An hour later, after he went out and fed the dogs then ushered them back into the room with a finger to his lips, so they would know not wake Willow… Calderone sat and watched Willow sleeping. She was still weak and he had known they shouldn’t have had that extra session. He figured that he needed his head checked because when it came to wanting her, all common sense flew out the window so to speak. He smiled though. It was love and there was no doubt about this.
His phone vibrated. He was ready as were his weapons and now, his mind. He swiped the screen making his way to the hallway.
Leon stood there with his phone in hand, next to the huge guard. “It’s time, son.”
Calderone nodded. “She’s asleep and probably will be for a while. The dogs are with her. And Dad, she doesn’t know about this.”
Leon cocked his head at him. “And why is that?”
“I want her to not have any more shocks or have to worry. She needs to heal up.”
Leon looked troubled. “You will have to do the explaining then. I won’t touch this. I understand though. I will go in there in a bit and I won’t wake her. The dogs love me too. I have taken them on several walks now.”
Calderone smiled. “We Vincintis can charm for sure.”
Leon nodded then stepped up and embraced him the old fashioned way by using man pats on the back. Then he just as swiftly, stepped back.
Calderone turned and headed down the hallway.
During the short car ride, Hawk filled him in with a printed out map of the hospital, showing him the best way in and where Donavan’s room was. Leon and John had already paid off who they needed to in order to get the all clear. Then a cleanup crew was on standby in the parking lot, dressed as hospital orderlies and janitors.
Calderone nodded as he listened to the Sinner’s MC President. His dad always detailed a plan to the last stitch of a disguise even. He had no worries about that. He, himself had done the same thing in Troy, not too long ago. Seemed hospitals were his place of…? He refused to linger on the thought and rechecked his weapons. He, Donavan, his father, and Willow would never be safe if he did not finish this today.
With a salute to him by Hawk, he was dropped off a block from the hospital.
He moved swiftly but surely to the back entrance where the door was cracked open just as the plan entailed.
He made his steady way through the halls and to the floor where Donavan was in ICU. He still hadn’t awoken but his prognosis was good Hawk had informed him. He was a big guy, Hawk had said and the bullet did not do damage to any major organs.
Calderone was finally there by the room, though he made sure he couldn’t be seen. He then waited.
Yes, there was the guard wearing an earphone and he was wandering down the hallway. He stopped and raised his arms to stretch. This was the signal Hawk had told him of. The killer was approaching now.
Calderone quietly stepped through the rest of the way, silent but deadly as he had learned to be many years ago, he slipped into the room to hear the beeping of the machines that surrounded Donavan Reardon. To think his own flesh and blood had done this to him, although Flynn had been the exact same way. He wondered if it was an inherited gene or something. But he couldn’t spend long on that thought as just when he ducked down next to the bed, under the heart monitor… the door to the room opened.
The man was in shadow for a long moment as if he was feeling the room out for anything suspicious.
Calderone allowed himself a small but cold smile, as he himself, was suspicious. Suspicious as in sending this man to hell to be with his dear old dad.
The shadow moved into the room until the small bedside light caught on his face.
Jovanti Canta?
Now Calderone almost made a sound of surprise, though he did not. This man had worked for them for more than five years. The Vincinti family’s second in command of security. He drove them every day to wherever they needed to be. He was Gregori Canta’s nephew in fact. A man no one would have ever suspected and no wonder he had no fear in changing any books, his father was in charge of all that and Jovanti would have unsuspected access to it. Gregori did have three sisters now that he thought about it. One of them had to be Flynn’s woman, back when.
Jovanti raised his silencer and aimed it at his uncle’s head.
Calderone also raised his and quickly took out one of his knees and then the other.
With a pain filled scream, Jovanti went down.
Calderone moved swiftly and plucked the gun from the man’s trembling hand.
“Ohhh god!” Jovanti shouted.
“Shhh,” Calderone hushed him as he smiled. “The patient is sleeping.”
Jovanti paused at this, though he grunted in pain. “YOU!”
Calderone nodded. “Yes, me. All of it was me. I know who you are and I know why. But I see that Flynn managed to spread his evil to a fucking freak progeny.”
“So? And you’re not a progeny of killers and cheats? You murdered him and took him from me!”
Calderone laughed a little then he knelt down. His gun aimed at the man’s head. “Look, you may have had some stupid ass fantasy about a father in your life. But man, you could not be more wrong. Flynn sold his kids off to the highest bidders, didn’t you know?”
Jovanti was sweating and still grasping his bloody knees. “You’re fucking liar!”
“No…” a voice came from above them. “He isn’t lying.”
Jovanti looked up at his Uncle Donavan.
Calderone did not look up…His dad’s old saying came back to him. You never took your eye of a snake that needed killing, not if you didn’t like getting bit.
“I went after someone in revenge the same way you have,” Donavan spoke quietly with a rasp in his voice. “It was a huge mistake. The same one you have made here. I never told you how bad Flynn was. I just couldn’t…” he paused. “But I should have and that was a mistake, another one that I will have to live with. He sold his kids off just like Calderone said. He had no care for anyone but himself. His children only knew slavery and misery. You were the lucky one to have been raised in wealth and to never know what a true evil your father really was.”
Jovanti shook his head.
“Are you going to…kill him, Calderone?” Donavan asked in a weak sounding voice.
“I can see no other way. I have to protect my family.”
Donavon gave no reply.
“So!” Jovanti yelled. “You aren’t even going to plead for my life, uncle?”
Donavan remained silent for a full minute then he spoke softly, “You gave this man no choice. You also never gave me a chance to plead for my life.”
Calderone cocked his head to the side as he tipped his gun downward. “Say hello to Flynn for me.”
The lone bullet never made a sound in the room.
Two weeks later…
The lawns were green and the flowers in his wife’s garden sent out an aroma of heaven and happiness.
Leon Vincinti sat sipping ice tea. It was heaven to him. He had everything a man his age could need or want and all of it was right here. He chuckled as he watched the melee happening across his manicured lawns.
Two small boys… Leon’s great grands… were running and chasing them, was one Calderone Vincinti, a man of many talents, but one of them wasn’t catching children, that was for sure.
Then chasing Calderone were lots of puppies, like maybe 5 of them. Labradors and German Shepard pups.
Leon smiled and sipped his tea. Yes, this was the life.
“They are still at it?” a voice asked from above where he sat.
He looked up to see a sweet face, one he would never forget as what she had done for his son and his life would always be dear to his heart. “Yap…” He smiled at her, remembering Calderone had told him of this small joke.
Willow laughed as she sat down in the chair next to him.
“Have some tea my dear while I catch you up to speed.” He pointed out the trouble he saw in this very serious, very important struggle in the world. “You see the puppies look to be making progress, but I am afraid your man may lose this one.”
Willow nodded as she poured herself a glass of tea and placed a hand over her forehead to shade it from the sun as she too, watched the events playing out.
Calderone had just tripped and made a huge dramatic deal of acting hurt as he yelled and gasped while stumbling around like a cartoon character while he called out to the boys for help.
Willow gasped.
“Nah, that’s the oldest trick in the book, Willow dear. He is fine.” Leon nodded.
They both watched the next part happening on the lawn.
Calderone was down.
The kids were heading his way.
From the other side so were the puppies. It was a virtual head on collision in the making.
“Oh, no!” Willow laughed.
“Oh yes,” Leon said. “He is in trouble now.”
They both laughed uproariously as puppies and boys landed in a literal dog pile on top one of the most renowned, respected and feared Badfellas of the East Coast.
