Desired Too (41 page)

I tried to look at who held the gun to my head. However, he wouldn’t come from behind me.

Pussy.             

It didn’t matter. I would find out who it was and kill them both.

Right now, I had bigger fish to deal with; Eddie.

Eddie wiped his nose, and mouth then smiled, “Well, well, well! Déjà vu!”

I didn’t reply. The person behind me took both of my weapons that I had in my hand and the one in the middle of my back.

Eddie looked slightly behind me. “You can go. I’ll take it from here.”

“Are you sure you can handle it?”

The recollection of the voice behind me ran my blood cold.

“Yes. Of course, I can.”

“I expect my payment in full when this is all said and done,” Agusto said behind me.

“It’s already on its way to you.”

I felt him move from behind me and leave me with Eddie.

Eddie smiled at me, but kept his distance. “You know I’ve dreamt of this day for so long.”

“Maybe that’s your problem.”

He scoffed. “Maybe it is, but I won’t have to deal with it any longer. Ducci will take care of Angel for me, start a war that was inevitable really, and I’ll finish it. You don’t mess with a Leonetti, right?” He then laughed and shook his head. “You know I never believed in that bullshit. Every man for himself; that’s how it should be. None of this family bullshit.”

I sucked my teeth. “For fuck sake, just pull the fucking trigger. I can’t deal with hearing you ramble on about shit you know nothing about in that fucked up nasal voice of yours. The moment you try to take over, you’ll be dead. You don’t know shit. You’re not built for anything, but being butt fucked without lube. Basile is going to screw you; so is every family here. You ain’t shit, you coward, little bitch.”

I knew it wasn’t wise for me to egg him on. However, I knew Eddie was a crappy shot. Since Agusto failed to check my ankle holster, I was hoping against hope for just a second that I would be able to go for it and empty my gun into Eddie’s body.

Eddie, though, remained still, keeping his gun trained on me.

I decided to go hard when I heard more footsteps behind me.

Eddie looked over and frowned. “Pops get out of here.”

I saw Uncle Bruno come from behind me with a gun pointed at his son. “Put the gun down, son.”

“What for? I have him Pops.” Eddie smiled, letting his excitement show, as if he was showing his blue ribbon project to his father for approval.  “Can’t you see? I got the better of the infamous Drake Lincoln.”

Uncle Bruno didn’t waiver. “Put...the…gun…down...now!”

Eddie’s smile died as he realized his father had a gun pointed directly at
him
.

“You’re just like Angel,” he spat. “You can’t see that we’ll be better off without this bastard in our lives, in our family.”

“Son, I will not say it again.”

“Or what? What are you going to do old man? Shoot me? Please! I’d have a bullet in both of you before you both take your next breath, but, Pops, it doesn’t have to be that way. You and I can run this family the way it should. None of this conforming shit. You know you never agreed to the direction of the family. Here is our chance.”

“You’re such a pussy,” I interjected.

Eddie enraged, moved a little closer to me. “What the fuck did you say?”

“Lincoln, that’s enough,” my uncle said to me, then softened his voice slightly.

“Eduardo, you need to listen to me. Whatever you had planned has backfired. Whatever plot you had in your head to take over the family hasn’t worked. Put your gun down so we can talk this through.”

I inched closer to Eddie, hoping he wasn’t paying any attention as my uncle continued to speak. “I’ve been trying my best to understand what you have against your brother, and I think I had a hand in it. Let me make this right, Eduardo…You, Angelo and me can sit down and talk this through. Then me, you and Lincoln will do the same. It’s all about family, son. I don’t think I stressed that well enough.”

Eddie’s hard eyes lost some of its anger. “Pops, it’s not that simple.”

“Yeah, it is. Just come with me. I’ll protect you. Trust me, son.”

Eddie looked at his father, and I could see he was really thinking hard about it. I could see the tension in Eddie’s hand let up.

Then Eddie fired.

Eddie was like an open book. I could sense he was going to shoot, so I dove to the floor, expecting to get a bullet in the shoulder or a graze in the arm… something. But I didn’t feel a thing. As I hit the floor and looked over at Eddie, he was white as a sheet, still holding the gun in his hand.

I heard Uncle Bruno fighting for breath before I saw him. When I laid eyes on him, they immediately shut in anguish.
This shit can’t be happening
.
Fuck!

I immediately went into action.

Shit, there’s blood everywhere!

I tried to apply pressure to the chest wound, but there was consistent blood flow coursing through my fingers. The sticky feel of it wasn’t something that was foreign to me.  I knew all too well what life felt like flowing through my fingers, even what it smelled like, but when it comes from someone you know, you admire and love?

Fuuuccckkk!

“What were you thinking?! Shit!” I softly admonished the man lying before me, pain torturing my body, causing me to start to shake with emotions I never allowed myself to feel. I refused to look in Uncle Bruno’s eyes, I didn’t want to see what was waiting for me, what would be staring back at me.

He started to move underneath my touch, his face turning white as snow.  I knew he wanted to talk to me, but I shook my head.

“Don’t you do it. There isn’t anything you need to say to me that you can’t say once we get you to the hospital.”

I looked up at a pale-faced visibly shaking Eddie. “Don’t just stand there! Help me! Call the fucking ambulance!”

I was hoping the tone in my voice would snap him out of his trance, but he didn’t move.

He just stood there mumbling, “He wasn’t supposed to get in the way. Why did he get in my way?”

“Eddie, go and get help, for fuck sake!” I yelled, and saw him finally start to move.

I looked back at my bloodied hands as I heard the door open then close.

“This can’t be the end. This can’t.” I didn’t want to look at him, but I could feel his eyes on me.

Our eyes finally met, and I knew in that instant that we wouldn’t be going to anyone’s hospital.

Shit, she’s going to kill me.

The sudden, unsettling noises coming from Uncle Bruno told me that death was closer than I thought. I blinked a few times; hoping the panic, which I knew was starting to consume me, didn’t take over. I nodded my head and gripped the hand that was reaching towards me. I was paralyzed at that moment as I watched the man that I’ve grown to respect and admire slowly start to slip away.

I took a deep, ragged breath of my own, “Listen to me… Just take it easy... Hey, everything is going to be fine...”  I said to him, trying to express in words the encouragement that I knew I wasn’t feeling.

He opened his mouth to try to speak again, but nothing came out, and I could tell he was getting frustrated with every breath he undoubtedly wasn’t taking in. This was it; I felt it. I knew it… He knew it.

I took a deep breath and leaned into him. I spoke quietly to him, my eyes starting to fill with dread, remorse and sorrow. I couldn’t hide what we both knew was happening. I owed it to him.

I leaned into him and said solemnly, “Hey, don’t you worry about anything, do you hear me? You know I will look after your wife and son. Your family is my family. I will protect them with my last breath. You can count on that. I will never leave his side. He will be a great leader of this family; firm, fair, and honorable.” I swallowed, then said with every strength and conviction I could summon, “Just like you.”

I took a deep breath again, seeing that he was studying me, no longer trying to talk, and continued, “I’m sorry I failed you. I just wanted to let you know you were right to do what you did back in Miami, and I respect you for it. I hope you can forgive me for doing what I did. It was an honor and a pleasure just being in your presence. You’re a good fucking man despite what you may be thinking right now. Your strength, your beliefs, your loyalty, it’s something that I’ll strive for every day of my life. It’s what you’ve bestowed on your sons. Don’t blame yourself for anything of this shit. You’ve done all that you could. You lead by example. That’s how it’s supposed to be. Thank you for showing me that side of you.”

That seemed to calm him and as he watched me, I could see his face filling with resolve, with peace.

And I sat there, not wanting to let go, holding on to him for as long as I could.  I was soaked in his blood, but I didn’t give a shit. Here lies a man who I admired and who had trusted me without question. He had saved my life countless times, and it was fucked up that I couldn’t return the favor.  There was no way I was going to be able to come back from this. I knew for a fact that I would feel his loss for the rest of my life.

I heard the door open again, and I knew instantly who it was without even looking up. I could hear his breath catch in his throat, and I could feel his heart breaking.

I put my head down and stayed where I was. Uncle Bruno blinked, then slowly moved his head in his younger’s son’s direction. Angel moved quick, and I saw him kneel in front of his father. Angel took his hand and brought it to his father’s heart. I stood, not wanting to come between them, but I didn’t go far.

“Pops, hold on,
please
. The ambulance is coming just… Shit…” He just shook his head, and I highly doubted help was coming, but it was something to say, you know, in order to ease Pops’ worry.  I saw the emotions start to take over Angel’s body. But his face remained passive, composure kept as long as he could, for his father. Angel moved closer to his father, pushing his father’s hair back as if he was trying to sooth himself more than his father.

“I love you, Pops. It’s going to be all right. We’re going to be fine. I’ll take care of mama. I’ll take care of the family. I know what to do. I know how to lead. You taught me that. You taught me to be a man, and I thank you for that.”

Angel did the sign of the cross over his chest and brought his forehead down on top of his fathers. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but I knew whatever it was, it was needed.

When Angel finally broke down, I knew it was over. The man I’d known as the only father I’d ever had was gone. I collapsed on the floor, my head lolled down, tears falling profusely, heart heavy with sadness and emptiness as I squeezed my eyes shut in disbelief.

This fucking sucked.

We stayed there, not moving, not saying a word. Then I opened my eyes and found Angel sitting up just staring out into nothing. He then looked at me, face filled with streaks of tears, pale as the moon, and lost. This night would haunt my cousin for decades to come. I knew it would be the same for me.

“I want him,” Angel said, voice flat and empty. “Do you understand? I want them fucking all. They will pay heavy for what happened here.” Angel looked down at his father and kissed both his cheeks. As he sat back up, he said, without looking at me. “You find that motherfucker and bring him to me.”

I knew this was bigger than me, that it wasn’t just me that wanted revenge. It was needed for the entire family. Eddie had killed the Don, and he would pay with his life. How he would pay would now be up to Angel.

I asked, “Alive?”

Angel looked at me, not with reproach, but with thoughtfulness, as if he was thankful that I even asked. “Barely breathing, but yes alive. That piece of shit will pay dearly for this shit. Everyone will fucking pay.

I only nodded once. “Consider it done.”

Today, I buried my father, a man who meant everything to me
.

He’d been that rock, that foundation that I needed in my life. He was brave, wise, fearless, and noble. He was a pillar of strength that could never be replaced, and I couldn’t believe he was gone.

The night father died, as I sat motionless, the warehouse had suddenly turned into a zoo. Police, ambulances, fire trucks, and the FBI, namely Daniel, charged on the scene, ready to push buttons and raise hell. When Daniel entered the warehouse and saw my father’s body, however, he stopped everything. He and I would never get along, but that night, he acted somewhat like family. He did his job, I have no qualms about that, but he was very discreet about everything else. He never allowed anyone into the warehouse or close to my father without an okay from Lincoln.

More importantly, he left me alone the entire time my father lay on the concrete floor of this building, until the Coroner showed up. Once Pops was gone, we were drilled, but again, Daniel took control of every interrogation held. He didn’t let anyone step out of line with questions, but I didn’t think anyone would. They saw the shape I was in, the shape Lincoln was in, and they were respectable when asking their questions.

I answered them as best I could. I told them Ducci came to start a war with me for something I had nothing to do with. A few of the organized crime division of the PPD confirmed the rumors. They had managed to get a hold of Lucy, who corroborated the truth that her father was coming after me for false information he’d received.

I also told them that Ducci killed the Don. They didn’t buy it at first. They questioned the validity of my story. They wondered why he would do that and what he had to gain in starting a war. I told them that I didn’t know. They would have to ask Ducci and of course, they couldn’t.

I didn’t mention Eddie, Basile, the ghost man, or Agusto to anyone. I didn’t want anyone coming in between what I had planned. Their punishment belonged to me. It belonged to my family, and I intended to have retribution.

We were in federal custody until the DA decided not to press charges on us for firing automatic weapons within city limits, gun charges and possibly manslaughter charges. However, they realized it wouldn’t stick. None of the guns we had belonged to us. I didn’t know how Lincoln pulled it off, but the weapons he used and passed to Darrell and Hugo were tied to the Ducci family. They thought they had hope to take us down when they found Lester’s body. You remember Lester? He’s the one that accused me of being with his sixteen-year-old daughter. Well, the Feds found his body in a room in the warehouse. They declared he was dead for a least a few weeks. He was killed by an overdose of some shit. That was the informal declaration. They did eventually find out that in fact he did OD, but I was sure that someone else had injected him with the lethal does. I didn’t have any information on why he ended up in my warehouse, but I had an idea, Eddie.

I knew Eddie would kill him. That’s why I left him with his life. Well, that was the partial reason. I could have killed him, but I wanted to prove a point. I wanted him to feel what it was like to not have my protection, as I told him.

Eddie felt like Lester ran his mouth too much , so Eddie killed him. I never knew Lester to do drugs, but apparently the cops found a lot of drugs in his bedroom at the warehouse he was staying in.

By the time the police finally released us from custody over the shootings and bodies from this Warehouse in New Jersey, my mother had already found out what happened. She was more than devastated; she was broken. She cried for days nonstop, and I could do nothing to console her.

I couldn’t even understand how I was still upright. However, as I stood in front of the hole that the caretakers just lowered my father’s body in, I did understand. It was Raquel. Raquel was my rock. The moment she saw me the night my father died, she wrapped herself around me. She didn’t care about the blood that was caked on me or how hollow and empty I looked; she refused to let go. She still hadn’t let go.

She was there for me and mama every step of the way. She held my mother when she cried for hours without hesitation. In fact, she’d taken care of Grandma Bella and Georgia, who had barely been eating. This entire family was broken, and I didn’t have a clue on how to fix it. Raquel had told me countless times not to worry about any of that while at my father’s funeral. She told me that I had the right to mourn my father, and I needed to do just that. She’d taken care of everything, from the funeral arrangements, to the announcements and even the press.

As she stood next to me with her hand in mine, I just wanted to hold her against me, hoping that the beat of her heart would jump start mine.

For a long time, I felt I was going through this alone. When you lose a parent and you have siblings, you typically lean on each other. You come together and help to get the other through. Unfortunately, for me, that wasn’t the story of my life. My own brother killed our father and he was MIA. The hatred and rage I felt was just about to consume me. The one person that kept me from going into an unforgiving murderous rage had also never left my side.

I turned to my left and found Lincoln standing there, being that rock I needed. Georgia’s tear stained face blew a kiss at me and smiled. I smiled back weakly and looked back in the dark hole before me. I took a few long deep breaths and remembered Pops. He would want me to be strong and take my rightful place. He would want me never to lose sight of our family, and I intended to do just that.

I’d allowed myself the right time to grieve. Now, it was time for revenge.

“Thanks for being there,” I said not looking at anything, just the miles and miles of tombstones in front of me.

I did hear Lincoln sigh deeply before he spoke. “Where else would I be? That’s what family is for.”

It was ironic that we hadn’t seen each other in months and the first time we lay eyes on each other, was over some fucked up shit Eddie created, again.

I turned to face him. “You know I don’t blame you for any of this. I blame myself somewhat, but, mainly, I blame Eddie. So if you’re here merely out of obligation…”

Lincoln frowned and shook his head, “Did you lose your balls in that warehouse?  What the fuck is that shit?”

I couldn’t help but smile. “I was making sure that your oversensitive ass was back with me or if you were still crying over some bullshit that happened months ago.”

Drake and I looked at each other, then laughed a little. We both pulled out a cigar and lit up. It was a shock at first when Lincoln saw me smoking. He thought it was because of losing Pops, but when he found out I’d acquired the taste after he left, I think it boosted his ego a little.

“Are you ready to get this shit started?” Drake asked me.

I pulled on the cigar a few times, held the smoke in my mouth, breathing the scent and taste of this amazing Cuban, before letting it flow freely.

I nodded “Fuck yeah.”