Page 38 of Wicked Rivals

STEFANO

The doctor finished stitching up my arm while Tony and I talked about possible suspects in the campaign against me and how I wanted to proceed.

The bullet had lodged itself deep in the muscle, which hurt like a motherfucker when the doc got a grip on it and pulled it out. The pain would continue for a while, I knew that as well as the fact that it would take some time to heal.

Doc assured me the wound would fully heal with no permanent damage.

Once we got a good look at the bullet, my opinion about the shooter changed. We originally thought someone had fired high-powered rifle rounds, but a low caliber round came out of my arm, not something meant for a precision rifle.

An experienced hit man wouldn’t make that kind of mistake.

Whoever made the hit certainly wasn’t a professional.

He couldn’t have been very far away from Con Amore. Probably holed up in a tree less than two blocks away at best. Setting up like that had been a stupid mistake. A branch might have broken, a dog could have barked, or a pedestrian could have seen him.

Too many unreliable variables with the potential to give away his position.

Yes, he knew enough to pull the trigger all right, but that was about all he knew.

Dumb fucker.

And when I found him, he would be a dead fucker.

Since the job had been so messy and disorganized, that helped us rule out most of the people, I thought I might have pissed off enough to pull a stunt like this.

The list was a long one.

I had been reckless the past few years, living and working like I had nothing to lose, because I thought it was the truth.

I hadn’t known I had something to protect all this time…

Tony interrupted my thoughts while pacing by the fireplace.

“I don’t get it, boss. Who would know how to find a kid you didn’t even know about? And I mean, well, shooting up Con Amore is one thing, but killing those cops? Everyone in the business knows that draws more heat. Looks to me like the bastard panicked.”

“The whole thing was weak,” I said, “even for a rookie. Maybe he was just sent to deliver a powerful message, and he got caught up in it more than he should have. I don’t know. That doesn’t feel right either.”

I poured myself another drink, then waited as the doc finished up with my arm.

He tied off the stitches, applied gauze, and then wrapped a linen bandage tightly around my biceps.

I clenched my teeth and flexed my jaw to keep from grunting.

No one in the room would blame me for expressing my discomfort, but my father had instilled the habit of hiding my pain at a young age.

Real men didn’t show their weaknesses to others.

Being strong meant you suffered in silence.

A knock came at the door. I motioned for Tony to answer it. He drew his pistol and slowly opened the door, positioning himself between me and whoever stood on the other side.

Overkill. No one unwanted would get past my enforcers and enter the house.

My first thought was that my soon-to-be father-in-law had returned to improve the terms of our agreement for his daughter’s hand.

But then Tony holstered his weapon and stepped aside, giving me a clear view into the hallway.

It was the boy.

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