and without realizing his own strength snapped his neck for even cursing his beloved wife’s memory. The moment he did so he regretted it. His men were all on their feet staring in horror. Brian Smith was their ticket home and in a flash Nico had ruined it. He stumbled back and Brian slipped to the floor with his tongue protruding from his mouth. Nico looked at his hands. He shook his head in disbelief. “I... I... don’t know what happened.”

“Boss, what do we do? The Ukrainians’ are just outside the door. What do we do?”

“Pick him up, position him as if he were asleep. Do it!”

The men picked up the dead man. They did their best to close his eyes, but it didn’t work. It never worked so soon after a fresh death—you had to be dead awhile for the eyes to close. So, they turned his face away and made it as if he were asleep. Nico paced with his hands to his head.Why did he lose control?With everything at stake how did he lose control? He groaned in frustration and squeezed his eyes shut. He could see Cecilia smiling and kissing him for the last time. He could remember laughing with Renaldo and sharing a beer. He remembered the life he once had. And then he remembered the death all of the death that followed.

“Boss? What do you want us to do?”

“Shut up!” he shouted at his men!” He dropped in the chair and hung his head. “Just please shut the fuck up.”

Nico calmed himself and his breathing. His men gave him space. He glanced over to the dead Brian Smith and then looked away. He could do nothing else but wait his fate.

***

LORENZO WAS FORCEDfrom the boat under the pointed direction of several guns. He staggered a bit. It was hard to stand. The men with him didn’t have patience. He was shoved and thrown into another van and then taken under the cover of darkness to a destination he could not discern. It was the longest ride he’d taken in a while. He was unconscious when they arrived, someone slapped him to wake him.

“You’re free!” the Russian laughed in his face.

Lorenzo frowned.

“Free!” the man said again.

Lorenzo pushed up with his elbow. He looked to the front of the house he was delivered too. The man stepped back for him to get out of the van. He knew the word ‘free’ but he didn’t trust it. How could he?

––––––––

“BOSS? IT’S THEM. THEY’REback.” Nico’s men told him. He lifted his face from his hands.

His men were disarmed at the plane. However, they looked ready for what was to come next. Nico stood. He glanced to the dead man in the room. To the naked eye, he did appear to be sleep. But a closer look would reveal the truth.

Mikhail walked inside with his men. Nico waited and one of the last to stagger inside was Lorenzo. Nico couldn’t help but smile to see him alive. Lorenzo looked at him and then to where Brian Smith lay as if confused. He seemed a bit out of it.

“I told you we’d come back brother,” Nico said.

Lorenzo chuckled. “What took you so long?”

Mikhail shrugged. “You free to go. I came to collect my puppy.”

Before Mikhail took a step toward Brian, Nico stepped forward. He now had his and Lorenzo’s life in his hands. He had made a grave error, one that even Dominic guessed could happen. He could only offer his life as the price for it.

“There is something you should know.”

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