#5 Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY
Gabe
At eight we step through a warehouse door into a large storage facility on the other side of the docks.
I’m with Charlotte. It’s just the two of us who walk in but I have backup, and I didn’t travel light.
Charlotte and I enter and my eyes land on the motherfucker Tobias ahead of us, sitting on a chair like it’s his throne.
He’s not sitting the way a king would though, he’s sitting with one leg hooked over the arm and the other dangling in front of him, lazy and carefree.
The smile on his face when he sees me is the kind you greet an old friend with, except he has a fucking feral look in his eyes.
I know we were being watched too. Same as Charlotte said earlier.
It’s taking everything in my power to keep from killing him right here and now for what he did to her.
But …
I know what that will do. I absolutely know what that will do. It would mean death to everybody. All my people. It’s possibly a worse threat than when Antonio dished his threats on me, just for how useful and valued Tobias is to his people. The Antonellas would wipe us out.
“Gabriel Giordano this is an epic moment indeed. Oh wow. I’ve been so excited all day to see you.” Tobias looks from me to Charlotte. Charlotte who looks away from him, instantly wary and afraid. I can’t imagine what she must have gone through with this sick fuck.
I don’t want to.
“Cut the shit, Tobias.” I raise the briefcase I’m carrying, showing it to him. “I have the money. One point five million. I want the tape.”
He adjusts himself and steeples his fingers. “One point five million … wonderful. Now there is the matter of the interest that needs to be discussed.” The asshole looks at Charlotte and I hope like fuck he’s not going to request anything to do with her.
“I will give you compound interest on the money. You will give me the tape and we will not hear from you ever again. That is what is going to happen.” I throw back.
He laughs at me. “Look at you calling the shots like big daddy Julian.”
“Don’t. Don’t. Fuck. With. Me. Don’t do it.”
“Right, well I don’t want compound interest, Gabriel Giordano. You really don’t know who you’re messing with. Or who you’re dealing with. I’m supposed to hand over my fuck toy for one point five million with compound interest just like that? I don’t think so.”
Fuck toy…
There haven’t been many times in my life when I call on the Lord, but I’m doing it now.
Jesus please take the wheel and restrain me.
It’s a few seconds later before the roil of rage simmers enough for me to see past the wall of red that took me.
“What do you want?” I seethe. God must work some magic for me to be able to form words.
I already know he’s going to play some game with me, some shit designed to make me lose. Something to screw with me.
“I’ll take the money and a game of Russian Roulette.” He chuckles.
Motherfucker.
“No… no Gabriel,” Charlotte cries suddenly and grabs onto my arm.
I look to her and touch her cheek. “Yes. I’m doing this.”
“You mustn’t. Gabe, please. You mustn’t,” she begs.
“Charlotte, that’s not how this works.” I tug my arm from her and she releases me, lips parted, eyes brimming with tears. I look back to Tobias who is absolutely loving this. “One point five million, Russian Roulette and you give me the tape, assure me there’s just the one copy and you leave her alone.”
“Very well. I will give you the tape.” He reaches into his jacket pocket and shows me a camera. “If you live.”
He snaps his fingers and the doors to his left and right open. Ten guys come out and join him and they look as messed up and deranged as he is.
I was waiting for this to happen.
“Just to make sure things go as planned,” he adds.
I tap the side of my pocket, giving the signal on the device inside and footsteps sound behind us.
Behind me should be Vincent, Salvatore, Nick and four guys Tobias knows not to fuck with.
I look behind me and smile when I see my good friend the feared and revered Claudius Morientz and his capos, Dante, Gio, and Alex. The walk together with my brothers.
Altogether, they look like they’ve come straight out of hell. I’m inclined to say though that even the beings of hell may shrink away on sight of them.
I take a moment to feel triumph when I take note of Tobias’s face. The tell of his displeasure is the twitch in his jaw.
He’s not happy to see Claudius. Not at fucking all.
Though, I don’t know who would be happy to see him. Definitely not his enemies.
Claudius and his men are all smiling at Tobias, dishing him the same shit smile he gave me on my arrival. My brothers however are all stern faced. It’s a play of power and right now it looks like we have it.
We have it and Tobias knows it. All his men put together are no match for us.
Motherfucker doesn’t know who he’s dealing with and he has the audacity to smile and act like he’s not fazed. I give him credit for his attempt.
The thing is, Vincent might be a little hesitant to kill him for the worry over starting some shit in the underground, but Claudius won’t be.
Who’s worse than anybody here is me.
This prick doesn’t know that though and that’s why he thinks he can play with me.
He doesn’t know that I only became an accountant for the business to keep my mind occupied and The Dark Odyssey is my guilty pleasure. My playground.
He can go fuck himself after this.
“Wow, it’s an all-star party out tonight. Alright then,” Tobias growls. He’s still smiling but I can see he’s mad as fuck that we have important company. “Let’s do this.” He flicks his hand over and one of his goons steps forward and hands him a case.
He takes it and snaps it open, revealing a classic revolver with one single bullet.
One bullet that I pray won’t get lodged in my head.
Jesus Christ, what the fuck am I getting myself into?
I look back at my brothers and they look on edge, my gaze flicks over to Charlotte and she’s starts crying. Looking at her however is all I need to answer my question.
This broad has definitely done some kind of number on me, to have me wanting her for the last ten years and now I’m here playing the fatal game of chance for a month with her.
I better make sure I live through this.
I have a lot of things planned for that month.
Tobias hands me the gun case and I take it. I check out the gun first to make sure it’s not rigged with shit or tampered with and then I place the bullet in.
It’s showtime.
Tobias smiles wide in a maddening way and starts to chuckle when I spin the cylinder of the gun.
The look on his face is victory as I place the muzzle to the side of my head. I played this game one time only with a bunch of guys in college. One of them ended up dead. I was the fucker who got lucky and I hope that luck will follow me today.
My finger smooths over the trigger and I pull it back.
Click- Clack…
My heart is pounding and I can’t do anything about it.
My mind is strong but my vitals are another story. I blow out a sharp breath, all the while I make sure I keep my gaze on the bastard…. and release the trigger.
And…
Fuck.
I’m still alive.
I’m still alive.
Tobias’s smile falls and he sneers. The man growls and does exactly what I expected him to do by pulling his own gun on me.
We were prepared for that. A single bullet flies past me and snatches the gun out of his hand giving me the opportunity to grab him.
We have this all planned. Nick is to take Charlotte and get her away from danger while the rest of us fight these fuckers. He does just that.
I manage to grab Tobias in his neck. The prick, however, recoils on me into some stance and lands a fist in my face.
I would have been more on point if not for last night, but I’m not that injured that I can’t teach this motherfucker a lesson he won’t forget. A plan to for real. Bullets start flying all around me but I’m fighting Tobias with my fists. I’m fighting with everything I have so he can feel my rage and I’ll pull my gun when I need to.
I give blow for fucking blow and I notice that the guys around me do the same. I don’t lose track though on what I’m doing and the rage I want to show this guy. I throw an uppercut and enhance it with a headbutt and a jab to his ribs.
I fight dirty because those I use my fists on will always be an enemy come to kill me. This guy is that – an enemy.
When I throw a raw punch in his face, his head snaps backward and he stumbles, falling over. That’s when I dive on him and give it to him in his face.
I’m punching and punching, showing him who I am and most of all I’m giving him a good beating for what he did to Charlotte.
Fuck him, fucking fuck him and fuck him for playing even dirtier by making me play Russian Roulette when he had no intention of playing nice.
“You fucking dog!” I shout in his face. “You underestimate me. You won’t do that again.” This is where control comes in. I said I wouldn’t kill him but that doesn’t mean I won’t mess him up and the way I plan to do that is so much better.
I slide off him and rise to my feet. The prick actually thinks I’m going to end him when I pull my gun.
“This is a warning. You stay the fuck away from my girl, you hear me? Stay away. Do not bother Charlotte ever again,” I balk.
“Fool, you think you can stop me? You don’t know who you’re messing with. I am Tobias Antonella and if I want to fuck your doll I will.”
One bullet flies from my gun as he talks his shit. It doesn’t go to his head like I would have loved, I shoot his dick.
We’ll see who he’ll fuck now.
He actually screams and howls from the pain.
I crouch down and look him over. “I told you, don’t underestimate me.”
While he’s howling with pain I reach into his jacket and get the tape.
Around me most of his men are either dead or enroute to it. It’s as expected. There are two standing who have their hands raised as Claudius points his guns at them.
I could be a fucker and take back the money but I don’t. I leave it and walk away.
I walk away and that surge of triumph fills me again.
I won’t make the mistake of being foolish however and think this is it.
Like he said, he’s Tobias Antonella.
I’m very aware of who I’m messing with.
I know he won’t take what I did lightly.
I look to Vincent who nods, which means he would have done the same thing.This is property © NôvelDrama.Org.
That’s good enough for me.
Now to focus on Charlotte. The only thing I’ve ever wanted to do.