Page 3 of The Hitman's Rose

Chapter Two

Ademaro

“He’s out there,” the older guard mutters to the other one.

“Who?” the other guard asks, looking around into the night.

“The Button.”

“What makes you think that?”

“I’ve been doing this job since before you were born,” the old man continues. “I can always sense it. The air shifts. Can’t explain it.”

“You’re starting to sound like a crazy geezer, Vino,” the younger one retorts, rolling his eyes.

“Call me what you want, but I’m willing to betyourlife on it that he’s watching us right now,” Vino looks around.

Part of me wants to come out of my hiding spot since the old man bet his counterpart’s life; however, I’m not here for either of them. They aren’t my mark. They’re too low on the food chain for my skills to be called in for. I’m here for someone much bigger.

“Any movement?” a man asks over the walkie talkie. The younger one grabs the walkie talkie from his holster.

“All clear at the gate,” he replies. Vino looks at him in disgust and shakes his head.

“You need to tell him,” Vino states, pointing at the walkie talkie. The younger one scoffs then holds the walkie talkie up to his mouth.

“Vino has a feeling thatThe Buttonis here. Oooo. Scary,” he laughs. Vino jabs an elbow into his side, making the schmuck grimace in pain. “What the fuck, Vino!”

“Vino, take the walkie from that idiot,” the man on the other end spats. Vino grabs the walkie.

“Yeah?” Vino asks.

“You gotthe feeling?”

“Yeah, Tommy. He’s definitely here.”

“We’ll send more men out there,” Tommie replies, making me smirk. He’s doing exactly what I hoped they would do. Pulling all their men from the inside to the outside gives me the perfect opportunity to make my way in during the large movement.

Let’s get this over with,I say before making my way stealth-like inside the Puddu Compound.

Puddu’s men are too busy rushing around to make their way outside that they aren’t paying attention to things around them. I could have walked in the front door and they wouldn’t have even noticed. If Puddu’s fate wasn’t already written, I would have told him about what shitty soldiers he had under him. The kind of soldiers who would get him killed– like tonight.

I slip into the main bedroom undetected and find Lorenzo Puddo in bed. There’s a brunette in bed with him, but it isn’t Mrs. Puddo. I know this because she’s out of town visiting her sister in Florida.

Guess we can add adultery to his list of sins,I growl to myself.Piece of shit.

“Leave us,” I order, approaching the bed with my gun pointed at Puddo’s head. The woman looks at me in fear. Her mouth gapes open as though she’s about to scream. I shake my head. “Leave us and I’ll spare you. Understood?”

“Ye– Yes. I– I understand,” she replies in a shaky voice and quickly climbs from bed naked..

“You bitch,” Puddo grits between clenched teeth. At first I think he’s talking to me, but he’s looking at her. I hit him in the back of the head with the gun.

“That’s not how we talk to ladies,” I inform him.

“Fuck you. She’s no lady. She’s just a whore.”

“You mother fucker,” Nicole snaps back, waving a finger in his direction. “I’m glad he’s here to kill you.”

“I prefer for you to not see this.” I gesture at the door.

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