by Naomi West
Alexis shrank back into the chair a little. “Okay.”
I scratched at my beard. I couldn’t just leave her there in the middle of my living room. What the hell had I been thinking when I brought her back here, anyway? I hadn’t been thinking, and that was my problem. With little option, I scooped her up, chair and all, and carried her down the hall to my bedroom. It was at least a little bit more hidden.
“I can’t risk you escaping,” I said as I made sure the curtains were shut all the way. “You say you won’t tell anyone, but I’m afraid a promise isn’t good enough.” I pulled a necktie out of the closet and tied it around her as a gag. She winced when the knot pulled at her hair, sending a pang of guilt through me.
She said something, but I couldn’t understand it through the gag. I yanked the tie down. “What?”
“Where are you going?” She looked at me with those damn eyes again.
I sighed. “Fine. You want to know where I’m going? I might as well tell you, since I was stupid enough to bring you here, anyway. My boss sent me to kill Frankie Calzoni. I did it, as you know, and now I need to report back to him. The problem is, I was supposed to kill everyone in the place, including you. If he finds out about you, then there will be a hit out for both of us.”
Her eyes widened. “What are you going to do?” she asked nervously.
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” I replied. There was no reason for me to be so up-front with her. She was just some stripper, a woman who made her money by entertaining men. It was a dirty job, and if she’d been working like a normal person she never would have found herself in the situation she was in. With a realization that twisted my stomach, I realized I was no better. I was in the same category Alexis was—just a man who did what he had to in order to make a buck and keep himself from being killed by his own boss. I was in no position to criticize her. “For now, you stay here. I’ll be back in a couple of hours. If you scream or thump around and make the neighbors call the cops or the landlord, I’ll be after you. The police haven’t caught me yet, and they aren’t about to, but don’t think I can’t catch you.”
She nodded pitifully, and I replaced the gag.
I shut and locked the bedroom door, as well as the apartment, before heading down to the parking garage where I had left my Lexus LC 500. A sheen of sweat had erupted on my forehead, even though the morning was cool. What was this woman doing to me? I should have been excited to report a successful hit to Matteo, especially since it was such a big job. There would never be another hit like this again. The fee alone was enough for me to retire on. If, that was, Matteo would let me.
I was useful to him. That was the only reason the head of the Moretti family ever kept anyone around. Ever since Matteo recruited me as a teen, he was looking for someone who could add to his business. Loyalty and special skills were the two things he treasured, and there were plenty of people who were willing to offer him both.
The Moretti mansion was nothing like the one Calzoni lived in. As I pulled up in the driveway, I had to admire the place once again. Built in a neoclassical style, there were four tall columns holding up a rounded, covered porch that led to a massive oak door. Flanked with numerous balconies and a widow’s walk, there were plenty of opportunities for Moretti’s men to patrol the grounds without getting far from the house itself. I had come to know this house well over the last decade. I just had to make sure I was still welcome here after what I had done.
“Lorenzo!” The man who greeted me at the door had a genuine smile and dancing eyes. His once-dark hair had grayed to an ancient steel. “Where have you been? Did you go home and take a nap?”
I shook the hand he held out for me and allowed him to usher me into the house. “You know how it is, Vettoria. Sometimes you’ve got to get out and shake it all off for a while after a big hit like that.”
“Ah, you did it!” He clapped me on the back with enthusiasm. “But I knew you would. Matteo wouldn’t have sent you out there otherwise. You’ll make him very proud. And of course, you deserve a little time to yourself. Maybe a little drinking, maybe a little dancing, or maybe a woman, eh?”
I forced a laugh and a nod. The old man had no idea just how close he had come to the truth. “Why do they have you on door duty, anyway? Did you decide it was time to retire? You could always be a greeter at the local supermarket if you’re just going to hang out in doorways.”
Vettoria eyed me with the paternal gaze of a grandfather. “Maybe someday, if I am lucky. But there is always so much to be done here, and you know I can’t leave Matteo. He needs me. He needs you. We are a family.”
I walked with him through the formal entryway. Yes, he was right. Vettoria and I might not share the same last name as Matteo, but we were a family. We were so closely bound to each other that it was impossible to be anything else. Once, this had been a comfort to me. Now, it felt like a noose around my neck.
Though I already knew where my boss would be waiting for me, I let Vettoria be my escort. Instead of the clean lines and pale tones of Calzoni’s house, the Moretti home still held the rich elegance of the late eighteenth century. Every doorway was trimmed in dark, hand-carved wood that matched the timbers of the coffered ceilings. Reproduction wallpaper lined the hall and lush rugs covered the hardwood floors. It was the kind of place that could just as easily belong to a wealthy old woman or be registered with the historical society. Nobody would have guessed that a mobster lived there, which was exactly what Matteo wanted.
Vettoria swept open the double doors that led to the parlor. Matteo was waiting, seated on an elegant chair with his feet propped up on an upholstered footstool that had probably come with the house. Judging from the framed pictures over the mantel, he had once been a handsome man. Now, his jowls sagged down toward his collar. Streaks of gray had taken up residence in his black hair. His eyes were still sharp and he still had an active part in his business. He watched me with expectation in them as I entered the room. His son, Piero, was seated to his right with a scowl on his face.
“Lorenzo, I take it you have good news?”
In answer, I retrieved Calzoni’s ring from my pocket and handed it to him. “I do. It’s all taken care of, quickly and quietly. Just like you asked.” I felt a surge of pride in my chest, which I immediately felt guilty for. Calzoni had been the enemy of our family. I knew Matteo would be happy. But I had killed again. I was still a murderer.
“No witnesses?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“No witnesses,” I confirmed. I kept my gaze straight on him. Matteo was a paranoid man. Even when he didn’t mean to, he was subconsciously looking for the signs of a liar. He had taught me that skill early on, explaining how to read a man’s body language to determine the truth. Fortunately, that had built up my skill set in a rather useful way at this moment.
Matteo took the ring, greed and satisfaction in his eyes. “I knew it. I just knew it. I said to myself that I needed the best man in the family. This was no ordinary hit. And I knew it would be you, Lorenzo. You’ve been like a son to me and this only proves your loyalty.” He was on his feet in an instant, his stubby arms wrapped around me and the top of his head at my jawline. “You’re something else, you know that?”
“Thank you.” I tried to ignore the daggers Piero was shooting at me from only a few feet away. “It was an honor to carry this out for you.”
The boss’s laugh echoed in the large room. “You’re a good young man, Lorenzo. You’re going places. You be sure to visit Alphonso in his office before you go home. He’ll have a nice little wad of cash for you.” He sat back down. “Ah, this is the life, boys. I’ve got money, good men around me, and the stink of Frankie Calzoni has been wiped off the face of the planet. Vettoria, we need some drinks!”
“We sure do, boss!”
It didn’t matter that it was early in the day yet and most normal people were probably just now on their way to work. If there was a reason to drink, then Matteo drank, and everyone around him wa
s expected to follow suit.
Vettoria stepped to a sidebar and retrieved a tray with a large decanter of whiskey and small crystal glasses. Setting it on the coffee table, he poured a generous serving for each of us.
“To Lorenzo,” Matteo toasted. “The best hitman we have and a loyal friend.”
We raised our glasses and drank. The stuff was strong, but good. Matteo was never one to go cheap. It burned as it went down, but I drank it quickly. I didn’t want to have to stick around any longer than I had to. Alexis was still back at my place, and I could only hope she was behaving herself.
“You know, Piero,” Matteo said to his son. “You could learn a thing or two from Lorenzo here. I found him on the streets, you know, practically an orphan. He needed someone to take him in and teach him a trade. I saw the potential in him and I brought him under my wing, raised him like a son. I couldn’t be prouder. Perhaps the two of you should spend more time together.”
I glanced at Piero. There was no love lost between the two of us, and he no longer hid the fact very well. Only five years my senior, he had been around when Matteo had found me. Even then, he had been jealous. As Matteo’s only true son, he expected to follow in his father’s footsteps without question. My skill and his father’s love for me had been unsettling that dream for a long time. It didn’t help that Piero had several failed hits under his belt. He could shoot a gun, for sure, but he often failed to watch his target for long enough or to allow room for any changes of plan or mistakes. His only hope was in administration of the family, but nobody truly respected him enough for that, either.
“Perhaps,” Piero finally agreed after a short, tense period of silence. “But it seems that Lorenzo is always busy. He’s never here. Even last night, he should have come to us as soon as the job was finished.” A small smile tweaked at the corner of his thin lips and his dark eyes were sharp in his angular face.
“Ah, but a man has needs!” Vettoria countered. “He deserved a little time to …celebrate a job well done.” The sparkle in his eyes as he winked at me was hard to take. The poor old man had no idea what I had done, and I would have to figure out how to keep it that way.
“Ha ha, Lorenzo! You have always been a romancer!” Matteo leaned forward from his seat to slap my arm. “I expected it of you from the moment I saw you. There was a hardness in your eyes, but something else as well. Nothing wrong with enjoying the pleasures in life, I always say! You should congratulate your brother, Piero! He has just made our lives much easier.” He downed the rest of his whisky and held his glass out to Vettoria for more. He would be solidly drunk before noon.
Piero frowned at me, then looked away. “Yes. He has done well.” I knew that both his father’s words and his own were burning at him inside. The two of us had not spoken of our hatred for each other for many years, but we didn’t need to. I was content to keep mine under wraps to satisfy Matteo, but I wasn’t sure how much longer Piero could hold out.
“I should be going,” I said as I set my empty glass on the tray. The whisky had made me warm inside, but I’d spent plenty of time with liquor in the past. I would have no problem getting back to the other side of town. “I haven’t slept and I won’t be any good to anyone until I do.”
“You go, my boy, you go. Get your money, spread it out on your bed, and sleep right on top of it. Come back when you’re refreshed and we’ll celebrate for real. I’ll have Jianna make us a meal fit for kings!” Matteo raised his glass at me, and Vettoria gave me that grateful nod again. Piero looked bored.
Making my way back toward the front of the house, I crossed to the other side of the entryway and knocked on the doorway to Alphonso’s office. “You’re at it early today.”
He stood and came around from behind his large oak desk. “I have to be! Matteo has so many financial interests, and there is always something to be keeping track of or recording. Am I to understand correctly that you’ve earned yourself a nice little pile of cash?” Alphonso was a tall, skinny man with wireframe glasses and curly hair that he could never quite tame. Several pieces of it curled down over his forehead like little horns.
“I have.”
“Good. We all knew that you would, and I have everything ready to go for you.” He stepped to the back of the room and unlocked a massive vault. Removing a briefcase, he handed it over to me. “I was confident in preparing it early. You always complete the job, Lorenzo. Feel free to count it if you’d like.”
“You know I won’t,” I replied. Alphonso was precise to a fault. He didn’t make mistakes, and yet he was always looking for them. It was just one of the reasons Matteo kept him on as his accountant.
He quirked an eyebrow at me. “Any big plans for it? You’ve already got an amazing car and a great apartment. What else could you spend it on? A new suit?”
I smiled. “Guns, probably. I’m sure I’ll find someplace for it to go.” I knew that Alphonso’s inquiry was slightly more than small talk. The man was obsessed with numbers, and I’d always had a feeling that if he could balance all of our individual bank accounts and tell us the best way to spend our money, he would do it for free. As it was, I was saving up for something much more important that cars or guns: my freedom.
The accountant leaned close. There were always ears listening, but he was nosey by nature. “How did Piero take it? Do I need to watch your back as you leave, to make sure he doesn’t jump on you from the balcony or something?” Alphonso’s place was behind a computer or a balance sheet, but he had always relished the outside activities of the family. Just because he didn’t go out on hits didn’t mean he wasn’t interested in the excitement and the drama.
I gave him a reassuring smile. “I think he’ll be okay. It doesn’t matter who did the job, as long as it got done.”
He put up his hands in defeat. “That’s not what that big case of money in your hand tells me, but I won’t bother arguing with you. Have a good one, Lorenzo.”
“You too.” I went out the front door and jogged down the steps to my car. Setting the case on the seat next to me, I took a moment to flip up the latches and look inside. Just as I knew there would be, tall, neat stacks of bill occupied the entire interior. This was the biggest job I had been given, and I could only hope it would be enough.
As I drove back to my apartment, I thought about the same thing I’d been pondering for the last two years: how to get out of a life of crime. My plan had been to save up enough money to leave the country and buy a private island somewhere. I had to get far enough away that Matteo and his goons wouldn’t find me. It would have been nice if I thought I could just ask Matteo to be excused from the family business, but I knew without even trying what he would say. He was too proud of what he had made me into, and there was no way he was going to let me out alive. I knew everything about him and the way he worked, and it was too big a risk for him. No, I would have to just disappear.
But now I had more things to worry about—things that were going to stop me from executing my plan. Alexis made everything more complicated. My mind churned as I tried to formulate a new plan.
Chapter Five
Alexis
I closed my eyes and tipped my head back. I needed to get out of this damn chair, but Lorenzo must have been one hell of a Boy Scout in his youth. The knots in the rope held tight. There was no telling when my captor might leave me alone again, and I knew this could be my last chance to attempt an escape.
With a sigh, I surveyed the room around me. There was a large bed with a gray comforter. It looked far more comfortable than my current position, but it wasn’t going to help me escape. Lorenzo kept only a few small things on his dresser, including a bottle of cologne and a comb. Not helpful, either. He had put me in this room for a reason. Surely, a man like him had weapons, but he probably didn’t keep them in here.
I eyed the large window on the other side of the room and the thick curtains that covered it. Was there another apartment building that faced this one? If I could get to it and get someone’s
attention, then I might just have a chance of escaping. I shifted in my seat, trying to get the chair to move. If I wasn’t going to be able to get out of it, then it was just going to have to come with me. But it threatened to topple over on the rich carpet. I pushed backward with my feet, and the chair stabilized once again. If I fell over, there would be no way I could get back up, and Lorenzo would know immediately that I hadn’t obeyed his orders. As much as I wanted to get away, I knew that I couldn’t risk pissing him off.
A thump from the other side of the apartment made me freeze. I glanced at the alarm clock on the night stand. It had been only an hour and a half. If I’d made it over to the window, I would have been dead.
