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“You’re trying to blame me for something he did.”
“You’re mistaken, little boy. I’m aware you had nothing to do with it. But you’re his son. You’ve taken over his mantle. You’ve got the power he had. Therefore, I’m here to rectify things. Call it poetic justice.”
He reaches for the revolver, clicking open the cylinder, and showing us its empty insides. From the pocket of his leather jacket, he withdraws a single bullet.
“See this? This is gonna be our game piece. Who can guess what we’re playing?”
My insides run cold at the same time my pulse begins climbing. “If you think for one second that I’m letting—”
“Your father,” he interrupts, “made me play. Against Gloria. It came down to the last turn. It was Gloria’s. We all knew what would happen when she pulled that trigger. Do you know what it’s like to watch your wife’s brains blown out before your eyes? Let me tell you, it’s not pleasant. It’s taken me years just to be right in the head. I spent a long time fucked up.
“But then, you’ll never guess what happened. About a year and a half ago, your father arranged a meeting. He wanted to make amends for the atrocities he committed. You’ll never guess what he told me. He said if he were to lose, if by some long shot you beat him, he’d give me the means to beat you. It was the wake up call I needed.”
“Lucius killed your wife. He killed everybody in your family. But it was more important to get revenge on me?”
He thinks on an answer. “Yes. Because you’ve been living life on easy street while I’ve been the one to suffer. Lucius Mancino was doing what Dons do. He was eliminating the competition. I just so happened to be a casualty. You, however, you’re my opponent. You always have been.”
“It sounds more like you were too much of a pussy to challenge my father. So instead, you’re trying to take me out.”
He scowls at me, his bushy brows drawing close. “Good thing it doesn’t matter what ya think. This is happening regardless.”
“Then let’s play,” I say quickly. “Me and you. To the death.”
“I had another idea in mind.”
Uncomfortable silence lingers as his insinuation becomes clear. He wants Delphine to play. I can almost feel her anxiety like another presence in the room. I cut in.
“I thought you wanted to show you were a better man than me. How’re you showing that if you won’t even challenge me?”
“Hmmm, you’ve got a point, little boy. Maybe.”
“Jon.” Delphine shakes her head.
I shut down her plea. “This doesn’t involve you. Stay out of it.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal. Me and you in a round of Russian Roulette. Fitting considering you’re Russian, right?” Renzo laughs at his own joke and then grabs the revolver and bullet and hands them over to Delphine. “How about we have the lady do the honors? Slide the bullet into the cylinder and we’ll give it a shot. Get it?”
Delphine’s hands shake as she slides the bullet into the cylinder. She’s liable to go rogue and take a chance at any moment. I sit tensely and hope she doesn’t; it’s too risky and dangerous for her to try anything. I’ll figure something out.
Or die by a bullet to the brain as we play this game.
She sets the revolver down on the middle of the table.
Renzo gestures to me. “Well? You first, little boy. Take your chance.”
I pick it up, feeling its weight in the palm of my hand, and then press it against my temple.
“Jon, don’t!” Delphine blurts out with a dose of tears. “Please don’t do it. Let’s refuse to play. We don’t have to go along with it.”
“Yes, you do. You don’t andpew-pew. I bust a cap in you anyway. It’s all a matter of you deciding how you want to go, sweetheart.”
“I don’t care,” she says. “Jon, don’t do it. Please, let’s just refuse. We’ll go out together.”
“It’s alright. Look away. Just turn your head.”
I take a deep breath. My finger hovers over the trigger for what feels like an eternity. I’m building up the nerve to do it—pull the trigger and potentially end myself if bad luck would have it.
Delphine’s descending into a silent, tearful meltdown. She’s quivering in her chair. Her tears streak down her cheeks. She shakes her head and mutters softly, “No… please no…” The quiet sound loud in the silent room.
