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“Let’s blow him up,” Arrow says with a grin, peering down at the trembling man.
‘John. He was a runner for us last year. He went to fucking East Point and back,’ Shepp signs with a frown, shoving the wallet in his back pocket. ‘Then he disappeared from our service.’
“Well, It doesn’t look like he’s a Viotto runner anymore, does it? Tell me, John. Did you get recruited by the enemy?” I raise a brow.
John swallows hard, staring at me with hardened eyes. “Fuck you. Fuck Gabriel. Fuck the family. I hope you all burn in the Hell you deserve!” he shouts, spitting on the ground in front of him.
“Here’s the deal, John. Tonight you die. Whether it's by the bomb ticking on your chest or by the wound on your stomach. We’re going to walk away…”
“We are?” Arrow shouts in outrage, grabbing the knife he left inside him and yanking it out. Blood flows from the wound, tinting our grass a beautiful shade of red.
“We are.” I nod, gesturing for Shepp to take a step back. “John, you can lie here and die from blood loss.” I wince when Arrow stabs him again in the gut, opening another bloody wound. The color on John’s face slowly drains away. “Or you can do us all a favor and blow yourself the fuck up and cease existing,” I growl through clenched teeth.
John heaves a breath, staring between the three of us as we wait for his answer.
“Blow yourself up, Johnny Boy. Do us all a favor and end it before I drag you to my lions and let them gnaw on your fucking bones,” Arrow snarls, letting the man’s hands go. Stepping back, he points the bloodied knife at John’s face with a sadistic smile lighting up his face at the thought of destruction.
John kneels before us in a weakened state and licks his lips. “One day. You’ll all be in Shadow’s grasp. One day, he’ll end your existence like you deserve. All of you!” he shouts weakly, losing his grasp on his fucking life force.
A pity.
I take a step back. After inspecting the explosive attached to his chest this entire time we’ve spoken, I noted how small it seemed. Meaning, we would need a small radius to be out of its blast. Of course, that’s never foolproof.
I jerk my head, instructing silently for Arrow and Shepp to follow, giving the man a wide berth. We’ve given John his choices. Either way, he’s dead and not our fucking problem. Shadow is though. Whoever they are, they’re getting more brazen with their attempts at our lives.
It ends soon. “No matter what you choose. You’re dead. Shadow will know you failed in your attempts to end us. Any last words?”
John’s chest heaves rapidly, spiraling him into death’s hands as we step back far enough to hopefully get out of the blast range. I cock my head when his trembling hand reaches toward his vest, and he hits a button.
A small beep emanates from him, and then, he’s no more. The deafening blast rocks the land like a mini earthquake shaking beneath us.
Bits and pieces of coward sprinkle on top of us like rain, smacking into the grass with a sickening splash.
“Arrow!” I bark, jumping to my feet with furrowed brows when he’s nowhere in sight. What the fuck? He was just here! “Arrow!” I shout again with my heart slamming against my chest until he skips toward me with bits of blood and guts hanging from his blond locks.
“That's the most fun I've had in ages!” he whoops. “Maybe this Shadow fucker will send another bomb our way. Poor Coward. He went and martyred himself for the wrong side,” he tsks, kicking a fallen limb blown off by the blast.
Shadow.
The man. The mystery. Whoever the hell he is.
Years ago, his name began floating through the streets of Briar Cove as a threat to our livelihood. Competition for my father and his underlings. Threats of hostile takeovers and murders whispered on the wind, aimed in our direction. Slowly but surely, the man without a face has made his rounds, gathering up our disgraced members and luring them to the dark side. And taking out anyone who dared to fight back against him.
Including us. We're the main focus of his crusade to end the Viotto Crime Family.
Whoever he is, he's ruthless. And a goddamn mystery. How can you take out the man gunning for you when you don't even know who he is? Or if he's a man. He could be anyone, and we wouldn't have a damn clue.
It’s been so wonderful for our family. Not.
I sigh, grounding myself as I continue to wait on my father. I texted him immediately after the bomb situation, letting him know what happened and who was to blame. For a man so desperate to wipe out his enemies, he’s always exceptionally late and unbothered. Especially with me. The son he loves to hate and hates to love.
He's never loved anyone in his entire life, except himself. Grace Viotto may have been the exception. But my mother is gone now.
My eyes wander over the multitude of cameras set up in his office, pointing in all directions. Of course, it’s not just here, in the tower… It’s all over his precious town. Everywhere my father has touched, a camera is left behind. Leading Shepp, Arrow, and I to be very careful about the things that fall off our tongues in his places.
Anywhere really. My father has spies in every business, street, and home. He's not dumb. You don't rise to power without watching your back.
He's just excessive.
