Page 33 of Sinister Savior

“Mario.” She nods and continues. “He was dead. We all thought so.” She shakes her head as she speaks, then licks her lower lip. “Now he’s back to save us. Our savior! Hallelujah.” With a smile, she picks up some empty beer bottles and tosses them into the bag.

“You think killing people in cold blood is salvation?” I’m appalled by her insinuation. I don’t know how to react.

“When they’re this type of people, yes.” She’s dead serious. She really believes this, and now I’m cast back into doubt that this is even where I belong. My heart may be screaming Mario’s name and wishing he would come save me, but my mind knows this is all wrong. It isn’t how I want to raise my child, and it isn’t what I want for my life. Not now. Not with Tom. Not ever.

What the fuck have I gotten myself into?

24

MARIO

Ifade in and out of consciousness as the car bumps over the road. Alice is furious with me, but it's for her own good that she stays at the safehouse. Tony's lady is faithful, and even without any notice that Alice would be there, I know she'll honor my request. I need Alice to be safe for this part. She can’t be at the church or in the rectory or even the panic room when this goes down. It isn't safe.

"ETA," I grunt, forcing myself upright. I'm still bleeding, but it's only a trickle. If I can manage to survive this, I'll go back to the hospital for whatever it is they want to do to me. I know there are things I'll have to answer for. My past will come back to haunt me, but preceding my father’s death, my record was wiped clean. There isn't much they can pin on me other than the guy I killed outside the church rectory that morning in Barstow, or maybe the two goons at that motel. They’d have to find DNA for that, though.

I've already paid a buddy of mine down at the precinct to get those things cleaned, and I'm hoping I don't have issues, but I'm not holding my breath. Except for when the car hits a bump and the pain is so excruciating I have to.

"Ten minutes, Boss. You sure you're up to this? Alice may be right. Maybe you should stay in the car and let us handle it." Ervine has no clue the weight I carry on my shoulders. My father would strongly disapprove of every decision Paolo has made. He would expect me to take care of this myself. I can't go to my grave knowing I let my brother continue to live on and make such horrible choices without at least trying to stop him myself. And since my grave could be any second, I have to use every ounce of energy I have left making sure my father is avenged.

"Don't stand in my way, Ervine," I tell him and I press a hand into my side. I'm becoming numb to the amount of pain I'm in, as if my brain is shutting down those sensors because I'm just ignoring them anyway. The weakness, however, is something I can't fight. I want to sleep and never wake up. Every muscle in my body feels like lead weights are tied to them, and it makes moving difficult.

"Got it, Boss." Ervine agrees with me, but only because he has to. I know if he had his way, I'd be in a bed somewhere and he'd be fighting this fight. It's the way of this Family, to protect the weak and injured. But I'm not weak. If anything, this entire ordeal has only strengthened me. I will never back down until my brother is stopped.

The car pulls up outside the church, and everything is quiet for now. Paolo will come soon enough. He's probably on his way right now, but for the moment, we have time to continue prepping. I push the car door open and climb out. It takes every bit of concentration I have to stay upright as I walk toward the church.

The sun is growing higher in the sky now, midday approaching. There will be more people around than I hoped for this event, but there isn't anything I can do about it. Paolo will come in his own timing, and I have to be ready for that. Everything else is ready to go, so I have to be ready too.

I step into the foyer, and Ervine is already here, a sentry waiting for the action to start. I look to him, and without questioning him, healready knows what I want. "Things are in place. Four men on each side, three men in back. I have things set so the blast stuns but doesn't kill, and I have another forty men in the area hidden in plain sight. There is no way Paolo is getting away this time."

I nod at him and grimace at the pain I'm still feeling, then I move toward the sanctuary. I will wait in the confessional until the action begins, and then I will take my rightful place as authority over my brother, at least until he is out of the picture and Alice is safe. At least for now, I know she is. And should I fail, I have a plan to get her out of here, and Ervine will follow up with it.

Ducking into the confessional, I leave the door slightly cracked. It's only a matter of time before the army descends on this small, defenseless church and wreaks destruction in their path. I've spent so long as a man of peace, I've forgotten how intense war is, how much planning goes into a mission like this. And a plot like this against the leader of the most notorious organization in LA isn't easy. Paolo may be ruthless, but he's smart. No one gets the better of him. Until now.

"They’re here," I hear Ervine shout, and then the place goes silent. It was quiet before, but the tiny movements of anxious men, anticipating a battle, could still be heard. The little creaks of the wood and shuffling of fabric fade away, and nothing but the hum of traffic outside can be heard. They lie in wait, as do I, counting the seconds until our attack begins.

The walls have been fortified, done in the middle of the night by many hands who support me. The windows have already been ordered to replace the ones I know will be destroyed—chalk that one up to a remodel and no one will be the wiser. And the bombs are in place. Stun, don't kill.

My pulse thrums past my ears, and I listen to shouts outside the building. For a moment, I think my brother hasn’t come, that he's sent his men in his place, but then I hear him. The familiar, angry tone barking orders is unmistakable. Of course, he can't stand to let anyone stealhis thunder. He warned me, but I didn't listen, and now he thinks he's back to finish me off. I have news for him. I'm going to rise the victor in this fight.

The first report of gunfire sounds, and I stand and peek out the crack in the door. My men know not to lay a hand on my brother or fire a bullet in his direction. He's mine, and I am the only one who will lay a hand on him. My plan will work if they obey that one simple order. Anyone else is fair game. I don't much care what happens to the rest of his men. They had their chance to be loyal to me, to make sure the family line stays pure. They turned on me once. They'll turn on me again.

I hear more shouting and see the first few men walk in. I've hidden weapons here in this very confessional booth behind a panel of wood that slides away for access to the electricity in the wall behind it. I slide that panel away and pull one out, chambering a round in the cacophony of other shots being fired. I see three men charge in and point my weapon through the crack in the door and pepper off a few rounds. Two of the three shots hit their mark, and one target is down.

The other men hidden in the church continue to take on fire, and Paolo's guys duck behind cover. I'm impressed with Ervine's work, making this confessional as bulletproof as possible, as the bullets fly in my direction, pelting the walls. I'm safe in here so long as they didn't bring explosives, but if they have, they delay in tossing them out.

When they stop to reload, I slide the door back open and begin firing again.

It's poetic to me, how I hide in the place of confession, where absolution protects me from wrath, where my sins are covered and hidden and I can see with clarity how my future will unfold. Three men are down and more are coming, but I am feeling strong now. As if God himself strengthens me to do his will, to take out my brother.

"Come out here and fight like a man, Mario." The shout is my brother's, echoing from somewhere outside this sanctuary. He will continueto hunt until he has me right where he wants me, and I won’t give him the satisfaction.

"Come find me, big brother." In a flash, I push through the wall, now a hidden doorway into the offices where Father Thomas works. My plan is to draw him to the rectory and away from the explosives that will eventually draw the attention of the authorities, if they haven't been called already.

This has to go down fast, too, because I don't want any civilians injured in the process. I've given strictest orders to only take out those who are in cahoots with Paolo, and my men will follow those orders.

I hurry, knowing my brother will come, and I slip out the back of the church and up the steps of the rectory into the back entrance. The timer is set now, ready to count down the seconds until the bombs go off. I hide just inside the back door, waiting for Paolo’s appearance, knowing Sam will pull the plug the instant the door opens and my brother shows his face.

Then I hold my breath. This has to work. Paolo must go down. I won't tolerate his animalistic leadership, and I won't allow him to rule over this city with an iron fist any longer. I toss the weapon into the sink behind me—it only has a few rounds left—and then I take one from the cupboard, stashed here earlier as our plan was put into action. It is taped to the bottom side of a lower shelf, right where I need it.

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