Page 75 of Downfall

I already all but own the Governor. I just need to take a few more people off the board. Cut a few out as well. Starting with the Capulet’s source of power.

Ben is already pulling out the plans, going through the blueprints. Ignatio was good at hiding his more objectionable activities but unluckily for him I had an insider, a disgruntled ex-employee if you will, who was more than willing to spill the beans given the right incentive. I guess that’s the problem when you get too high up the food chain, you forget the people under you who are holding you up. It’s what my father did too. How he ended up destroying half of our empire. He got too big for his boots, thought he was above everyone and ultimately, that was what helped sign his death warrant.

And now it’s what will be the undoing of Ignatio.

“You ready?” Turner says.

I don’t have to look at him to know he is. As are the rest of the men. We’ve got a small jolly planned for tonight. More of a jab than anything but I want Ignatio to feel the sting all the same.

He’s got an import coming in. A nice little package that will keep the deadbeats of this city hooked for a little while.

We climb into the van, all of us are armed to the teeth, and we sit in silence for the entire thirty minute journey. All we can hear are the sounds of the tyres churning over the road and the muffled sound of the radio through the bulkhead.

It’s when the vehicle stops that we all come alive.

The side door slides open. One by one, silently we get out and then we’re sprinting for the cover of the building, using its walls to hide ourselves.

I’ll admit my adrenaline is up and I’m itching to get started.

When the boat appears, I don’t wait for the call, like a man possessed I run ahead, shooting, taking over every one of those fuckers.

Bullets ricochet off the walls. Turner and the others follow behind but their bloods up too. Gone is the restraint, gone is tactical strategy. Right now we’re men on a mission.

Every fucker that comes at me gets a bullet in the head.

And when it all falls silent we just stand there looking at all the destruction we’ve caused.

I order them off, all my men, tell them to get back to the safety of the dock. Once it’s just me, I make my final offering to the gods of war. I pour enough gasoline for this ship to light up the entirety of Verona and then I spring from the side, toss a match, and watch with glee as the thing ignites.

He’s going to be livid. He’s going to be furious.

Every crackhead in the city is going to clawing at him for their fix and for once he has nothing. I’ve pulled out the rug from under him. Given him a little hint of what’s to come.

Take that Ignatio Fucking Capulet. Take that to hell.

Rose

His hand comes out of nowhere sending me flying. I feel the pain before I realise I’m on the floor. Sprawled out.

“You stupid fucking slut.” My father spits, towering over me and for a moment I think he’s going to kick me too.

I shake, trying to fight back the tears that are threatening to spill. He grabs my hair yanking my head up, forcing me to look at him.

“You’re a whore. A dirty, filthy little whore.”

I don’t reply. I don’t have anything to say back because that’s exactly what I am. What I let myself become.

What Roman made of me.

My mother flits back and forth. Pacing. I don’t even know how they know. They couldn’t have found the test. I hid it too well. So how the hell did they find out?

“What are we going to do?” She mutters over and over.

My father snarls. “There’s only one thing we can do...” He says and for a second my hope flares that maybe, just maybe this might be my escape, that somehow, despite my ruin, it might just save me after all. “…Terminate it.”

“No.” I gasp.

“Ignatio.” My mother says shocked.

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