14. Nico

Chapter 14

Nico

The journey over to the bakery was frustrating with a capital Fuck Off!

I know these streets better than anyone, but the amount of traffic and total inconvenient roadworks was like something out of a nightmare.

But we got to East Side Sugar eventually – even if it did feel like a lifetime to me.

Right now though, this situation feels very real indeed.

I’m standing with Rico alongside me as we face down Conte and his two sidekicks.

It’s three against two – not great odds.

But I’ve got total faith in Rico’s gun skills, and I know that I’m a sharpshooter too.

The two thugs look clumsy and way too cumbersome to have any real trigger tricks or skill sets. They’ll fall and they’ll fall first is my betting.

The only matter in question is how good Conte is with a gun in his hand.

Conte’s older, and that means he has experience.

If you make it this far in life while being in the Mafia, it means you must have something about you. It might be your tactical brain, or it could be your ruthless ability to remove threats – either way, I can sense with every fiber in my body that Conte cannot be underestimated.

But I can’t show Conte too much respect either.

If I give an inch, this asshole is likely to take the whole nine yards.

In fact, I need to make my move any… moment… now!

‘Daddy!’ Eddie cries, the sound of bullets flying and crashing into glass jars and display cases ringing around the bakery. ‘Be careful!’

This is intense – but I’ve been in situations like this before.

Three shots fly directly into the heart of one of the thugs. He’s toast.

Rico gets in close and shoots the other thug in the head. Game over.

Now it’s me and Conte, both of us shooting and fighting for our lives.

‘Give it up, Conte!’ I roar. ‘You’re outnumbered.’

‘Fuck you!’ Conte bellow back, breaking cover to fire a round of bullets in my direction.

I jump and juke across the bakery and give myself a golden opportunity to take Conte out.

Time freezes.

I know if I miss, Conte will counter and likely blow my fucking head off.

But I will never forget one thing above all else: I am Nico Costacurta.

I’ve killed men, I’ve hurt people badly – but it’s always been part of the business. In this crazy part of the world we call the Mafia lifestyle, I’ve acted with honor and courage and a ton of skill too.

This is my city.

And it’s time I took out the trash…

A pivot, feint, and a single shot is all it takes – Luca Conte is stone cold dead with a solitary bullet lodged inside his brain.

‘Fuck, I think I need a drink,’ I say, squatting on my haunches.

‘How about one of my specialty cakes?’ Eddie says, running over toward me with a big, utterly relived grin on his face. ‘Or, maybe later with the cakes?’

I nod and then burst out in laughter.

It’s a real belly laugh too.

‘What’s so funny, Daddy?’ Eddie says as he wraps his arms around me and squeezes.

‘I’ve never done a hit on someone with my baby boy in the same room, that’s what!’ I say.

All four of us burst into more laughter.

As far as the threat of Luca Conte goes, it looks like the matter has been well and truly dealt with from both the Mafia perspective and also the East Side Sugar situation.

‘This is great news, isn’t it?’ Eddie says, looking across to Mitch who is pouring Rico a drink of whiskey from his secret supply.

‘It certainly is,’ Mitch says. ‘But that doesn’t change the fact that Vance Cold is still a total douche of a landlord.’

‘Hey, don’t worry,’ Rico says, toasting the room. ‘If we can take Luca Conte out, I don’t think we’ll have much trouble with Vance Cold.’

‘Hooray!’ Eddie squeals, wrapping his arms around me again and squeezing like his life depended on it.

This is a wonderful moment.

But I can’t escape the fact that it could have turned out a whole heap differently.

Had I been one second out with my timing, it could have been me lying dead on the floor rather than that sonofabitch Luca Conte.

‘Perspective,’ I say, not realizing that I’m talking out loud.

‘What do you mean, Daddy?’ Eddie says, a quizzical look on his sweet face.

‘Baby boy, we need to keep our perspective,’ I reply, thoughts rapidly forming in my mind. ‘This was a dangerous situation. Anything could have happened. I’m one hell of a shot, but I’m not invincible.’

‘I know, but-’

‘But nothing, boy,’ I reply. ‘Here’s the thing. I love you more than anything in the world. I want to be with you forever. And I mean forever . But do you understand the risk that comes with that?’

‘I do, Daddy,’ Eddie says. ‘You’re everything I’ve ever wanted or needed. I know the risks. I understand what your life is like. But I want to be your Little. I want you to be my Forever Daddy more than every single quadruple-glazed donut in the whole wide world.’

The boy knows how to talk, that’s for sure.

Hell, I might even train him to be a Mafia negotiator!

‘I love you, baby boy,’ I say, turning my lips to face Eddie’s and planting the most perfect kiss imaginable on him.

‘I love you too, Daddy,’ Eddie replies, his words somehow crystal clear to me despite the fact that we’re kissing passionately.

I have found my Forever Love.

Even though we met on a very special dating website, it feels like it was written in the stars.

I’m going to look after Eddie forever – and first thing on my agenda is going to be paying this so-called landlord a visit and ensuring that East Side Sugar will continue long into the future…

‘Daddy, I don’t think you’re going to need to go far to speak to Vance Cold,’ Eddie says, touching my shoulder and pointing outside the bakery.

‘He must not have heard back from Luca Conte and come down here to investigate,’ Mitch says, a slightly panicked tone in his voice.

Mitch seems scared – I don’t blame him, he’s a civilian.

Shootouts and dead bodies are part of the day job for Rico and me, but I can appreciate that this must be pretty damn wild as far as Mitch is concerned.

My baby boy seems pretty chill with it all, but then again he’s a Mafia boy now – well, kind of.

‘Don’t worry, I’ve got this,’ I say, walking toward the bakery door with Rico by my side. ‘We’ll be back in five.’

‘Or maybe even two,’ Rico chuckles. ‘This will be light work.’

Vance Cold isn’t an impressive figure to look at. With his grey eyes and greasy skin clashing with his bright white new veneers, he comes over as sleazy and not the kind of man I want my boy and Mitch doing business with.

I shoot a look over to Rico.

I think we both know what the plan is here.

‘Vance Cold?’ I say, a look of menace in my eyes.

‘Might be,’ Vance replies, totally out of his depth but wanting to act like a tough guy.

‘Jesus. We know you’re Vance Cold,’ Rico says, a strong hint of impatience in his voice. ‘What we also know is that you’re a shitty landlord.’

‘And on top of that, we’ve been told that you went back on your promise to offer Mitch first refusal on the building,’ I say, allowing a slight growl to come into my voice. ‘Mitch ain’t a liar. Don’t you lie to me, Vance.’

I see Vance flinch.

It’s not a big flinch, but it’s big enough for me to pick up on.

Any sign of weakness, and I know that I can break a man down in less than sixty seconds flat.

I put my hand in my jacket pocket and rest my fingers on my gun, ensuring that my jacket is open just about enough to let Vance see the metal.

‘Um… what’s… going in… I mean… on here?’ Vance says, the stutter and stumbling over his words showing me just how easily his house of cards will fall.

‘You’re going to sell the building to Mitch for the grand total of one dollar,’ I say. ‘You screwed him over, and you deserve to taste that medicine yourself. I take it you have no problem with this arrangement?’

‘N-n-n-n-no, sir,’ Vance says, a look of complete resignation on his sullen face. ‘I’m sorry for any confusion with Mitch. I just-’

‘Save it,’ I say. ‘We don’t need your apologies. Just be grateful we took care of Conte for you. You think he was going to pay you and let you live? Consider this a lucky escape.’

I can see from the look on Vance Cold’s face that he knows I’m telling the truth.

The battle has been won.

Conte’s gone and now Vance Cold is following him – although fortunately for Vance, he’s still breathing.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s time to head back inside East Side Sugar and help with the clean up – and maybe then get my hands on some of the sweetest, creamiest cakes in the whole of New York City.

And, yeah, by sweet cakes I do mean Eddie’s butt!