Possessed by the Killer (Dark Possessive Mafia)

“I’m fine,” I barked at him and pushed him back to the group of victims. “Go help them. Call a fucking ambulance. God damn it.” I turned back to Mags and knelt down. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” she said, blinking rapidly. “What the hell happened?”

“Drive-by,” I said, jaw clenched. “After fucking church. Lowlife pieces of shit.”

“How?” she asked. “Why?”

I helped her to her feet. “We have to go,” I said. “They might be back.”

“What about them?” She pointed at the people on the sidewalk. An old woman bled from her ankle. A young man had several holes in his chest. He was no older than twenty at most. I didn’t know him, which meant he wasn’t in the family.

“Curt and Ronnie will help,” I said. “We have to go.”

She wanted to argue, but I dragged her away. My pulse rocketed in my chest and my hands shook, half from the adrenaline of survival, and half from the utter, uncontrollable rage that rolled down my spine.

Attacked me on a Sunday as I came out of church, and shot bystanders to do it. That was as bad as it got, and I knew who was responsible. The fucking Healy family didn’t give a damn about the church or about truces, all they cared about was winning this war and killing me.

No matter how many people got hurt in the process.

I put the car in drive and got away from there, cursing the whole time as we went.

10

Mags

“Somebody’s got to die for this,” Dean said, slamming his fist against the wall.

His living room was packed with mafia guys. My uncle sat in the far corner with Hector. Bea busied herself bringing snacks and drinks. Gian paced back and forth behind the couch, while several other Capos lounged around, sipping whiskey and looking pissed.

“We can’t jump into anything right away, boss,” one of the Capos said, a big guy with a broken nose and a wide gut named Alfie. “I think it was the Healy scum too but you don’t know.”

“A boy died,” Dean said through clenched teeth. “He was twenty. Wanted to become a dentist. Fucking twenty years old.”

Alfie shook his head. “Tragedy, boss. And that old lady? Might lose her leg? Tragedy.”

“I agree that someone has to die,” Matteo said, glaring at Alfie. “This family’s been too slow to get retribution in recent years. I have a feeling it’s because some of us are more interested in eating and drinking and fucking than they are in fighting.”

“You want to come say that to me right now, you little fuck?” Alfie said, struggling to his feet.

“Sit down before you have a heart attack, Alfie,” Dean snapped. He ruffled his hair and glanced in my direction. I felt out of place and awkward in the room packed with mafia men, but Dean kept looking at me like he wanted me to give him my opinion. I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut.

I kept glancing over toward my uncle though. He didn’t seem angry about any of this, and I kept thinking about that conversation with Father Giovanni. I knew my uncle well, and he didn’t do anything without some ulterior motive. If he told the Father that they wouldn’t use the church anymore, then he had some other plan in mind.

“We don’t know who did it yet,” Gian said. “I agree it was probably the Healys, but we don’t know that.”

“Who the fuck else would it be?” Matteo asked.

“We’re the Valentino family,” Gian said, shaking his head. “We have enemies all over this city. You think the Healys are the only ones that want to hit us while we’re going through a leadership change?”

“Enough,” Dean said, holding up his hands “Gian, Lorenzo, find out who did it. I want names and addresses. Alfie, you go to Father Giovanni and find out what he needs to make things right with the families of the victims.”

“Sure thing, boss,” Alfie said.

“Matteo, you get together a crew. When the time’s right, you’ll get your fight.” Dean paced again, hands behind his back. “I understand this is a precarious position, but we need to hit back and hit back hard. We have to show that the new Don cannot be fucked with, that the Valentino family is still strong.”

“We’re with you,” Gian said.

“Good,” Dean said, nodding at him. “Go now and get started. I wanted answers in a day.”

Gian nodded and left with Lorenzo in his tail. Matteo got up and followed, and Alfie went last, looking strangely smug like he’d won some battle. Dean dismissed the other Capos one at a time, giving them minor orders, until there was only Hector, Uncle Roy, Dean, and myself left.

Bea appeared and sat down with a sigh, picked up one of the half-finished whiskey glasses and polished it off.

Dean rubbed his face with both hands. “The fucking church,” he said.