Sempre (Forever) (83 page)

Vincent couldn’t count how many times he’d heard his father rant about it, priding himself on the fact that at least his organization had respect. They may have broken the law and committed heinous crimes, but in his mind, all of it was founded.

His father took the oath seriously and believed, until the day he died, that the organization he ran for decades was a true family,
la famiglia
, with a bond stronger than blood. Antonio may not have been a loved man because of how strict he was, but people followed his example. No one stepped out of line with him around.

Vincent certainly never thought he’d see the day where he wished his father was still in control.

“Are you all right, Vincent?” Corrado asked. “We don’t have room for second thoughts.”

“I’m not having second thoughts,” he said. “I’m just thinking about how disturbed my father would be about this.”

“None of this would be happening if your father were alive,” Corrado said. “He was an honorable man, as far as honor goes within our world. He made you fight for what you wanted instead of handing it to you, because he wanted you to be the type of man who took a stand. If your father hadn’t died, the respect would still be there. Antonio’s organization was united and strong.”

“And now we’re no better than the men tagging these buildings.”

“I wouldn’t go that far. I think most of us still have our honor.”

“Where’s the honor when innocents are dying? Maura’s gone. Nicholas is dead. The doctor in Asheville…”

“They died for an innocent,” he said. “It’s unfortunate, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do to protect what matters. What you’ve done for Haven, after what she’s cost you, is honorable. I can’t say I’d do the same if I were in your position. If it were my wife, I would’ve killed the girl a long time ago.”

“I almost did,” he said. “I wanted to.”

“But you didn’t,” he said. ”Instead, you’re risking your life to find her, and that’s where the honor is, Vincent. Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture.”

Vincent shook his head as Corrado pulled the car behind a vacant building, partially concealing it beside a dumpster. “I never imagined you’d be the one to give me a pep talk about this.”

“Well, you heard my wife,” he said as he cut the engine. “She told me to come home, and I need you to have a level head for that to be possible. I may be breaking my vows to the organization, but I have no intention of breaking my vows to my wife.”

They climbed out and walked alongside the building, staying out of sight. Corrado stopped when he reached the corner, and Vincent spotted a black Mercedes parked amongst some trees. “Is that Giovanni’s car?”

“It’s Squint’s,” Corrado said, reaching into his coat to pull out one of his guns. “I’m going across to check it out. Cover me.”

Vincent pulled out a gun and flicked off the safety as Corrado jogged across the road. He peered into the car and tried the doors as Vincent watched the area for signs of movement. Corrado looked around, glancing into the windows of a building that appeared to be an old business long ago vacated.

He returned after a moment, shaking his head. “It’s empty.”

Vincent started to speak when a loud noise rang out behind them, startling him into silence. He swung around, aiming his weapon, but Corrado pulled him around the corner instead. Multiple rushed voices blurred together, cutting through the night as Corrado motioned for them to cross the street. They hid alongside the vacant building he’d checked out moments earlier, watching as three people stepped out from a warehouse.

The men paused in the spot Vincent and Corrado had been standing minutes ago. Vincent recognized Squint, a guy with shaggy blonde hair nonchalantly clutching an AK-47 beside him. It was one of Volkov’s guys, one that had been in the pizzeria. The third man seemed vaguely familiar, but Vincent couldn’t place him in the dark.

“Brazen,” Corrado said. “Brave and careless. It’s a dangerous combination.”

“Demented is what they are,” Vincent said as Squint pulled out a set of keys and tossed them to the third guy. He and the man with the AK-47 disappeared back inside.

“Unlocked,” Corrado observed. “I suppose we can add stupid to the list of adjectives.”

The third guy started across the street toward Squint’s car. Corrado gripped his gun, slipping around the back of the building. Vincent took a few steps around the front, remaining in the shadows. He reached the corner just as Corrado warded off the guy, pointing his gun at his head.

The guy threw up his hands as he dropped the keys. “Corrado.”

The voice struck Vincent as familiar. His stomach sank when he realized why. “Tarullo?”

The guy turned, fear flashing across his face. Dean Tarullo, the son of the man that had saved Carmine’s life.

“Uh, Vincent, sir,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

Before Vincent could respond, Corrado threw the boy against the side of the building, patting him down. Pressing his gun into the boy’s throat, his finger lightly touched the trigger. “You know why we’re here, and you’re going to tell us what we want to know.”

“But I don’t know anything.”

Corrado slammed him against the building. “How many people are inside?”

“Five or six, I think. Maybe more.”

“Not a good enough answer. Think harder.”

“I saw six.”

“Better,” Corrado said. “Are they all armed?”

“The ones I saw were. They always are.”

“Who are they?”

“I don’t know.”

“You better figure it out,” Corrado said. “Now, before I kill you.”

“Shit! Okay! Nunzio’s the only one I know. He talked me into this. I didn’t realize what he was doing at first. I didn’t know he was—”

His rambling was cut off when Corrado slammed his gun into the side of his head. “I’m only interested in names.”

“Nunzio… that girl of his, the nurse.”

Vincent’s anger festered, seeping into his taut muscles. “Jen?”

“Yeah, her. There are some other guys I don’t know, foreigners. And there’s an older man that’s in charge. Ivan, I think.”

“And what about the girl?” Corrado asked. “Haven?”

“Oh, uh, I know they have her, but I haven’t looked around. I’ve only gone in twice, and I never went past the doorway.”

“You haven’t seen her at all?”

He shook his head frantically as headlights of an approaching car flashed in their direction. They all tensed as the black BMW blacked out its lights and crept down the street. Vincent walked to the front of the building cautiously, watching as it stopped less than a block away. The passenger door opened and a person hopped out before the car pulled out of sight.

Vincent’s eyes widened when they stepped under a street light, giving him a clear view of his son. Carmine was haphazardly approaching the building, clutching a gun in his shaking hand.

Corrado groaned. “Stop him.”

Vincent sprinted across the street as Carmine went for the door. His hand grasped the handle just as Vincent reached him, and Carmine turned in his direction.

“Da—,” he started, but Vincent dragged him away before he could react. He cursed and stumbled. “What the fuck? Christ, she might be in there!”

“Keep your voice down,” he said. “You can’t just walk in!”

“What the hell else am I supposed to do?” he asked, frantic. “Do you know how long it’s been? Do you know how long she’s fucking been gone? I have to find her!”

“I know, but you can’t go in blindly! We’re here, we’re on it.”

“About fucking time. Do you know what I’ve been through?”

“Calm down.”

“You want me to calm down? Fuck you!”

Groaning, Vincent grabbed his son’s arm and dragged him across the street. Carmine resisted at first, but he was too exhausted to put up a fight. Vincent took him to where Corrado stood in the darkness with Dean huddled against the wall at his feet.

Corrado shook his head. “You must not have any sense of self-preservation left.”

“Fuck my life,” Carmine said. “She’s worth dying for.”

“And what happens when you die?” Corrado gave him a pointed look. “What happens to her then? Your carelessness is going to get her killed. You’re in the fold now. You need to start thinking like one of us.”

Carmine shot his father a panicked look. “Whatever, I need to save her, that’s what I need to do.” He looked around, frazzled, and motioned toward Dean. “Who is this?”

“He’s a friend.”

Carmine’s brow furrowed. “If he’s a friend, why’s he on the ground?”

“He’s more of a friend to Nunzio, it seems,” Corrado said.

“Wait, he’s in on this?” Carmine rushed forward and grabbed Dean by the collar. “She better not be hurt! What did you do to her?”

Dean frantically shook his head. “I didn’t do anything to her! I haven’t seen her!”

“What the fuck do you mean you haven’t seen her?” Carmine snapped, slamming the boy back against the building. “You took my girl from me, and I want her back!”

“He’s so much like you it’s almost disturbing,” Corrado said, glancing at Vincent as Carmine kicked Dean hard in the ribs.

“He’ll kill him,” Vincent warned. “He can’t tell us anything then.”

Corrado sighed and grabbed a hold of Carmine, begrudgingly forcing him away. “Enough.”

Vincent helped Dean to his feet. “Where were you going?”

“Uh, food,” he said. “I was supposed to get food.”

The brush nearby ruffled. Carmine and Vincent reached for their weapons as a precaution, but Corrado didn't move. He addressed the person without even turning around. ”Giovanni.”

“Corrado, Vincent,” Giovanni said, strolling up to them. “Nice to see you gentlemen again.”

Carmine looked at his uncle. “How did you know it was him?”

“I always know my surroundings,” Corrado said, his attention going right back to Dean. “Is the front door the only way in?”

“I think so.”

“If you want me to show you any mercy, you’re going to walk back inside and say you were jumped by some thugs. Say they stole your money and Squint’s keys. Do you understand?”

Dean nodded and staggered away as the four men positioned themselves in the shadows beside the entrance. Vincent pulled his gun out as Carmine followed, the tension coming from him intense. He was fidgeting, making Vincent uneasy. “You’re pissed at me, aren’t you? I had to do it. I needed to find her. I need her to be okay. She has to be safe.”

“I don’t see how throwing your life away helps anything, but now isn’t the time for this.” He needed to remain calm, and dwelling on what his son did was going to get him riled up again. “We’re going to go in here and end this, and no matter what we find, we’ll deal with it.”

Within a matter of seconds, the door was thrust open and a vaguely familiar Russian man with blonde hair rushed out. He froze, raising his gun as Corrado and Giovanni ducked inside the building, but Vincent was faster. Aiming, he fired off a round that hit him square between the eyes. The back of his head exploded as blood splattered everywhere, and he staggered before slamming to the ground. Vincent grabbed the door and slipped inside, momentarily stunned by what he saw. People were clamoring and dodging flying bullets, the sound of most of the gunfire muffled by silencers. Carmine came in behind him and cursed, ducking to the side in the flurry of gunfire.

Corrado stood beside the front door, firing at Ivan, while Squint hid behind a table a few feet away, loading a gun. Vincent fired a few shots as Squint finished and pointed his weapon to fire back. Vincent’s first two bullets barely missed as he shielded himself, but the third one struck him in the chest. A loud gasp escaped his mouth as he slumped backward.

Something nearby caught Vincent’s attention as a bullet whizzed right by him, grazing his neck. He flinched at the searing pain, giving Squint enough time to get the upper hand. He fired off some rounds back-to-back, a bullet ripping through Vincent’s left shoulder as even more flew by him. His arm started to go numb, burning coursing through his upper body as his son screamed behind him.

Vincent turned at the sound as Carmine grasped his right arm, blood flowing onto his shirt. Carmine recovered and grabbed his gun as Vincent swung back around to Squint.

He’d shot his son. He was going to pay.

Firing quickly, Vincent took a few steps toward Squint. His vision narrowed with the flash of the gun barrel as he pumped bullets into him. Three slammed into his chest, piercing his heart. Horrid gasping noises tore from him as he struggled to breathe.

Vincent paused over Squint, glaring down at his incapacitated form. Squint was trying to pull himself away, straining his body to get a hold of his gun, but the life was fading from him. Vincent aimed at his head and stared him in the eyes, not an ounce of fear in Squint’s expression as he stared back. Cold and heartless, even down to his last seconds. No remorse for what he’d done.

“
Arrivederci
,” Vincent said.

There was a flash of fire in Squints eyes at the word as he picked up his gun. Vincent fired off rounds in succession, bullets ripping through his skull.

Squint’s finger pulled the trigger as a knee-jerk reaction, a bullet flying off to the side as his body violently shook. Vincent didn’t stop until the gun clicked and every round was dispensed, leaving the mangled form unrecognizable.

He didn’t have any time to dwell. Before he could even switch out weapons, the deafening sound of an AK-47 ripped through the building. Bullets slammed all around him, and Vincent ducked for cover as he grabbed his second gun. He flicked the safety off and started firing at the man with the weapon, hitting him in the leg. The man stumbled but continued to shoot, another bullet grazing Vincent in the chaos.

Giovanni ran from the gunfire but couldn’t dive for cover fast enough. Bullets tore into him, and he cried out, attempting a few wayward shots as he collapsed.

Vincent’s gun clicked as he ran out of ammunition, and he struggled to reload as Carmine started shooting a few feet away. One of his bullets hit the man in the back, and he staggered, struggling to stay on his feet. Corrado aimed at that moment, firing three rounds into his head without hesitation. He fell backward, his finger clutching the trigger and wildly spraying bullets as he collapsed. Corrado stumbled a few steps as he was hit, but he stayed on his feet.