The Killer's Prize, page 9
Anger lived and breathed inside his skin like a wild animal, but Sergio refused to let his emotions get in the way. He needed to be calm. To do what needed to be done in order for Jessie and him to survive this ordeal.
“Hey, asshole. I’m standing right here,” he said.
Baldo turned, whipping his gun at him. The same one he used to shatter the window. Sergio pulled the trigger and missed. Baldo stared at the bullet that missed his head by an inch then back at him. The bastard eyed him up and down and laughed.
“You’re off your game, Sergio. Gotten soft living out here in the boondocks?”
Baldo fired.
Sergio returned to his hiding place and gritted his teeth. Damn it all. Why did he have to catch the dratted flu now of all days? Even worse, his head felt too heavy for his shoulders, like it was about to drop any moment. He coughed for several long moments. He could hear Baldo’s footsteps closing in.
“Come out, Sergio. Let’s face each other like men!”
Baldo fired again and again. Sergio waited until his clip was out. Baldo favored his customized Glock. He counted eighteen rounds then dropped to the ground. Judging by the surprised expression on Baldo’s face, Baldo hadn’t expected him to go low. Baldo fired. His gun clicked. Baldo cursed, fumbling for another gun inside his jacket.
Sergio fired, aiming for the bastard’s groin, but ended up shooting in the left thigh inside. Damn it. His vision remained blurred. He coughed some more. Whatever. So what if he missed his target? Baldo dropped to one leg, screaming.
“You should’ve stayed home, Baldo. Who else is with you?” Sergio asked.
The cameras outside the trailer were connected to his phone. He’d seen Baldo arrive in his flashy red Porsche. Sergio didn’t see any other backup, but who knew? They could be arriving on his doorstep any moment.
“As if I’d tell you anything, traitor!” Baldo pulled out another gun.
Sergio shot him in the right leg this time. Baldo screamed again, toppling over. Sergio ran up to him and kicked his gun away. Sergio broke into another coughing fit. He nearly dropped his gun, but Sergio managed to hold on to it.
Baldo took that opportunity to grab his left ankle and pull. Sergio lost his balance and fumbled for his gun. Baldo’s punch knocked the wind out of his lungs. Sergio shoved the barrel against the side of his head.
Fear flashed across his eyes. “Don’t kill me, Sergio. I’ll do anything. Give you anything.”
“You don’t have anything I want.” Sergio fired.
Blood, skull, and brain matter splattered all over his face and chest. Baldo’s dead eyes stared back at him as Sergio wiped away the blood off his eyes. Sergio shoved away his heavy corpse. He lay on his back, panting. Jesus. Baldo put up more of a fight than he expected.
Sergio didn’t have time to rest. He could hear the familiar rumble of his Mustang’s engine. Sergio squinted at the approaching car. It came to a halt. Jessie and Aldo emerged at the same time. His woman looked as pale as a ghost. Seeing the dried blood on the side of his face filled him with quiet rage.
This was all his fault. Sergio had let his guard down during the past few weeks. The soft and naïve part of him really thought Jessie and he could get away scot-free. That they could focus on living their lives and forget about the Rossi Family. Sergio should’ve known better. Jessie distracted him, made him weak—but in some ways, she also made him strong.
Aldo pointed his gun right at her and shoved her forward. Aldo caught sight of Baldo’s body first, then Sergio, slowly rising to his feet.
“You look like shit, Sergio,” Aldo said. Aldo made a face as he studied Baldo’s corpse. “You’ve robbed me of my most trusted lieutenant.”
“Believe me, Aldo. You’re better off with someone else,” he said, panting.
How could he be out of breath after taking out one man? If Sergio didn’t have the flu, he wouldn’t have any trouble dispatching someone like Baldo. Aldo knew it, too, judging by the smug look the bastard wore.
“You’re a fucking mess, Sergio. You can barely stand on your two feet. What the fuck’s wrong with you?” Aldo smiled when he asked that question.
The cocky bastard knew he had the advantage. He pressed the barrel of his gun closer to the cut on Jessie’s head, making her cry out.
“Don’t,” he said through gritted teeth.
“I’m the one giving the orders here. You know how this will all play out, Sergio. Drop your gun.”
“Sergio, don’t listen to him,” Jessie whispered. Her pleading eyes met his. “Leave me here. Save yourself.”
Did she really think he’d do that? Sergio dropped his gun and held out both his hands.
Aldo chuckled. He was enjoying every single moment of this. “The old Sergio I knew would’ve walked away and saved his own skin. Look at you. You’re a shadow of your former self. I wish Victor could see you now.”
“How is Victor? I’m surprised he sent you here, considering he’s waging a war with the Russians,” he said, trying to keep his voice nonchalant. “I thought a greedy bastard like you would take the opportunity to take my place, but it seems Victor’s still sending you to small useless jobs like this.”
Aldo colored. “Victor didn’t send me here. I came here of my own accord. My brother even wants you back alive, but I can’t have that. I’m bringing you and her back, as corpses, but first, I think I want to have a little fun.”
Sergio narrowed his eyes at those words.
“Empty out all your pockets first. That can’t be your own gun,” Aldo said. “Do it, or I put a bullet to her head.”
Sergio clenched his jaw. He had no choice but to extract the guns he equipped under his bathrobe. He tossed them all to the ground, including his two favorite knives. Sergio even took off the robe, to show Aldo he was unharmed. Sergio only wore his shirt and boxers. He didn’t even bother putting on shoes or body armor after seeing Baldo’s car coming up to the trailer.
“Good boy.” Aldo nudged the gun at Jessie. “Get on your knees, whore. I want to see what’s so special about you.”
“What the fuck are you doing?” Sergio demanded.
His blood went cold as Jessie gave him a tear-filled look of despair. He shook his head furiously at her. She dropped to her knees in front of Aldo. Sergio curled his fists to his side.
Aldo undid his jeans with one hand while he kept the other trained to the side of Jessie’s head. Her tear-stained face would always be ingrained in his head.
“I’m going use up your whore before discarding her, and you get to watch. After I rape and kill her, it’s your turn,” Aldo said. He looked down at Jessie. “Now be a good bitch and suck my dick.”
Sergio couldn’t bear to watch this. For the first time in his life, he felt utterly helpless to help the woman he loved, and he hated it. Loathed himself the most for allowing a situation like this to occur. Jessie said nothing as she closed one hand over Aldo’s dick.
“That’s it. Look at your woman, Sergio. She’s being so obedient.” Aldo chuckled. “You could learn a thing or two from her.”
Jessie pressed her lips to Aldo’s dick. No. Aldo was wrong. Jessie wasn’t weak or compliant. She was a fighter.
She wasn’t doing this because she accepted defeat. Jessie had something else planned. Sergio pushed his petty rage and jealousy aside. Every muscle in his body tensed up. He was in a state of readiness. Jessie then lunged forward suddenly like a rattlesnake launching an attack. She bit off Aldo’s dick. Aldo howled. She spat it out.
His first instinct was to kick her away. That gave Sergio the opportunity to drop to the ground once more. His practiced hands reached for one of his guns. He grasped the familiar worn handle of his favorite sawn-off shotgun. Sergio fired.
This time, he didn’t miss. Blood blossomed over Aldo’s chest. Shock reflected in Aldo’s eyes. For good measure, Sergio fired again, catching Aldo between the eyes. The bastard finally crumpled to the ground.
Jessie crawled to him. Once she reached him, he wrapped his arms around her. She shook, tears spilling down her bloodstained cheeks as he cradled her to him.
He kissed the top of her head. He wasn’t worried about the cops arriving. His trailer was located far away from the rest of the park. Even if someone heard shots and called the police, Sergio would deal with them later. Right now, he had another job to do.
“I was so scared,” Jessie whispered.
“You did good, baby,” he reassured her. “Scratch that. You were fucking amazing. I didn’t think you had that in you.”
“Biting off a man’s dick, you mean?”
“Viciousness,” he responded.
She clung to him tightly. They stayed on the ground for a few moments. Sergio silently created a list of tasks he needed to do in his head. His first job was to get rid of Aldo’s and Baldo’s bodies.
He would bury them somewhere where no one would ever find them. Next would be to get rid of any evidence left on the grounds and trailer. He’d deal with any problem that would crop up with the local authorities. After all that was done, Sergio would be paying Victor Rossi a little visit.
Sergio was done hiding. It was time to end this. He didn’t want to see Jessie in tears ever again.
Chapter Fifteen
“Let’s go over the plan again,” Sergio insisted in the car.
Jessie rolled her eyes, unable to help herself. “Baby, we’ve been through it a hundred times. I know what I need to do.”
He gave her a stern look that didn’t fail to tighten her nipples and make her a little wet between the legs. Don’t think of sex now, Jessie reminded herself. They were on a mission of paramount importance.
When he first told her the plan, she’d been surprised she was included in it, given how protective he’d been of her lately. She, of course, was happy to help her man any way she could.
Two weeks had passed since Aldo and Baldo had tracked them down to Hillcrest Pine. Plenty of things had happened since then. By the time the police arrived on their doorstep, there was no evidence to be found. Sergio had managed to convince the sheriff he was teaching Jessie how to shoot.
No one from the Rossi Family came after them again. Sergio suspected Aldo hadn’t shared the information he dug up on them with anyone. Not surprising given what Sergio told her about the man.
Aldo was self-centered and probably wanted the credit and bragging rights of killing Sergio and her all to himself.
“Indulge me,” he said.
Jessie saw the worry in his eyes. She leaned over the console and gave him a kiss on the mouth. If they were in the backseat and there was no obstruction between them, she would’ve climbed into his lap. Maybe she’d even tempt him into having sex so he would relax a little.
“Fine,” she said. She repeated what he’d told her.
“And it’s critical you stay in the car until I return,” he said.
“I’ll wait here like a good girl,” she promised. That finally got a smile out of him.
“Okay, good, and if I’m not back in two hours?” he pressed.
Her stomach lurched at those words. She balled her hands on her lap.
“Jessie? Tell me.”
“I’ll drive straight to the airport,” she whispered.
Sergio had given her multiple fake passports and access to all his bank accounts overseas. They agreed if the worst-case scenario came to pass and Sergio ended up being killed, it was best if she left the country. Victor Rossi would have a hard time tracking her. Sergio, the bigger threat, would be dead. The thought of never seeing Sergio again made her grip his arm.
“Let’s forget this plan. Why don’t we just go to the airport? Let’s start somewhere new. Somewhere where no one will find us.” Desperation and fear filled her words, but she couldn’t help herself.
Why couldn’t he understand that it was important both of them survived? They didn’t need to confront Mr. Rossi. They could still turn back. It wasn’t too late.
He shook his head. “It’s about time Victor and I traded words. You know this.”
“I don’t want to lose you,” she pleaded.
“You won’t. We’ve talked about this. This is the best strategy we can come up with.” Sergio sounded confident enough.
She knew that look. Once he put his mind to a plan, he would see it through without question. There was no convincing him to change his mind. Besides, she knew he was right. They couldn’t keep running their entire lives. That wasn’t living, not really.
Besides, Sergio could handle himself. He’d taken out Aldo and his accomplice even when he was sick. Barely, she reminded herself. Even Sergio admitted luck had been on their side that day. Jessie tried not to dwell too much on the past.
She released his arm. He kissed her cheek. “I promise I won’t get myself killed. You have your gun?”
Jessie took out her handgun and showed it to him. Her heart thumped. She prayed she’d never need to use the firearm, but if Sergio’s or her life was at stake, she wouldn’t hesitate.
“Okay, I’ll be right back,” he said.
He exited the rental car. After their encounter with Aldo, they both agreed to leave the Mustang behind. Anyone who worked with Sergio before would recognize his ride.
“Stay safe,” she whispered to herself.
She watched him get on the motorcycle he’d recently purchased just for today. As he sped away, she leaned back against her seat and closed her eyes. The next two hours would pass by excruciatingly slowly, but she had no choice. It was time to play the waiting game.
****
Sergio parked the motorcycle across the church. He didn’t take his helmet off yet, in case someone would recognize him. He wasn’t too worried. Sunday mass wasn’t over. Most of Victor’s men would be positioned inside the church, not outside. He checked his watch.
He was five minutes early. He waited patiently until he finally caught sight of Victor’s black Lamborghini. Sergio checked his surroundings again.
He noticed the two suits standing and joking around a black Chrysler. He didn’t recognize them, but they were definitely new lackeys. Sergio took off his helmet and crossed the road.
The lackeys didn’t notice him. Sergio knocked on the glass windows of Lamborghini. The driver rolled the windows down. Why wouldn’t he? Dressed in an impeccable black suit and tie, Sergio looked like a member of the Family. Besides, few people in the city would casually stroll up to Victor Rossi’s car.
The driver was new. That worked in his favor. The driver’s eyes grew wide as Sergio showed him his gun. Sergio shoved his hand through the opened window and unlocked the car.
“Scoot over,” he said.
The driver paled but didn’t argue. Sergio climbed into the driver’s seat. He checked his watch again. Ten more minutes before the morning service was over.
He rolled the windows up. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the driver taking his phone out. With a sigh, Sergio ended him quickly. The driver slumped in his seat. He debated sparing the driver, but there was no helping it. If he called for help, then Sergio’s plan would go right down the drain.
The car door opened and in climbed Victor.
“I don’t need someone babysitting me, Bonino,” came Victor’s irritated voice. The mob voice was speaking to one of his lieutenants hovering in the background. “I’ll see everyone at the meeting.”
With that, Victor slammed the door shut. Sergio started the engine. Victor still hadn’t noticed anything was amiss as he drove out of the street.
“Felix, this isn’t the way to the restaurant.”
“Unfortunately, I had to get rid of Felix,” he said.
Through the rearview mirror, he watched Victor tense up. Keeping one hand on the wheel, he pulled out his gun and raised it, so Victor could see he was armed.
“Sergio,” Victor said softly. Recovering from his initial shock, Victor leaned back against the leather seats. Victor knew how fast he could shoot. He wisely didn’t resort to any drastic measures. “I take it you’re the one responsible for killing my brother?”
“Aldo got in my way. He should know what I do with my enemies.”
“You can’t possibly think you’ll get away with this.”
“I’ve survived worse odds before,” Sergio answered with a shrug.
He noticed the black Chrysler tailing him, but Sergio wasn’t worried. Victor never went anywhere without two guards watching his back. Sergio stepped on the gas. He knew this city like the back of his hand. He swerved and made a few sharp turns that made Victor gasp. Victor fumbled for the seat belt and put it on.
“Are you trying to kill both of us?” Victor demanded.
Sergio checked the mirror again. He’d lost the Chrysler. Right on cue, Victor’s phone began to ring. Sergio entered a dead-end alleyway and stopped the car abruptly. He pointed the gun at Victor.
“Give me your cell phones. Both of them.”
Victor swore softly but surrendered his two phones.
“Next, weapons,” Sergio said. “Yes, even the knife you keep strapped to your calf.”
“I raised you like my own,” Victor said, his voice starting to shake.
The old mafioso didn’t like to be reminded Sergio knew him inside out. Sergio knew Victor regularly attended the 10:00 AM service at St. Patrick’s, and what time his driver came to pick him. He also knew the guns Victor carried and the two phones he carried. One for business and one for his personal life. Victor was like an open book to Sergio, predictable.
“Carlo did that,” he corrected. “He taught me all I needed to know to survive in this cutthroat business. You only gave me targets to kill.”
“And look how far you’ve come. You threw all that away for a woman,” Victor said, disgust in his voice. “You could’ve been the next don of the Rossi Family.”
“We both that’s a lie. You like power too much.”
“What was so special about your whore?”
Sergio didn’t like Victor calling Jessie that one bit. Aldo had called her that, too. Sergio guessed the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. He didn’t know why he’d insisted on cornering Victor like this. To scare him? To strike a deal despite knowing Victor would never agree to it?
