by V Domino
“You must have alerted someone somehow, Ivan!” Vas's deadly voice booms from the other room. I quickly lay down on my mat and pull the beach towel over my head. Yes, that's right. The only blanket I have is an oversized towel and my bed is a little thicker than the workout mats Johnny has in his gym. I think it used to belong to a pet because it smells like a wet dog, unless that what I smell like seeing as I haven't properly bathed in months.
Suddenly the door to my room bangs open causing me to jump. Ivan grabs my bicep in a bruising grip and pulls me up to my feet before slapping me in the face.
“How did they find you?!” He screams and slams me against the wall while Vas gets guns ready.
Twitch found me!
I begin to laugh even as Vas slaps me again. I may be underweight and have some serious muscle loss but I can take a slap. While my stomach turns and my mouth fills with blood I look into Vas’ eyes letting him see the real me.
“What did you expect to happen? You’ve kept me in the same location for months and your weasel of a father never gave you further instructions. You know why? Because he doesn’t give a shit about you. He just wanted to hurt me like I did to his daughter. You were just a tool he used and nothing more but you lost your leverage, boys. Looks like time has run out for you.” I let the blood drip from my mouth as I continue. “Say your motherfucking prayers.”
Ivan pulls his fist back and hits me in the jaw and then once more in the temple before dropping me when the front door bursts open. A stun grenade gets tossed in as I pull my mat over my head and body. It won't protect me but I feel safer nonetheless.
I count my breaths and fight the blackness in my vision by thinking of Twitch's beautiful face as shouts and gunfire sound all around me.
I'm coming home. I hope.
After months of searching and raging, Johnny finally called with an update and an order to meet him at the private hangar for immediate departure. Silver has been found but getting her out alive will be tricky.
After meeting my beautiful sister for the first time since our parents died, Popov had someone plant a bomb at the club. The night that I should have been celebrating with my future wife and little sister, I woke up in the hospital with wounds on my body and shards in place of my heart.
These past months without Silver have been a living death for me. Like being conscious during open heart surgery yet too paralyzed to let anyone know you can feel every slice and dice.
I got my sister back and lost my heart in one night. The fact that I couldn’t enjoy one moment with my new family without my heart ripping itself in pieces over Silver’s disappearance has made everything so much more painful.
To live in a world of smiles while your heart slowly dies is a torture unlike any other.
Give me life or give me death but combine the two… I can’t take it.
I open Silver's file once more and go through the series of pictures Johnny was able to get. Turns out he has connections with a group of men who take on practically any case. Anything from missing persons to extraction cases. These men, WRATH Securities, have a reputation of never giving up and when they get hired for a job, they get it done.
Johnny's friend, Ren Moretti, took on our case and in return, the Renzetti Famiglia will owe a favor. One we will gladly pay.
We had no idea Ren would find a trail that would lead us to Texas. You see, Ruslan Popov had two sons with a woman who was equal to a biker club whore. The poor woman was subjected to that scumbag but when she fell pregnant with his spawns she was exiled so that his infidelity wouldn’t fuck with Bratva business. The Wrath team did some digging and found the woman’s last known residence. A run down shack-like house in bumfuck nowhere Texas.
The photos in the file are of the two illegitimate sons. They're identical men and they share a striking resemblance to their worthless father. Most of the pictures are taken at their mother’s house. One photo shows the front door open as one of the brothers exits and behind the door frame is a feminine leg with a shackle around her thin ankle.
My heart shatters every time I see this.
I know it's her. My Neviah, my soul. These bastards have her tied like an animal and I pray to God that they've never raped her. I will eradicate their fucking bloodline from this world.
I slam the file shut and pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to calm myself while my Tourette's acts wildly. My tics haven't settled since the night of the bombing and the only thing that soothes me is fighting and Pony Boy but even then, nothing will bring my anxiety levels down until Silver is safe in my arms.
I push in my ear buds and put some music on my phone in hopes of bringing my mind to a resting place. Most people would choose something lo-fi to calm themselves but not me. As the first chords of ‘Feiticeira’ by Deftones plays, I lay my hand on Pony Boy's head and feel my tics slowly fade.
All my Renzetti family is with me. Yeah, that's right. Turns out that even if my sister, Anastasia, hadn't married Gavriel Renzetti, we'd still be related. Not by blood of course but because our father was adopted into the Renzetti house, making the Don our adoptive uncle. He had no clue it was his own flesh and blood brother, Adriano, who murdered our parents. He thought my sister and I had died in the fire Adriano set after the massacre.
When the bomb went off at Medusa's our initial thought was that Adriano had done it but the footage we recovered showed a masked man hitting Silver on the back of the head before tossing her unconscious form into a truck. The truck plates led back to a man named Ivan Petrov. We had no clue these men were tied to Popov in any way so we tortured Adriano for weeks thinking it was he who planned the attack.
Once we put the traitorous bastard out of his misery, Johnny's connection found out about the Popov sons. Do I feel bad about dragging Adriano to the brink of death and pulling him back from the grave’s edge only to do it again and again?
Hell. Fucking. No.
He murdered my mother because she didn't return his affections. He murdered my father because he coveted his position as Underboss. He tried to murder me and Sia because we were Frankie's kids.
So no, I don't feel remorse or regret or any of that mumbo jumbo.
Gavriel walks over to me from across the cabin and sits in the seat next to me so I pull out my earbuds. Gavi is a good man. I had my concerns about him and my sister but seeing how he practically worships the ground she walks on, I tossed my worries aside.
He hands me a tumbler of whiskey as I look over at him.
“Is everything set for extraction by the time we get there?”
“Si, fratello.” Yes, brother. “Nico and Jefa already have the basement ready for the bastardos and Doc will be on standby to check Silver over but, Luca, Silver will be fine. That girl, as you know, has fought her whole life and come out on top. Even when her mother passed away, Silver fought on. The pain of that death hit her hard and one would think she'd give in to the turmoil, but she didn't. She fought on even when she had no one to truly live for but herself. Now, she has you and I know it like I know you're my brother that she will fight for you.”
Fight for me? There's no doubt in my mind that she'll do just that. I'll fight for her every day of my life if it meant she'd be by my side once more and I know deep in my bones that she would do the same for me. No, her giving up has never crossed my mind. It's never been a worry. On the contrary, I fear that fire inside my beautiful woman will be the cause of her physical pain. I'd like to think that Silver could take on the two soon-to-be-dead men but if that dirty, skinny shackled leg in the photo is anything to go by, she's underweight and has zero to no strength.
I down the whiskey and stare out of the window, watching the clouds pass by. Being in this jet reminds me of my trip to New York all those years ago. I was just a kid looking to get my name known in the Barbarity ring. I had no clue what my life would lead to. I found the only woman on this planet who can move with me and bend with me. The only woman who sharpens me and strengthen
s me. I found my heart in Neviah Mazzi.
I look over everyone in the jet with us. All the Renzetti brothers are here, Marco and Drake sit with Johnny discussing routes and strategies. Nico and Jefa sit huddled together in the corner while the Don sits across from them speaking quietly on the phone. With my family by my side I know I'll be okay but in order to breathe again, I need Silver.
I look over to my brother-in-law and nod my head.
“Yeah, Gavriel. Silver is a fighter. She’s my fighter and those who touched her will watch as I slowly kill anyone who means anything to them.”
“Come lo farò io.” As will I. “I vow it on my omertà.” Gavriel taps the family crest he has tattooed on his chest, a skull with a bullet hole between the eyes. It's the same tattoo we all get once we've gained our buttons and become Made Men.
I tap the one on my chest. I fit it between my pecs, right above the Old English script Medusa's Barbarity; a tattoo I got for both of my girls; Sia and Silver.
I sit back and close my eyes. Just two more hours until we land. Just a few hours until Silver is back in my arms where she belongs.
Five hours later, I finish strapping a bulletproof vest onto Pony Boy and pull one over my chest. The plan is simple, WRATH Securities are here as back up but this is Cosa Nostra business so while they found the trail that led us here, it’s our job to finish.
I pull my Desert Eagle gun from my holster and run in a crouch after Ren Moretti. With my command, Pony Boy stays by my side with Johnny and Nico behind us. Gavriel, Marco and Drake run to the opposite side of the front door. The recon team, who was in contact with us before our arrival hours ago, said the only exit and entry is this door. No windows and no back door.
The closer we get to the house, I notice that the brittle siding is a disguise, the material beneath it is either cement or sheetrock, it’s difficult to tell.
Moretti turns back to me. “We’re going to have to break in the door and throw a flash grenade. Recon has shown us that the only people here are the brothers and your woman but the blueprints of the house are not available. We’ll go in left.” He nods over to Gavriel. “You’ll go in right.”
As Moretti signals to Nico, I hear a manic yet feminine laughter sound off deep inside the house. I motion to Nico who brings the door ram to his front and counts to three. Nico swings the ram once, making the door crash open. Quickly, I toss in the grenade and fog bomb. They won’t harm Silver but one will conceal our movements while the other will stun everyone in the room where it goes off, giving us vital seconds to put down threats.
Immediately, gunshots erupt but they’re high up and way off their mark. I give Pony Boy my command to go in and search out threats while I follow behind him in a low crouch. We enter what looks to be a living room but I hear a man yelling in the back room. I make my way to the far wall, noticing they’re made of cement as well. I slowly reach for the knob on the door and feel that it’s unlocked but I quickly pull my arm back as bullets fly through the wood. I look over at the guys and signal them to hold until the Russians reload.
The shots end and we hear clips being ejected. That’s our que. I nod before I straighten and kick the door open. Gun out and aimed, I shoot the first man I see. His head knocks backwards, blowing his brains and skull all over the wall behind him. I swing my gun to the second man but Pony Boy charges the guy, letting his momentum bring the bastard down. My men run into the room and detain our prisoner but where is Silver?
I rush into the restroom and see nothing. There is nowhere else for her to hide. No windows, no air ducts, no closets, nothing. Drake and Johnny look through the cabinets in the kitchen but she’s not there. Where is she?
I stalk over to the sneering bastard who is currently being zip tied by Gavriel. “Where is she?” I snarl before kicking him in the stomach. “Where’s Neviah?!” I scream in his face. I don’t let him answer though, I just snap. Months of torture pour out of me as I grab him with the strength of a raging gorilla and slam my forehead to his nose, breaking it easily. I cock my fist back and slam it to his face repeatedly. I know I shouldn’t kill him, I need information only he has but months of rage and anger come pouring out of me and no one dares to stop me… until I hear her voice behind me.
“Twitch?”
I spin around, letting the piece of shit crumble to the floor, and scan the room. Then I see her. My sweet Silver bell, tiny as I’ve ever seen her, hiding under a stained mat in the corner. She has a swollen and bruised face with blood spilling from her split lips but she’s never been more beautiful. I rush to her as my guys drag the Russian outside and into our transport vehicle.
“I’ll get Doc, Luca,” Nico says as he rushes out of the house but my focus is on my reason for living. My Queen.
I cup my girl’s face and let her see the tears running down my face. Tears I’ve only ever let loose in private. I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks. Right now, I want my beautiful woman to see how long I’ve needed her.
“She's severely underweight and dehydrated. Her jaw looks like it was dislocated at one point and healed wrong. I can fix that for her once she's healed and healthier but, Andino, what that woman has suffered...” Doc shakes his head but doesn't finish... he doesn't need to.
Silver is in the recovery room resting from a concussion she received at the hand of her captors. Unfortunately, the man, Vas, who punched her in the face was the scum bag I shot and killed. I pick up the nearest chair and slam it back down, bending one of the legs in the process and making everyone around me flinch.
“Fuck!” I roar, ready to go beat the life out of Silver's tormentor but Nico stops me. We've become as close as brothers recently and though all the Renzetti brothers are killers, it's Nico who knows my demons best. There are things that have happened to Nico that no one but me and his father know about and being the youngest to gain his button into La Famiglia was the floodgate to his demons.
“Come, Twitch. Let's go smoke outside.”
I hesitate and look towards the bedroom where Silver is resting.
“Go, I'll sit with her and I'll call you the moment she wakes up,” Jefa promises as she shoos me off. We're not in a hospital but in one of WRATH’s locations. It's a home that's used for clients who need to hide.
I nod my head to her. I need to get out of here before I explode and scare the shit out of Silver. She's already been through so much, I won't add to it.
Once Nico and I are outside, under the darkness of night, I exhale and deflate. My heart, while crying out with grateful songs, weeps it's bitter tears. Silver, my beautiful Neviah, lays inside broken and battered and I can't help but feel like my distraction was her downfall. While I smiled and laughed with my sister, Silver was being beaten and possibly even raped by these fucking monsters.
I shake my head and clinch my fists. Did they do that to her?
My tics are unstoppable. My head jerks at painful angles while my eyes squeeze closed. Did they touch her?
I can't fucking calm down. My thoughts tumble and my breathing spikes. Did they take what wasn't given?
“Ni-nic-- Fuck!” My words stutter with my raging mind. I haven't hand an attack this strong since I was a kid.
Nico grabs me from the shoulders and brings our foreheads together. “One; squeeze the trigger. Two; release the bullet. Three; down goes the target. ,” Nico repeats the mantra over and over again as my mind focuses on his words. I hold on to his shoulders and he let's me, never pulling away even when my Tourette's has my grip tightening with its strength. Finally, fucking finally, my mind calms as do my tics. Not fully gone but enough for Nico to feel satisfied that I'm okay.
You see, Nico may not suffer from Tourette's but he does deal with his own disorder. Not my story to tell though.
I pull out my cigarettes and pass one to Nico. After a few moments he looks over at me. “She wasn't raped.”
My head whips towards him and I feel like I didn't hear him correctly. “How do you know?”
He shrugs his shoulder while blowing out smoke. “I asked Doc. That would be my fear too, fratello.” Brother.
My heart rate lowers from it's tiring levels and my lungs fill with relief. Though Silver still suffered through a trauma that will give her a long road to recovery, I'm immensely thankful that she doesn't have to suffer the memories of being violated that way. I will still avenge her for this, though. I don't care if she was treated like a queen, heads are still going to roll.
After a few minutes of listening to the crickets sing their songs, I turn to Nico. “You feel like hunting?”
He knows I'm not talking about furry animals. Popov is in desperate need of a skinning and I intend to be the one who rids his body of it. He's hiding somewhere but I'm like a hound. All I need is the scent of his blood and I'll find the fucker.
Nico ‘the Cold’ smiles but a smile from him, a sicario, the mob's personal hitman... It's never a warm one, it's wicked and filled with deadly promises. It matches my own.
“For our women... Our family? I'm always ready to hunt.”
A blacked out Escalade truck comes down the lonely road and parks next to our cars. Drake steps out of the driver's seat as Marco comes around the truck.
“Is Silver good?” Marco ask as he pulls out a rolled joint.
“Yeah. She's still sleeping. Doc says she'll be fine once the fluids take effect on her body. What did you get out of Ivan?” I flick the cigarette butt to the rocky ground and accept the pungent joint.
“You won't believe the shit Popov was planning on doing.”
I wanted to “interview” the bastard we have tied to a chair in a Blanca holding cell but Andino didn't grant me that. I was pissed but I can't go against my uncle who happens to be my Boss. Plus he's right, I would have killed the guy without getting anything useful from him.
