Brando

by Marita A. Hansen

  “To us it isn’t a lot, but they’re dirt poor. A million would be an enormous amount to them.”

  “But we know where they live and sleep. They have no protection around them. The men are entertainers, not fighters. The other option is for them to leave the island, but they’ve lived here for a couple of decades. Their circus is popular as well as their puttane. I don’t think they would leave it all behind for one measly million, especially since kidnapping Vinnie is a death warrant. They won’t be able to run far enough to get away from us, we have people all over the world, especially in the Balkans, which is where they would head—that is, if they even did this. Plus, the Balaks run that village. They’re responsible for over a hundred people.”

  “I agree,” Ricardo said, pushing up from his desk. “This smells off to me, which is why we have to approach with extreme caution, even more so than a normal kidnapping exchange. We’ll have soldati monitoring the exits, and snipers watching the village and your movement, Brando.” He walked around his desk, stopping in front of him. “Regardless of Drago’s orders, you won’t be going in without backup; the gypsies just won’t know they’re being watched. I also want the snipers to go in earlier. Hopefully, they might see whether someone else is behind this.”

  “Bene,” Brando said. “Though, I want to know one thing: Why was Vinnie allowed to go outside with only one soldato?”

  “He had two with him.”

  “Who was the other one?”

  “Miko.”

  Brando stiffened. “I told you I didn’t trust that fuck. Why the hell was Vinnie allowed out with him?”

  “He wasn’t. He left with Gianni and Miko without telling anyone.”

  “Miko is a—”

  Ricardo held up his hand, cutting him off. “I don’t think Miko’s behind this. Gianni was his friend, they were like brothers. It doesn’t sound right that Miko would allow him to be killed. If anything, he’s probably dead too. And if by chance he is responsible, it doesn’t change our situation; we still need to get Vinnie back. The gypsies are only giving us until four, so we can’t waste time arguing and pointing fingers.”

  Brando frowned. “How the hell do they know we can get the money that fast? Only an insider or mafiosi would know we keep that type of currency on-site. This smells of betrayal and my guess is Miko has something to do with it.”

  “Stop talking about Miko!” Dominic yelled. “I don’t give a fucking merda about your theories, and I should be going in, not you.” He turned to leave.

  Brando grabbed Dominic’s arm. “You’re not going anywhere like this. You’ll end up getting yourself and Vinnie killed in the process.”

  Dominic pulled free. “The fact I’m upset is better than your cold attitude! You don’t look like you give a flying fuck that your own brother’s life is at risk.”

  “I do. I just know I have to stay calm or people will die. That is why I get these types of jobs, not you. You have no control over your emotions.”

  “Brando’s right,” Ricardo said. “You’re too volatile, Dominic. I also don’t want anyone else knowing about this, especially Mamma, because she’ll fly off the handle. We keep this between ourselves, the soldiers, and the Vipers. We don’t need to alarm the rest of the famiglia. They can be told after Vinnie’s safely home.” His eyes moved to Brando. “Get the Vipers ready. I’ll arrange the ransom and have Nero organize the soldati. Once he’s ready, he’ll contact you for further instructions.”

  Brando nodded.

  “What about me?” Dominic asked.

  “Go back to the studio and stay there.”

  “No. I want to go with Brando.”

  “This isn’t up for negotiation, Dominic. Get your culo to the studio or I’ll put you in a fucking cell.”

  “Fuck you!” Dominic shot out of Ricardo’s office. Brando ran after him, grabbing his arm. Dominic pulled free and spun around on him. “I’m going with or without you, end of story!”

  “No, you’re not. You’ve been given a direct order by your Don.”

  “When do you ever fucking follow Ricardo’s orders?”

  “I am now.”

  “Only because you agree with him, and I don’t take orders when it comes to Vinnie’s life.”

  “It’s my job to get him back, not yours.”

  “Vinnie is not a job!”

  Dominic went to leave. Brando grabbed his arm again. Dominic yelled out and threw a punch at him. Brando ducked and hit him with an uppercut to the stomach, making Dominic stumble backwards. Steadying himself, Dominic leaned over, looking like he was in pain.

  Brando placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Dom, but—”

  Before he could finish, Dominic shot upwards, hitting Brando under the chin, making his head whip back. Dominic took off. Recovering quickly, Brando raced after him, the pain in his head now excruciating. He blinked it back and continued on, knowing he had to stop Dominic.

  He entered the lounge, spotting Dominic heading through the archway. He bolted after him, flinging himself at his brother as he neared the front door. He connected with Dominic’s legs, tripping him up, the both of them crashing to the marble floor. Brando quickly scrambled over Dominic, using his body to hold him down.

  Dominic struggled underneath him. “Get off me!”

  “Stop being an idiot, Dominic!” Brando snapped, jamming an arm across his brother’s neck.

  “What are you doing, Brando?!”

  Brando looked up as Alessandro emerged from the west wing passageway. Alessandro grabbed Brando and yanked him off Dominic. Taking advantage, Dominic pushed to his feet and went for the door again.

  “Stop him!” Brando yelled, trying to pull free from Alessandro, the bastard too strong.

  Dominic flung the door open. The soldier guarding it turned in response.

  “Stop him!” Brando yelled again.

  Dominic swung out at the soldier before the man could react, knocking him backwards. Alessandro let go of Brando and shot through the doorway, launching himself at Dominic. He landed on top of him, causing Dominic to holler in pain. Alessandro pushed off him and yanked Dominic up, practically dragging him inside the house. As soon as they crossed the threshold, Dominic snapped out of his stunned state and started hollering and thrashing about in Alessandro’s hold. Alessandro slammed him face-first into a wall, placing a muscular arm against Dominic’s back.

  “What the fuck are you on?!” Alessandro snapped. “Acid? Cocaine?”

  “Nothing! I’ve gotta get Vinnie. Let me go!”

  Alessandro turned his violet glare on Brando. “What’s going on?”

  Sounds came from the lounge, stealing Brando’s attention away from Alessandro. A few family members walked through the archway, his mother among them.

  Brando quickly moved to Alessandro’s side, whispering into his ear, “Vinnie’s been kidnapped. Don’t tell Mamma; I’m going to get him back.”

  Alessandro jerked his head back, his expression horrified. Prior to Vinnie, only Alessandro had been kidnapped—twice. The first time had almost killed him, as well as turning him into a gym and sex junkie, while the second time had amplified his inclinations, to the point that Brando was starting to worry about him. Lately, all Alessandro ever seemed to do was fuck or lift weights until he was exhausted. And it was showing. His brother was bigger than ever, Alessandro’s muscles practically bursting out of his clothes.

  Their mother walked towards them. “What’s happening?!”

  Brando turned to her. “Just a fight. I’ve got it sorted, you can go.”

  Her eyes moved to Alessandro. “Let go of your brother, Alessandro.”

  “He can’t,” Brando answered. “Dom’s out of control. Just leave, we’ll take care of him.”

  “No! Let him go now.”

  Brando grimaced. “If that happens, he’ll take off.”

  “Why? What’s going on, Brando?”

  “He could jeopardize some work negotiations.”

  “Vinnie isn’t a
negotiation!” Dominic yelled. “The gypsies have kidnapped him.”

  Their mother’s hand shot to her mouth, her face just as horrified as Alessandro’s. “Why does this keep happening?!” she cried out.

  Silently cursing Dominic, Brando placed his hands on his mother’s arms. “Don’t worry, Mamma, I’ll get Vinnie back, but Dominic can’t go. He’ll go in guns blazing, getting himself killed.”

  Dominic yelled out, “Because I’m willing to die for Vinnie, while you don’t give a merda about anyone but yourself.”

  Brando extended a hand towards Dominic. “See ... he’s too emotional, plus you know I’m the best for the job. The gypsies also stipulated that only I can make the exchange. There’s no other option.”

  Their mother screwed her face up, looking like she was about to cry, but she didn’t. Instead, a hard exterior settled over her features. “Make the exchange, then kill the lowlifes, that little puttana included. Without a doubt, Gemma would’ve lured Vinnie there.”

  Brando nodded. “Done. Now, calm the others, I need to work fast. I only have a few hours to prepare.”

  “Use the Vipers.”

  “That’s the plan.” His eyes went to Alessandro. “Lock Dominic in a cell.”

  Dominic swore at him, struggling to get away from Alessandro. Alessandro shoved him towards the prison stairs. “Move. Now!”

  “Fuck you!” Dom went for the front door.

  Alessandro slammed him against the wall again, not giving Dominic a chance to escape. He wrapped a meaty arm around Dominic’s throat and yanked him to his body. “You’re the only one who’s going to get hurt if you fight me.”

  Dominic started yelling, not looking like he cared. Alessandro manhandled him down the staircase, practically carrying him, the two disappearing from sight.

  Brando headed for Kennedy and D, who were standing near the west wing passageway, watching with wide eyes. “I need you two to do some sniper work.”

  Kennedy placed a hand on D’s back, the darker Viper’s hazel eyes watery and red. “We’ll do it, no probs,” Kennedy said.

  “Good. Meet me out front in half an hour.”

  “Done.” Kennedy yanked D towards their room.

  “What do you want me to do?” Ivy asked.

  Brando spun around, finding Ivy dressed in her Black Viper getup. “I just need the sniper and her cell.”

  “I’ll go with them; I have a good shot too. Kennedy’s the best, then D, then me. Three’s better than two. I’ll also take Sae Ra as my cell.”

  “Fine, meet me out front in thirty minutes for a rundown. Once everything’s ready, we’ll head out in different vehicles. I want the Vipers on motorbikes and the soldiers in cars, while I’ll take my own car.”

  “You can’t go in alone. When Ricardo rescued Alessandro, he had backup.”

  “Because Alessandro’s kidnappers agreed to it. The gypsies stated clearly that only I can go in or Vinnie dies.”

  “Did you even consider you might die?”

  “I’ll be suited up and prepared, plus I’ll have you snipers watching my back, along with the soldiers strategically placed on all the exit roads. There are two small mountains overlooking the village, which means I can use my own snipers as well. I want them on one mountain, while you Vipers can take the other one.”

  “Regardless, it’s still far too risky. They will be armed too. One bullet is all it’ll take to bring you down.”

  He tapped his head. “It’ll take a lot more to kill me than one bullet. And this is a kidnapping, not a hit. So go and get ready, we don’t have much time.”

  She nodded and headed for her room. Brando moved in the opposite direction, heading for his own room, taking to the staircase fast. Within minutes, he was slipping his shirt over his bulletproof vest, wincing at the pressure on his whip marks. He closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his composure, then grabbed his jacket and pulled it on, sliding his smallest gun into its pocket. He chose another gun for the car, along with a knife and a smoke bomb. When ready, he headed outside, finding the soldiers loading their weapons into the vehicles, two of them also loading the ransom.

  Brando turned around as the four Vipers emerged through the front door, the women all wearing biker leathers. Kennedy and Ivy also had long-range rifles strapped to their backs, while Kennedy was holding a rocket launcher, the sparkle in her eyes telling Brando she wanted to use it.

  Brando yelled out, “Surround me!”

  Everyone stopped what they were doing and circled him. He gave the soldiers and Vipers their instructions as well as answered all their questions. After the last one, he raised his voice: “As you all know, the main objective is to get Vinnie home safely. Only when he’s safe will we deal with the Balaks. If they are indeed responsible for the kidnapping, we’ll make an example of them. Drago will be executed in front of the villagers, while his brothers will be taken into captivity. Ricardo can decide their fates later.”

  Nero stepped forward, the Capo’s black stare on Brando. “What about Gemma Balak? She’s Vinnie’s ex. She might have something to do with his kidnapping.”

  “She’s to be brought to me,” Brando replied. “I will personally take care of that puttana. Capito?”

  Nero nodded, looking like he knew Gemma was as good as dead.

  28

  Vinnie woke up, feeling woozy and nauseous. He went to get up, but something was holding him down. He turned his head, seeing cuffs around his wrists. A bad memory began forming in his mind: of Miko and the Landi soldiers. He looked down at his shirt, finding Gianni’s blood splattered on it, plus a hole where the tranquilizer dart had hit him.

  Needing to know where he was, he scanned the room. Flowery patterns covered the walls, along with framed pictures of horses and people. He stopped on one of the pictures, recognizing the late Don Pedro Landi and his wife, along with their three daughters.

  The door opened, capturing his attention. His eyes widened as his stalker entered the room with two soldiers. She was dressed in a tight green dress, contouring every curve of her perfect figure. Her long black hair was piled high on her head, with a diamond tiara finishing off the coiffured style, along with diamond earrings dangling from her lobes. Her brilliant green eyes were rimmed with black, her lips painted red, and her cheekbones defined with a rose-colored blush.

  “I’m sorry it had to come to this, Vincenzo,” she said. “I did try to make things work the other day, but you weren’t receptive.”

  He blinked at her, too stunned to understand what was happening, especially since she was supposed to be dead. His mind went to Miko, and Dominic ordering him to kill her. Vinnie looked down at the tattoos circling her wrists, then at the picture with Irene, who was sporting the same tattoos. Miko’s words about her came back, Vinnie’s drug-addled mind slowly clearing, everything falling into place.

  Irene sat down on the bed and brushed his hair back. “Don’t be scared, I would never harm you.”

  “What do you want from me?”

  “To marry you.”

  Vinnie’s eyes widened. “Are you mad? I’m not marrying you!” He yanked on the cuffs. “Let me go!”

  “No, and you will marry me, Vincenzo—today.” She pushed up and headed for the door.

  “You can’t make me do merda!” he yelled. “And my famiglia will kill you for this.”

  She stopped in the doorway. “Oh, no they won’t. The gypsies will take the fall for this one. Miko told me all about the trouble they caused you, so it was an easy setup.” She smiled, her green eyes sparkling. “And even better, I’ll get Brando in the deal. I’m going to torture and kill him for what he did to my parents.”

  “No! You can’t!”

  “I can do whatever I like, amore. You Santini are very easy to take. You really should get better security.”

  “Miko betrayed me!”

  “He was employed by my famiglia, so there’s no betrayal involved.” She held up her wrists, running her fingers over the tattoos. “I didn’t know h
im, so it was lucky he recognized the names in my tattoos or he would’ve killed me on Dominic’s order. He’s been working undercover for a long time. I’ve only just learned how many spies my famiglia have. There are at least two in every major household, and since Miko’s no longer in yours, the second one will be activated, and when the time’s right, I’ll give him the order to take out Ricardo, while I’ll kill Brando myself.”

  “You can’t! They’re my brothers. If you claim to love me you wouldn’t hurt them.”

  “I do love you, but you need to understand they’re no longer your famiglia—I am. Your twin will also be killed for what he did.”

  “Not Dom!”

  She leaned against the doorjamb and crossed her arms over her chest. “What will you do to keep him alive?”

  “Anything.”

  “Even marry me?”

  Vinnie nodded vigorously. “Just don’t hurt him or the others. You have me; that’s enough.”

  “I might consider letting Dominic live, even possibly Ricardo, but not Brando. He’s going to die whether you like it or not. And if you give me trouble, Vincenzo, I won’t treat you like a husband; I’ll treat you like a whore. So learn to do as you’re told, or your life will pass by lying on your back.” She sneered at him. “Don’t take me for granted, I’m as vicious as my late father.” She turned and disappeared through the doorway, leaving Vinnie staring at empty space.

  29

  Brando was lying on his stomach next to Ivy and the other Vipers, peering through the binoculars at the gypsy village. They were on top of a small mountain that overlooked the village, the surrounding trees and bushes giving them enough cover to stay hidden from sight.

  “The village looks abandoned,” Brando said, handing over the binoculars.

  Ivy peered through the binoculars. All she saw were stray dogs and chickens, the caravans and land below devoid of human life. She did a sweep over the caravans, stopping on the green one, where the meeting point was. Aiming the binoculars at the window, she adjusted the lens, attempting to see inside. Someone moved past the window, too fast to make out who it was, other than it was a man.