The Mafia Killer’s Wife by Rosa Milano

Thirty-Two

Ethan

There're alarms going off all over the place. I haven't heard this many since I last tested the system. I have a ring of defenses around my place, starting five miles out. That gives me a warning that something is coming for me.

The road that leads to my place doesn't go anywhere else. It was a logging road about a hundred years ago but it's been a long time since there's been any lumberjacks out this way. When I inherited the place, the house needed some work and so did the surrounding land.

As part of the work I set up alarm systems that would let me know of any vehicles coming along the road. A couple of times I've seen lost tourists but they turn themselves around way before they reach the track that turns to my house. It just looks as if the dirt road ends by a thick collection of old dead pine trees, completely impassible by car. A dead end.

If you know where to look, there's a turn off that seems to go nowhere. The bushes grow thick to the edge of the track and it's only me and my staff that come down here. So when I get the pings going off, I check my cameras and see at once that it's not a tourist. It's a car I recognize. I've seen it before, outside Amanda's place. It's her father's car.

It doesn't take long for me to work out what's happened. She's gone home sobbing about what a cruel and mean bastard I am. Maybe thrown in a few lies about me beating her or something like that. Get her father riled up. Add in the fact that I killed Benito. Her father gets on the phone to Don Mancini, gets the go ahead to come and whack me. He won't be alone in the car. He'll be bringing a crew with him.

Women are trouble. I forgot that simple fact. I shouldn't get involved with them. Especially ones that are connected to the Mancini family, no matter how remotely. Should never have gotten involved with Amanda.

Because I thought with my dick instead of my head there's only two options now. One, I end up killing her father. Two, him and his crew end up killing me. Someone makes their bones by taking out the Gianni enforcer, and I end up nothing more than an anecdote at Christmas parties.

I'm going with option one. I don't want to kill Victor Davis. It'll only make Amanda hate me more and she hates me plenty already. Not that I'm going to be able to fix that after tonight. No coming back from whacking her pop.

Fuck you, Ethan. That's what she wrote in her message. I've no doubt she meant it.

Shouldn't have got myself involved with her in the first place. One thing for sure, I won't be doing it again. Go back to being the lone wolf I'm meant to be.

She's at her place with her feet up and I'm about to go to battle. Part of me is glad they got here so fast. I hate the waiting part.

The car's past the second perimeter. I've only got a couple of minutes to make a decision. I march into my study. The books she was reading are still piled up by the window. I get a flash of her sitting there studying, and I shake it away. Now's not the time to be thinking anything about her. I've got a job to do.

I pull open the top drawer and slide the shelf back to reveal the buttons underneath. The laptop is open and I can see the car getting closer. I could end this in one go. Maybe that's the way to do it. Get the car dealt with and then go straight for Mancini before he finds out what happened here. Take him by surprise.

There's a button at the top, bright red. One touch of that and this is over, but not yet. The car's reached the dead pile of wood and is turning straight away onto the hidden track.

I'm furious with Amanda. She was clearly paying attention when Albie drove her back into town. Told Victor exactly how to get back here. She doesn't know about the wrought-iron gate at the end of the track though. It was open when she left. It isn't now.

I need the car to reach the main gate. When it stops and they try to work out how to get through, that's when I hit the button. The explosives blow. The car burns and so do the occupants. Problem solved.

Of course, they might stop before the gate, but I'll be ready if they do. I've got enough traps in this place to make the penthouse look like a jungle gym. I've not stayed alive this long by getting complacent.

My finger hovers over the button. The car is slowing at the gate, stopping. The driver's door is opening. Now is the time.

I lean toward the button, getting ready to hit it. There's enough C4 wired out there to make sure all that remains will be a spray of red mist and a few chunks of metal. It'll be like the occupants of the car never existed. One touch of the button and they're gone.

I go to hit it but something stops me. I don't know what it is. A voice in the back of my mind maybe? A feeling in my gut? Whatever it is, I pause for just long enough for the driver's door to open fully.

A figure is stepping out and I almost throw up when I see who is standing there in front of the gate. It's not Victor. It's not a crew. It's her. It's Amanda. She's pressing the intercom and her voice comes through the laptop loud and clear. "Ethan, it's me. Are you there?"

I move my hand away from the button, my balls shrinking into my body as I think about how close I just came to blowing her away. If it wasn't for that moment of doubt, I wouldn't even have known it was her. I'd have just annihilated the car and never found out what happened to her until it was far too late.

I speak into the intercom on the edge of the desk. "Why are you here?"

"You've got to hide. My dad's coming to kill you."