Omerta

Chapter 82

         It had all happened so fast. First Nick and I were having sex, lost in each other, ignoring the phone calls that were coming in on both our cell phones. Then it was the heavy banging on the doors, the opening of the door to reveal who was in the hall, and the backlash of all our anger clashing together all at once.

Giuseppe was furious that Nick ignored his warning to stay away from me. He was furious that I was still with his son. He was furious that I didn't speak to him with respect. He was hell bent on keeping us apart and keeping me docile. 

Only none of that happened. 

My uncle was embarrassed, Dom was reluctant, and Nick and I were mad that we were still dealing with them in our business. Telling us who we can and can't see. Like they own us.

 All in the name of business.

 Well, things finally came to blow and when Giuseppe launched himself at me and knocked us over the broken glass it sent Nick into a full blown spiral.

        Nicolas Luciano grabbed Giuseppe Luciano and tossed his clean across the room. And when Giuseppe tumbled across, Nick rushed right behind him and started kicking him wherever his foot would land next, and next again. Then Nicolas was mounting his father, using hard angry fists to scream all the words his mouths couldn't fully form. 

But he did shout too. He shouted that he'd kill him. He shouted in defense to what his father called me and how his father put his hands on me. And then he pulled a gun.

        I've seen Nick withdraw his gun on more than one occasion, and he always does so so gracefully as if it were second nature to him. I've seen him pull it on the first man I ever witnessed him murder when he put a clip into the man's chest. I watched him pull the gun on the man in the kitchen when I called out his bad boy act. 

I've watched him pull it on the mustache man when he started shooting at me at the race tracks. And I'm watching it now as he presses the barrel to his own fathers forehead.

Everything went still for a split second. Giuseppe was shocked for a single moment that he might be pinned down by his favorite son and threatened this way. The glimpse of his angry pathetic life passed through his eyes and he held doubt for a single second on whether Nicolas would actually pull the trigger.

        Giuseppe had taught his son, and his son had taught me. You're always either the one facing the end of the barrel or pulling the trigger. I doubt Luciano has ever been this close to the end of a barrel because he's used to being the man at the trigger. 

This was the end of an era here. This is the moment Nicolas Luciano takes full power as the Mob boss of the Italian Mafia.

Nick's eyes were wild in his head, but his hand was completely steady. His chest moved rapidly to intake air, but stood proud and firm with his fixed broad shoulders. He stayed mounted above the man who taught him everything he knew, and used his learning against his teacher.

 Giuseppe was at his son's mercy and he hated it. All that dark ink stained on Nick's skin like a shadow. His set jaw, his devoid eyes. Nick didn't need to be the Reaper to show death to a man, and Giuseppe Luciano saw it. He saw Death standing right above him.

        "NICK! NO!" I screamed in the single second of stillness and silence before all the rest of it swarmed back in. The shouting, the scurrying around of all of us trying to stop this one way or another, and the heaving breathing of both father and son.

When I shouted Nick's eyes surfaced from that void place and he blinked. He blinked and looked down at his father, his boss, his leader beneath him and he gave him one last hard stare before withdrawing the barrel from his head.