My Masters' Nightmare Season 1, Episode 5 Escape (6 page)

“
That’s not
true, because my family are coming back to stake a claim on this
island, taking a piece from the Donatelli pie. And by the way, I’m
not FBI, I’m an informant like you are, just for my
family.”

“You’re lying!”

“
Like you
lied to me about being a good ol’
Americano
boy? Although it wasn’t too hard to
believe with your Jersey accent,
guido
, but I speak real Italian, because I am
one—unlike you, half-breed.”

Matteo let go of my hair, my
heart pounding over Rita’s words. Was she lying or was she speaking
the truth? I couldn’t tell, but it made sense, because of her looks
and the way she’d treated Frano.

She smiled, the expression
mean, then she looked down at her nails. “I’ve been aching for your
idiot family to take me.” She tapped her leg. “And by the way, my
family know exactly where I am.”

“
You’re
lying!” Matteo yelled.

“
Then give me
a knife so I can cut out the tracking device and show
you.”

“
No, the FBI
would’ve put it in there; you’re just trying to trick
me.”

“
Which
wouldn’t be hard to do
considering you’re a simpleton.”

“Watch your
mouth!”

She grinned. “That’s a bit
hard to do without a mirror.”

Matteo stared at her in
disbelief. “Are you fucking mad? I’ve got a fucking
gun.”

“
Then
shoot me, but if you do, my family
will
make you pay in blood.”

“Just shut up, just
fucking shut up!”

“
Why
are you
panicking, Matteo? Really, this is not like you.”

“
I’m not
panicking; you’re driving me fucking nuts with your annoying
fucking voice. I lost count how many times I wanted to strangle you
just to shut you up. And it doesn’t matter what your family is up
to, because mine is more powerful. The Donatelli own this island,
we control all the families, so yours can’t do
shit.”

“
So, you
finally believe I’m Salvi?”

“
No.”

“
That’s not
what you said before.”

He sneered. “Your pretend
family then, because my uncle told me that there was only one Salvi
girl.”

“
He
wouldn’t have known about me. I’m a shameful mistake my mother made
with another man, so I was sent away. You must know about mistakes,
after all you are one.”

Matteo
glared at Rita, the man’s neck
muscles ready to snap.

“
Are you
still here?” she said. “I thought you had left because you’re never
quiet. By the way, I didn’t actually know you were Donatelli,
though I did realize you were playing me, because
come
on
, if you
were pretending not to be gay you really shouldn’t have gotten me
to frig your ass, that gave it away pretty quick, bum boy, and
also, you really should delete your history on the computer. The
amount of times I found gay porn sites on there was ridiculous,
although I must say, it was rather entertaining.”

“
You’re
definitely lying! I used incognito for those
sites.”

She laughed. “You are so easy
to crack; I didn’t even have to try to get you to admit that. I
really don’t know how you became an FBI agent, because you are so
lame.”

“
Shut the
f
uck
up, you bitch!”

S
he rolled her eyes. “Sensitive much?
Anyway, I did actually enjoy your lovely body, but still, pity it
isn’t as nice as Jagger’s.” She looked down at me. “I can see why
Alberto chose you over blondie.”

“
YOU
BITCH!!!” Matteo shoved me to the floor and rushed at
Rita.

She dodged him, the smile still
on her face. “What did I say?”

He raised the gun to her face,
his expression vicious. “I am second to NO ONE!”

“
Then why
come in here threatening Jagger’s pretty face. Are you so insecure
that you can’t even win Alberto’s ugly ass over without having to
cut Jagger up?”

“
Jagger
seduced him.”

“Jagger hates
him.”

“
And I hate
Jagger
!”

“
Only
because you’re a sore
loser.
”

His eyes flashed. “You’re just
asking me to shoot you, you stupid bitch.”

“
Then you’ll
set off a full out war with my family who, by the way, have an
arsenal at their disposal. What do you think they have been doing
since my sister’s murder? Growing grapes? No, they’ve been
gunrunning. And by the way, we
will
kill that murdering priest. He will die
painfully and anyone else who was involved in my sister’s death.
And if
you
kill me, you will die just as painfully. So, if you want to
survive, let me and Jagger go.”

He laughed, then in the blink
of an eye he hit Rita across the face with the gun, knocking her
back. He quickly pocketed his gun then went for her, screaming,
“You’re pulp, bitch!”

I jumped up to defend her, but
she dropped to the floor fast, wrapping her legs around Matteo’s
ankles, taking him down. I took a step back as he hit the floor
with a shout of surprise. She grabbed his hair and head-butted him,
causing him to yell out again, then pushed him onto his back and
went for his gun. Her head whipped back as he punched her, Matteo
going for the gun himself. As he pulled it out, she punched him in
the crotch, ripping a scream out of him, then snatched the gun off
him and slammed it across his face, knocking him out. She pushed up
and kicked him in the stomach, the man no longer moving. Turning to
me, she indicated at Matteo. “Check his pulse.”

I
went to him, holding fingers against
his neck. “He’s still alive. Kill him.”

She stared at him for a
moment, then raised the gun, her hand now shaking.

“
What are you
waiting for?” I said. “Kill him!”

She continued to stare at
Matteo, then lowered the gun. “I can’t.”

“
Then I’ll do
it,” I said, reaching for the gun.

She turned the gun on
me.

“
What the
hell are you doing?!” I yelled, backing up.

“I don’t want him
dead.”

“
He’s not
really your husband.”

“
Regardless,
I don’t want him dead, so leave him; his family can deal with his
stupidity.”

“He’ll come after me
again.”

“
Not if I
kill Alberto, I have no problem with shooting him. Now, let’s go,
we’re wasting time.” She headed for the door, then stopped and
turned back to me. “Don’t be stupid, Jagger, we have to go
now.”

“
I told you
that I’m
not going.”

“
You don’t
get a choice.” She moved behind me and placed the gun to my back.
“Remember I’m
mafioso
not FBI, so move, Jagger, because I really don’t
want to shoot my baby sister’s love.”

“You’ll get my brother and
Frano killed.”

“
I’m sure we
aren’t going to sneak out of here without being noticed, which
means they will see you are being forced. So,
move!”

I
headed through the door and down the
passage, everything that Rita had said and done shocking me. We
descended the staircase, a guard shouting at us to stop. Rita
started talking to him, telling the burly man to let us pass or I
was dead, and if I died the
Padre
would do horrendous things to him, her description
graphic, making the guard wince because it was believable. She
placed an arm around my waist and yanked me to the side, yelling at
another guard to back off, the man trying to sneak up on
us.

“
Move
t
ogether!” she yelled at the guards. “Now!”

The guards held their hands up,
doing what she asked. With me in front of her, she backed us
towards the door, her head constantly turning, making sure all was
clear. A couple more guards appeared behind the other ones, but
they were just as redundant.

She opened the door
behind
us,
then backed me out. We walked down the steps and headed for the
expensive cars. The guards appeared in the doorway with their guns
raised, but no gunfire followed, her fast talk about the
Padre
obviously ringing
true to them—and me.

She smashed the window of a
M
aserati and
opened the door. “On three jump in the car,” she said. “One, two,
three!”

I jumped in and ducked down
as
gunfire
rang out. Seconds later, the driver’s door slammed shut, Rita
showing at my side. She handed me the gun and yelled, “Shoot
back!”

I turned around and
fired
through the smashed window. The guards fell back, running
for cover. A few seconds later, the Maserati came alive. Rita
backed out fast, then stepped on the gas, making the car jump
forward, taking off with gunfire accompanying it. We speed through
the line of trees, my eyes widening as we neared the gate. I
grabbed for my seatbelt, clicking it on just as Rita smashed into
it, taking the gate out, its size small, not big like the Donatelli
abode.

“
Where
now?” she said, swinging the car around.

“
Take the
next left,” I breathed out, my heart in my throat, the woman doing
the impossible. I opened the glove box, praying for a phone. I
swore when I found none. “I have to warn my
famiglia
,” I said.

“
They’ll be
fine.
But I won’t be if you don’t do as I tell you.”

“
What do you
want me to do?”

“
I need you
to pretend I’m FBI. I can’t have Frano knowing who I am, because I
have to be shipped out to the Black Russian. That bastard has
Sophia, and I’m getting her back.”

“
What?! But
you said she was dead.”

“
I
lied.”

3

Rita

I couldn’t believe I’d pulled
that off. They had all fallen for my lies
, totally and utterly, but it wasn’t
my lies that had gotten me and Jagger out, it was Matt and his
predictable temper. Hands down he was a better fighter than me, but
whenever he got upset he got sloppy, which tonight was my ticket to
freedom ... for the time being anyway, because my job was far from
finished.

I glanced at Jagger, his happy
face extinguishing my euphoria, guilt quickly filling its void.
Maybe I shouldn’t have lied about Sophia being alive, inadvertently
giving him false hope, but I had to get to the Black Russian, and
telling the truth wasn’t going to get me there.

Jagger
turned in his seat to face me. “Frano
will get Sophia back, he can bargain with the Black Russian.” He
paused, then practically bounced in his seat, his nakedness making
it hard to concentrate on the road, especially with his gearstick
so close to my hand. “We can trade me for her. I’ll give the
Russian the night he wants; I’ll do anything he says.”

“
No.
I
need to get her back, she’s my sister,” I said, not wanting
to get him hurt, the man having had enough sickos abusing
him.

“
You wouldn’t
be sa
fe, I would, he won’t damage me; not with the amount of
money he’s been offering.”

“
You don’t
have the
skills to get her out, I do.”

“
What you did
tonight was impre
ssive, but the Donatelli are smalltime in
comparison to the Black Russian. His security is impenetrable, and
for good reason. Have you heard of the stories about
him?”

“Yes.”

“All of them?”

“
He’s the
kingpin of slave traders.”

“
I wouldn’t
call him a slave trader, because he doesn’t sell people, he sells
meat. That butcher auctions people off to the highest bidder,
regardless of whether his clients kill for sport or
supper.”

“
Those
tales are urban myths.”

“
They aren’t,
they’re real; Sasha confirmed them.” He indicated for me to turn
left.

“
My
sources say differently,” I said, steering the car into the dark
street.

“
Well,
they’re wrong, because Sasha witnessed what he told me, it’s why he
wanted to escape the Black Russian. I was helping him and his
brother until those bastard Donatelli destroyed everything.” He let
out a pained sigh. “Once the others are safe, we need to get Sasha
back—
without
the Black Russian’s help. And if Sasha can pretend to his
master that nothing has happened, then it’ll buy us some time,
because we
don’t
want that butcher coming here. If he finds out what has
happened to his guards he
will
kill Frano, Sasha has said so. And be assured, it
won’t be with a bullet, it will be long and painful, something no
one...” He breathed out, “...almost no one deserves to
endure.”