Page 15 of Sinister Savior

I hang up and glance at Alice who still slumbers lightly on the seat next to me as I drive. If someone had told me that years after gaining my freedom from this mess I’d be back at it, I’d have laughed at them. Part of me wonders whether Alice doesn’t just have a magical ability to put a hex on me to make me do for her what I’ve never done for anyone other than myself. Or maybe my icy heart has just thawed enough to begin feeling things for people again.

At the church, I don’t even have to ask Father Thomas for help. It’s so early for most people in this city, but he is seated in the front pew praying when I carry Alice and our bag into the sanctuary. She’s draped around me, clinging to my neck with her eyes shut, and I’m on a mission to get to my brother before he leaves his house for the day.

“Oh, dear…” Father Thomas rises to greet me with compassion and nods at Alice. “Mario…” His tone is one of disappointment. He can see that I’ve been sucked back in without having to question me about it.

“For a few days, maybe a week. She’s in trouble.” I try to keep my voice low, but Alice stirs and looks up at me.

“I don’t want to stay here. I want to be with you.” I can’t blame her after what happened at the church in Barstow. Here, we are even closer to the enemy, but they don’t know where we are or how to find us right now. I have to bank on that for as long as possible.

I set her down on wobbly legs and drop the bag at our feet. The priest watches us but turns away when I press my lips to hers, as if watching me break my vow is too painful for him. But he knows the sort of man I am, who I’ve always been. He knew as well as I did that I’d only be able to fake it for so long before my true nature would return—albeit hopefully, a better version of it.

“You have to stay here. Father Thomas is a good man, Alice. He will shelter you here until I come back.”

Her fingers dig into my shirt, pulling me toward her as tears spring up. She’s traumatized, beaten down, and terrified of everything. Her sobs shake her whole body, and whereas my former self would have pried her away from me and left her to the capable hands of my friend, the current me can’t bear to see her hurting like this. I hold her for a moment, but time is ticking.

“Alice, you’ll be safe here. I promise you. In a few hours, I’ll be back, and hopefully, this will be over.” The bonding we’ve done over the past few days is enough for me to know I’m not leaving this woman behind for any reason. The vultures will swarm and pick her bones dry. She is mine, and I defend what’s mine.

“A few hours?” she asks, looking up at me.

I brush away a few tears and nod. “Just nap. Before you’ve even had lunch, I’ll be back.” I back away, and she whines a little but lets me go. Her eyes turn toward my ever-faithful friend and the man who will become the last line of defense should my brother’s men come in force, and I nod at him.

Without another word, I head back to the car. My mission is simple. I have to get into my brother’s house and confront him and hopefully notget killed in the process. If Ervine is on his game, there will be five men waiting for me when I arrive only a few blocks from our destination, and all of this will be a bad nightmare when I get back to Alice’s arms.

It all feels dark and heavy now, what used to feel light. As I drive, I remember times when I would murder ten men in a single night and not think twice. Now the guilt of killing even those three men in the past few days is enough to drive me insane. The only saving grace is that I’ve done it for a worthy cause this time—not money or power or influence. I did it for love, for a woman who needs a hero.

Arriving at the location where I told Ervine to have my men ready, I see a black van waiting, tail lights on, engine running. I don’t know who it is or where he found them, but anyone willing to risk their life to help me when they don’t know me is okay in my book. Or maybe they do know me and that’s the reason they volunteered. Either way, I gesture for them to follow and pass by the van slowly. It pulls out and follows me the last few blocks.

We park outside my brother’s home. The lights inside are mostly off, but I see his bedroom light glowing on the second story. The group of men files out of the van, chambering rounds in their guns. I approach them with confidence and immediately recognize Tony, one of my former soldiers.

“Mario…” He grunts, handing me a nine millimeter semi-automatic handgun. “Fifteen rounds…” He nods at the gun then says, “Ervine said you need help. Well, we’re here.” I haven’t seen this man in as many years as I’ve been gone, and he still works for my brother, but he’s always been loyal to me.

“Thank you,” I tell him, then turn my attention to the house. “We get in as quietly as possible. I’m not here to kill him. I’m here to confront him. I want him off my case once and for all. That may turn to violence, but I hope it doesn’t.” My stance has always been clear with Tony and Ervine, and men like him. Violence is a last resort, not atool. Paolo is quick to the trigger and quick to his temper. He’s made a mockery of my father’s legacy.

“Got it.” Tony chambers a round, and I do too, then we head toward the house.

We mount the stairs with ease, though I’m expecting to encounter resistance soon. Paolo’s men are probably asleep on the job for us to get this close without being stopped. On the count of three, I kick the door in, and we scurry inside, surprising his guards. Punches are thrown and bodies hit the ground as I race up the stairs two at a time, hoping to get to Paolo’s bedroom before he’s alerted, and as I burst through the bedroom door, he draws a gun and points it in my direction.

“Brother, I’m so glad you could make it. I was expecting you, though I’ll admit not quite this early in the morning.”

Paolo looks good, like he’s been taking care of himself. This reunion could have been so much happier if only he weren’t the cynical, angry bastard he is. I hold my gun pointed directly at his chest, and I really don’t want to use it. He’s family, and what he did to my father, I could never do to him. Not unless he crossed a line I don't think he will actually cross—yet.

“Come now, Paolo, you didn’t think I was going to let you kill innocent women on my turf and get away with it.” I start my slow, counterclockwise move toward the right, and he circles to his right. Our guns are locked on each other, but we both know we won’t pull the trigger yet. He wants to use me as a means to get the girl and his money. I want to warn him that if he tries, I will cripple his entire organization.

“Innocent is a matter of opinion, Mario. Darling stole a half-million dollars from me and she knows where it’s at.” He uses his thumb to release the safety and shrugs. “Just hand her over, and when I get my cash, she can go free.”

I chuckle, but that chuckle is interrupted by shots being fired downstairs. My men are at war, and I hope they understand the price they’re paying is saving Alice’s life. It may also be saving their own. My brother is a power-hungry monster.

“Back off, or you’re going to regret it.” Keeping my temper in check, I continue walking until we’ve circled completely around to where we started. His bathrobe stands open, showing off the smattering of scars on his chest and stomach, all evidence of the ruthless life he leads. My body doesn’t reflect the same—just a tattoo of a lion, the one beast who doesn’t have to be afraid of anything, the one beast who doesn’t need an introduction. Everyone knows when a lion walks in the room, including my brother.

“You’re cute. You know I have three hundred soldiers poised to take you out.” Paolo is too smug, too confident. He’s going to fall hard.

“Make that two hundred ninety-five.” I wink at him, and it enrages him. He points his gun away from my chest to the door frame behind me and fires a warning shot, and I return fire before ducking into the hallway. I knew he’d never shoot me because ultimately, he knows if he does, the men within his organization who are loyal to me will turn on him. It would be his downfall.

Before I can collect myself, three men come out of the bedrooms at me, and I am swinging fists, punching my way through them. I don’t know what’s going on downstairs. All I know is the sounds of gunfire and screaming shake the entire house, and my mission to warn my brother off is less successful than I planned. I fight my way out, catching a few fists to the face, chest, and gut, and a few knife slashes to go along with them. I step over bodies in my path, only to return to my car with no rounds left and no chance of saving any of the guys I came with.

Paolo is taking this very seriously, and I’m already down five men. I have to fall back and call Ervine to regroup. I need a better plan.

11

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