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I take the number plates off and put fake ones on in case anyone sees me leaving. I get in and drive to an apartment building near the back of the courts. I'm familiar with the area because I’ve sniped many traitors at the courts.
I take the stairs quickly as I work my way to the top of the building. I’m almost to the top when my cell starts ringing. I check the screen. It’s Kira. I clip my Bluetooth onto my ear and answer.
“Big sister, nice of you to check in on me,” I say as I walk onto the roof.
“Someone has to make sure you don’t sleep all day, hungover,” she scolds me, but I know she’s teasing. She sighs and calls, “Raphael, stop teasing your sister. Luigi, are you coming to the estate tonight for the big dinner? Alessandro has an announcement to make.”
I start to set up my rifle as we speak, “Of course, I’ll be there. It’s a family thing. I always attend family things.”
“Are you staying after? Or going to chase some tail?” she asks. I can hear shouting in her background as I answer.
“Chasing tail, probably. It depends on what happens at the dinner.”
I get into position without breaking the conversation. I rest my rifle against my shoulder and look through my scope after checking wind speed and direction. I can’t concentrate with her in my ear, though, so I take out my phone and put it on speaker, setting it on the ledge. “Sorry, I need you on speaker for a moment.”
I watch as a tinted-windowed car pulls up toward the back, and I smile as Kira explains what she’s thinking of making for dinner. I train my rifle on the back of the vehicle where Marius emerges. I keep my rifle trained, glancing at the wind speed and direction.
“It sounds lovely. One moment, please.”
I pull the trigger and watch as the traitor's head explodes, brains splatter against the wall he was walking in front of.
“What was that?” Kira asks.
I pack up my rifle quickly. “I hit the curb, don’t worry. Listen, your dinner sounds amazing, and you know I’ll be there.” I switch back to Bluetooth and walk to the stairs. “Is anyone interesting coming?”
“Just the usual. Luigi, don’t be late. I don’t want Alessandro annoyed tonight. It’s important.”
I raise an eyebrow as I climb into my car. “Do you know what it’s about?”
“I might,” she says, and I hear her hesitate. “But you’ll find out later. It is exciting. I have to go. Raphael!” She shouts my nephew’s name in my ear as she hangs up, and I wince slightly.
I don’t even look back as I drive away from the apartment. I hear police sirens in the background, all racing toward the courts.
My phone buzzes, and I answer it, “Yes?”
“It’s all over the news,” Dominic says, but he doesn’t sound annoyed. “You can come back to the office.”
“I’m already on my way. Have you got something to eat there?”
“I’m sure we can get something sent over,” Dominic says. “We have lots to discuss, more work. Don’t take too long.”
He hangs up, and I sigh, relaxing as I join the heavy city traffic. Don’t be long? Does this man not live in New York City? Someone catches my eye up front, and I’m sure I know who it is. It’s Anastasia Volkov walking along the sidewalk. I’m tempted to stop and give her grief or flirt a little, but she crosses at the traffic light, and I watch as she heads toward a restaurant. She must be going for lunch.
It must be nice not to have to work and still spend all the hard-earned family money. She seems a bit of a princess to me, though there’s something about her like. She’s a little spicy. We’ve hung out a few times but nothing to write home about. Once she’s gone, I put her out of my mind. The traffic light changes, and I drive forward, glancing left to see her sitting with some Latina-looking girls. I raise an eyebrow but carry on my way.
Dominic is waiting for my debriefing and to give me more work. I’ve been busier than usual, and I think it’s because so many families are either trying to join ours or overthrow us. It never ends well for them, at least, and I get paid even more with each successful job.
So I’m not complaining.
Chapter 3 - Anastasia
I walk across the busy street while the light is green. New York traffic is something else, even though I’ve traveled with and without my father, I’ve never seen anything comparable. Maybe it’s just New York City's atmosphere, aggression, pride, and profanity.
It’s everywhere and everything, creative but concrete, and it’s my home. It’s why when I started planning my revenge, it was easy enough to track down a murderous gangster's daughter.
It didn’t take me long to discover the person behind the gun of my mother's murder was none other than a relation of Jose Catalan. The now deceased leader of the Catalan family, whose brother Mateo has a history with my father and wanted to make a point of killing him.
He hit my mother instead.
