The Mafia Killer’s Wife by Rosa Milano

Twenty-Five

Ethan

Ishould have known it was a trap. No one to blame but myself. I was distracted by thinking of her. That was my mistake. No one else forced that error upon me.

In hindsight, the warnings were all there. Breadcrumbs laid down for me to follow. My methods used against me. Too easy. Benito wants a meeting to sort this out. Under the parley terms of the commission. All above board.

I arrive back in the city and I'm only here to sort out the penthouse. I have a word with the Don and he tells me he'll get his people to fix the place up for me, beef up security. We need a new system, better than the keycard, to make sure it doesn't happen again. I can work that out before I come back here. Not sure I even want to. The place is tainted now.

I go check out the damage. I let the Don know about Harrison Kruger through Paulie. I want the Don’s approval for the marriage with Amanda, but I'll go through with it even if he refuses. Once I've killed Primo and Benito, the Don will let me have whatever I want. I'll have gotten rid of the only real rivals to his power. He'll give me a goddamned crown if I ask for it.

I go from the Don's place over to the penthouse but I make a stop on the way. I need to pick up a ring for her. I find the right one easily enough. Pale pink diamond that looks like a rose in bloom. I get it put together and then make my way to the penthouse.

The bodies are still there and I need them dealing with so I call my man in the city. Denzil. We call him the magician. He's the only person I know who can make corpses disappear. Now you see them, now you don't.

When Denzil arrives, I'm already there. His men get the bodies down in the elevator. I won't see them again. I head out and get to the meeting point but Benito isn't there. I've got my cellphone on silent so it doesn't give me away while I'm watching. A patrol car is there with cops he's got in his pocket, I've no doubt. I'm glad I stayed hidden and scoped the place out first.

It's a diner on the roadside on the way north to the coast.

The cops are trying to stay out of sight in the rear parking lot but I've spotted them easily enough. Two of them, standing by their car, clearly waiting for me to drive in. I parked up a mile away and walked the rest, moving through the scrub and staying out of sight. It's getting late and the darkness helps to hide me as I check out who's inside through the well lit windows. No Benito. I give it long enough to see if he's going to turn up before I work it out.

He's keeping me distracted while he does something else. What could that be? Only one option. He's going for Amanda. Shit. Must have worked out where my country place is. Either bugged my car or her. I should have swept both.

I try ringing Albie but the line's dead. I try his cellphone but that's dead too. I check the cameras on my cellphone. Nothing on the footage. The alarm on top of one of the walls has tripped though. My phone's still on silent. That's why it didn't get through. I better fix that for next time. If I haven't screwed up so badly there isn't a next time.

I rush back, driving fast. I get there and park up by the outer wall. I check the cameras again. An open window. Albie should have heard the alarm for that. Where the hell is he?

I circle the perimeter. One car. Maximum of five people. Benito's trying to keep the numbers down, keep off my radar. He probably thinks I'm still sitting by the diner waiting for him to turn up there. I find the ladder he's used. Foldaway. Presumably fitted in the back of the car. Hooked over the top of the wall and down the other side. Big thing. That would mean only two people and the ladder could fit in the car. My odds of success just went up, big time.

I can guess his plan. Get inside and take her hostage. Use her to goad me into the open and then take me out. Or use me and her to try and antagonize the Don into retiring. Permanently.

I was one step behind Benito but I'm catching up fast. I flatten the tires on his car before climbing over the wall. I'm not going in the front gate. He's probably got his men watching it.

On top of the wall, I look across at the house in the distance. Lights on the first floor and the second. Are they still hunting? Has she managed to find somewhere to hide?

I drop down the other side, rolling as I land so I don't take out my ankles. I move low across the grass, gun in hand, safety off. On the drive over I was furious that he'd do something like this but now I'm here all my emotions are gone. This is just another job. Two men to take out. That's all.

I get to the open window. Dining room. Opened from the inside. I roll my eyes. I should have told Amanda not to open them. This is my fault.

I climb through, gun at the ready. I'm stepping out into the corridor when I spot Benito's man. Tony the wire. He sees me and starts sprinting the other way. I'm about to go after him when I hear a scream behind me. It's Amanda's voice and she sounds terrified.

I have to choose.

I spin around and head toward the scream. It's coming from the study. I don't know for sure how Benito found out about my place but he has. He's standing in there with a gun to her head, scowling at me when I skid to a halt, noticing my own gun pointing back at him.

"Put that down," he says. "Before your lady friend gets hurt."