Page 80 of A Game of Secrets

If this shit head didn't have a knife to my angels throat, I'd have killed the fucker already. "Let her go, fight us on your own Vincent. Don't you want your revenge after we have all had a taste of your pretty wife?" Linc smirks.

I see what he's doing, he’s calm and collected, trying to make Vinny lose his cool and slip up so we can take advantage of this fucked up situation.

"Two on one, I don't think that's fair. I'll take my chances, you let us out of this room and you have a chance at getting away from Ronan."

"Well your wife likes those odds, well three on one to be exact," Linc taunts, trying to get a rise out of Vinny but at that moment we hear gunshots outside. My eyes are glued to Lucille, I'm hoping that it’s Coles gun that has shot the fuckers dead. But Lucille thinks the worst and screams.

"Let me go! That could be my son! He's out there, please Vinny!" She screams as she tries to get free of him, elbowing him in the stomach. Vinny doesn't like that and back hands her, knocking her to the floor before pulling out his gun and pointing it at her head as she's face down on the ground.

The commotion gives me enough time to get closer to them. I tackle Vinny to the ground and land blow after blow to his face. He fights back, landing some punches of his own but I am bigger and have the upper hand as I straddle him. With each blow, thick blood splatters around me, I am covered in it. As soon as I feel his body become still beneath me, I look around to see Linc checking Lucille over, she's hysterically crying into his shoulder, as he inspects her bruising face. My anger is not yet at bay. I pull my gun out and shoot the dead fucker in the head.

"Silas, I think your fists had already done the job" Linc yells to me.

"Better to be safe than sorry." I grunt, my eyes not leaving Lucille's.

She all of a sudden snaps out of her daze and stands, her voice resolute and strong now that we’re here with her. "Teddy, he ran out of here, we have to find him. I told him to run."

“Let's find him," Linc replies, stroking her hair.

I pick her up in my arms. "Are you okay my Angel?"

She nods, "I'm fine but we need to find our boy."

Moving to the exit we hear another gunshot. Lucille's face pales as she jumps out of my arms and rushes for the door of the warehouse. What we see next rips my heart out of my chest, nothing could prepare me for the scene we are about to stumble upon.

Chapter 38

Cole

The moment Linc and Silas leave in the direction of Lucille, I focus on my task. I need to find Teddy. I can't let his fate be like mine. The need to save him is overwhelming. Trying to keep a lid on my emotions, I fade into the shadows and listen. I hear the sounds of two men talking to each other.

"Boss has the bitch and the dip shit over in the other warehouse. He said to leave them be now that the boy is with him." They head towards a door into the warehouse. I’m guessing it leads to where the Costellos are hiding.

I sneak behind them, pulling my knives out and slitting their throats simultaneously. Blood splatters the door in front of them, making beautiful red patterns on the pale background. I smile at how perfect this art is, and how I'd love nothing more than it to be the blood of that scum that has my girl, but I must focus. Breathing in, I remind myself that my brothers will bring me a souvenir and protect her. I must find our boy. I cannot fail my little mouse.

Wiping the blood from my knives on to my shirt, I put them back into the sheaths. I bring my gun out and carefully open the door, the room is empty and quiet. Moving quietly but quickly, I spot a staircase leading up to another room. I can hear voices and footsteps coming my way down the stairs. I conceal myself behind one of the cabinets as they enter the room.

"Come on boy, you want to see your uncle Max, right? Let's go find him." I hear from my position. I know this voice. It belongs to Ronan Costello. Max Costello's father. We’ve had dealing with him before, he’s a nasty fucker.

"But my mom, she needed my help. Uncle Max needs to help her!" Teddy bellows at Ronan.

"Now, now, that's why we need to go get him. But if you keep shouting like that I won't take you to him, boy."

"But where is he?" Teddy says calmly. He's so innocent. I must fucking protect him from these scumbags. Max must be in on this.

"I've told you, just follow me," the fucker orders.

Hearing the door open to the outside. They see my artwork left for them. I hear the Costello scum curse. "Clean this up, this will give the boy nightmares and I don't want to deal with that shit." He barks at the men that are with him. "Don't look at it boy, eyes closed," he says, dragging Teddy away by his elbow.

Moving from my hiding place, I follow them out of the building to see the two men moving the bodies I left behind.

"Ciao, stronzo’s," I say, grinning at the two trying to heave the bodies away. They look up, wide eyed as I bring my two Desert Eagle handguns up to their faces.

"What the fuck!?" one of them shouts as I pull both triggers at the same time, blowing their brains across the floor. The juices squirt across the dirt, and chunks of flesh land at my feet. Crouching down, I smear the blood between my fingers. "Buonanotte, figli di puttana" I grunt as I stand and wipe the blood on my trousers. I see Ronan with a gun to Teddy's head not far from me, holding him tightly as he walks them both backwards locking his eyes to mine. I hear a car burning toward them, and I’m already moving as fast as I can. The car stops behind them. I’ve almost reached them when Ronan shouts. "I'd stop where you are Mr Salvatore, unless you want me to blow young Teddy's brains out like you did to my men?" That stops me dead in my tracks.

Eyeing Costello, I see three men get out of the car, all loaded with guns. I know I'm out matched but I won't let them take Teddy. Over my dead body will they take him. I just hope I can draw this out long enough for Silas and Linc to come to my aid. Failure isn't an option.

"Let the boy go, Costello!" I shout. He laughs and pulls Teddy closer to him, pressing his gun against Teddy's temple. I suck in a breath, I've never felt fear like this, it feels as if it's eating my inside. I have to play this safe and try to gain an advantage.

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