The Mafiosa's Thorn

Fall

The resounding shot makes Ricardo's men look back. Eyes widen. Between the two partners, the bullet in Ricardo's quadricep was the quickest. The next shot comes from Ricardo's gun. Thanks to the pain, the bullet misses Alejandro's heart.

He wrestles for Ricardo's gun. Banging it against the wall. The men go to shoot the traitor down, but quick feet rush in. Well placed shots to the heads by Luis, Miguel and Diego end their lives.

Ricardo fights for control, trying to aim at Miguel. Alejandro pulls the barrel up and empties the bullets into the ceiling. He slugs his partner in the face with a left hand, before throwing him to the wolves.

The feeling of betrayal fills up his eyes. The trio waits for someone.

Click. Click. 

Her heels click on the wooden floor. Fear and anger wrestle in his heart. The smell of her vanilla perfume almost eats away at the smell of blood. 

"The bullet passed through," her voice haunts the rat.

The eyes of her lover widen. Diego hands him a med-kit and Miguel goes right to work. He cleans up the blood that came from the wound in her shoulder. Some of it had already stained the sleeveless dark green pencil hem dress. 

She stifles a wince from the antiseptic being padded in. After applying a bandage on both sides, she rewards him with a passionate kiss. He pulls her in by the small of her back before she breaks it.

Freezing emeralds glare at the traitor that's on the floor.

"Alejandro! You fuckin' rat!" Richie yells.

"So, now you understand how I feel," Bianca spits with venom.

Luis cracks Richie across the face with his gun. "How could you?! After what she did for us!"

He spits out blood to the side.

Her Colt M1911 cocks against the forehead of the rat. Beads of sweat travel down.

"You have gotten so far, Richie. Got some of my closest people killed, took advantage of information. Look at where it led you."

She smacks his head with her pistol repeatedly. Heavy breaths escape her lips.

"You haven't weakened me. You infuriated me. Hurting my family was the worst mistake of your pathetic life. You could have manned up and told me how you felt. You thought that taking over my role would change anything?"

She crouches down to his eye level. Burning him with that glare.

"Fear would only get you so far. Respect is what people love about me. It gave me connections where they will gladly fight for me. Even after my death. They would have rebelled against you the moment the truth slipped out."

Hopelessness almost settles into his distant eyes.

She clicks the safety off. Index finger on the trigger. Barrel aimed at his right eye. She glances back at Miguel. He takes out his brown pistol, aiming for the left eye.

Both sets of eyes preparing him for the hell that's awaiting the disloyal pest. Miguel lets Bianca go first.

The first bullet went through his right eye, ending his life. Gray matter splatters behind him. Miguel and Bianca empty their magazines into the rat for all the trouble he gave them. 

Images of Tomasso and his family flood her mind. The thought of her daughter in that man's clutches has her reloading to empty another magazine. His face becomes unrecognizable. She keeps pulling the trigger of the empty gun.

Soft hands on her waist brings her back.

"It's done, mi amor."

A soft peck on her cheek has her smiling at him. "It's not over yet. Xianmao is next."

"You're right."

"But first..." She turns to Alejandro with that nasty stare. "Wait for me downstairs."

El Segador nods with Diego and Luis following after him. Alejandro doesn't fight the fate she has in store for him. He had sinned against the Petali Organization. She waits several minutes.

The harshest minutes of his life. He sees her reloading her seven-round pistol....before putting it away in her miniature Gucci handbag.

She crosses her arms. Her eyebrows narrow together. "I will prepare judgment. Why did you help me?"

He adjusts his baseball cap. "I remembered what Signor Petali did for us. How I swore to him that I would protect his family if anything happened to him. I lost sight of that when it came to the money. I wanted to make things right before you killed me. Just don't hurt my boy."

"Does he still live in NY?"

That curveball question catches him off guard. But he answers right away. "No, he recently moved to Florida."

She stomps her heel into the wooden floor. "Because you have sinned against me...and also redeemed yourself, I banish you and Ai from New York and New Jersey."

A heavy sigh of relief escapes his lips. He keeps himself silent.

"If there's even a whiff of you in either state, I will have you snuffed out of existence. This is my final judgment for you. Get Ai to leave with you by the end of this week. Also, text me who else is on Richie's side. Text me when it's done."

Her sparing his life moves him to tears. A great first mercy extended by Signora Orchidea.

He nods before thanking her with his eyes. She messages Miguel to let Alejandro go. She walks away with the thought of her daughter's wellbeing on her mind. A heart unburdened by the death of the rat.

She meets up with Miguel and Diego downstairs, ready to leave. The clerk recognizes the true owner of the hotel and bows to her.

"Did you have a pleasant stay, madam?"

"I did. Make sure to bill me for the cleaning expenses. It was a lot of vermin up there."

"I understand."

Miguel wraps an arm around Bianca's waist. She leans on his shoulder as they exit the premises.

Diego leads Luis in the passenger seat to his apartment. The descending sun dazzles on the NJ waters.

Miguel's soft fingers brush through his future wife's silky hair while monitoring her condition. Her eyes stare into the distance. She wonders how to start the conversation with her child that she hasn't seen since that night.

She grips Miguel's arm as an anchor to keep her mind steady. He holds her close, careful not to clutch her against his damaged rib. Her phone lights up with all the information needed by Alejandro. He promised to leave with Ai right away.

She sends the info out to her trusted men who are excited to clean the streets to avenge her honor.

The armored limo stops at the apartment. She texts Marco who gives her the apartment number. She gets out, but her feet are glued to the sidewalk.

Miguel's soft caress on her waist startles her. "Sorry. Are you okay, mi amor?"

She forces a smile. "I will be. Stay here. I'm going to have a long talk with her."

He cups her face before kissing those plump lips. He allows her to turn him against the limo. She plunges her tongue inside his mouth while grazing his neck tattoo with a finger.

Diego looks away. "So...this is a usual thing?"

"It is," Luis responds. "They both deserve happiness."

Miguel's hands grab her covered ass cheeks. Fondling them with care.

She breaks the kiss with a heavy breath. "Thanks. Now, be a good boy and stay."

He chuckles. "As you wish."

Bianca Petali finds the strength to enter the apartment complex. As she goes up the elevator, she imagines Isabella being happy that she found love again. And how she will be a big sister to the siblings they will adopt for her.

Her finger buzzes the doorbell. Marco opens the door and lets her in.