KILLER INSTINCT (A Mafia Bad Boy Romance Novel) (14 page)

Kelly dusted herself off and got ready to sprint. “Okay!”

I was down to the gun Kelly had given back to me. I waited for Petrov to fire his weapon at us. However, it never came.

I peeked over the wall and saw Petrov angrily swat at his firearm. An assault rifle looks imposing but it’s meant for suppressive fire than for kill shots. It gets enemy combatants to hit the ground. You need a long-range rifle or a sidearm to finish the job. There’s also the fact that full-auto can eat through your ammunition or jam your gun.

“His gun is jammed!” I said, feeling the rush of adrenaline. “Now’s our chance! Run and I’ll cover you.”

Kelly got up. “Let’s go!”

Together we rushed past Petrov and toward the scaffolding used by the window washers. The Russian cursed at us as he tried to fix his jammed assault rifle. The man needed to learn the value of a good, reliable handgun.

The two of us jumped into the scaffold. I peeked over the edge to see Petrov still struggling with his weapon. It would only be a matter of time before he unjammed the gun and open fire on us again.

“How does this thing work?” I asked in bewilderment over the electronics before us. “Do we pull a rope?”

Kelly pointed to a panel. “Up or down?”

I heard Petrov’s gun click. “Up! There’s an elevator on the roof.”

She pushed the button. “Going up!”

It was just in time as our assailant let loose a volley of bullets. They tore through the metal of the scaffold. I felt a sharp pain in my arm but I could deal with it later.

I watched Petrov disappear as we arose.

A streak of blood lined his cheek.

One of my shots had just missed his head.

He was the one who ordered my mother’s death.

I’d get him next time.

Finally, we escaped Petrov and reached the roof. Kelly pointed to the elevator shaft. “There’s our way out.”

We raced to the elevator and opened it with the keycard I had. Thankfully, it hadn’t been damaged in the gunfight. “They might be expecting us to get off on the maintenance level. Let’s hop off the second floor and use the staircase.”

Kelly nodded before her eyes widened in surprise. She was unharmed but covered in debris and dust. “You’re bleeding, Jackie!”

I saw some blood tricking down my right bicep. “It’s a graze. The one you pulled out of me earlier was much worse. I’ll live.”

“We’ll have to make sure it doesn’t become infected,” Kelly said, her medical training kicking in. “That Petrov did some real damage for a guy with one eye.”

“He’s got skills but no sense,” I chucked. “He could have had us dead to rights with a more accurate weapon. However, he likes to go in heavy and loud with automatic weapons. That’s just his style.”

“At least we got what we came for,” she sighed. I brushed some debris off her face. “You have that laptop right?”

I took it out of my jacket and waved it. “It’s still intact. At least one thing came out of there without a scratch.”

After the excitement of the gunfight, the elevator ride down felt like an eternity. We got off the second floor and used the fire escape to leave through the back. We left just before the police and firefighters arrived. I didn’t know whether Petrov escaped as well. Knowing my luck, he probably got out without a hitch.

I turned on the car and began driving us to my safe house. “Mission accomplished.”

Kelly murmured. “He died anyway…”

“Who?”

“Colman died after I spared him,” Kelly said, staring out the window. “Petrov killed him. What was the point?”

There was a pause for some time. “You made a choice, Kelly. That’s something no one can take away from you. Whatever happened to Colman was out of your hands. It proves you’re a better person than him. Than me, even.”

Kelly turned to look back at me. I wasn’t the type of guy you came to when you needed to pour your heart out. However, I could see that my words had made an impact on her. “Let’s go home, Jackie.”

I had never thought of my safe house as a home, especially for someone other than me. “We could do with a little rest.”

The ride home quiet. We listened to some news reports about the mysterious attack. A body was found that was identified as Harold Colman. There was no mention of us so the security recordings must have been scrambled as I had planned.

As we reached the entrance to the safe house, I knew something was wrong. My sixth sense was going off. Kelly saw the look on my face. “What’s wrong, Jackie.”

I got my gun out. “Someone was here. Stay quiet and follow me.”

My suspicions were confirmed when I saw that the door was unlocked. I prepared to breach my own safe house. With gun in hand, I opened the door.

With two men standing by his side, a wheelchair bound man waited for us in the living room. He looked gaunt as his Italian tailored suit hung off him. I knew that man.

And the old man in the wheelchair knew me. “Hello, Jackie.”

I kept my gun pointed at him. “What the hell are you doing here?”

He chuckled before coughing. Then, he dismissed his bodyguards who quietly left through the front door. I heard them close the door. “Can’t a grandfather drop by to say hello to his last remaining family member?”

Kelly glanced at me. “That’s your grandfather?”

“And the Don of the Pastore family,” he added. “I suppose proper introductions are in order. I am Joseph Pastore, head of the Pastore family. And you must be Kelly Chambers.”

She looked at me again before speaking. “You know me?”

“Everyone knows about you,” the elderly man laughed. “You’re the powder keg that’s blown up half the criminal underworld. Anyone worth a damn has to deal with Gregori and his little army tearing up this city as he tries to hold onto his money. Now, you’ve blown up a penthouse in uptown.”

“What do you want?” I asked, lowering my gun. “I made a deal with Frank. The Black Fang brought the police to my doorstep. That makes them fair game.”

“Please, everyone knows you needed an excuse to go to war against Sergei Petrov,” he sighed. “Don’t think you’re on some righteous crusade to purge this city of the profane Black Fang. You just used the death of the girl’s father to investigate the Russians. It’s bad enough with that stunt you pulled trying to take down Krause. Now, you’re starting a war that can set this city back to the Stone Age.”

“It’s still within our code,” I argued. “Why are you even here?”

“Because you’re starting a war that might never end,” he continued. “The Black Fang has declared a blood war on everyone who stands in Gregori’s way. It’s bad for everyone’s business. The Russians are turning a blind eye to Gregori so they don’t look weak. The Armenians are skirmishing with the Irish Mob. All of the great Italian families are a hair trigger away from declaring war on each other due to their entangling alliances. It hasn’t been this bad since the sixties. Hell, the prohibition might look like a picnic with what could come.”

“The Black Fang brought the war to us,” I spat back. “Sergei killed my mother. Now, the Black Fang are the only thing that stands in my way from avenging her death. I won’t let anyone stop me.”

He glared at me. “Don’t forget you still work for me. I get the final call.”

“I kill people for you and you stay the fuck out of my person life,” I growled. “I’ve been nothing but an attack dog for you. That’s been our relationship for years. What’s this about? Do you want Kelly?”

The man laughed as Kelly stepped behind me. “Well, Gregori might call this whole blood war off if someone hands him the girl.”

I stepped forward. “Over my dead body.”

Knowing him, he could easily arrange that.

My grandfather laced his fingers under his chin. “No, this isn’t about the girl. This vendetta of yours against the Black Fang has to end.”

“What?” I said in surprise. “You want me to stop just when I’m about to get my mother’s killer? Did you even care about her? Did you even love your own daughter?!”

Gathering what strength he had, my grandfather rose as much from the wheelchair as he could. Then, he slapped me. “Don’t you dare say that! Don’t you dare say I never loved my little girl! I’ve spent my entire life trying to keep you safe from my enemies. I trained you to be a killer so you could protect yourself. You’re the only family I’ve got left Jackie.”

“Then why?” I asked. “I’ve tracked down her killer. He’s in this city. I have to get him before he leaves with Gregori. I have all the intel I need for one last hit.”

“I’m dying Jackie,” my grandfather revealed to my shock. A coughing fit confirmed it. There was blood in his mouth which he wiped with a handkerchief. “I don’t have much time left. As the most important Don in the damn country, I have to get my house in order before it all goes straight to hell in a hand basket.”

“What is it?” I asked. “Lung cancer like my old man?”

“Pancreatic,” he answered, taking out an inhaler. “I found out four months ago.”

Kelly asked. “What stage is it? If it’s early, there’s still some time left.”

My grandfather gave a cynical laugh. “The one where it’s too late for them to do anything. I’m already living on borrowed time due to the medication.”

“Why did you come here?” I replied. “Try to mend fences with your estranged grandson? Micromanage my life for one last time before you kick the bucket?”

“To stop you and your vendetta before it destroys the city,” he answered. “I don’t have much time in me. I know I have to make things rights before I go. I have to stop you before you destroy yourself and half the city with it. Petrov almost killed you today.”

I rubbed my eyes and massaged my forehead. Nothing ever got past him. No wonder he was the most feared Don in the city. “Who’ll take over after you? Your two sons died in firefights. Your brother’s family died in that boat accident a decade ago. Are you going to give the title to someone outside the Pastore family? Promote Frank from Underboss to Don?”

“You’ll be the new Don, Jackie.”

Kelly was equally surprised. “Jackie? As the new Don?”

This was crazy, even for my grandfather. “Me? I’m not even a full-blooded Italian. I’m a mutt with German blood.”

“Times change, Jackie,” he answered. “You’d make a great Don if you put your mind to it. Our men respect you. Our enemies fear you. Most importantly, you have my blood. Frank and Little Joey will be your second in commands. They’ll have your back.”

I folded my arms. “I’m a hired gun, not some criminal mastermind.”

“It’ll be a regency council for a few years before you learn the ropes,” he continued, completely serious about the proposition. “Frank will handle most of the day-to-day dealings before you’re ready. He’s my underboss and he’ll be your underboss. Trust me, this is the best for all of us. The Pastore family needs to help keep the peace. That means making amends with the Black Fang.”

Kelly sighed. “So that means Gregori will get away.”

“I’m sorry about what’s happened to you and your father,” my grandfather sighed. “I always hate it when a civilian gets hurts. Nonetheless, this has got to stop before more girls lose their fathers to the Black Fang. If we all had our revenge, then there would be much of a world to live in afterwards.”

“This isn’t just about revenge,” I argued. “Petrov and Gregori are dangerous. They don’t have a code or any rules. The world is better off without them.”