Page 106 of Mafia King: Matteo
“That’s pretty fucked up,” Gio replies.
“They have a fucked-up history of wars,” I reply. Mom would have been proud that I made good grades in school. I liked history the best. “We need to swing by the port. I have a shipment coming in. I want to make sure it’s not hijacked.”
“I can have men do that.” Gio protests us going out of our way, but Alena and Bianca won’t be home for a few more hours, and I feel incomplete without them there.
I instruct the guard to make sure we’re not followed. I have Italians and the Irish crowding me. I wonder what stirred up this shit storm.
The guard and Gio exit the car, making sure it’s safe. I walk into the postmaster we have on our payroll. He says things have been quiet. I walk to our dock and find my men in a small building, drinking coffee and keeping warm.
They are surprised to see me, but that’s to be expected. I don’t come here often, but today was an exception. I desire to do things that aren’t necessarily productive, but the ritual of going down my checklist before a war gives me the illusion that I have control over something. And for now, it’s a comfort.
I head back to the car with Gio, and we stop at a bodega because Gio needs some cigars. This store happens to have illegal ones from Cuba. He tells me he says a few words in Spanish, and they are pulled from under the counter. I stretch my legs and walk into the floral store next door. Flowers for Alena would make her day complete. I exit the store carrying a huge vase filled with two dozen red flowers.
“Get down!” is what I hear Gio shouting as a gunshot rings in my ears. One or more, I don’t know. It was so fast that I dropped the vase, and it shattered at my feet. Gio is on top of me. “Are you okay?” His hands run over my body, and he opens my winter coat to see what the wound looks like. I hear the wail of police sirens and an ambulance. “It nicked his arm. Let’s get him in the wagon. We need to get out of here.”
The daylight blurs. My arm hurts like a burn. I’m helped into the G-wagon, and the vehicle lurches forward under the weight of my guard’s foot.
“The flowers,” I mumble.
“She’ll understand that, but she’ll kill me if I don’t get you home in one piece.” Gio is visibly shaken. “Did you see anything, Andre? What kind of car was it?”
“It was a Hummer. I was parked illegally, so I stayed with the car.”
“Fuck,” Gio yells, applying pressure on my arm. The pain is excruciating. “Drive faster!”
I’m dragged into a room, and an IV is in my arm. Then, my head is in the clouds. I fantasize about being on my honeymoon and fast forward to Alena, pregnant with my baby.
I’m at home and in bed, and a few hours must have passed. The pain meds are wearing off. The fog has lifted. Niccoló is sitting in a chair by my bedside.
“You scared us. Thankfully, you’ll be as good as new in no time.” Leave it to my brother to try to cheer me up.
I look at the bandage on my arm. “Fuck, I have a hole in my arm, don’t I?”
“They did a good job. You’re lucky. It could have been your heart.”
CHAPTER 36
ALENA
Something is amiss when I return home. Federico is making a tray of soup and tea.
“What’s going on? Where’s Matteo?” I ask. Bianca is quiet beside me. The day was perfect. I was relaxed and enjoyed time with my best friends.
“Follow me, Alena.” Federico is always chipper.
“I’m coming too,” Bianca says as she dumps my coat on the kitchen counter. I run up the steps, passing Federico, not knowing what I will find. I take the steps two at a time.
Gio and Niccoló are with Matteo, who is in bed. His left arm is bandaged.
“Please tell me it’s just a scratch.”
“If that’s what you want to hear, sure.” Matteo gives me a weak smile.
“What happened?” I glance at all three of them as Bianca and Federico enter the room.
“It was a drive-by. I was getting you flowers. I’ve never given you flowers. Gio was getting cigars. The guard stayed in the car. It happened so fast,” Matteo relays the facts as if it’s nothing.
“Who did it?” I ask as my eyes light up. Someone is going to pay for this.
