AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A deep guffaw spilled from me. “Would you look at this?” I said, holding my arms out. “This is perfect. I couldn’t think of a better scenario then to have us all here together.”
I dropped my smile and glared. “Where is Penelope?”
“You’ll never have her,” Riccardo drawled.
Antonio laughed, and Mano punched him in his nose. Blood squirted from his face. Riccardo was still lying on the ground in front of me; I lifted my foot and stomped Riccardo’s nuts with my steel-toed boot.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Noooo! Motherfucker! Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Antonio grimaced and flinched. “Who the fuck do you think you are, you son of a bitch?”
Since he wanted my attention, I gave it to him, moving to stand in front of him. Mano shoved him on his knees, and I slipped my hand inside my trench coat and removed a long-stemmed black rose.
I watched Antonio’s eyes widen as he visibly shuddered when the rose fell to the ground before him.
With all its symbolism, the rose meant different things to those in attendance. To Bruno and me, I was the Black Rose. To my capos, I was merely using the Lucas Cosa Nostra signature.
Antonio, Rolando, and Riccardo were struck with the revelation of what the flower meant…and they knew.
I was the Black Rose everyone feared.
When Antonio’s gaze flipped to mine, I saw the horror in his eyes before I sent a hatchet slicing through his throat with such power that his body lifted from the ground. The weapon—and his body—embedded into the barrier of the exterior wall.
Death met him instantly as his eyes enlarged, and blood spurted from his throat. I exhaled long and deep—a growl moving through me.
Rolando jumped to his feet and took off running in the direction I had come. A laser from one of the capo's guns was pointed at his head, but he didn’t get the shot off before my blade impaled the back of his skull.
I cracked my neck and glanced at Riccardo as Rolando’s body hit the ground.
“They always run,” I said.
Bruno whistled. “That’s a perfect toss. You’ve been practicing.”
I gave him a knowing look, and he shook his head.
I cleared my throat. “Where was I?”
“I’ll make a deal with you,” Riccardo rushed to say.
“To make a deal, you have to be in possession of something I want, Niccolò.”
“I’ll tell you where she is, but only after I’m off this compound.”
I grabbed Riccardo by his collar and lifted him from the ground like a rag doll. “This is not the time for games, Niccolò.”
“No games. I’ll tell you where she is. I swear!”
“What would stop you from driving away from here without telling me the truth, hmm?”
“Come on, Lucas. You know as well as I do that, you’ll have someone watching and following me. It’s my only assurance that you’ll let me get away. Of course, I’ll tell you the truth.”
I locked my jaw and glared at him. But I released him, and he fell to the cement. I glanced at Bruno, and he whistled, calling a few capos to our side.
“Take Riccardo to his car,” I said. The capo gave me a questioning look. “Let him drive away—only after he’s told me where Penelope is.”
He nodded and smacked Riccardo on the back of his head, and Riccardo staggered forward.
After they disappeared, Bruno spoke up. “Are you going to let him go?”
