Page 151 of Capuleto

I ran. In my escape, I knocked over a lovey-dovey couple sharing an ice cream. He cursed as he was pushed, and the girl fell, staining the sidewalk with vanilla and strawberry. I didn't stop.

A bullet whizzed too close to my ear to slow down. Capulet's man had reached the exit and was hot on my heels. I recognized him; he worked for R's father. I fired but missed. I didn't have time to calm down and aim properly.

I turned right. A well-known fast-food joint welcomed me. It had to have an emergency exit, which I guessed would be on the other side of the street.

The place was packed. I shoved several customers to make my way through. I wasn't going to mess around; I brandished my gun to make it clear. Screams assaulted my eardrums. Bodies fell like dominoes, seeking refuge on the floor, which gave the Italian a clear line of sight.

He fired again, grazing my thigh.

"Govnó!"

He nearly blew my femoral artery.

I gained momentum and leaped over the counter. I grabbed the trembling cashier and lifted her as a shield.

"Do you have an emergency exit?" I demanded. The poor girl whimpered.

"Don't kill me, please, I'm a single mother."

"You should've thought of that before getting knocked up," I spat, dragging her with me. "Answer my question!"

"Th-there's a door at the back of the kitchen that leads to the other street."

More screams echoed as Capulet's man fired, seeking a tricky angle to hit me. "Too risky," I smiled inwardly as a soft gurgling indicated my bulletproof vest had done its job.

"Thanks for your help. You'll be a guardian angel for your wonderful kid," I murmured before letting her go. Two more shots elicited screams of astonishment. Both came from my gun. The Italian crouched.

I walked backward, so I didn't see the fryer attendant trying to play hero. He stuck out his foot, attempting a pitiful trip. It would take more than that to stop me.

Without hesitation, I grabbed his head and dunked it into the boiling oil. Horrified screams zigzagged through the kitchen as the flabby body convulsed. The Italian peeked, and I blew off a chunk of his ear. He ducked again.

I pulled the guy out of the fat bath. He had passed out from the pain. I ran, dodging the three bullets that roared without mercy. Reaching the end of the central island to my right, I saw my coveted door and what felt like a bonus prize in a video game.

In the upper left corner, there was one of those convex mirrors placed at street intersections with poor visibility. It was strategically positioned to see the cashiers and the line forming on a typical day behind the counter. I crouched. Using the furniture as cover, I didn't need to peek. I crossed my right arm over my chest, raised the barrel, calculated the trajectory, gently squeezed the trigger, and pierced his heart with a single shot. My father would be proud.

Thirty seconds later, a taxi stopped.

That was close. The adrenaline kept me in an euphoric state, hard to calm down. A good shootout always excited me. It was one of those moments when life was savored on another level. I gave the driver the port's address and thought of Romeo.

I found it amusing to give him a call to let him know that his family's efforts had been in vain.

I had his number thanks to Irene. The redhead hadn't shown any signs of life since the hospital incident. After what happened, she was probably dead and dismembered at the bottom of a swamp.

I pressed the call button and waited for his answer.

My body tingled. My cock tensed as soon as his deep voice brushed my ear.

"Yes?"

"Hello, asshole, did you miss me?" I reveled in his heavy breathing.

"Yuri. To what do I owe the honor of such an illustrious call?" he replied sarcastically.

"I was worried you'd be fretting over my life. Tell daddy Capulet thanks for the chase; it was invigorating. Although I've left a good trail of corpses behind, give him my deepest condolences and let him know it doesn't matter how many of his inept men he sends, I'll finish them all."

"Careful, don't fill your mouth with bullshit; you might choke to death."

"Your humor always puts me to sleep."

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