Page 80 of The Sting of Love
Donny
I make haste and rush out to the cliff. It’s a half a mile out from the club.
There were people all over the beach but people know to steer clear of the cliff when night comes. It’s dangerous enough as it is during the day. There are lamp posts but that’s all. The beauty is the structure and the danger that comes with it.
By the time I get half way up the path I see a dark figure ahead of me. A tall slender man with long black hair flowing in the wind.
The light from the lamp post shines down on him and as I get closer I realize it’s Xiou. He’s standing near the edge with his arms behind his back. Cool and casual, like he’s chilling in his backyard. My steps slow as I approach and he smiles at me.
“Donatello Caporetti, we meet at last,” he states. His voice holds a cultured accent that suggests he only speaks English when he needs to.
“Where is she?” I ask.” I glance down the dimly lit path beyond him and see nothing.
I won’t pretend I’m not scared. I’m terrified for Willow. This shit show had ‘trap’ written all over it, but coming was not up for debate.
“Where is the stick?” he counters.
“You tell me now where my girl is or I’m not showing you anything.”
He laughs. “You are very brave to speak to me like that. I have to give you that as credit. I dare say I never expected my operation to be shaken by your recent presence. It hasn’t before.”
“How long has it been?” I need to know.
“Five years. It’s been five long years and your whole set up provided the perfect venue to host my virgin market and auction.” His smile widens and I feel like I’m going to be sick.
Virgin market and auction?Jesus. This is the kind of shit that makes me sick.
“You sick fuck.”
“Maybe I am. I’m a rich sick fuck though and thankfully your people were willing to play the game for the right price. Pablo was an old fool who thought he had a handle on the empire. He didn’t have shit.”
Oh, I already drew that conclusion. “So you took advantage where you could. Clever.”
“I saw an opportunity and Mario was the middle man. He collected data on the right clients and did all the dirty work. I contacted him when I saw the opportunity and that greedy bastard couldn’t say no,” Xiou explains. “Anyway, small talk over. Give me the stick now, or I give the word and your girl dies.”
I have a vague plan. It’ll work on instinct. I basically have to play whatever happens next by ear.
“I told you, I’m not doing shit until I know where she is.” I tense my jaw.
His face hardens and he looks furious at my insistence. “She’s further up with Mario.” He cocks his head to the side gesturing toward the dark path.
“How the fuck do I know she’s up there?” He could be telling me shit. I’m not some dumb schumck who will just take what he’s told.
“Guess you’re going to have to trust me. Give me the stick.”
I can see this is going to be a shit show of him asking for the stick and me wanting to see Willow, neither of us getting what we want. It’s time to put the plan in motion. The plan being to still save Willow and not give him the stick. It’s risky but, I have to try. I have to try something.
So here goes.
I reach into my back pocket and pull out the stick, but I also pull out my gun.
“Here it is,” I say and to his surprise I throw it to the side of the path, slip my gun out and fire a shot.
He sees and dives out of the way in a flying somersault like something from a kung Fu movie.
Fucking hell.He comes at me fiercely, sending a spinning kick to my mid-section that makes me stagger backwards but I don’t go down. I can’t fight like that with all those fancy techniques, but I come from the streets of Chicago where we leave blood running in the gutter when we encounter fuckers like this guy.
I fight dirty and I’m a demon from hell with my guns.
