by J. A. Coffey
Tossing the phone on the bed, she decided she needed to stop worrying. Her father happened to be the Don of a big Mafia family. He was probably busy trying to sort his mess out instead of concerning himself of her whereabouts. Plus, he certainly had bodyguards to keep him safe. And she was here, developing a friendship with Mikolas. Gabrielle leaned back on the pillows and let the slow smile turn into a grin.
Chapter Eight
Not looking at both sides of every situation was normal for Mikolas, too. With the way his mind worked and how easily he became distracted, it was a miracle he had made it through the police academy and then been hired on by Enrico Medini. Keep this up, Mikolas Russo, you won't have time to get Gabrielle before you're buried in a cemetery somewhere.
Mikolas shivered. The snow fell quicker and Mikolas estimated that the ground would be white and frozen over within an hour, or two, tops. It was cold. Too cold in his opinion, in the laundry room. No heat blew from the vents and shivers ran through his body. If only he had chosen to wear something other than the basketball shorts he'd found in the box at the bottom of the closet. But no, he had picked the least warm clothes he could find.
He decided to move around to keep warm. The room was small, only big enough to hold the washing machine, dryer, and a row of cupboards. This was a Mafia vacation spot, probably not a good idea to go snooping. Who knew what was hidden in there, but Mikolas needed to do something to keep his mind off the woman waiting inside the house for him. His gut screamed for him to mind his own business, but his curiosity won out.
"This should be interesting," he said aloud, just to hear a new sound other than the swooshing water inside the washing machine behind him. Any colder and the pipes would freeze too. Good thing he'd thought about washing clothes now and hadn't put it off longer. If luck chose his side today, the dryer would warm the place up a little.
He yanked the first set of cupboard doors open. Empty. He opened the second one. Homemade canned fruit and veggies probably prepared by Maura. He shut the cupboard and looked into the next one. Boxes lined the shelves.
He pulled several boxes down from the shelf, scanned the contents and put them back. So far nothing but household items. After trying another box, his lips turned up in a grin. Books. He set the box on the floor and flopped into the folding chair he'd found tucked between the washer and dryer.
He withdrew each paperback one-by-one. Frowning at the horror books, he dropped them quickly into the box. With his own life reality being what that genre being based on, he never read those. Every other type brought an escape from the nightmares his career trapped him in. Mikolas even looked forward to read all of the others... even the romances. Reading had turned into his dirty little secret. Well, maybe the staff at his favorite bookstore since he spent a hundred dollars or so every month. Books were his escape from the gruesome life he led.
Any member of the Family would laugh if they knew that the fictional worlds printed on sheets of paper provided his escape, but thinking about his job sent the reminder that he held even more secrets from Gabi crashing into his brain. The more he thought about her, the more he realized that even though he loved her, she really didn't know all the secrets about the man he'd become and the reason why he'd suggested staying at the cabin in order to reestablish a friendship with every intention to move it beyond the limits. She wanted a glamorous life. Mikolas didn't fit in that category. Would she accept the kind of lifestyle he could give her?
He could go back inside the warm cabin but was afraid to. As things looked at the moment, he didn't feel like talking to her. He was afraid if he did, he'd tell her how much he loved her and then it would be over. Done. Zero hope of whatever good was to come of this. He hoped this little plan of his didn't backfire. Even being here, which Enrico must not know of, could get him in trouble with the Family. And if Enrico found out he's here with Gabi? Mikolas might as well cut his own beloved member off and toss the bloody thing to the lions himself to save Enrico the trouble. Just the thought of it made him cross his legs.
The spinning of the washing machine came to a stop, leaving the room in silence. At least now the heat from the dryer would maybe do something to warm him up.
He glanced at the door. What was Gabi doing inside right now? He loved the way she curled her body in the corner of the couch and got lost in her thoughts. And the way the corners of her mouth turned up into a hint of a smile. Such an innocent act tempted him to rush to her and crush his mouth against her soft lips.
Sighing, he jabbed the dryer's power button. Once the dryer was turned on, he went back to the chair. He needed a distraction from Gabi. The comedy novel he had picked out might do the trick.
*****
Enrico's confident stride came to a stop inside the warehouse, his gun hung down at his side. His breath caught in his chest at the sight of one of his men lying on the floor with a knife stuck in his neck, a puddle of blood circling around the lifeless head. Spatters of blood dotted the area.
Enrico slid his hand over his mouth and fought back the urge to vomit. He turned his back to the gruesome sight and fumbled with his cell. He needed to call Leon right now. After having to redial the number three times because of hitting the wrong keys, the call finally connected.
"Hey, Boss," said Leon.
"I found Wil." Enrico glanced back over his shoulder and quickly away again when bile clogged his throat. He couldn't show any weakness in front of Leon. Gagging qualified as such. He cleared his throat, then said, "Send in the men to do clean up." Enrico disconnected the call without hearing the reply.
He turned to watch the door as the eeriness sprawled its ugly fingers over his skin. Someone had gotten in here to one of his men and had access to Enrico's product. Not good at all, but he'd worry about that after they got Wil cleaned up and everything transferred to the vault.
While most people would call the police and let the coroner take Wil, Enrico wasn't one of them. He had his own group of men who would take care of the mess, dispose of the body, and then return to the warehouse to do whatever else he asked of them without a single man protesting. He let his eyes close for a second for a reminder of how much power he actually had. The footsteps crunching gravel outside snapped his eyes open, but that was fine. The sinkable feeling of failure had already left before the first man arrived.
"Boss?" Clayton asked and then stopped abruptly as his gaze landed on Wil.
"Don't be a pussy," Enrico snapped as he motioned with his gun toward Wil's body. "Get him cleaned up. We have other work to do." He turned to the office. Recounting and packing up the money would give him something to do while they fulfilled their duties.
An hour later, each stack of hundred dollar bills was personally counted and recorded into the ledger by him, had been loaded into containers and stacked next to the office door. Enrico's Family didn't deal with chump change, just big money.
The stuffy air grew worse by the second. Needing some fresh air, he flipped open his cell and pushed the number one key- speed dial to Leon's phone. As expected, his underboss picked up on the first ring.
"Leon, I need you to supervise the transfer of money for a few minutes."
"Sure thing, Boss."
As Enrico waited for Leon, he ran his hand over his thinning hair while pushing the reminder of his age away. Maura claimed fifty was the new forty, or some shit like that, and he was going to force himself to believe her claims even with his increasing ailments. Besides, age didn't matter when he held his favorite semi-auto. His trigger finger often proved to be quite a bit faster than any young man, fueling his confidence even more.
Leon strolled into the warehouse dressed to impress in an Armani suit and equally expensive shoes. Usually, Leon, with a matching semi-auto, stood on guard, outside while the wise-guys loaded the G's and guns into the van. Enrico couldn't have asked for a better man to help run the Family.
"What are they doing today?" Leon asked.
"Even though nothing seems to be missing, we need to
do a drop at the vault. They are loading up. Have Clayton count the guns while Rif puts the money containers into the van." Enrico stifled back a cough as he walked around the various stacks of boxes and then passed the van on his way to the door.
"You know, Enrico. I heard a storm is getting ready to hit," Leon called after him. His voice echoed through the warehouse.
Enrico stopped. "I know, but this can't wait."
Leon nodded. "Sure you want to head up to the vault during the bad weather? We can move this stuff to a new location in Vegas until the storm passes. Can't we stash it at one of the captains' houses until we can make a safe trip?"
Enrico motioned toward the goods with his gun. "We haven't been to the vault for a while, so we need to check it out, make sure nobody has been up there, and unload the goods. Whoever was in here today knows what we keep here and might be back." He fanned his hand in front of his face. "I‘m going to step out for a minute, eh?"
Leon nodded before Enrico turned for the door. "Hey, Boss?"
"Yeah?"
"Have you heard from my son?"
Enrico shook his head. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't talked to Mikolas since Friday night dinner. "Sure haven't."
"I usually talk to him every day and I stopped by his house. He had some bags packed. Do you think he's behind this?" Leon motioned toward the wet spot on the cement where Enrico had found Wil. "Maybe killing you, get the payoff, and then leave?"
"All I know is that I didn't hire him for this hit, Leon. He's your son. What do you think?"
Leon went over to Enrico to close the gap between. Letting his voice drop, he said, "We've trained him to be a ruthless killer so anything is possible." He tapped his finger against his smoothly shaven chin. "And he hasn't been made into the Family yet. He may be the one working for a rival. Really though, he is good, but I don't think he is cut out for this type of life." He swept his hand in the air in front of him.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he took off to escape this." Enrico didn't like his underboss's reasoning even though it rang with truth. They had trained him from the time Mikolas had been a kid to be the way he was now. Mikolas still held the freedom to work for any Family. Something wasn't right about Mik's disappearance. Had he underestimated Mikolas Russo? "We'll discuss this on the way up to the vault." Enrico pulled the shirt collar away from his neck. He had to get some air now. He hurried out of the warehouse and took a deep breath, letting his lungs fill before his shoulders relaxed.
. He swiped a bead of sweat trickling down his wide forehead as he leaned against the hood of his work car, a black Mercedes. He longed for a cigar to puff while waiting for the wise guys to finish up. The cigars were never carried with him or he'd smoke too much, so he took his cell out of his pocket.
Speed dial number two belonged to Maura. Number three went to Gabrielle's phone. He pushed the lit up three. Once her voicemail clicked on, he smiled. She's probably out having a good time with her friend. Good for her. He tried dialing Mikolas, but the voicemail clicking on increased the uneasiness in his gut.
"Mikolas." He didn't have to try too hard to make his voice sound gruff. "I need to speak to you right away. Call me a-sap."
A crash rumbled from inside of the warehouse. He jumped to his feet and ran through the double doors and around the van. He froze at the sight of the mess. The shelves that were stacked from the floor to the six foot ceilings no longer stood. The wood from the shelves along with various containers of tools were scattered all over the ground. Leon's hand reached out from under the boards.
"Fuck. Help me get Leon." Enrico started tossing the boards and containers stacked on top of his underboss.
Clayton ran to Enrico's side and started throwing the stuff. "We got you," he said to Leon as they shoved some paint containers off him.
"Should I call an ambulance?" Rif already had his cell out, ready to dial.
Enrico grabbed it out of Rif's hand and tossed it through the air. It hit the cement with a bang. Slivers of plastic casing and metal components flung all over. "Does it look like this is the kind of place we want paramedics to visit?"
Rif took a step forward. "My phone-"
"Buy another fucking one. You don't call 911 unless I say to." Enrico turned back to getting Leon out of the rubble.
"We shouldn't move him-" Rif started again.
Enrico dropped another board, stood up straight, and turned to Rif whose eyes were wide and etched with fear. "Shut the fuck up. I need to take care of Leon or I'll discuss this with you later." The son-of-a-bitch was right, but Enrico's family would be wrecked if he landed behind bars. He couldn't do that to them.
"No ambulance," Leon whispered, the boards piled on his chest preventing him from taking a full breath. His face twisted in pain.
"Okay, Leon. We'll have you out in no time," Enrico said. He glanced back at Rif. "Why don't you get over here and help, eh?"
"Chest is on fire," Leon said. He took a breath and winced.
"Probably broken ribs. Does anything else hurt? Arms or legs?" Enrico took the last board off Leon but was scared to move the guy. He had to, though. There was no choice.
Leon sucked in his breath. "Not yet."
Enrico and the other two guys went on both sides of him to lift Leon up. Leon closed his eyes and clenched his teeth while tears ran down his face. Enrico knew his friend probably would swipe those tears away if he could raise his arms. Leon just didn't cry in front of anyone. Ever.
"Ow," Leon howled as they stood him up one foot.
Enrico put his arm under Leon's left shoulder as Rif, the taller of the two men, slid his arm under Leon's other shoulder, supporting him as he hopped on one foot to the car. Clayton ran ahead and waited there with Enrico's back car door open, ready for Leon to be put inside. Leon moaned again as they laid him across the back seat.
"Follow me in his car." Enrico tossed Clayton the car keys.
After Rif climbed into the passenger side with Clayton in the driver's seat of Leon's McLaren, Enrico ran over to the double doors of the warehouse. He pulled one shut and then the other. With the chain and padlock put in place, he ran back to his car and climbed in. The tires carved their imprints into the dirt as he peeled out of the driveway.
Chapter Nine
After the groceries were put away, she made another attempt to get a hold of her mother but couldn't get any service on her phone. She hurried to the bedroom window to make sure Mik hadn't finished with the laundry, giving her some precious time to search for the money. Mik had already foraged through the large closet, letting her skip over the space for now. If there'd been any money in there, he surely would've reacted upon finding it.
Getting down on her hands and knees, she peered under the bed. Nothing. She patted the floor, looking for anything to alert her of a hiding place. Finding nothing beyond the solid floor, she climbed onto her feet again, moving to the small dresser. After pulling each drawer out one-by-one, she put them back, and pulled the piece of furniture away from the wall far enough to look at the floor, too.
"Damn it! Where is the money?" she asked the empty room.
She glanced at the window again, listening for any indication of Mik's return. Not ready to inform him of the money, she didn't want to put herself in a situation where she'd have to explain herself. She looked out at the snow falling over the laundry room. With only the bathroom left to search, the odds were good that she'd have to search out there, too.
She needed to scour the perimeter of the cabin without Mik present. Dropping the curtain back in place, she hurried into the bedroom's attached bathroom. Only taking seconds to search the medicine cabinet and the cupboard under the sink, she flopped on the couch to wait for Mik to come back from doing laundry. She waited and waited. And checked the time on her cell four times.
When the shadows started to creep around the corners of the cabin, she glanced at the clock on the wall. Three hours. He only had one load and shouldn't have taken so long. Had he fooled her into believi
ng everything would be fine here between them so he could take off? She hadn't heard the SUV leave though.
She peeked out the bedroom window. The light shown bright against the white-colored ground, but Mik wasn't moving around inside of the laundry room. The SUV remained parked in the driveway. Had he run off through the woods? She slipped her feet into her sneakers and grabbed the gun just in case she needed to protect herself. Not only did the firearm make her feel safer, but it might come in handy if she had to go searching for him.
She turned the knob. A gust of wind flung the door out of her hand, crashing into the wall with a bang. Startled, she jumped back and pulled the door shut behind her. Yanking her hood up to shield her face, she stepped out onto the porch. The dense snow had already made a thin coating across the ground. She looked out at the white flakes in disgust. The glow of the rising moon stayed hidden behind dark clouds. She shoved her trembling hand in her pocket as she fought the temptation to flee back to the safety of the cabin. Glancing over to the woods surrounding the cabin, the trees were barely visible in the vast darkness. Hopefully she wouldn't have to go in there for any reason. She listened for any sound coming from the far edge of the property. Nothing but the wind blowing through the trees.
"Mik?" she croaked with the hope that he'd hear her and break the eeriness swarming around her. When he didn't answer, she moved forward.
Hopefully there'll be enough light to see once I round the house to the laundry room. The cold air bit at her exposed hand. She could put it in the pocket of her sweatshirt, but fear forced her to hold the gun out in front of her, ready to shoot at anything rushing out of the dark. She'd have to deal with freezing fingers.
The ground was slippery as she scurried over the snow. She just wanted to find him and then get back in the cabin before the snow got any worse. She tilted her face down to avoid the smack of the wind and snowflakes against her skin as she made her way around the side of the cabin. Please be in there.
