Page 74 of Take Me (Dark Odyssey 5)

“Of course we won’t have much time to put a plan together once we know the location. We’ll just have to go in guns blazing. I need you guys to hold it together and keep it tight. No one is to go off and be a hero.” He looks at me when he says that. “You hear me Christian?”

“Yes Boss,” I answer with a smirk.

“Just stick to the job you’re given and this should work. We’ve been in touch with Angelo so he knows we’re doing what we can to get the guns back. If something goes wrong, or fuck, if one of those hotheads get a hold of the guns, you are to retreat. Those guns are lethal in every sense. One shot from one of those revolvers and your dead.”

He isn’t kidding. The bullet splits into six rounds, so it’s exactly like having six bullets come at you in one shot. Then they break apart when it hits the target with poison. You’d be dead within five minutes of contact. That’s why the fucking guns are worth so much. Their weapons of mass destruction literally designed to fuck you up and make sure there’s no return for you.

“Point taken,” I say.

“Salvatore is joining Gibbs with that team on Thursday. They’ll be able to set up surveillance and that’s where we’ll join in. Christian I’ll then need you to do your usual magic.”

“You can count on it. Once I got the location, there’s not a damn thing we won’t be able to see,” I answer with confidence feeling better than I have in a while. strange given that we haven’t exactly resolved the situation.

“Good. Unless anyone has any questions meeting adjourned,” Vincent declares and we all rise.

I have a feeling the next few days are going to define me in more ways than one.

Maybe it’s more than just the next few days considering I have Lilly and Rosie around. In a handful of days I have a woman and child at my house. Who’s the playboy bachelor now?

* * *

I spent the rest of the day wrapping up the work I had for my clients. I don’t want to have any emergencies at work that roll over into next week. I got way ahead of myself and by the end of the day I was proud of what I’d managed to get done.

My office is door is always open here so the little knock I hear throws me off kilter.

But when I see my mother standing there by the door there’s something about the sight of her that soothes me.

“Ma,” I say getting up to give her a hug.

“Hey,” she beams. “I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time I wasn’t sure when you’d be free. I wanted to see you today.”

“Ma you can come see me any time.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that.”

“I do.” I look at her and study what she’s wearing. She’s in one of her elegant dresses and she’s had her hair done. “Ma you look ready for the red carpet, what’s up?” I smile.

“Christian, you’re too good to me. Thanks for the massive compliment. I just thought I’d dress up and go to the theatre to celebrate something I should have done a long time ago.” She gives me an uneasy look.

“I’m glad to hear about the theater but what’s happened?”

“Well, I um… filed for a divorce. I know I shouldn’t exactly celebrate something like that but I kind of have to.”

I’m shocked, but this is good news. It’s also a worry. Wives don’t just leave a mafia family without repercussion, and I doubt that my father would allow her to embarrass him in such a way.

“I’m glad you did that,” I begin .It is a good thing she’s done it and it must have taken some kind of balls. “Ma, Pa’s allowing you to leave?”

She laughs a little. “My dear son. I’m no fool. I wouldn’t have done such a crazy thing if I didn’t know what I was doing or have the ammunition to do it. I went to Julian so I went above him and he spoke with your father first. I don’t know what he said but it would have been a serious threat. I figured if anyone would help me it would be Julian. He did and now I’m free.”

Damn. That was a really good move and I know why she did it. Before my uncle Julian gave over the empire to Vincent he was no different from Pa in regards to cheating on his wife. Then he changed for her. The whole plan to go back to Sicily was because of that. No one told me that was the reason but it was obvious. It seems like Ma picked up on that too.

“I’m proud of you Ma. This is good.” I nod.

“Thanks.”

“What will you do?” I ask.

She smirks and shakes her head. “I don’t know, but I don’t care. I can do anything, so I’m going to the theater,” she answers reaching up to tap my cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

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