Shameless - Sybil Bartel Page 0,63

gun in his back waistband. “Lose my fucking number next time.”

“I wouldn’t have called them pussies per se.”

Me, Candle, and Ronan all drew, aiming at the new voice.

“Whoa, gentlemen.” Massimo Vincenzo, in a fucking leather jacket, slacks and boots held his hands up as he came around the side of the cabin. “You already shot two of my best men. My last two guards are in the SUV halfway down the road. I’m unarmed.”

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I demanded, pissed that I hadn’t heard his footsteps over the sound of the generator.

Massimo looked past me to Summer and smiled. “Thought I’d come up and see what’s gotten my brother in such an uproar.” Lowering his hands, he nodded at Summer. “And here I thought it’d be his wife.” He smiled salaciously. “Hello, Leo Amherst’s daughter.”

The unmistakable sound of a pump action shotgun readying a round echoed behind Vincenzo.

“Christ,” Candle muttered. “Who the fuck is this?”

“Harm,” Ronan answered. “Meet Candle.”

Harm tipped his chin at Candle then eyed me. “You good?”

“Yeah. You?” Fucker looked like a walking advertisement for mountain life in a plaid jacket with his long hair and full beard.

“Fine. He good?” Harm glanced at Vincenzo.

I nodded.

Harm lowered his shotgun.

Vincenzo rubbed his gloved hands together. “All right, now that the party’s over. I think we can all agree it’s too cold out here for a meet and greet. Feel free to do what you want with the corpses. I have no use for them.” He eyed me. “I’ll make sure to tell my brother your firepower was no match for his hired guns. That should solve your little problem.” He winked. “And don’t worry, I can be persuasive where Antonio’s concerned.” He turned to leave.

“Halt,” I barked.

Harm, Candle and Ronan all drew on Massimo again.

There was no way a Vincenzo was simply walking away. “Where’s Cara?”

“I thought I’d find her up here with you.” Showing his hand, he shook his head with a sheepish grin. “You can’t win them all. However, I think I may know where she is.” He glanced down the mountain, then looked pointedly back at me. “It will be in her best interest if I find her before my brother does.”

Clearly Massimo wanted to fuck with his brother and Cara was the pawn. I didn’t give a shit. Cara had dug her own grave and the entire Vincenzo family could fuck off. All I cared about was Antonio’s bullshit where Summer was concerned. “Tell your brother if he comes after me or Amherst’s daughter again, I’ll kill him myself.”

Massimo nodded gravely. “I will pass the message along.”

“Same goes for you.” It wasn’t a threat, it was a promise.

“For the record, I did not sanction this. My only mistake was not recognizing the misplaced loyalty of the two guards I sent up to see if my brother’s wife was here.” Massimo glanced to the right then left where the bodies lay in the snow, then his expression and his voice hardened. “I will not make that mistake again.”

“Great,” Candle interjected. “We done here?”

“We are.” Massimo glanced at each of us. “Gentlemen.” He smiled at Summer. “Miss Amherst, a pleasure, but I hope next time we meet it’s under better circumstances.”

“There won’t be a next time,” I warned.

Massimo laughed. “Well, one can hope.” He turned to leave.

Harm stepped in front of him. “Take your men off the mountain.”

Massimo held his hands up. “Seeing as I’m quite unprepared for body disposal, I believe I’m going to leave that responsibility to Mr. Domani.” Massimo glanced over his shoulder at me. “Consider it payment in kind for eliminating your problem with my brother.”

Harm eyed me.

I tipped my chin.

Harm stepped out of Massimo’s way and the fucker, casual as hell, shoved his hands in his leather jacket and trudged down my road.

Candle spoke up when Massimo was out of earshot. “Any of you using traceable weapons?”

“No,” I answered as Ronan shook his head.

Candle glanced at Harm. “You?”

Harm rested his shotgun over his shoulder. “You’re not a Marine. Green Beret?”

Candle snorted. “Ranger. Any of your lead in any of those amateur fucks?”

“I don’t leave tracks,” Harm answered vaguely.

“Great,” Candle said sarcastically before glancing at me. “I’ll make sure that asshole and whoever he’s with gets off your mountain. Consider us even.”

I nodded, and Candle took off after Massimo just as the generator sputtered and died, killing all the lights both in the cabin and on the exterior.

Oblivious to the world of suck we’d just been thrown into with no power,