Elicit (Eagle Elite #4)(70)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken

“You’re too young.”

“And you’re too ugly, yet you don’t see me yelling that from the rooftops. I’m it. I’m your maker, your creator, your death dealer, your freaking salvation. Take it or leave it.”

“And if we vote and you lose?” Alfonso shrugged. “Will you back down?”

A muscle clenched in Tex’s jaw. He had to do something, the men were starting to talk amongst themselves. I knew what they would say. Tex was young, he wasn’t a sure thing, he wasn’t sane.

“Your own father thought you cursed!” Alfonso spat. “It is a fact, a fact you know all too well. He sent you away, what type of father does that to his only son? He never even came for you.” Alfonso laughed to himself and held up his hands to the men around him. “You deem to put your trust in a mere child who’s own father didn’t even want him? Let us not forget… Tex killed the boss of all bosses, killed him in cold blood.”

“He had help.” Luca’s teeth clenched.

“Guilty.” Alfonso shrugged. “Anyone who helped him would be guilty. Death is the only solution. You kill the Cappo di Cappo, you will be killed. You helped formulate a plan to kill him? Your death is mine.”

The Campisis all stood nodding their heads.

Tex’s shoulders straightened.

And I knew, he’d made up his mind. He was going to make an example of strength.

“The Abandonatos don’t want me, the Nicolasis fear me, the Campisis don’t know what to do with me, and the De Langes and Alferos want to stay out of it. So what’s a guy to do?”

Alfonso folded his hands in front of him. “He could die, honorably and allow the families to reign in peace.”

Tex winced and shook his head. “See uncle, that’s the problem, why create peace, when war is so much fun. Does peace bring you more money? No. And I think in the end where the money is, The Family will be. You talk of peace, you preach of honor, yet you still run prostitution rings out of Sicily, pulling girls from their families and offering protection at a price. You say I’m too young, but I say you’re too old, too old to realize the ancient ways no longer work. Fear breeds more fear, manipulate too much and you show your weakness. Peace? Hell no, I aim to bring down the fires of Hell on The Five Arms—and I’m going to start with you.”

Part Three: The Cleansing

CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

Blood cleanses all that is evil within us.

Tex

I NEEDED MO TO move a little to the right, but I had no way to tell her that. I also needed a few of the men to get away from Nixon but I couldn’t tell him that either. Instead, I continued threatening Alfonso, forcing him to react. But he was smooth, so good at twisting words.

Mo was right.

It was time for action.

“You’re a stupid, stupid child.” Alfonso’s eyes blazed while the men fell silent again.

I grinned. “My father said something similar, before I put three bullets in his head.”

A resounding gasp was heard as the men started shouting amongst themselves. I held up my hand for silence.

Alfonso clenched his fists at his sides.

“He called me cursed and in the end, I think he was the one who was cursed, after all, he was already running from me. Already fearful of the truth he saw in my eyes, that I would end him. That I would be the death of him. I think he saw it when I was born. I think he knew it in his bones, that I would come for him.”

I closed my eyes as I allowed the bitterness and resentment to fill me, I was going to use it, I was going to use that darkness for good, even if it killed me. I thought of my father, of being abandoned, of being cursed. When my eyes opened, rage consumed me as I looked around the building. A sea of familiar faces stared right through me. It was as if the past twenty-five years of my life had held no meaning at all.

Had I been nothing to them?

Nothing but a joke?

The reality of my situation hit me full force, I stifled a groan as I fought to suck in long, even breaths of the stale dusty air.

“It is your choice.” The voice said in an even steady tone, piercing the air with its finality.

“Wrong.” I stared at the cement floor; the muted color of grey was stained with spots of blood. “If I really had a choice, I would have chosen to die in the womb. I would have drowned myself when I was three. I would have shot myself when I had the chance. You’ve given me no damn choice, and you know it.”

“You do not fear death?” The voice mocked.

Slowly, I raised my head, locked eyes with Mo, and whispered, “It’s life. Life scares the hell out of me.”

A single tear fell from her chin, and in that moment I knew what I had to do. After all, life was about choices. And I was about to make mine. Without hesitation, I grabbed the gun from the waistband at my back, pointed it at Mo and pulled the trigger.

With a gasp she fell to the ground. A bullet grazed my shoulder as I knelt taking time to reach for the semiautomatic on the concrete. When I stood, I let loose a string of ammo; the sound it hitting cement, brick, bodies, chairs, and anything else in the line of fire filled me with more peace than I’d had in a lifetime of war.

I stalked towards him, the man I was going to kill, the man who had made me feel like my existence meant nothing. I held the gun to his chest and squeezed the trigger one last time. When he collapsed in front of me, it was with a smile on his face, his eyes still open in amusement.

Chaos reigned around me and then suddenly, everything stopped.

When I turned it was to see at least twenty dead, and Nixon staring at me like he didn’t know me at all—but maybe he never had. And wasn’t that a bitch?

He took a step forward his hand in the air. “Tex—”

“No,” I said, smirking. “Not Tex. To you?” I pointed the gun and pulled the trigger. “I’m the Cappo.”

Nixon flinched but didn’t move, as the bullet whizzed by his head hitting the man behind him—the one that had been pointing a gun directly at the back of his head.

I turned slowly, seventeen of my targets were dead, three still living, and three innocents caught in the crossfire.

“What the hell are you doing?” someone yelled.

“Sucking out the poison.” I pulled the trigger, killing the guy who’d asked the question. Two more to go.

The last two that had been with Alfonso looked at each other, then at me, they both dropped their guns and held up their hands.

“I’m your judge, your jury, your executioner,” I spat. “I own you, all of you,” I shouted, turning around so that each head of the family could see my eyes. Mo got up from the ground and calmly walked to Nixon’s side. I’d barely grazed her shoulder but it probably still burned like hell. “Do you think I wouldn’t hesitate to kill my best friends?” I nodded to Phoenix and then to Nixon. “I’m a Campisi, I am your leader, double cross me, and nothing will save you. Nothing will redeem you in my eyes. I won’t hesitate to kill you where you stand. You’re either with me or against me.”