Page 91 of Niccolaio Andretti (The Five Syndicates)
“My safe house.”
“I thought we were just at your safe house.”
“That was Vincent’s. This is mine.”
And it was always meant to be a last resort, but I suppose my life has reached that point. In fact, I’m surprised it hasn’t come sooner.
Minka takes her stuff from my arms and sets it down on the floor by the entrance. She turns to face me. “What are you going to do now?”
“I’m going to find the person who sent David after us, and I’m going to take care of him.”
“It wasn’t your brother?”
“No. Only one person knew about that safe house.”
“Who?”
I release an unsteady breath. “Vincent Romano.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Forgiveness is not an occasional
act. It is a constant attitude.
Martin Luther King Jr.
The street is ominously silent as I park my car in front of Vincent’s brownstone. I reach behind me and grab my go bag, sifting through it for the plastic canister I’m looking for. When I find it, I slide it between my sleeve and the inside of my forearm, hiding the extra bulk with another coat, thankful that it’s appropriate for the weather.
It’s one of those odd summer days, where it’s hot as balls, but it still looks like it’s going to storm. I suspect that it’s going to happen sometime tonight or early tomorrow, and the thought excites me. I’ve always been a dramatic fuck, and I can’t think of better weather than one that matches the storm brewing inside of me.
I knock on the door, and after a brief moment, it opens. “Sergio,” I greet, slapping the guard on the back, schooling my features so everything appears normal.
“Everything good, bro?” he asks, ma
king a gesture for me to spread my arms and legs.
I hand him my guns first before spreading my arms and legs, grateful I paid a little extra for a plastic canister of the sleeping gas. As he runs the metal detector across my body, I say, “Not really, man. Safe house was just breached.”
“Asking Vince for another?” he asks.
“Yeah. Is he here?”
Serg nods and leads me to Vincent’s office, where he leaves me with a “he’ll be down in a moment.”
I nod my head, and as soon as he’s gone, I grab the canister and unlock it, placing it into the air vent at the top. I inject myself with the counteragent as the sleeping gas makes it’s way through the house, and I hear the thud of Serg’s body dropping from his guarding post outside of the door.
I wait another minute before I leave. I grab a few zip ties from Sergio’s back pocket, where I know every Romano guard keeps a few, and tie him and the nearby guards up in case they come to before I’m done with everyone else.
I do the same with the men around the house before I reach Vincent. I carry him over my shoulder, fireman style, and haul him into the dining room, where I’ve gathered the rest of his men and lined the twelve of them up in a row against the wall.
Vincent’s guards wake up before he does, and I can feel Serg’s betrayed glare on the side of my face. I shut it out, letting my anger fester. I barely even know the guy. I’ve only talked to him when I needed to see Vincent, and that’s it.
But still… the betrayal bothers me, and I can’t help but remind myself that at least Minka trusts me, and I care a hell of a lot more about her opinion than Serg’s.
Still, I say, “He gave out the location of the safe house.”
A glare still in his eyes, Serg says, “You know he didn’t.”
