rope from his back pocket. “I taught your husband that. Never waste an opportunity.” He stared to unroll the rope from its lasso. “He started his life with me, did he tell you that?”
I shook my head, stealing another glance at Anna. I could smell the blood in the room. It was making me anxious to get to her. I had to keep calm, though, keep my eyes on him, because something told me he was much smarter than he looked.
“He did. He was just a kid when he started out in my crew. It didn’t take him long to move up. Your husband, he’s a smart motherfucker, I’ll give him that much. He made the family some money, but then again, he had an in. Silvio and me, we worked for this family since we were young. Years and years, and this is what we get? That position belonged to Silvio. And if not Silvio, me.” He stabbed a finger at his chest. “So, it’s either kill your husband or hide for the rest of my life.”
He laughed some, and I stopped trying to take small steps backwards when he suddenly stopped.
“This life is so political. You bust your ass—take the rap, rough the guy up, kill the guy, fucking burn down a building for the insurance—and where does it get you? Hiding out in someone’s fucking trash like a rat, ready for the right time to make your move on the—” he made air quotes, still holding the gun and the rope “—boss. You married the rich grandfather’s grandson, is all you did, witchy lady.”
“Get the fuck out of my house,” I snapped.
“You makin’ demands on me?” He pointed to his chest, the rope dangling. He lifted the gun, pointing it at me. “Who’s got the gun?”
“You fucking rat bastard,” I said, my voice starting to shake when Anna moaned.
He laughed. “He must have the men staying far away from this room. That’s why they haven’t riddled me with bullets. Martina was right. He’s fucking worried you’ll find a new him and leave. What a pussy. I heard he stopped fucking all the girls, too. You really must be a witch. You got some voodoo going.” He tucked the gun in again.
“By the way, after this, I’d stay away from Martina. She told me how to get in this place, and that you’d be all alone tonight. The family left with the old lady. Now if you’ll just play nice with me for a little while, while we get the fuck outta here—”
He started to advance on me, and I started to move back as fast I could, until my back slammed against the mantle of the fireplace. I went to turn around and he grabbed me by the hair, yanking my head back. The hair tie slipped out of his grip, and I was able to reach under the mantle again, my fingers clawing the wood to get my hands on the hidden gun underneath. He yanked me back again, before I could get to it. They slipped and I lost my grip.
“I’m not dying over you, lady,” he said, hitting me so hard with the gun across my face that my head spun. The gun was pointed at Anna when my eyes focused. “You or your sister. Make your choice.”
It wasn’t in me to surrender to the enemy. I never surrendered to the bull, not fully, and my mind worked a million miles a minute trying to decide what to do.
He lifted the gun. I turned my body some, preparing for the hit again.
Instead, he snatched my arms, securing them behind my back with the rope. He went around once, and on the second, a force knocked us both to the floor. My shoulder slammed against the wood when I hit.
It happened so fast that all I could register was noises. Two men grunting on the floor, fighting like animals.
I got to my feet, ran to the mantle, and snatched the gun. Corrado was on the floor, the man on top of him, a knife close to his face. It glinted silver.
I did all of the things Corrado taught me how to do, and when the gun was ready, I hit the man in the shoulder first. When he went over, I was prepared to hit him in the chest.
“I am not dying for you either,” I said, keeping the gun pointed at him. “You could not kill me before. I will be damned if I