No Boundaries(97)

“No!” I yelled. I made Luis a promise, I would end Armani. And I was going to make good on it.

I pointed my gun at him, and pulled the trigger, it only took a second and he was gone. Blood spatter colored the walls. And I turned my gun on Roberto as I watched the dark substance pool around Armani’s body.

Vienna screamed against the restraint. I just killed a man in front of her. If she had any question remaining in her mind about how she felt about my work, now she knew.

I was a killer.

Pops stood from the table. “Roberto, this is a fool’s mistake. What do you think you’re doing? Killing my son? The girl? None of that makes sense. You’re here for revenge, but against the wrong man. Go after her father’s friend, the real murderer. We’ve already looked in it, and we can get someone on the inside if you need. We can take care of him.”

The only thing that made sense to me was to put a bullet through Roberto’s head just as I had with Armani. They were traitors. How could he hold his own niece hostage like this? Vienna stood next to him, wincing as he tightened his grip on her arm like a vice.

“What about your family? I thought they wanted you back?” I asked him.

“I left them again. Gave them the slip. It was a little harder this time, thanks to your babysitter and the broken rib.”

Babysitter? Marco. Where the hell was Marco? And what about Luis?

Vienna began to tremble, I could tell because the gun swayed ever so slightly next to her head.

“Don’t kill her, Roberto,” I pleaded. It was the first time in my life I ever begged for anything. I couldn’t live if she didn’t. If our baby never had a chance at life.

Pops pulled his gun from the back of his pants; he heard the desperation in my voice. He knew it was time for action. Knowingly, he looked toward me and pointed his gun at Roberto’s head.

“Let the girl go, Roberto,” he said, removing the safety.

Vienna starting yelling against her restraint, and it sounded like a high-pitched scream. It killed me watching her like this. Like she thought she was going to die.

“Don’t kill her,” I said again. “You can get out of this. You can walk away. We’ll never come for you.”

“We all know that isn’t true. I know I have to die for this, but I’m taking you with me.” Quickly, Roberto pulled the gun away from Vienna and pushed her to the side. She fell onto the floor with a thud. He turned the gun on me and took aim. He shot one bullet and I dove to the ground. I looked at Vienna from under the table. She was crawling away, toward the door.

Good girl. Stay away from the violence, from the guns, from what I was about to do.

I heard another shot as I pushed myself up on the table and took aim. I didn’t know who had taken the latest shot, but no one looked injured. My father stood unwavering, and Roberto looked confused, lost even. He was beginning to break. He looked at my father again and I took the opportunity to take my shot.

One bullet to the head. It was quick, and his body fell into a crumpled heap on the ground close to Armani’s lifeless corpse. I stood and looked at my father while the blood began to pool around Roberto’s head.

Luis came from the back of the restaurant, near the kitchen door with his own gun out in front of him. He took one look around and a smile played on his face. “You ended them?”

I nodded. “Where the hell were you?”

“Just got here when I heard the shots. You did good by us man. We won’t forget that.” He kicked the toe of Armani’s shoe and spit on his body. “Fucking traitors.” He looked back at me, “You both okay? And the girl?”

I looked at Pops, he was still standing, but I realized he was holding himself up by leaning on the table.

“Pops?” I said, moving toward him. “Pops, what’s wrong?”

He sighed heavily and sat back down, grabbing his leg. I saw the blood on the floor.

“You’re hurt!”

“I’m fine. Go get the girl. I’m fine, my son, fine,” he said, his head hanging back against the chair.

Luis nodded, “I’ll stay with him.”

I squeezed his shoulder and ran to the door, stepping over Roberto’s body as I made my way there. Marco was standing with Vienna, and he had a cut near his eye.

“What happened?” I yelled to him as I ran down the block toward them.

Vienna rushed toward me and fell into my arms, sobbing. “I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I understand why you did what you did. You were just trying to save me.”

I ran my fingers through her hair and held her close. “None of that matters now. All that matters is that you're back with me.”