Page 64 of The Mafia's Surprise Gift

Marikich dipped his head, massaging his hand over his large, bushy mustache.

“We deal with traitors inhouse.”

“I want him,” I replied flatly. “I want him right now.”

Marikich lifted his eyes to me, and then he glanced at a few of his men. Silent conversations passed between them, things I couldn’t hear, but I could imagine. A debate on whether to give me this one thing in order to bring about a new peace or refuse and see who can kill each other first.

“If you refuse,” I continued, “you have my word that you, and you alone, will be able to leave here unharmed. My men outnumber yours ten to one.”

Marikich chuckled dryly. “You did not come to play.”

“I stopped playing the day my father died.”

“Fine.” Marikich sighed and straightened up in his chair. “The name.”

“Vladimir,” Vito said.

Marikich spun sharply in his seat to eye a man standing behind him. The man’s eyes widened, then narrowed.

“Vlad,” Marikich yelled. “Tell me you did not.”

“I did not,” Vlad spat in a thick Russian accent. “They lie.”

“The fuck we do.” Dino strode forward, pulling a small folder from his jacket. He tossed it into Marikich’s lap. “See for yourself.”

All eyes were now on Vlad as Marikich read through the information we had gathered, including screenshots from Vlad’s phone and the message he sent to the men we killed in the graveyard.

“Vlad!” A sudden furious spew of Russian escaped Marikich, and he stood, turning to his men. They parted like waves, allowing Marikich to approach Vlad. Their argument started low and grew in volume. I didn’t speak Russian, but I could guess what Vlad was trying to say to defend himself.

“I don’t give a shit how this affects your internal politics,” I snapped, rising from my chair. “You give him to me, and this war is over. Do you understand?”

“Take him,” Marikich spat aggressively. “Fucking traitor.”

Those three words spurred the other guards into action. They grabbed at Vlad, who tried to fight, but he was quickly overpowered. They wrestled him forward despite his protests until he was in front of me. Then he was forced to his knees and held there by his own men.

“You fucking son of a?—”

I pulled out my handgun, pressed the barrel to the center of his forehead, and pulled the trigger.

He crumpled like a paper bag, silent, and the empty silence that followed was eerie. Staring down at the man who had ordered my father’s death as part of some power play didn’t give me the sense of relief I was hoping for. In my mind, I’d hoped killing this fucker would ease my pain or bring me a satisfied feeling of revenge.

There was none of that. Only more emptiness and a little disgust.

“We are good?” Marikich asked cautiously. “War is over.”

I holstered my weapon and stepped away from the remains.

“Yes. Your women will be returned to you, and any captives we have will be set free.”

There was relief on Marikich’s face, although I couldn’t be sure whether it was aimed at the war being prevented or the fact that I had helped him root out a traitor.

“You have my gratitude,” Marikich said.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” I turned to Dino and Jian who were watching me closely, perhaps checking to make sure I wouldn’t give in to my pain and kill everyone for the sake of it.

“Let’s go home.”

I had a son to meet.

---