Taming the Monster by K.J. Thomas
Chapter 7
Luca
No, no, no. Fucking Rocco is a god damn idiot. I get up from the makeshift office in this house and start to pace. That dumb fucking idiot. He ruined everything that we’ve been doing for the past six months.
Imagine my surprise as their going over their weekly meeting about all the shit that’s coming up. Most of it I know because they go over the same shit over and over again. I’m shocked when the office door slammed open and Rocco was forced in.
I can’t figure out what that idiot has done. I listened for a while as I watch him spill everything. It does not take long for that guy to give every inch of information away.
Doesn’t take long after that for all of the audio devices to go off-line.
“Fuck!” I scream as loud as I can. Thankfully nobody comes up and tries to talk to me now, they all know how I can be when I get like this.
Rocco has to be the stupidest person I’ve ever worked with, ever. He could’ve left a couple of audio devices. He didn’t have to give every single one of them up. I imagine the Mancini’s and the Romano’s are going to do a thorough search, but not right away.
This is the second strike for Rocco. This is the end for him, the Mancini’s will not give him another chance. Especially since Vito Romano is there.
When they first dragged Rocco in, I wasn’t too worried at all. I like to take several precautions if I work with people, and that’s to make sure that my name isn’t connected to theirs. I never discuss work over technology. Always face-to-face, and it’s usually with Armani. God, I have to call him.
Rocco isn’t connected to anyone of us, my guys, through a cell phone. After I talked to Armani, I let him deal with his brother and what needs to be done. I just give the commands.
Everything would’ve been in place perfectly but then Rocco had to go and sing like a fucking canary. Idiot.
I’m disappointed in myself, not just these two fools I had working for me. I know better, but I was getting desperate. Desperate enough I would do anything to get Avery back to me, even work with the Mancini’s.
“Seth,” I snap. He’s the head guard for all the men I have around here. It’s easier to talk to one guy and let them deal with the hundreds in place.
“Yeah boss?” He moves slower as he gets closer to me. My guys know that I don’t have a very good temper. I don’t blame him for protecting himself, but I really don’t give a shit. Right now I want to fix problems, not cause more.
“Rocco gave up everything. I need you to head over there, take some guys. You’re getting information, you’re not trying to stop anyone or to snag Avery.” I think on that for a few seconds. “Unless, of course, the opportunity presents itself, but right now we just need information.”
“Got it boss.” Seth winks, dumb ass takes off to gather his guys. I wish all my men were like Seth. I never have to explain simple directions. I know Seth will go grab several of our good guards and then they’ll take off. They’ll find out any information they can while remaining hidden. No one will even know that we’re over there. Basically Seth is fixing Rocco’s mistake.
They’re going to start getting ready now. They’re going to move out today. God knows where though.
I start pacing again, trying to come up with a plan. The blood coursing through my veins is boiling, that’s how mad I am right now.
I noticed a couple of the guys glancing in my direction. After they would make eye contact, they would put their heads down just as fast.
“You, come here.” I motion to one of the guys that is in the group, scared out of their minds.
“Y-yes boss?” God, my niece has bigger balls than this idiot.
“What is your name?” I would rather just call him guard, but I need him to work for me, and to work fast.
“Mark, sir.” The young kid stands a little straighter as he tells me his name.
“Mark, start rounding up everybody. Have everybody pack their shit.” I make sure to glare at him. I want to know that he’s listening and he’s not gonna forget half of the shit I said. “Everyone needs to be fully geared up and ready to go. We will move again, but who knows when it’ll be.”
“On it boss!” Mark says a little too enthusiastically as he goes to round up the guys. Hopefully they don’t give him any shit, they saw me talking to him. Everyone can’t stop talking and staring.
I can’t say what we’re doing next until I hear back from Seth. Rocco told them we were close by. We are about two miles away, the only place that I could find close enough to work.
* * *
“Hey boss.Seth is coming. We spotted him about a mile away.” Mark nods at me, happy with himself, then turns around like a butler and runs out the door.
I stare at him for a second in disbelief, but at least that fucker Seth is back.
I’ve been pacing this room for fucking two hours waiting for them to return, even though it’s still daylight. They’ll figure out a way to move Avery soon.
Seth finally makes it to the door a few minutes later. He walks in looking beaten and haggard.
“What the fuck happened to you?” I ask as I lean myself on the desk in front of me.
I don’t think Seth was expecting me to snap out. He shakes a little bit and I bet if he had to pee right now, he would’ve pissed all over the floor. I need more good guys or loyal guards.
“We got stuck in a ravine close to the Mancini’s house when all the guards were running around. It was the only place to go.” My nose scrunches at that thought. He did come in smelling a bit ripe, but I don’t fucking care. I need news.
I sit down right by the desk and let out a sigh of annoyance. “What did you find out?”
Seth takes another deep breath. “They’re all running in different directions. Luggage is being packed, and the lead guard, I heard his name was Mac is yelling orders at everybody.” Seth starts to ring his hands together, I can tell he is nervous. “One of the guys asked Mac if it was true they have to be out of there within an hour, and Mac nodded his head.” Seth looks down at his watch. “That was thirty-five minutes ago, sir.”
I stand straight up and slam my fist right on the desk. The noise reverberates through the whole building, shocking some that are very far away. A small wet spot forms on Seth’s black jeans. Making a trail down the inside of his pant leg and slowly dripping out right by black combat boots.
I clench my fists and look up to the ceiling. I’m not going to deal with this bitch right now. Looking back at Seth, I ask. “How are they leaving? What else did you see?”
Seth strains his back and stands at full height. He’s acting like he didn’t just fucking piss himself. “Multiple vehicles are being brought in. Dozens, we saw well over one-hundred. They were putting everybody in groups and it looks like they’re getting everyone out that way.”
That’s unusual, unless they’re doing it as a distraction. Normally they would get enough vehicles just to get out the important people. But if they’re doing this, then that means they’re getting a shit ton of vehicles and we won’t know who’s in what.
“Get the men together. We don’t have that many vehicles, so you’ll just have to pick who you follow. You can probably do this with twenty, use what they have in the other garage here. Some might need to be jumped. Stuff the cars full of guys and go after them.”
“Got it boss,” Seth says as he starts to run away toward the other guys. His voice changes; angry, darker and more authoritative. I smile again, relaxing. Seth is my right-hand man, but when he deals with me he just gets too scared. Maybe that’s a good thing, at least it’s keeping his guys in order.
Seth is taking all my guys that I have here. He left me with about ten, but thankfully I know how to fight. I’ll fight with the guys if anybody comes here. Rocco never knew where we were located, he dealt with his brother and I dealt with Armani. Armani knows that if he let him in to all our secrets it would be the end of him. Luckily it’s only going to be the end of his brother.
I take out my cell phone and dial Armani.
“Luca?” Armani says in a low tone. He knows I wouldn’t be calling him unless it’s an emergency. Like now.
“Your brother gave us up. He might be dead now or he will be soon.” Maybe I should’ve eased into it a little bit but I’m not one for doing that. Especially when I need to figure out what the fuck we’re going to do now, and how we’re going to get Avery and get away. I don’t want to have to deal with these fucking Mancini’s anymore…
The other line is quiet. I swear I can even hear a sniffle. Armani knows not to show weakness to me, it’d be stupid if he did. I will use it against him. Maybe not now, but at some point.
“What happened?” Armani growls out knowing that there’s no way out of explaining to him the stupid shit his brother did. I also know that it’s just a waiting game for me now.
“He got caught spying at the office door. Which was totally stupid because there was a fucking mic in there. It’s like he was trying to find something else.” I take a drink before I continue. When my bottle of water is empty, I make my way over to the decanter the previous owners had. I have no idea what’s in here, but it’s been good so far. These people like their whiskey.
“They tortured him for a while. It didn’t take long until he told them everything. They know your part in this and they know mine.”
“Fuck,” Armani growls out. I know he’s in a shitty place. He just lost his brother and basically his family wants him dead now, idiot.
My family’s a bunch of ruthless assholes, but they’re still family and we all stick together. It was my parents’ idea for me to go after Avery and her family in the first place. I chuckle a little to myself. I bet they never realized it would get this out of control.
“We’re trying to track down Avery right now. She’s at the house, but not for very long. In case they get away, I need you to find out everything you can. I’m not sure if you have anybody you can talk to on the inside. One of the guys that will give you something, anything. We just need a fucking location, Armani.”
“Got it,” is all he says before he hangs up. One day he’ll be bowing down to me. Sure, we share the same rank within the families. Even though he’s betraying his family, a rank is still a rank. It’s a way of life for us.
One day I’m just hoping he’ll be of more use to me. Maybe he can fully leave his family and come work for me. I start to laugh, causing a few of the guys that are walking by to turn in my direction. That boy is done and been kicked out of his family as of right now. I’m sure he’s a free agent. I guess I don’t even have to acknowledge his rank anymore, he is family-less.
I manage to make my way through a glass of whiskey by the time I get any news from Seth and the guys.
The ten men that I have left here are just walking the grounds and pacing the house waiting for news just like I am. Making sure that we’re not going to be attacked.
That was an excellent idea how Asher Mancini took everybody out in different vehicles. It’s almost impossible to tell who’s in which vehicle. I know now, I just need to be better. I will be better.
“Boss, boss.” One of the remaining guards runs toward the office with the radio in his hand. “They spotted her.”
I start walking toward the radio. Static is coming through before a button is pressed. “Luca is here,” the guard says.
“Boss, we got her. She’s in a red Ford, older model with tinted windows.” It sounds like Seth is trying to catch his breath.
“Go after her,” I snap. “Don’t let her get out of your sight, and if you have an opportunity to get away, grab her and get rid of the others.”
Nothing else is said as the guard walks back into the living room. I don’t care who dies as long as they bring Avery to me. They can get rid of her grandfather, her boyfriend, her best friend, whatever. Everybody’s got a fucking label and most are useless. The only important one right now is Avery.
“Shots are being fired.” I can hear Seth scream through the radio across the room. “They’re taking all of us out.” Other radios are starting to chime in where my guards are being attacked. The remaining guards and I have formed a circle. We’re listening to each guy as he tries to explain what’s happening.
Instead of being followed, the Mancini’s decided to fight back.
Blood drains from my face as I plop myself down in a chair. The rage is starting to consume me. I know it’s going to go over, but there’s nothing I can do about it. There’s nothing I want to do about it.
Avery has abated me again. These fucking men I hired were not able to get her, again. My rage is through the roof. I’m shaking, that’s how mad I am.
Both of my guns are out in both hands as I start aiming at the guards that are currently talking on the radios, frantically figuring out what to do.
As soon as I hit three, the screaming starts and that’s when they start to run. This is my element. This is what I’m good at, hunting.
I shake my head and smirk, which actually calms me down a little bit. My life is not worth anybody else’s, and if a man is running screaming and crazy after me, I’ll be firing back. None of these little bitches do that, they all run and hide.
I saw one hiding in the bathroom shower. A grown man, in the fucking bathroom shower. I shot him multiple times.
I spend less than five minutes going through the house and taking out all ten guards.
If any of my other guards make it back alive, they’ll be taken out, too. They haven’t been able to do anything I’ve asked of them, every single one is a fuck up. A waste of space.
I put my guns in the back waistband of my pants and head up to my makeshift room and start to pack. Nobody’s coming back to this house, the owners are gone, and all the guards are gone. Nobody.
The rage is still seeping through my veins wanting to make me just kill more, do more, fight more. It’s ridiculous right now because if I don’t get my shit together and get out of here, I’m going to be just as dead as all these other worthless asses.
Now it’s time for me to rebuild. New men that are worth my time and money. That are loyal and know what the fuck to do.
For now, I think I just need to pay Armani a visit. Him and his brother are the reason that everything went to shit. I know he could be useful later, especially by finding me excellent guys. Not anymore.
It’s time for a fresh start.