Rage snapped across Leonardo’s face as he saw his man fall.He balled his fists around a cheap little gun and roared like a cornered animal.“Ferrazzo!You’re going to regret this!You’ll sorely regret this!”he shouted and started firing wildly at me.His shots missed.His men scattered — just in time for mine to hit like tenpins.We cut through them.
“Guarda e impara, Leonardo,” I said, leveled my gun at him, and pulled the trigger.
“Fuck!Fuck, you’re a dead man, Alessandro!”Leonardo wailed as he fell, clutching his leg.Blood pooled under him.I turned to see Bruno and the others handling the stragglers, then watched Leonardo go limp.
“Well, what do we have here?”
Salvatore came up behind me and dropped a firm hand on my shoulder as he watched the body.Salvatore was another adopted brother — one of the best men I had.Legends.Brothers by name and by blood-in-bond.
“Take him to the warehouse and keep him alive.We need to talk,” I said, shoving the gun back into my waistband.
“You got it,” Salvatore said and dragged Leonardo out of the hallway, toward the stairs.
Hours later, after we’d kept a close eye on the bastard tied to a chair, I’d had enough.I told Salvatore to dig.
“Alessandro, this asshole’s clean,” Salvatore reported, scrolling through an iPad — the only light in the room.“Records show he worked with us, but nothing after that.No trail to D’Angelo.”
My fists clenched so hard I wanted to smash the screen.We had everything set; D’Angelo should’ve been dead.But the bastard moved, slipped to a new location we couldn’t find.Five years of planning almost wasted because of one rat.I swore to myself nothing would slip this time.I’d hunt him down.I’d kill him.
A groan cut through the room.Heads snapped to Leonardo.Salvatore set the iPad down.Bruno handed me a gun and a knife.Leonardo’s eyes opened.He was tied to a chair, ropes biting into him, his injured leg bringing fresh waves of pain.He tried to move and winced.I watched him struggle, fists tight.Salvatore nodded.
“Don’t,” Bruno warned.“Sit still, tigrotto.The pain’ll get worse.We don’t want your dead body yet.”Bruno grabbed a fistful of Leonardo’s hair and yanked his head up so he faced us.I nodded and stepped forward, kneeling to watch his pale, disoriented face.
“You did good, Ferrazzo,” Leonardo groaned, teeth biting down to hide the pain.I stared back with nothing but hate.It wasn’t just the betrayal — it was that he’d tied himself to D’Angelo, the man I wanted dead most.I wanted to end him fast, but I needed answers.I’d make him suffer slowly when the time came.
“I told you to watch and learn, didn’t I?”I said, standing, watching his face twist with pain.“Do you know why you’re here, Leonardo?”
“No,” he retorted.“Fill me in, cazzo, because I really have no idea.”His voice was tired, laced with sarcasm — it made my jaw clench.I wasn't having it.He came here; he wasn't leaving alive.
“Well, you’re here because you had the balls to come to my brothel and cause havoc, so now you’re going to repent for your mistakes,” I growled.“Also — I want word on D’Angelo’s location.”
Leonardo laughed, head sagging toward his shoulder.“D’Angelo’s location?No chance.”He rolled his eyes and closed them.
“Wake up, sleepy fuck!”Bruno snapped, yanking his head back.“Now is not the time for beauty sleep.Answer the question before I shoot your brains out!”
Leonardo whimpered; sweat plastered his hair to his forehead, his clothes a mess, trousers stained.Bruno slapped his cheeks until the man’s eyes popped open.
“What the fuck is D’Angelo planning?”I asked, waving my gun inches from his face.He watched me, then laughed weakly.
“Ferrazzo, you really think I came here to tell you what D’Angelo’s planning?No.But there’s one thing I can tell you — something I should’ve told you when I got here.Would’ve given you time to prepare, to say the least.”
I straightened, glanced at Bruno, then shot Salvatore an asking look.Salvatore nodded and stepped away to check.I grabbed Leonardo by the hair and yanked his head back, nearly snapping his neck.He hissed; his eyes were bloodshot.
“Speak now, or so God help me, ti sparo alla gola,” I bellowed, staring into his lazy eyes.
Leonardo laughed again — tired, defiant.“Your brothel — the new business — should be up in pieces now.I planted a present for you there.Unfortunately, it couldn’t go off while you were there.”
“What the fuck...”Bruno muttered.“Shit!Shit!Shit!”He cursed under his breath.
“He stole your merchandise and your club,” Leonardo continued, smug.“D’Angelo’s planning to open his own business.Hope you don’t mind?”His words stung.If I let this slide, my whole operation could be ash.I couldn’t risk that.
I raised my gun and leveled it at his face.Salvatore returned with the iPad and stood close.
“The motherfucker blew up the place and hacked our accounts,” Salvatore said.“Don’t worry — I froze the accounts and assets.”Relief tightened my chest; we’d have lost millions otherwise.
Leonardo still smirked.“We’ve had a good catch-up,” I said.“Unfortunately, you’re not reliable anymore.It was fun while it lasted, traditore.”I stepped closer for a better shot.
“You wouldn’t,” he laughed, but his bravado died when I shoved the gun into his mouth.His eyes widened; his body tensed.
