Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 88326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Wolfe slowed the vehicle and pulled over to the shoulder of the road. He took the phone from my hand and held it in front of him. “What are you talking about, Don?”
“Wolfe, glad you’re alright.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Wolfe said quickly. “What’s happened?”
“I just got word that Icarus hit headquarters while we came here. The men are inside. My wife and daughters are upstairs. They know what to do until I get there, but they only have a couple hours at most.” His family was compromised, but he continued to keep speaking calmly and rationally.
These men were made of something else.
Wolfe released a sigh. “This was his plan all along.”
“Yes.”
Wolfe worked his jaw as he stared straight ahead. “Then we hit him now.”
“He’ll expect it.”
“We don’t have a choice. If we don’t take it back now, we never will. And we aren’t going to abandon your family.”
Don Russo didn’t say anything to that.
“We’re going to get them back,” he said gently.
Don Russo continued to hold his silence.
“And we’re going to kill this asshole while we’re at it.”
24
WOLFE
I pulled over at the rendezvous point, a forgotten road in a field with a decrepit house on its last leg.
I left the car and joined Don Russo in the street. All the other men were there, their vehicles damaged from the gunfire we’d just taken. Francesca’s men were there too, and Leo immediately headed over to them.
When I walked up to Don Russo, Francesca came with me and stood at my side. “We should divide our forces. We hit him from the front, right through the gate, while the others sneak in at the back through the garden. Unless they have a snitch inside, they won’t know about the path through the garden.”
“It’s a single-file line through the passage.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I said. “We’ll have the element of surprise. Have you spoken to Rosaria?”
He nodded. “They’re in the panic room.”
“How long will that hold up?”
“A couple hours. She can see the cameras and says they’re everywhere. She’s not sure if they’re aware of her.”
“Then that buys her even more time.”
“She says Icarus has killed most of our men who were there…”
I could see the pain on Don Russo’s face. I wasn’t sure how to comfort him. “Then we avenge them.”
He looked away and crossed his arms over his chest. “He got us good, Wolfe.”
I was a difficult man to outsmart, but Icarus had completely stumped me. He’d never intended to let me die. He respected me too much, and I should have seen right through that. It was a distraction on top of a distraction, all to gain access to headquarters. “I’m sorry.”
“We played right into his hands, didn’t we?”
I nodded because it was the cold hard truth.
“If my family makes it out alive, then I’m glad we saved you. But if they don’t…I’ll regret this for the rest of my life.”
I didn’t take any offense to that at all. Not when I would have felt the same if this were Francesca. “We aren’t going to let anything happen to Rosaria and the girls. We’re going to show that asshole what happens when you fuck with Cosa Nostra.”
“Then we’ll divide into teams. You take the front, and I’ll take the back.”
I nodded. “He’s more likely to come out and play if I show up.”
“Let’s head out.” Don Russo turned away and started to orchestrate with the other men.
I turned back to Francesca. “Take my Range Rover and head back to the vineyard. I’ll let you know when it’s done.”
“Excuse me?” Dirt was caked on her clothes, her hands, and her arms. There was even a little bit on her cheeks. “I’m not going to go home and sit on my hands.”
“You can go to the Palermo house, then. I’ll give you my key.”
Her eyebrows furrowed even more. “That asshole buried you alive. I want his head on a fucking platter. I want to shoot him to pieces until he’s fucking mush. I want that asshole to pay in this life and the next and then the next.”
I loved it when the Mafia side of her came out. She was sooo fucking hot. I’d lain there in that coffin and dozed off because I knew she would figure out a way to get me out of there. I wasn’t the least bit worried at all. I hadn’t slept well the night before, so I took a nice nap. When I woke up to the sound of gunshots, I knew she was there. I felt the dirt shift as it was lifted from the coffin. Sounds from the outside world became more audible the more of it was removed. I was pretty certain I heard Francesca’s voice when she yelled at Leo for something.
The pride I felt…was indescribable.
That woman was made for me. Fearless and feisty and no-nonsense…and she was my wife.