I don’t have the strength to go on, but I have to pull my strength from Sal for now as I can’t be weak in front of my men or his.
My men. The gravity of the situation will have to wait for another day. We sped through the mountains to track down my brothers and rescue Sofia before it’s too late.
I’m thinking I’m so glad I didn’t go this alone and that my brother probably has some nasty surprises in store for me but Sal has my back. I’m about to be overcome with emotion knowing his family is helping me fight my battle but I stifle it.
No tear will escape my eyes today. I can’t remember the last time I allowed myself to cry, but Sal moves me with his loyalty when he owes me nothing.
“It disgusts me to call you brothers,” I announce taking my stand to shoot, we’re all ready to pop anyone that gets out of line or trigger happy.
“Sister, you are just in time,” his raspy voice is not unlike my Dad’s. “You want a cut of the profits before we leave town?” Mario has gained weight and I doubt he can run far. His eyes are bulging from too much liquor so his reflexes will be slower than ours. Still, he’s no less of a monster.
“Put that down and walk away,” I hold my gun on him, but he doesn’t care.
“Like you can shoot me,” he chuckles.
“Face it. You’re ruined. We intercepted your trucks; we’ve stolen your shipment and we rescued Angelo.”
“Bravo, little sister,” Fausto laughs as he drains the cognac from the tulip glass, he slams hard into the table causing it to shatter in his drunken state.
My nerves are jittery and Sal senses this and moves in close behind me, his body touching mine. I need this man who has my back, he’s done nothing to cause me to not trust him and everything to prove to me that he loves me.
We’ve been together night and day for over two-weeks, and we are in synch so much it scares me and I’m always sexually excited around him.
“Relax little sister, I have what you want right here,” and as he bends behind the desk Sofia materializes in front of our eyes.
Sal and I prepare to shoot but the sight of Sofia disarms me momentarily. She is bound and gagged.
Her dark hair is dirty and stringy. The dark bags under her eyes extend into her once beautiful cheekbones. She’s lost weight and I hope she was only a hostage and not made to work in the brothels. Or worse.
“I think we can let bygones be bygones. No?” as he holds his gun on Sofia and Fausto stuffs the rest of the cash in a second leather duffle bag.
Fuck.
Fuck this. I think I can take Mario, double tap to the head but I still have Fausto next to him that would hit me unless Sal and I take them bough out at the same time.
“Just let her go, we’ll let you leave, peacefully,” I stand at the ready.
“That would be too easy little sister. No doubt there are men crawling all over, I need a guarantee to escape safely.”
“You’re using a human shield. You are such a coward!” I shout.
“Well, maybe, but we’re getting out alive, back away from the door.”
“No,” I stand my ground.
I hear a bang and piercing pain in my left shoulder as the impact of a bullet sends me staggering backwards into Sal who catches me.
Matteo is our last line of defense.
“Let them leave,” Sal says as he lowers me to the floor and and Matteo holds his gun on my brothers as they disappear into the night with Sofia.
“Sofi . . we should have shot them first,” I gasp as Sal takes off his vest, then his shirt, ripping it into pieces and balling it up to plug my shoulder. I’ve been hit as the bullet narrowly missed my vest.
“Thankfully, he shot you high, and not near your heart.”
“Oh, so you know this?” I joke.
“We need to be sure; I’ll call a doctor we know down here. You need to go now,” and I somewhat pass out as Matteo is talking into his earpiece.