Desire Me

33- Make Him Pay

Just as Lucy and I prepare to curl back under the covers and sleep, and fuck, the day away, my phone rings. My work phone.

Now that my father is unable to continue as Capo, the title has fallen to me. It has to. It's in my blood, it's my birthright, and it's my responsibility.

I haven't told Lucy yet. I hope I never have to admit the reality that I'm now Capo, but I know that's just wishful thinking.

"I have to take this," I say apologetically as I give Lucy a little kiss on the forehead.

"I understand." She says with a warm smile which tells me she really does understand.

Feeling better, I grab my phone and stalk out into the living room.

"Sì." I say down the phone once I see it's Marco.

"Boss," he begins, his voice is laboured and distressed, "I'm at the hospital."

"What!" I practically explode.

"It's your sister, it's Sophia. She's been shot."

I feel the ground spinning around but I can't move. I take a few hard breaths to ground myself before speaking.

"I'll be right there."

I hang up and instantly walk back into the bedroom where I pick my shirt up off the floor and begin buttoning it.

"I have to go." I say, clenching my jaw in anger and fear.

"Oh," Lucy says. I can tell she's disappointed.

"I'm sorry, it's an emergency."

"Of course." She gets off the bed to hand me my belt, "I understand that you have to step up now, for your dad."

I nod, but I can't let my gaze meet her eyes because I know my expression will betray me.

Giving me a soft kiss on the cheek, Lucy smiles up at me.

"I love you." She murmurs, "be safe."

"Meet me at the restaurant we went to for our first date at 8, I'll meet you there."

"I'll be there." She says, beaming up at me.

"I love you." I say, kissing her forehead, "I'll see you soon."

As soon as I walk from the apartment, it's as if Enzo is gone. I'm now the Capo, Mr Russo, the killer and the leader.

I race down the streets in my car, practically flying to the hospital as thoughts of Sophia slam into my mind.

The journey takes less than half the time it should and before I know it, I'm slamming my palms into the front desk roaring Sophia's name.

Marco is standing outside her darkened hospital door, his eyes murderous and dark. When he sees me coming, his demeanour shifts. He nods his head at me and for a minute I don't understand why, then I remember. We are no longer foot soldiers, no longer right hand men, I am the Capo and he is my subordinate.

Pushing open the door, I see my mother and father holding her hand with Marco's shadow following me into the room.

"What happened?" I demand.

Marco speaks first, "Angelo."

His voice is grim and dark, as dark as my heart. That man has tormented my father's reign and now it seems he is determined to do the same to mine.

"How bad is it?" I ask, staring at my sleeping baby sister.

"She'll be fine now, son." My father reassures, "one through the shoulder, on through the thigh."

"How come they didn't aim for internal organs?" I demand, you don't waste a shot at a Russo, you shoot to kill.

"Her guard, Alex, through his body over hers. He's out of surgery now and in intensive care." Marco explains.

Sophia stirs, making every eye in the room land on her.

"A-Alex." She mutters, "Alex... Al-Alex."

She drifts back off into a land of pain meds without even opening her eyes, but I know one thing. Alex will be rewarded for what he did today.

Pulling up a chai beside the bed, my hand lands on the gun at my hip instinctively before I give Marco a nod that I'm armed.

"Wait, if Alex was injured, how did help arrive?" I ask, knowing my sister that it was unlikely that she was where she should be.

She favours long hikes with Alex where no one is around for miles over almost anything else, except maybe shopping.

Marco looks at me, his gaze impossible to read.

"An anonymous call." He replies, "came straight to my phone with coordinates and a warning to go there."

"And what are you doing with that?" I reply, more harshly than I intended.

"Well we're trying to trace it but it's looking like the call has been diverted to six different servers to protect the callers location. That and whoever it was used voice software."

"So what, we're meant to just assume it was a kindly passing stranger?" I spit out, feeling blood pounding in my head.

"Right now, I think so." Marco replies and my father nods his head.

"We have bigger problems now son," my father begins, "Angelo wants to send a message, a warning and it can't be a coincidence it happens the day after I step down as capo."

My mother shakes her head, closes her eyes before pressing her head down onto Sophia's hand.

"Angelo is testing what kind of man you are, Enzo, you need to show him, tonight."

Nodding my head in agreement, I motion with my head for Marco to follow me outside.

"We hit his drug shipment for the week, now." I begin, "gather the men, we're leaving in ten."

"Yes boss." Marco nods his head in agreement before pulling the gun out for his shoe, checks the magazine and places it behind his back, tucked into his belt.

"Let's make the motherfucker pay."