Miles glared at all of them with a shrewd gaze.
“Make no mistake,” Miles said with a self-assured look on his face. “Gabriel Alves is my son, my business and I’m the only father that child will ever know.”
Nunzio, Knox and Dustin stared at Miles coldly as he spoke.
“You made a mistake, old man,” Miles said with a smirk.
“Oh, yeah? And what might that be?”
Curling his lips up into a smile, Miles used a line right out of his father’s repertoire. “Never fuck with a Capadonno!”
Miles lit the Zippo lighter and held it under his face. The flicker of the flame illuminated Miles’s face in an eerie glow. Shadows danced across Miles’s face and a strange glint shone in his ebony eyes. The faintest of smiles tugged at Miles’s lips. Tossing the lit lighter to the ground, the dead leaves crackled as the flame spread. Like a disease, the fire grew. Spreading from leaf to leaf, grass, and the massive oak tree that stood outside of the La Fortuna night club.
“What have you done?” Nunzio screamed.
But before Miles could answer, an engulfed tree branch fell upon the kitchen roof of La Fortuna, setting the historic landmark aflame.
“What was it that I promised you, Nunz? What was it?” Miles screamed.
As Miles had the Rigattis distracted, Landon launched himself from the car. Under cover of darkness and flames, Landon rushed to Juan and Gabriel. Ripping the pillow case off of Juan’s head and slicing the rope binding his wrists with a Swiss army knife, Landon freed Juan’s limbs and did the same for Gabriel, who was wailing loudly, his face stained with dirt and the trails of his own tears. While their watcher was distracted, Landon lifted Gabriel and ran with him back to Corina with Juan hobbling behind him, nursing a bad knee. Ripping open the driver side door, Landon passed G to Letty as a terrible sob ripped from the child’s mouth. Letty’s hands gripped onto G and she held him tightly as if she was afraid he’d slip from her grasp again. G grabbed onto Letty’s face bringing his cheek to hers. Tears ravaged G’s eyes but he didn’t make a sound. Finally, as relief overcame him, G’s voice broke from his mouth, “Mama.”
Landon helped Juan into the car and as the fire intensified, Landon rushed to the driver side door. Quickly, he got in, giving a wary look out the windshield. The mob shouted ferociously as the La Fortuna night club burned out of control. Smoke filled the brisk autumn air. As Nunzio Rigatti drew his gun from his breast pocket, something unexpected happened. Turning on the old man, Dustin pressed a gun to Nunzio Rigatti’s temple.
“Best slow your roll, Rigatti. That bastard took my father’s life and now Miles will die by the Butcher’s gun not yours.”
“What the fuck are you doing? We had a business arrangement!” Rigatti barked at Dustin.
“Sorry, Pops. This isn’t business. It’s fucking personal!”
Dustin pulled the trigger as a bullet lodged in Nunzio Rigatti’s brain. As the old man fell to the ground, Dustin quickly turned his gun on Miles.
“Very fucking personal!” Dustin yelled as he pressed his gun into Miles’s chest.
As shots rang out from the mob, Knox and Dustin pushed Miles towards Knox’s car. With his gun pressed to the back of Miles’s head, Dustin edged his brother forward towards the car.
“Get the fuck in,” Dustin growled.
“Where are we going?” Miles asked, no hint of fear or nervousness in his voice.
“Disneyland. Where the fuck you think you’re going?” Dustin spat angrily.
Miles did what he was told but not before glancing back at his car. Letty’s hands were pressed up against the glass window and she appeared to be screaming. Giving Letty an apologetic look, Miles turned to face his fate. Getting into the back seat of Knox’s car, Miles was locked inside as Knox took the driver’s seat and Dustin rode shotgun. As Knox climbed in the car, he quickly turned in his seat. Raising his gun, Knox spat, “See you on the other side, brother.”
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Sparks emitted in the dark of the cab as three bullets flew from Knox’s gun. Letty watched in horror as she saw Miles’s silhouette slump over in the backseat of the car. Letty didn’t even have a chance to react. As the last shot rang out, Knox hit the gas and hauled ass turning right onto Merrimack Avenue, his wheels screeching as he disappeared from view. As smoke from the fire interrupted Letty’s view, a terrible cry howled from her lungs. Slamming on the gas pedal with a strained look in his eyes, Landon drove the car through the smoke, vanishing from view.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
One week later
LETTY ALVES SAT IN HER dark bedroom in total silence. Her red-rimmed eyes burned from all the tears that she had shed. Her limbs ached. Her mind swirled in toxic confusion. Letty’s heart was fractured into a million tiny fragments. Shattered memories of what used to be.