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All senses on highalert, I carefully moved through the building and up a flight of stairs. I could hear the gunplay below me.Fuck, fuck. Roberto. What have you done?He had those men killed because he’s been itching for a war to put the Desire in their place, to take over their territory. To have complete control. Just like he’d set up Santini, he’d set me up. Mamma’s words from long ago replayed in my mind that the one you at least expect will hurt you.
I tightened my jaw, gritted my teeth, and took a deep breath. I had to focus, or I would be killed. I couldn’t let nervousness and fear cloud my judgment. I always figured death would come early for me and stopped being afraid long ago. But Wisdom had been right. Now having Paris and Courage, I wanted to live for them. As I neared a closed door, my gut clenched painfully. Whatever was inside could lead me to victory or my demise. I searched my area, trying to find another door, keeping my growing trepidation at bay. I’d survived this long by approaching danger with certainty and strength. I quickly grabbed a small metal pipe on the dusty floor, scooted low, and positioned myself next to the door. I slowly turned the handle. Once I opened the door, I tossed the metal in, and shots from one gun blasted from the right side. I quickly entered the room full of large cardboard boxes and crates, moving fast and low in the direction I heard the fire. The shooter must have realized that he had been fooled because the room became eerily silent.
I could see the exit shining red, beckoning me like a siren. The other man could also see the portal; if he wasn’t headed that way, he wanted to trap me. Fuck. Both doors were in plain sight. The only entrance to choose from would leave me exposed for too long. I would be hit. Even if I didn’t die instantly, I would probably be slowed down and wouldn’t make it back to my car. I had to kill. He had the advantage of knowing the space. But he wasted a lot of bullets already. I hid behind a large wooden crate, aimed for one of the fluorescent lights in his direction, and fired. The room darkened with very little light remaining while bullets rained around me. Parts of the crate hit my side, and a sharp pain traveled up my spine. Taking another breath, I braced myself to ignore my throbbing side.
When I heard his gun drop to the floor, probably to reload, I left my hiding space with my weapon drawn. I ran as quietly yet quickly to him. I moved around the boxes where the shooter hid and fired. With blood pouring from his shoulder, Wisdom kneeled with his gun pointed at my head. Mine was now pointed at his.
Calmly I ordered, “Drop your weapon. You don’t have any more bullets.”
Wisdom smiled lazily. “Maybe I do. You willing to take that chance?”
“It’s over. Even if you kill me, you’ve already lost. Do you hear anything?” We both listened for expected noise. Only silence loomed. “Your men are dead or dying. Mine is waiting for me.”
His eye twitched, but he made no other expression as his gun never wavered. Over the years, I’d learned which men would give in and those willing to die. Wisdom...Lafayette had resigned himself to death. Except I couldn’t be the executioner.
I lowered my weapon to my side. “I can’t.”
Wisdom gripped his gun tighter and yelled, “Pick up your motherfucking gun.”
I moved closer. “Pull the trigger. I hate this fucking life anyway.”
He slowly rose to his feet, still pointing his gun. “Don’t fuck with me, G. I’ll kill you and meet with my woman for cocktails later.”
“Then do it. Because God help me, Laffy, I can’t kill you,” I admitted.
“I can,” a voice said behind me before I heard a boom and Laffy drop to the ground. I turned around with my gun raised again to face Roberto. He shrugged, pointing his smoking Glock at me. “I had to do what you couldn’t do. I put two and two together and realized that Wisdom used to be Lafayette. The boy who killed my cousin.”
I confessed, “No, I killed Tucci for taking my father’s life. He took the fall for me.”
“You killed him?” His laughter sounded maniacal. “You and that nigga used to be friends. You may have asked him to do it, but you didn’t have the balls to murder Tucci. Like you don’t have it in you to end me even knowing I’ve gone against you time and time again.” Waving his weapon haphazardly, he spewed, “It’s time for a change in leadership. You fucking soft, Gianni. Always have been. Can’t make the tough decisions. The only reason you rose to the head so quickly is because of me and your fucking last name.”
I put a bullet in Roberto’s head and spoke over his dead body without hesitation. “And just like always, you never knew when to shut your fucking mouth.”
I looked back at Wisdom, whose lips had widened into a smile though his eyes were closed. “G. You really don’t play. My bad. Took your own man out.”
“Realized he set up both of us to get us to eliminate each other. And we almost did.” I said incredulously, “How are you still smiling with two bullets?”
“Because I believe you kept your word, and I got my best friend back.”
His words shockingly warmed my heart as I eased down next to him. “Didn’t you just say you would kill me and have cocktails later?”
“Come on, you know I like to joke.” He chuckled and winced. “Shit, I hurt. It’s just one bullet. The other one grazed me. Wished yours grazed me too.”
“One of yours hit too.” I grimaced and touched my side. Now that my adrenaline slowed down, I realized I had been shot.
“Sorry, G. I didn’t know it was you.”
“But you knew it could’ve been.”
He looked at me. “I’m done. No more war. I’ll give you back your money. Respect Blue’s truce.”
I dropped my head back against the crate. “I’m done, period. You can take it all as long as you make sure my men stay fed.”
Wisdom nudged my shoulder. “We can run this city together. Come on, G. you can’t just walk away.”
“I already did.” My gaze slid to Roberto’s lifeless body, surrounded by a pool of his own blood. “He was the only one who would stop me.”
My heart had hardened toward the man who’d been by my side for almost twenty years. Mamma always said that the one I at least expected could destroy me. And she’d been right. I’d longed so much to have the friendship I had with Lafayette with Roberto that I had ignored the obvious. Roberto had been envious of my position, especially because he was a Tucci. He’d probably been searching for the right moment to end my reign and thought he found it once he realized Wisdom was Lafayette. Roberto believed our friendship weakened me. And he’d dropped his guard at a pivotal moment when he could’ve taken me out because he underestimated me. The last mistake Roberto Cavallini would ever make.
