“No, Daddy, no! Please, Daddy!” Raine screamed, the sound of her desperate voice tugging hard on Letty’s heart strings.
“You come into my house! You come into my house and disrespect my daughter… disrespect ME!” Michael spat, the gun lodged in Anthony’s left eye.
“Mr. Capadonno… Uh…” Anthony stammered in a shaky voice.
“You shoulda asked your daddy about me, kid. I ain’t the one to fuck with!” Michael screamed.
Letty could see their shadows on the wall. It was a dangerous dance. A wicked waltz. Michael had a gun held to Anthony’s head as Raine circled around them, trying to talk some reason into her father.
“Please, Daddy, I love him!” Raine pleaded as she grabbed onto her father’s shirt.
“Rainey! Go upstairs! Not another god damn word!” Michael demanded as he cast a lethal glare at his youngest daughter.
Goosebumps rose on Letty’s flesh as she listened to a sob rip from Raine’s throat.
“Daddy, please!”
“Renata Andrea Maria Capadonno! NOW!”
Letty’s chest heaved as panic set in. Air wouldn’t circulate through her lungs. Her heart thrummed in her chest, threatening to kick out at any second.
“Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God…” Letty muttered under her breath.
Raine’s heels clicked loudly against the marble floor, beating a staccato tempo through the house. She brushed through the parlor not even giving Letty a glance. Tears blinded her sight as she rushed through, hysteria ripping from her as she left her father alone with Anthony. Raine rushed to the winding staircase that led to the second floor with her hands covering her ears and wails ripping from her chest.
Her hands are covering her ears.
Michael’s voice belted out over all the calamity.
“Lemme give you a history lesson, son!”
Pop! Pop! Crash!
Two gun shots ripped through the massive house bouncing off of every surface and threatening to shatter Letty’s ear drums. It took a moment for Letty to register what was happening. As she heard Anthony Spinelli’s body crash to the floor, it had hit her. She had just witnessed a murder. As the cruel realiziation hit her, and her own blood ran cold, Michael Capadonno’s raw voice rang out, “Nobody fucks with a Capadonno!”
Letty stood completely still as the gun shots still rang out in her ears. Her breath was shallow. Her terrified heart pained with panic.
Michael grumbled to himself, “Asshole.”
Letty flinched as Michael re-emerged from the foyer. He walked casually to the console table in the hallway and tucked away his weapon. Picking up his cell phone off of the console table, Michael pressed a series of numbers. Bringing his black iPhone to his ear, Michael had an impatient look on his face.
“C’mon pick up the fuckin’ phone!” Michael said as he rapped his knuckles against the hard wood of the table.
“Aye… It’s me. Clean up crew. Get your ass over here and bring a mop. Bring Dante and Fish wit’ ya, too. Forget it. Don’t worry who, just fucking have your asses here in twenty!”
As Michael Capadonno hung up the phone a feeling of dread flooded Letty’s body. In that moment, as she looked at Michael, her heart ached for Miles.
CHAPTER SIX
BACHMAN TURNER Overdrive’s song “Let It Ride” cranked from Corina’s speakers as Miles jetted up a boring stretch of the Black Horse Pike. Landon sat quietly next to Miles, appearing to be content, as he gazed out his window at the passing scenery. Occasionally, Landon glanced over at Miles and asked a random question.
I figure it’s all a lot to take in, and who the fuck knows what kind of garbage my lunatic relatives fed into his brain for the last seventeen years. He’s a cocky little shit, but the kid seems to be genuine. I need people like that in my life. I know as soon as I walk into Castle fuckin’ Capadonno that I’ll be hit with a wall of bullshit.
Tapping his hands on the steering wheel along with the beat, Miles hummed along to the song. Landon started to sing along.
I sound terrible. Seriously, dying cats have better vocal skills than I do, but the kid don’t sound half bad. No surprise there. My mother had a beautiful song voice.
When the song ended? Landon blurted out, “What the hell, man! You’re goin’ the wrong way!”
Rolling his eyes, Miles gave the kid a sideways look.
“I may have been locked in a fucking sardine can for the majority of your years, but trust me, I know exactly where I am. I know Jersey like the back of my goddamn hand. Nothing but jug handles, big hair, malls and picket fuckin’ fences.”
“Well, ex-cuuuse me!” Landon said throwing his hands up in the air. “Mr. Big Shot needs no help at all!”
Clearing his throat, Miles saw that the opportunity for a conversation he wanted to have with the kid fell right into his lap.
“Actually, kid… I wouldn’t go that far…” Miles said cryptically. Miles could feel the weight of the kid’s stare on him. Miles had Landon’s full, undivided attention.