Page 5 of The Vendetti Soldier

“Just means he’ll be distracted, and we’ll be in the clear.” He waves the worry away and starts grabbing his belongings. I follow around, doing the same. I must’ve walked in and tossed my clothes wherever I saw fit because there’s stuff everywhere. The night’s a blur, and I’m beginning to think maybe that’s for my advantage.

“Can’t believe my clothes are all over the place, and I didn’t fuck anyone here last night.”

“You drained your cock twice; I was surprised you could do that much with how quickly you were throwing the alcohol back. I had one in me, then I couldn’t get it up again.”

I immediately start laughing, wanting to rub it in. “Well, not all of us have the stamina of a bull like I do.”

He snorts, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, come on. I had all of our purchases set up to be delivered this week, so we don’t have to worry about anything but ourselves. Including everything you picked out for Violet. Cristo, you had the ladies at the shop wondering if you had a girlfriend since you insisted on buying Violet jewelry right after you had an epic blow job from them both.”

Tossing him the key fob, I grumble, “It’s nearly her birthday, and you know everyone will spoil her. Of course, I was thinking of our sweet Violetta while we were at the shops. By the way, you’re driving. I need to try and sleep on the way home.”

“You just downed a cup of coffee.”

Shrugging, I flash him a droll look and quickly head to the kitchen to put my cup in the dishwasher. “I’m blaming all this on you, remember? We need donuts too.”

“Oh, you must be hungover if you’re going all in with the sugar this morning.”

“Shut up. Dante will make me sweat it out when he’s in town next, so I’ll be fine.”

“I wasn’t saying otherwise, you brute. After watching you model for the little shopkeeper, I know you’re in the best shape of your life.” He grins, teasing me. “And refer to Violet as sweet and spoiled in front of our fratello. Matteo will carve your fucking face off.”

I flip him off again. Maybe I am extra grouchy today after all.

“Two things,” Capo muttersas we make our way into his office, and I know we probably shouldn’t have given him this much time to think by leaving yesterday. There’s a massive painted portrait of him and Violet on the wall behind his desk. I think he put it there so everyone who visits will be reminded he’s the one in charge, along with the matriarch of the famiglia. He’s worked his entire life to sit in that seat, including taking the brunt of the tasks off our shoulders when we were younger. I’ve never respected or admired anyone so much in my life as I do him.

He continues, “First of all, you’ll both be meeting someone later.” He states it cryptically, without further detail directed atme and Luc. I know it’ll drive mio fratello crazy not knowing who it is. Luc is level-headed, but he’s still a nosy fucker; we all are. Matteo glances at each of us and says, “The second issue is the Irish hit the Russians.”

“Damn,” Cristiano comments from the other side of the room. He’s leaning against the wall that separates his office from Matteo’s. He obviously got plenty of sleep last night, unlike me, as he’s looking like a mini-dominate Matteo all put together in his three-piece navy pinstripe suit. He probably tied his woman up last night, whipped her until they both got off, and hit the sack by ten.

“I thought they were laying low,” Salvatore chimes in from the seat next to me. Luciano is posted up just inside the main doorway, and Valentino is nowhere to be found. Not that I’m surprised; things are tricky when it comes to him and the Irish. He momentarily fell for the leader, and Matteo’s been punishing him ever since. Ironic, considering he was our number two for as long as I can remember and is a pretty boy psychopath. I’ll never forget the day Matteo found out Valentino had fallen for the Irish puttana; I thought he was going to kill our fratello and make us the Vendetti six. He didn’t bleed our fratello dry, but he did have him on his knees begging. Never thought I’d see the day, as Valentino’s a mean motherfucker. The face of an angel with a soul forged straight from hell.

“I thought the Irish would take more time too, especially after everything Dante went through with them in Chicago, but it seems they’re tired of hiding again.”

Cristiano mentions, “The Bratva, though? You have to be brave or just plain stupid to mess with them. Russians are suicidal when it comes to protecting their bosses.”

“Sì. Same can be said about us,” Matteo agrees, then pins his gaze back to me and Luc. “I need a fewsoldatito take care of some things.” We wait on bated breath for his orders, silently watching as he grabs a sticky note and jots down an address. He hands it to me since I’m closest. “Take some men to this address. Go in two vehicles, stay out of sight. You know the deal.”

I nod.

“Zalinsky is supposed to be hiding out inside. Expect four to eight men there.”

“The Russian accountant?” Cristiano interrupts. Matteo flashes him a glance as Salvatore follows his question.

“The Russians get hit by the Irish, now we’re taking some Russians as well?”

Matteo holds my stare and says, “He was supposed to marry a Russian princessa but got caught fucking their famiglia over. We’re taking him out because he needs to die. Capisci?”

ABratvaprincess, no doubt. But why are we doing favors for the Russians?

“Sì, Capo.” Luc immediately concedes while the questions spin through my mind over and over.

“Consider it done,” I agree as well.

Something isn’t quite adding up, and I have a feeling there’s much more to this our Capo isn’t telling us. But, like he said, we’re only soldati. We’re lucky if he tells us anything; if he weren’t also our fratello, we’d know next to nothing when it comes to mob business.

“Play this old school. Slash their throats and dump them out in the O’Harvey construction site.”

Leaving dead bodies in the middle of land owned by an Irish-based company will send another message whether they’re with the mob or not. Our Capo dei capi is playing with fire, but given who Matteo‘Ruthless’Vendetti has always been, I’m not surprised. We’re known for messages and keeping promises when we make them.

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