CHAPTER NINE

RIO POV

 Jack bursts through the front doors, yelling. “Where is my sister? Where did you take her, you asshole?”

Dante raises an eyebrow in question at me. “Seems it’s not a happy family reunion.” He says.

I strut towards Jack and looked him dead in his eyes. “Watch your words in my house or I will cut your tongue and feed it to you.” I whisper to his hearing only.

Jack cowers in response as I expect and lowers his eyes to the ground. “I just came for my sister.” he says, calmly now.

 I settle on the arm of Dante’s chair. “Leave us.” I instruct the men who had tried to hold Jack back.

They leave and the sound of the doors closing echoes in the room as I stare down at Jack. He stands, not daring to look in I and Dante’s direction. The surge of rage he had was gone, leaving behind a spineless man wondering if he made the right decision coming here.

“Why do you think I have your sister?”

“I... I... I can’t reach her, so I tracked her phone’s location here. Give her to me and I will be on my way.” Jack stutters.

“Give her to you?” I tilt my head in question. “You make it sound like I kidnapped her.”

“Mel will never come here on her own. Look, I’m not saying you took her forcefully. She must be feeling scared. Just let me take her, then you and I can talk.”

“Ha, ’Talk’, you say.” I smirk. “Did Mel look scared to you, Dante?” I ask my brother.

“No.” He answers, clearly angry. I could tell he was imagining different ways of dealing with Jack for disturbing what he termed ‘The peace of the estate’.

 Dante got up and walks to Jack, looking him dead in his eyes. “Will you call me a liar too?” Dante’s eyes darken while Jack’s hands trembles as he swallows in response.

 “You reek of fear. It’s exciting.” Dante trails a pocket knife down Jack’s throat. “I have missed the sight of blood. Especially a coward’s blood.”

“Look, I don’t want no trouble. I’m sorry for barging in like this, alright.” Jack backs away from Dante but never takes his eyes of the knife in his hands. “Let’s be civil here, okay?”.

I place my hand on Dante’s arm to rein him in. I didn’t want Mel to come down and see her brother bleeding to death. “Tell me why you are really here?”

“I made a mistake and I want to correct it.  The deal is off.” Jack replied shakily.

“Deal?”  Dante questioned, looking back at me.

“And who are you to tell me when the deal is off?” Livid at his response, I push Jack out the door to the front of the house. “Have you forgotten you owe me money you scumbag, or are you calling that off too?”  I query him, fuming.

Jack stares at me. I could see a little of the rage he came in with, growing in him again.

“If it’s money you want, give me Mel and I would have it ready for you before the end of the day.” Jack answers. “In cash.”

“And how would you do that?”

“I’ve got a bigger fish now.” Jack boasts. “Like I said, the deal is off.”

 ‘The idiot’, I thought, ‘I will be damned before you take Mel from me’.

He makes the mistake of smiling at me and I see red. I swing a fist at his face, and he falls to the ground, spitting blood from his mouth.

“Ouch,” Dante murmurs.

“I must not have heard you right,” I crouch to face Jack on the floor. “But I think you just said that you’ve got another offer on your sister.”

“You bastard.” He curses and spits blood in my face.

Amused, I stand up and wipe away the blood. “You are right though. The deals’ off.” I have had enough already. “Get out!” I walk away from him and towards the house.

“What’s it to you, huh?” He shouts and I stop in my tracks. “She’s got her claws into you, right?” He teases. “I have got to admit though, my dear pretty sister moves fast. Imagine the mighty Rio Rafe acting up for a wasted cunt.”

Rage fills me.  I turn and take out the gun from the holster of the guard standing next to me.

 Stalking towards Jack, I release two warning shots in the air right above his head. His face turns white instantly.

 The spineless bastard, I thought.

I point the gun directly to his head, between his eyes. “Get out now, or the next time I pull this trigger, I won’t miss.”

“Christ, Rio.” Mama Agness screams from the corner of the house. “Why are you pointing a gun to that man’s head in front of my house?”

“Nonna go back inside, this doesn’t concern you.” Dante warns.

 “Don’t use that tone with me, boy.” Mama Agness scolds him.

 “Please, help me.” Jack uses the distraction to get away from my gun and crawls towards her. “They are going to kill me.”

“And you,” Mama Agness frowns, stepping away from Jack, who had held onto her cloth and walks to me. “When did you start handling your business in the estate? You know I don’t condone such in my home. Take whatever is happening here away from my home before you soil my floor with peasant’s blood.” She says, eyeing Jack.

I smile at her. Nonna had always been a no- nonsense soul. “I apologize Nonna, but the peasant crawled itself into your home. I’m just trying to take out the trash.”

“Well, do it elsewhere.” She insists.

“No, please. Don’t kill me.” Jack begs. “You know what? I will let you sleep with her all you want today, you can even share her with Dante, I don’t care.”

Mama Agness gasps, “You really are trash.” She says with disgust.

“I will even be able to still pay your money once I take her to the other place.” Jack continues, ignoring her. “Just let me leave with her once you are done.”

“How could you?”

Everyone turns to the front of the house where the voice came from.

 Mel stood, tears running down her face, staring at Jack. I feel sorry for her and wonder how much of the conversation she had heard.

“Melissia, my dear.” Jack gets to his feet and runs to hold her hands. “I came to save you from these men.”

My stomach curls at how cunning Jack could be. I mean, I’m no saint, I ponder, but he was just horrible.

“Don’t touch me, you snake.” Mel slaps him hard across the face. I breathe a sigh of relief that she wasn’t falling for his act. “You are the reason I’m here in the first place.” She screams at him.

“No, Mel.” Jack says, while holding his face in pain. “Don’t tell me you believe his lies over your own brother?”

“Lies? Really, they are lies? So, you trying to sell me off to the highest bidder, that’s a lie too?” She cries.

Mama Agness goes to comfort Mel, but I hold her back. Mel needs to confront her brother.

“To even think I rushed down to make sure Rio didn’t kill you, only to see you standing there, bargaining on me. You are the worst.” She pushes him.

“Oh, please don’t act so innocent.” Jack snaps. “I’m sure you already fucked Rio, that’s why he is so bent on keeping you here.”

“You bastard,” Mel raises her hand to slap him again, but Jack holds her hand.

Oh, hell no. I release another shot in the air that has everybody looking for cover, well except Dante, who just leans against my car.

“Get your hand off her and your ass out of my house.” I order Jack. “Or you will be carried out in a body bag.”

“Fine, you want her so badly, you can keep her.” Jack says. “Just pay me my remaining balance from the deal and I’ll be on my way.”

“The nerve of this bastard.” Mama Agness mutters.

“That’s it. I’m sick of this shit.” I pull the trigger and shot at Jack’s arm, dropping him to the ground.

“Oh, my God.” Mel screams and runs inside the house.

“Finally, some action.” Dante smiles, coldly.

“I told you not to spill blood on my floor, boy.” Mama Agness complains.

“I want you to forget about Mel completely, or else,” I hover over Jack as he held his bleeding arm. “Also, you still owe me, so watch your back because I will come for my money.” Giving him a goodbye kick in the chest, I go after Mel.

“Well, that was fun. But show’s over.” Dante announces with a wicked gleam in his eyes and taps me on the back as I walk past him. “Time to take out the trash.”