VINCENZO
It’s an absolutely gut-wrenching, ball-twisting, neck strangling feeling to know the love of your life is in danger. I think I knew deep down that I should have had the boys escort Jess to her home, make sure she got there and to the jet okay. But I was being foolish, not wanting to think about her, worried that the moment I saw her again, I wouldn’t have the strength to let her leave. So, like a coward, I hid in my room all day, avoiding the most annoying house guest I’ve ever had and will probably ever have again. It’s impossible to reconcile the absolute betrayal my brother has brought upon our family. His twisted brain has somehow come up with the idea that I’m in his way.
I understand feeling entitled to something that was never yours to begin with-- know the feeling all too well. I understand being trapped in an identity you didn’t earn and the pressure to meet the high expectations of our father. It’s not an easy life that we live, but I’m sure it would make it a hell of a lot easier if he learned to fucking communicate. Now all I want to do is kill him for messing with what’s mine, for betraying our family, and for making a deal with our strongest opposition.
I’m unloading the guns from my suitcase in a blur as Lee spits off words to me over the phone that I only understand partly. Carlito wants the business in exchange for Jessica Lee. If I don’t comply, she’ll be shot. I have two hours to arrive before he pulls the trigger. I can’t picture my sweet Jessica dead in some trash bag or buried like a traitor under an unmarked tree next to Sam. The thought of it repulses me, stabs daggers in my eyes and stomach so that every feeling is cut into two, doubling the horrible thoughts until I’m weighed down completely. Choking on my own subconscious.
Blondie is just watching this all go down, maybe in shock, possibly in terror, but I can barely look at him. Even he reminds me of her. It’s ridiculous to think he could care as much for her safety as I do, but he is a decent guy. Annoying, but decent. If I need to keep it light for his sake, I’ll try, but I feel as though the world is moving past me, and I’m trying to catch up with it.
We have a conversation, I know that, but I’m on autopilot. Telling him what to do and not do while sorting out the last thing Lee said to me. “You have to approach him alone, or the girl dies.” And I really can’t see past that line because it’s circling tighter around my throat like a noose, the longer I take to prepare for our encounter.
We get in the car and drive slower than I’d go if my foot was on the pedal, but I guess it’s good I’m not. All I can think about is what I’m going to do to Carlito the entire ride. It’s a fucking horror movie up in my brain. Guns, knives, torture-- it's a massacre all centered around Carlito San Giovanni. I want to take from him what he’s taken from me, hurt what he loves, and teach him a lesson he’ll never forget. Odessa will retaliate if I kill him, and my younger brother will never forgive me if he knows what I’ve done. I can’t bring myself to see the look of pain in his eyes at the hands of my vengeance.
The simmering of my thoughts makes way for the small voice of reason. I’ve been fighting it this whole car ride, ignoring the facts trying to make their way into my consciousness, and I know I can no longer ignore them. I imagine myself as Carlito— proud to be a San Giovanni growing up, believing that I would take over the family business one day. And then the memory plays as if it’s happening to me all over again. Pops sitting us all down after mum died, the look of pain in his eyes and the varied glances he gave each of us.
“Boys,” he finally said. “It’s time you know that Carlito is illegitimate.” I’m pretty sure I remember hearing our hearts beat unsteadily as we all looked at each other. Three young boys naive to the world, our closeness now being threatened by technicalities.
“Our family dealings can’t be entrusted to him, so one day, I’ll be handing the reins over to you.” He looked at me first, then briefly glanced at the other boys, solemn looks on their little faces. Too young to know how permanent death is and how painful it will always be. I could feel the weight of our family resting on my shoulders ever since, and I doubt the others will ever know what that feels like. Pops looked at me and my “legitimate” younger brothers like we were God’s gift to the mafia. But the way he looked at Carlito, it was like he was a bad reminder of the past. As if he was the reason for our mum’s death.
I feelsick thinking about the pain that must have caused him and the horrible misplaced guilt. Surely, Father couldn’t have known at such a young age that he had created the perfect recipe for a vengeful son— jealousy, embarrassment, and rage. I try to shake it and bring my brain back to the land of revenge, but I can’t because all I feel for him now is sorry for him. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still infuriated, but I can’t bring myself to not care for him. Even though he’s half, he’s still my brother. This is the true yin and yang of our current dilemma.
Perhaps what will really end this feud forever is giving him what he’s always wanted. It won’t make Jack happy, not with his boss still working alongside Odessa, but this isn’t about him. This is about my family falling apart because of Carlito’s fucked up brain. He’ll never stop coming after me or the people I love until he has what he wants.
I’m going to trade Jessica Lee for everything— the penthouse, Neptune Holdings, and ultimately, my position as the beneficiary of all family affairs. If she’s unharmed, I count it a worthy loss.
The click of Jack’s seatbelt alerts me that we’ve arrived, and I swing my arm across his chest, clutching his wrist before telling him the plan. He’s loud and annoying as usual, but he finally understands what needs to happen. I get out of the car quietly, heavy, loaded, and dangerous. I clench my fists. My body’s burning with anger so hot I don’t even notice the bitterly cold evening air in this California desert.
I hear talking coming from one of the buildings and see Carlito propped up in a window. It's difficult to understand what he’s saying, but I know it’s nothing good. I quietly walk across the center of the open building, walking straight to the open stairway, and make quiet footsteps up several flights of stairs. My feet stop me when I’m on the second level because I hear Jess whimper. I can tell she’s in pain, and I reach into my pocket. What I pull out isn’t a knife, or even a gun… its my cell phone.
I don’t use my speed dial as I promised; instead, I text Lee, “call the police, tell them who you are, tell them Carlito San Giovanni has kidnapped a woman and give them his location. No more games. He deserves to rot.” I don’t wait for a response as I quickly continue my climb, each step raising more anger in me than the last until I see a figure standing at the steps. Someone I thought to be dead. Barnes.
I clench my teeth, about to explode with the most aggression I’ve ever outpoured in one setting. Then I see her, lying on the ground, Carlito on top of her, raising an 8-inch blade ready to plunge it into her, and I lose it. Whip out the .22 hanging from the inside of my suit pocket, and shoot the knife out of his hand. It flies across the room and out the open window. The entire group rubbernecks instantly, guns already raised before they’ve seen the culprit.
Carlito starts laughing like a fucking maniac, and I want to slap that grin right off his face. I hold my gun and look at Jess as Carlito stands up. Her eyes are red, and her face is wet with tears. It infuriates me even more.
“Shut the fuck up, asshole.” I grit, and he raises his brows in amusement, clutching his stomach as if he’s had the best laugh of his life.
“Brother, I’m pretty confident this isn’t your time to do the talking.” He sneers, and I take a few steps closer to the landing.
“Barnes.” I glance over at him, and his eyes flicker with a weird sort of remorse before they return to a scowl.
“You were trusted.” I look back at the other familiar faces. “You were all trusted.” They don’t even flinch, but Carlito does. He looks a few seconds short of blowing my head off.
“Enough.” He cuts. “Do you agree to my terms?”
I glance down at Jess, and she’s gently shaking her head, but I don’t know why. She’s crazy to think I’d ever do anything less than this for her. My eyes find their way back to Carlito, who’s impatiently clicking the nails of his middle finger and thumb.
“Give me Jess first, and we can talk.” He rolls his eyes and pulls out his gun, pointing it straight at her.
“Answer the question first.” I shake with anger that he’d even dare point any weapon at her, but doing it despite my presence is disgusting. I grit my teeth before nodding.
“Oka—“ I can’t get my words out before Barnes looks down at his phone.
“Boss, someone called the cops on us. They’re headed here now.”
“What the fuck, Vince?” Fury boils over him like water in a pot, and I hear the alarming sizzle hitting the iron and flames as he cocks the gun to Jess, placing his finger on the trigger in slow motion.
I dive for her before I can think, throwing knives like a ninja at Barnes and the other two goons on the way down. There’s panic between them, buying us a couple of seconds. That’s all the time I need to scoop Jess up in my arms and sprint down the stairs as Carlito screams at the boys to move. They won’t because I strategically hit them in their spines or heads. At ground level, she’s trying to leap from my arms, and I stop for a second, looking all over her body to make sure there are no visible wounds.