27. Vito

27

VITO

I hated watching Zeke walk out the door. I wanted to be the one to drive him to practice. I wanted to be the one by his side all day. I couldn’t believe he would even suggest using himself at bait. His number one goal was to be a star in the NHL. He couldn’t put that at risk. We were here to do that for him.

That meant I had to stay and work on the plan so I could be the one to choke the life out of Benito. He’d hurt my man. I wanted him to pay for that; I wanted him to hurt. If I could kill him and bring him back to life so I could kill him again, I would do it.

“What’s that smile for?” Val asked.

“Just thinking about how nice it will be to watch the life drain out of Benito’s eyes.”

Devil grinned. “Nothing like a little bit of bloodlust.”

Lucien was clearly done with us. “We need to be serious here.”

“Why can’t we have fun while we take out our enemies?” Angelo asked.

“Can you please act like adults? Dom, what do you think is the best way to proceed?”

My father considered the question for a moment, then said, “I agree that the second option is stronger. It will also be difficult to pull off. Perhaps more difficult than getting his allies together at his home.”

“We need a way to make sure he’ll bring everyone with him.”

“Or we can track down stragglers later. I mean, that could be fun,” Angelo said.

Lucien gave him a cold glare. “We’re not in this for fun. We’re getting rid of an enemy.”

Devil snorted. “No reason that can’t be fun.”

Lucien looked at Val. “Why don’t you bring us up to speed on the major players here.”

My brother explained what he’d learned about Benito’s allies here in Boston. I helped everyone devise a plan, and when we were done, Lucien sent a message to Benito, one that would bring him right into our trap, as long as he was foolish enough to think we wanted to negotiate with him. But I believed Devil was right. Benito was crazy and full of himself. He thought everyone feared him. And if we didn’t fall for it, we would chase him down wherever he was and do this the messy way.

What I kept to myself was that I wasn’t going to leave things entirely to chance. We were supposed to meet up and go together to the location where we’d requested Benito’s presence. I was going to track him down first, and if he didn’t look inclined to fall into our trap, I was going to give him a little push. This shit needed to end tonight.

I’d head home, change, and then begin stalking our enemy. When I sat down in my car, I realized Zeke’s leather jacket was still there from the drive over. I picked it up and brought it to my face, breathing in deeply. It smelled like him—spicy, manly, fucking delicious. Maybe I’d wear it tonight. Maybe it would be a good luck charm. I wanted Benito dead, but I also wanted to survive the fight so I could enjoy being with Zeke without us having to look over our shoulders. I had every intention of taking him to bed again, but I also wanted to take him on dates, sit and talk, and read one of his favorite books so we could talk about it. I wanted a life with him.

Then maybe you should follow your family’s plan and for once do things the sensible way.

I’d be fine. I was just going to make sure he took our bait.

Benito wasn’t staying far from me, so I decided to walk to his house. When I was a few blocks away, I stepped into the shadows and checked my weapons, making sure I was ready to take him out early if needed. I rubbed my hand against the soft, worn leather of Zeke’s jacket, determined I would see it on him again. I would hold him again, kiss him, fuck him. We belonged together. I wasn’t going to let some asshole take that from us.

I slipped into the alley that ran behind Benito’s house. When I reached his back fence, I looked around for cameras. I didn’t see any, but I kept walking, circling the block so I could see the front of his house as well. I noted a car parked on the street. It could be Benito’s. There were lights on in the house, but no visible activity. I wanted to know for certain that he was home.

When I reached the backyard again, I hesitated. Did he really not have cameras? I couldn’t decide if he’d been overconfident that no one could get to him or if he was so paranoid he’d go overboard on security measures. I’d have to hope it was the former.

I hoisted myself over his fence and dropped down into a courtyard. A dog began to bark, and I moved into the corner, making sure I was well within the shadows.

After a few tense moments, I realized the dog was in a neighboring yard and unable to get to me.

I watched the house. A light was on in the kitchen and the curtains were open, so if Benito entered, I would see him.

Slowly, I moved closer to the house, hoping to see or hear something to indicate whether he was home or if anyone else was there.

My phone buzzed, and I immediately declined the call from Val. Did he somehow sense I’d gone off the rails? I wasn’t here to fuck this up, I was here to make sure things went our way.

Why did you have to do this alone?

Pops didn’t think it was necessary.

But Val would have come with you.

I need to prove myself.

I moved a few steps closer, and things went to shit. I ran into a trip wire and failed to silence my shout as I was jerked up into the air. I hung there, suspended, as I heard voices from inside. Benito emerged from the house with a gun trained on me.

“Well, look who it is. Have you come to make your own separate deal?”

At least I knew he had gotten our message. Why hadn’t I trusted that Lucien knew how to lure him in?

Because you love Zeke, and you’re scared.

Shit, I was in love with him. What a fucking time to come to terms with that. “Cut me down, and we’ll see what kind of deal we can make.”

“Or I can leave you here and see how important you are to your family.”

That wasn’t something I wanted tested. Would they sacrifice me for the general good? I hoped to hell not. Surely Val wouldn’t stand for it.

But what about Zeke? If Benito killed me, they would protect him, wouldn’t they?

Val would see to that too.

“You could do that, but your odds are a lot better talking to me. I’m a lot more fun to negotiate with than Lucien.”

He cackled loudly like a maniac. “Your cousin really should have a better sense of humor. I think the best thing I could do with you is use you to lure him in on my terms.”

If I could free myself, I’d pulverize his smug face before I cut his head from his shoulders.

It took everything in me not to argue with him. I knew that wasn’t going to get me anywhere. “Lucien’s not going to listen to you. He sets the terms, no one else.”

“He’s really that foolish?”

No, but apparently, Benito was. “Why don’t we sit down and talk this out like civilized people?”

He raised his gun, and for a moment, I thought it was all over for me, then he fired at the rope holding me up. I fell to the ground, banging my head on a rock hidden in the grass.

Fuck, that hurt.

The yard spun around me as I fought to sit up. I couldn’t afford to look weak while facing down Benito.

“On your feet,” he ordered. His gun was pointed directly at my heart. “Marshall?”

A few seconds later, a huge man clomped out onto the porch. “Yeah, boss?”

“Rid this gentleman of his weapons.”

Marshall didn’t worry about gentleness. He jerked me around until he’d found the guns and knives I’d carefully strapped to my body before leaving home.

Benito smiled. “Those are some nice weapons. They’ll make great additions to our collection. Marshall, go put them away.” Marshall stared at the guns for a few moments, obviously moving slower than Benito liked. “I said get the fuck in the house and put them up!”

The way Benito swung from pretending to be a gentleman to screaming like a psycho was unsettling as fuck. I was in a hell of a lot of trouble.

Why had I needed to prove I could take control?

I could’ve just talked to Val. Could’ve even talked to my dad, but no, I needed this to be my mission, my call. Now, no one knew where I was, and I had a feeling Benito was not going to take me up on my offer to negotiate.

“Get inside,” Benito ordered.

For now, I needed to do as he said, so I walked to the porch, climbed the steps, and entered the kitchen. Benito pressed something to his left, and a hidden panel slid open, revealing a set of stairs.

I frowned. “I’d prefer to have our discussion right here.”

“Marshall, take him down to the basement.”

That sounded seriously bad. “Listen, there’s no reason to act like this. I came here in good faith to negotiate.”

Benito shoved me. I tried to grip the doorway to keep from falling down the stairs, but he slammed his gun down on my fingers. I slipped, tumbling over backwards.

When I hit the concrete floor at the bottom, I tried to raise my head. Footsteps banged down the stairs. Marshall stood over me, holding a length of rope. At least if he was going to tie me up, that meant Benito didn’t intend to kill me immediately. I tried to push myself up, but my hand slipped out from under me. The concrete was cool under my cheekbone, and all I wanted to do was sleep.

Would I ever see Zeke again?