“Raphael, we’ll get her back,” he said.
“Three hours ago. This is what happened. How do you expect me to get her back? He’s killed her. What the fuck is Gino doing here? Is my dad using him now? What the fuck is all that?”
“I don’t know, Raphael. I don’t. There have been rumors but whenever I talked to Romeo, he said they were all false.”
“What the fuck are you saying?”
“Rumor is, Romeo doesn’t have the power or any way to hold his position. They believe Gino is calling the shots but I haven’t been able to find anything solid.”
Raphael stared at the frozen screen. He was going to kill his uncle, there was no doubt about it. Pulling out his cell phone, he called the capo. “I don’t care who you’ve got on our side, it doesn’t matter. I’m killing Gino Giavanni today and taking power from my father.” He hung up the cell and left Timothy’s house.
Antonio grabbed him and Raphael slammed his fist against his face. “Do not fucking touch me.”
“I will let that one slide because you’re clearly not in a good place right now.”
“No? I wonder what makes you think that?” He went to his car.
“I can get you in,” Antonio said. “You’re going to need to go to my car. I can drive you right up to the front door. I will loosen the seat so you can sneak out.”
“Why would you help me? You were willing to kill me.”
“You didn’t lie. You’re my friend. Whatever the fuck is going on with Romeo, I no longer give a fuck. He has used me for the last time. I will put you on that seat and you will grant me my freedom. I won’t be owned anymore.”
“Deal,” he said. Raphael grabbed out several guns. “If you betray me, I will make sure Ellie suffers.”
Antonio gritted his teeth. “Our boundary of friendship is being tested to the limit.”
“Don’t give a fuck. Take the deal or piss off. That’s really all there is to say about it.” He opened up Antonio’s trunk, threw his weapons inside, and climbed in.
Antonio true to his word, unhooked the seat and Raphael held it so it didn’t slide back into place.
He’d hated cars with adjustable seats, and now he was thankful for them.
With Antonio taking the wheel, they left Timothy’s house and drove toward his father’s. He couldn’t stop replaying the image of Elenore being beaten, of his uncle even touching her. He was going to chop off that son of a bitch’s hands, then he’d take care of the man’s dick.
Piece by piece, he was going to make him pay. There was no way he was going to live with what he’d done.
The ride seemed to take forever. He was tempted to order Antonio to drive faster.
“We’re here,” he said, bringing the car to a stop. “I see three guards. There will be more around the perimeter. I’m going to head in. I’ll take as many as I can. You will have to sneak in.”
“Don’t worry. I intend to make an entrance.”
“Give me ten minutes,” Antonio said.
Checking the time, Raphael knew if his friend needed ten minutes, he’d wait. It would give him a bigger chance of surviving. The clock ticked by. The hands not moving fast enough for him. It only served to piss him off.
He wanted this to be over with. If Elenore was dead, he would take out his uncle, his father, and join her. He had no interest in living in a world without his woman. She was his everything and now, his biggest mistake was never telling her he loved her. If she was alive, he’d tell her every single chance he got.
The hand struck the ten-minute mark, and he climbed out of the car, moved to the front, and saw Antonio had left the keys in the ignition. The men were standing there, guns at their sides, enjoying a smoke.
As he turned over the ignition, the sound drew their attention. Pressing his foot on the gas, he charged at them, driving into each of them. None of them would survive and he slammed the car through the house. The impact knocked the wind right out of him, but he laughed, coming to a stop.
After climbing out of the car, he grabbed the guns he’d packed, turning off the safety.
Guards came out of his father’s office. He shot each one, advancing into the room in time to see Timothy strung up by his hands and neck, precariously balanced on a stool. His face was a bruised mess.
Three more guards stood there, guns poised, ready to take him out.
Elenore was strapped to the desk, naked, bleeding. It looked like she’d been whipped. Blood coated her back and thighs.
Entering the office, he noticed Gino was the one standing there and it looked like he was about to open his pants as if to rape her. “Raphael, I’m surprised you’ve decided to join us. Look who is here, Romeo. Your son is finally here.”