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“Oh my God.”
“I’ve got to go, the doc’s here.”
I run for the front door, stopping only to grab my shoes. I carry them out with me, jumping into the back of the car before I get them on. We’re bolting out the gate and down the street faster than I thought a car could go.
“Do you know anything?” I ask the driver.
He glances back at me. “Only that I’m to take you to the club. Why?”
“The Don’s been stabbed.”
“Shit. Whoever did that’s going to regret it soon enough.”
“What if he dies?”
“He’s been riddled with holes before. Never bothered him. He’ll be all right.”
I wish I had his confidence. All I can think about is the baby growing inside me. I don’t want a child who never gets to meet their dad.
It doesn’t take long to get to the club. Before the car’s even stopped, I’m out the door, running up and inside. Ricardo’s on his back near the stage. Above him, a doctor is filling a syringe with something.
Albert sees me and walks over. “I didn’t want you to have to see this,” he says.
I push past him, getting to Ricardo’s side in time to see his eyes starting to close. He looks very pale but his eyes are burning with anger even as they shut. He blinks them open, staring up at me. “You’re safe,” he says as they close again. This time they don’t open.
I look at the doctor who tries to reassure me. “He’s not dying. He’s just lost some blood. I’ve a case to transfuse. Just give me some room.”
Albert takes me by the arm, leading me to a table a little distance away. On the table are several guns and boxes of bullets. “What happened?” I ask.
“He was meeting with Don Colombo at the restaurant down the street.”
“Don Colombo stabbed him?”
“Didn’t even show up. Alessandro was there instead, said he wanted to sort all this out. They sit down and start talking but he’s got the knife out before the Don can react. He managed to twist sideways but he’s probably going to die. He wanted you here so we could keep you safe if the worst happens. If he dies, there’ll be an immediate fight over his place. You could get caught in the crossfire.”
“He could die?” I look down at him. The doctor is hard at work over him.
“Alessandro’s a son of a bitch. Sitting over there, laughing it up right now, I bet.”
“Albert,” the doctor shouts. “Get over here and hold this.”
He leaves me sitting on my own.
I don’t pause to think for long enough to decide if this is a good idea. I think of Jody dead and in the ground. I think of my mom having a steel plate put in her head. My dad trying to learn to walk again. I think of all that and then I picture Alessandro in the restaurant down the street, drinking, laughing, thinking he’s won. Thinking the Bianchi famiglia are about to lose their Don.
I pick up the nearest gun and I grab a handful of bullets. I walk out of the club door without looking back. No one sees me go. I walk down the street, loading the bullets into the gun. I hold it behind my back as I push open the restaurant door.
There he is, just like Albert said. He’s sitting with a group of men, all of them laughing. He looks up when I enter, a frown falling across his face. “You the hooker we ordered?” he asks, licking his lips.
I pull out the gun. His smile fades but then returns. “I know you. You’re that Fletcher bitch. Give me the gun, honey. I know you ain’t going to use it. Hand it over and I’ll let you walk out of here barely hurt. You don’t want to hurt anyone, do you? Just drop the gun.”
I might have done what he said. But he called me honey and that made me think of mom, which makes me think of Jody and then Ricardo. Rage bubbles up in me that swallows me whole. I lift the gun in front of me.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” Alessandro says, looking furious, not scared. “Shoot me and my father will kill your entire family.”
I pull the trigger. His head disintegrates, brains splattering over the wall behind him. I fire a second shot to be sure.
Then, before his men can react, I turn and run.
