Chapter One
Gun Safety
Iacopo
My gun is pointed at the face of a man, until today, I loved more than my own flesh and blood. He was more than a brother to me.
Soon he will be dead. And I will be his judge, jury, and executioner.
“Please,” George says, his hands raised. “I didn’t mean to take so much.”
I take the safety off of my gun. “George, I wanted to believe that you were an honest man far longer than I should have. I didn’t want to believe the evidence, but there was just so much of it.”
“Please, I’ll do anything!” George is shaking. I can smell the scent of his fear. He’s wet his pants like a toddler failing the first day of potty training.
“You have nothing to bargain with.” I look through the sight of my gun.
“I have a family.”
I put the safety back on so that I can laugh without accidentally shooting him. Once it clicks into place, I let out a good belly laugh.
“You have a daughter, Kelly, whom you barely see and barely tolerate. You make her work, and she’s only a college student. Your wife left you for a handsomer man ten years ago. She’s a golddigger who needed more than you could provide. You don’t have a family.”
George’s forehead is covered in sweat. His hands are shaking like he has palsy. “I will give you anything you want. Just please, put the gun away.”
“Like I said, there’s nothing you can give me. I have shared everything with you since we were kids. Your parents neglected you. My mother took you in and treated you like one of her own children. And this is how we’re repaid? Years of stealing from my bank accounts? If you needed money, all you had to do was ask. But stealing is another matter. You cannot steal from the Genovese family and live. It sets a bad example.” I take the safety off. “Make your peace with God, George.”
“Please let me say goodbye to my daughter,” he begs. His hand sneaks towards his pocket.
“Move very slowly, George, or my trigger finger might slip.”
His hand moves slowly towards his pocket. He pulls out his phone. He’s touching the screen now. I can see that he’s pulling up his call history. It takes a while before he finds Kelly’s name.
“Put it on speaker.”
He swallows hard, but he does as I request.
Ring.