Page 74 of Demon's Angel

When I do, I hear a ring, then a snick as the phone connects.

“Puoi uscire. È sicuro.” Immediately I replace the phone on the wall, then Hell and I stand to the side.

“Is the situation contained?” Lucio asks as he steps out. “I thought it was just a car backfiring.”

The guard who’s followed him out is immediately disabled by Hell.

“No backfire. You may have a few holes to brick up, but you won’t be worried about that as you won’t be breathing.” Raising my gun, I point it straight at his forehead.

“She’s not here.” Thunder sounds out of breath as he enters, Rock and Beef close behind him. Without being told, Rock and Beef step up and take control of the two soldiers as Thunder continues his update, “We’ve searched every-fuckin’-where, Prez. Can’t find her.”

“She’s here,” I tell him. “The tracker shows this is where she was brought. There must be another secret room somewhere.” I glance at Hell. “Somewhere that wasn’t on the original plans.”

Lucio raises his hands. “What are you talking about? A girl? Tracker? Secret room?”

There are sounds coming from the hallway. Turning my head so I’m still keeping him in my line of sight while glancing quickly behind me, I see Red poking his head around the door.

“We have thesoldatoscorralled out here.”

“Damage?” Drummer snaps.

“Sparky was winged, but it was just a scratch. One guard dead, a couple wounded, but I’d say the boss wasn’t guarded by the best men.”

I’d turned back in time to see Lucio’s eyes close briefly, and hear his mumbled words, “You got that right.” When his eyes open, they flick between his two soldiers. “Get them out of here. We need to talk.”

Talk. I want to talk alright. There’s only one topic that interests me. But the don’s reaction is not what I’d expected at all. Hell’s confused too. Something tells me whatever the don has to say, I need to listen. His request to remove his men is reasonable, if he’s going to divulge secrets he doesn’t want his guards to hear. I jerk my head toward the door; Rock and Beef take their captives out. Thunder follows, and Red and Drummer stay with us.

“What girl?” Lucio isn’t wasting time. Then he sighs and shakes his head and provides the answer, signing his death warrant. “Violet Palmer.”

She’s Violet Black now.But I don’t correct him. “Where is she?” I ask again.

“I have no idea. But I can make some assumptions.” His hand moves over his forehead as though he is in pain.

“There’s only one way this is going to end, Lucio. I can make it quick and easy or slow and painful.”

“Prez?” Both Drummer and I snap our heads around, but it’s me who beckons Pal over. “There were two women in the kitchen. We have them tied up with the others. Prez, one of them, well, she was wearing this.”

“What is it?” Lucio snaps.

I give a nasty grin. “The reason why we know you have her. It’s a tracker she was wearing.”

Again, his eyes close briefly. When they open, there appear to be even more lines around them than there were before. There’s a world of hurt in them, pain, but no fear, resignation, not protest. It’s not the reaction I’d expect from a kidnapper. No bluster, no threats and no swagger.Because I’ve caught him red-handed?

“Which woman? The older or younger?”

The question is directed at Pal, who replies, “The younger one.” When I raise my chin, he understands and steps back out.

Lucio nods. “It is as I expected. Though I would suggest the outcome was not as planned.” His eyes glance to the clock. “Giuseppa would be leaving for home around now. You would have been expected to follow her, and kill her when she couldn’t tell you what you wanted to know. That’s what he would have done.”

He could have said all that in Italian for how much of it made sense.

Lucio sees my confusion and continues, “Angelino was having an affair with her. Vitalia found out and put a stop to it. Giuseppa, how do you say? Wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. She would have been happy receiving a trinket such as that.” He nods at the heart dangling from Cad’s hand. “And Angelino would have been rid of a nuisance. But, as I say, it did not go as he planned.”

“We’re not in the business of killing innocent women,” I tell him, feeling my teeth grind. “What we are in the business of is finding one. Violet.”

Lucio’s eyes go to Hell. “My old friend,” Hell starts and glares as if denying any previous good sentiment between them could be called on now, but the Mafia boss is not put off. “We go back a long time. In your world, you can choose to step down. In mine? It is different. A power-play is messy, a boss killed by his enemies hands a cleaner way to clear the path to the top. Angelino, my underboss, my son, expects you to carry out that service today.”

“If Violet is harmed, I intend to do just that.”There’s no doubt about it, Don.

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