I climb out of the car. It’s getting late and there doesn’t seem to be much activity in the neighborhood. I slip around the house easily. As the text said, the back door is open. Gloves on, I enter stealthily.

Alyona appears as I step inside. She gestures with her head, then whispers. “In bathroom. I think he takes shit.”

She makes a disgusted sound as she pulls a gun. I laugh to myself as we both head for the bathroom with our guns out. She stops before the door and looks at me. I nod, then kick the door in.

We both light his ass up right on the toilet. From the smell, he was shitting while scrolling through his phone.

“Gross,” Alyona says as she covers her nose.

I pull out my burner phone and snap a picture of the job to take back to Gio. Pocketing the phone, I look at Alyona. She drops her weapon. This is a gift from Gio for another friend of ours.

“We’re done here.”

We turn and leave him slumped where he sits—waiting for the feds to find him and the surprise we’ve left.

* * *

Gio

“Gio,” Vito croons as I walk into his auto body shop. It’s a drug front. This lowlife doesn’t have the brains to find something that earns without building a case a mile long, forget about the taxes and the body.

“How you doing, Vito?” For now, I need this smug cocksucker to think we’re friends.

I’m going to make his rat ass disappear soon enough. I need him comfortable so he trusts me when the time comes. I’m looking down the line, ten steps.

I can’t just kill all the witnesses the same way or at the same time and unfortunately, I have my Bajan friend handling a project for me, so I have to find an alternative here.

“I’m good. Or at least, if you and your brothers can help me out, I’ll be better.”

His ass has to be wearing a wire. Pieces of shit like him shouldn’t be offered plea deals. My brothers haven’t done a thing to equate to the slime on this piece of filth. I want to see him burn for the young girl he gave that shit to. Not to mention he was fucking her young ass.

I school my features because I want nothing more than to spit in his face. To think he’s always thought he was better than me. Let’s start with the fact that his little-dick ass fucks young girls because he’s too embarrassed to go after a grown-ass woman.

How do I know this? He beat the shit out of a dancer at a friend of ours club for laughing at his little prick. A quick glance around the room and my gaze falls on Vito’s right hand, Jackie, trying to catch my eye.

Interesting. I take in the rest of the crew and note them for later. I smile.

“You need us to cater something for you? Your pop has a birthday coming or something, right?”

“No, no, I was hoping we could talk business. The numbers have been up, but my boys are struggling. Maybe we can talk changing points or something.”

I sigh. “Times are hard for a lot of people, but I don’t know what you want me to do here. I’m the assistant for my brother, who runs a food conglomerate. What you’re talking about is outside my jurisdiction. That, my friend, is a ‘you’ problem.”

“Come on, Gio, can’t you talk to—”

“Vito, I’m going to tell you what I’m going to do for you. I’m going to have a hundred pounds of our best steaks sent over and a few cases of our wine. You see what you can do with that for your guys.”

This cocksucker thinks he’s going to entrap me? Oh, I can’t wait to have him erased. I think of all the ways to take him out. It’s not going to be swift or simple. This one is going to ring in his father’s ears.

I already know he’s going to go behind my back and try Dario. I also know Dario lost patience for thisstunadyears ago. He’s not going to entertain him.

“Gio—”

I’m already walking out. Jackie is now by the door as I move toward the exit. I lock eyes with him, and he gives me a subtle nod.

“We’ll talk again soon. I’ll see you around,” I say to Vito as I lift a hand to wave.

“Hey, Vito, I’m going to pick up the cannoli. You want anything else?” Jackie calls out.