Page 6 of Running

After the door is locked again, she beckons the two men closer. “Guns on the floor. Kick them into the corner.” With a nod from Bosco they do as she asks. “Ricco. Take a seat on the couch. I know it’s your favorite spot.” Surprise flashes on both their faces. Then no sooner does my father step away from Santo then does her gun go off. I dive for Bosco and pull him to the ground with me. My hand goes under the end table we rolled next to. I search for the gun that we keep strapped to the underside. It’s not there. “Five.” Her voice is barely a whisper.

I sit up so I can assess the room. She hasn’t fired again. I’m not hit, neither is Bosco. I look to my dad next. He is fine as well. Laying on the ground is Santo. He is trying not to cry out. He may not be making noise but his face is screaming that he’s in pain. Blood pours from his right knee as he tries to put pressure on it.

“What the hell was that?” I can’t keep the anger from my voice. She shot an unarmed man without warning.

She looks so innocent when she looks back and me. “I found all five. Don’t waste your time looking.”

“Five? Five what?” I am so confused by this woman. The attraction I felt is gone. She is a psycho. I find nothing attractive about the crazy ones. I’ve been burned too many times. My dick and I have both learned to avoid them.

“Five guns.” Answers Bosco. I hadn’t expected him to be the one to answer. I knew of only three guns hidden around the room. Where the hell had the other two been? And how did she know and I didn’t?

“Bingo.” She taps the side of her nose then goes back to Bosco’s chair. “Sorry about the blood and mess. I thought I could control my trigger finger a little longer, but that asshole had it coming. That and so much more.”

“What are you talking about? What do you want?”

She ignores me for the moment. Her fingers return to the keyboard and fly across the keys. “I am here for vengeance. Plain and simple. Santo fucked with my family, so I am going to repay the favor. That bullet was just the first step.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? I don’t know you.” Shouts Santo.

“Want to rethink that answer?”

He glares at her. What the fuck is going on? Why would she go after Santo? He is an adviser. If anything I would think she would want Bosco or myself. Santo’s title may sound powerful. In a sense it is. He has the Don’s ear, however no men answer to him. Not even the Council will allow his presence in meetings.

“Listen bitch. I don’t know you. Shoot me if you want. You won’t make it out of this house alive.”

“I got in here without tripping an alarm or being seen. Even made myself a sandwich.” For emphasis she picks up a sandwich I hadn’t noticed on the desk and takes a bite. She throws it back down on the plate. Once again she goes back to typing something into the computer.

Bosco goes to stand. Her hand grabs the gun quicker than I can blink. “Sit. Down.”

He does. “Look. Why don’t you tell us what he did? Maybe I can help.”

“You already did.” She doesn’t glance at him. Eyes locked on the screen. One hand on the gun, one hand picks up a bag from behind the desk and drops it beside the sandwich. The zipper is open so when she plops it on the desk a stack of cash bounces out.

Bosco’s eyes go wide. My eyes dart to the safe on the wall. Fuck it’s open. Looks like most of the files are still there, though she could have made copies. There aren’t any secrets in them. We aren’t dumb enough to write that crap down. Cash is gone. There was at least a few hundred thousand. “You wanted to rob me?”

“Not the term I would use, but if it makes you feel better. Sure. I robbed you.”

“What term would you use?” I growl. Her games of half answering are pissing me off.

“Child support.” She says it without a hint of sarcasm.

“Child support? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Ask Santo.”

My father speaks first. None of us knew he had a kid. Shit, is she his kid? That’s messed up that she shot him. “Santo, you have a kid?”

“Fuck no. She’s lying.”

“Now, now Santo. We both know I’m not the liar. Tell him.” She gets up and moves to the window. She settles herself in the same position Santo usually takes. Back against the ledge, arms across her chest. Her gun still easily available to shoot at any moment. “Tell your nephew what you did to Violet.”

Bosco tenses. His eyes go wide. Why is that name familiar?

“Violet?” Bosco whispers.

“Tell him Santo. Tell Bosco how you threatened his wife to leave the city. How you held a gun to her unborn child and forced her to leave behind everyone she knew. Tell them how you faked her death.”

Bosco rises. The anger in his eyes brings a chill to my skin. Shit. He threatened Ravinia?

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