Page 40 of The Holy Ghost
“So, I get tokill this fuck, since you guys got yours?” Ciro asked, thrilledwith the possibility.
I shook myhead. “Nah, I’m the one who gets to end this fucker’s life. Afterall, it was my wife heput hishands on.” I told him, staring into Randy’s frightened eyes. “Butyou’ll have plenty of time to play with him first, seeing as howshe’s your sister, and all.”
“I just neededmoney!” Randy shrieked. “I’m sorry!”
“You’re not,”Luca told him. “But you’regoing to be.”
The guns hadsilencers, but I didn’t wantto take any chances. Every minute we were here was a risk. “We’llput those assholes in the doc’s car and take them back to MorganCity, where they’ll be cleaned up.” I kicked Randy on his bulletwound. He howled but, fuck him. “We’ll take him back withus.”
“Torch the house?”Ciro asked.
Luca nodded. “It’sold and run down. Manipulate the wiring and no one will be thewiser.”
I cocked myhead and grinned at Randy.“Did you know that Ciro, here, can keep a man alive up to twoweeks before the poor asshole’s body finally gives up?”
Randy paled andpissed his pants.
Chapter 20
Francesca~
Bascohad done his bestto fix my face, but he said that, while the cut wasn’t deep enoughto warrant stitches, he still believed it would leave a scar. I hada trail of seven butterfly stitches down my face, and he said abottle of Motrin would help with the rest unless I wanted somethingstronger. Right now, I felt fine, however, I knew tomorrow my bodywould be hurting like a sonofabitch. I opted for the Motrin with astronger backup for tomorrow, if needed.
He tended tome first, and I had protested since Robbie had gotten the worst ofit, butBasco made it clearthat I was his first priority and the sooner I settled down and lethim tend to me, the sooner he could see to Robbie’s needs. Needlessto say, I ended up cooperating.
OnceBasco was done fixing me up, I hadmoved from the couch to the armchair closest to Robbie. I wanted tobe close by, in case she needed me, but I didn’t want to be inBasco’s way either. I was still kind of shocked that Basco stillworked for the Benettis. His shock of white hair and his aged skinshould have him years into retirement by now, but I suppose thatwas just fanciful thinking. Everyone knew you never truly retiredfrom the Mafia.
Robbie’s eyeslooked haunted as she stared at me, lettingBasco look her over. “I’m so sorry, Frankie,” shewhimpered. “I’m so, so-”
“Stop it,” Idemanded. “Thisis not yourfault.”
“Of course,it-ow! Shit. Sorry,” shemumbled to Basco. Her eyes flew up to look my way again. “Frankie,I’m the one who told Randy who you were. This is completely myfault.”
“She’s got acouple of cracked ribs,”Bascoannounced. “Nothing to be done about those except to bind themproperly.” He eyed her skeptically. “Can you sit up, child?” Robbietried to sit up and immediately winced against the pain. Basco andI gathered her in our arms and helped her sit.
“Is thatokay?” I asked,scared forher. Scared that she might have more than just physicaldamage.
“I’m fine,” shelied.
“I need you tostand,”Basco instructed. “Ineed to bind your ribs and it’ll be easier that way.”
Robbie gavehim a tight nod and I helped her stand even atthe protesting of my own body. I hurt, but notlike she was.
Basco didn’t bullshit herand I think she appreciated that. “This is going to hurt like asonofabitch,” he told her. “Scream if you must.” When Basco liftedher shirt, I almost started weeping. Robbie was black and blue allover. You could see an actual outline of a footprint where someonestomped on her so hard. Basco began his ministrations, and shedidn’t scream, but she bit down on her lip so hard, fresh bloodstarted oozing down her chin.
I needed todistract her from the pain. “This ismy fault for failing to tell you not to tell anyonewho I was,” I said, bringing us back to the topic at hand. “Ishould have told you to keep it a secret.”
Robbie shookher head in a grimace. “It doesn’tmatter, Frankie,” she argued. “I knew Randy was a loser. Iknew he was a loser and I still dated him. I knew he was a loserand I still shared with him…things that were none of his business.”Her eyes glossed over in wretched despair. “I wanted so badly forhim to be a good boyfriend, I pretended he was and treated him likeI thought he should be treated.”
“Alldone.”Bascoannounced.
“I need to sit,” sheblurted.
Bascojust nodded. “Intense pain can bringon waves of dizziness,” he explained.
Robbie satdown and the movement broke my heart. She endured this beating toprotect me and I felt helplessin her time of need.
Bascotook her left hand and let out a deepsigh. “Child, you have two broken fingers that I’ll need to set,”he told her. “This too will-”
