Becoming the Hitman (Zanetti Famiglia Book 5) Read online

  “Renzo, you have to tell me what I’m getting into here with you. Am I in danger?” I ask, changing my tactics.

  If he won’t tell me what he does specifically for a living, then at least I need to know if I’m safe or not. He takes a bar of soap and quickly scrubs his face and beard of blood. Only then does he open his eyes and look down at me.

  His lips are smiling, but it’s just a small smile and it doesn’t reach his eyes as usual when he’s with me. Which makes me wonder why he’s even with me and not with the woman who he was on the phone with, the one that made his eyes smile even from the distance I was at, I could see it.

  “With me, you’re always safe, cuoricino,” he purrs before he dips his chin and his lips brush my own.

  “I need more than that,” I whisper against his mouth.

  He hums, but he doesn’t give me more. Instead, he scares me even more than he already has. “I have to leave for a little while. You’ll be okay here, and tomorrow morning the plane will be waiting for us, to take us home.”

  No more words are spoken. Instead, he cups my cheeks and kisses me sweetly. Too sweetly. Then he does the same as he makes love to me against the shower wall. It’s sweet, far too sweet and instead of feeling warm and fuzzy, it scares me.

  Something is happening, something has happened, and I don’t know what it is, but he’s not talking to me. I don’t expect all of his innermost secrets immediately, but he’s completely shut down.

  He orders room service, tucks me in bed and tells me that he’ll be back soon. He walks out of the door without a glance back, leaving me alone with more questions than I’ve ever had and zero answers.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  RENZO

  The man in question isn’t hard to find and the irony is that he’s Orin Murphy, Sr. I should have seen that. I should have discovered that. And maybe I would have, had I not been so incredibly wrapped up in Siobahn from almost the moment I landed here.

  I’m not sure that Vino knows either, though. I think that unfortunately they had us fooled and I have a feeling Gavino is going to be straight pissed the fuck off. After leaving Siobahn alone, again, I dig my phone out of my pocket once I’m inside of the car.

  “He’s taken care of?” he asks.

  I snort. He has no idea. None. “He is, yes, but his father isn’t.”

  “His father?” Gavino asks, confirming my suspicions.

  Clearing my throat, I shift the car into drive and begin to make my way toward the address that I found in my short search, combined with the address on Orin’s identification card, which only confirmed my suspicion that he truly was a weak piece of shit.

  “His father is the money and the brains, Orin, Jr., was just the face.”

  Gavino growls, and I have a feeling whoever was put in charge of researching Orin won’t be alive by the time I touch down on American soil tomorrow.

  “I’ll get him taken care of, because let me tell you, he doesn’t deserve to keep breathing.”

  “Tying up loose ends?” he asks.

  I press my lips together as I continue toward the countryside, where I assume there is a large estate. Orin thought by telling me that I would never get to his father it would deter me. He was wrong. It does nothing but push me farther.

  “For you, for the famiglia, and for myself, yes,” I say.

  He doesn’t say anything right away. “For the girls, for your new woman’s sister?”

  “How?” I ask.

  He’s quiet for a moment, then he chuckles on his end of the line. It’s not gloating or anything ugly, but rather just a genuine familiar laugh. I hear him hum, then he begins to speak.

  “I had her looked into. After the Sullivan thing, I wanted to make sure she wasn’t connected somehow, then I found out that she is connected, but not in that way and not in a way that she probably even realizes.”

  “She doesn’t,” I confirm.

  “Take him out, finish this shit. Let Ireland handle their own fucking shit. The only reason we’re in this mess is to protect an ally. With Orin gone, I won’t need to worry about that and whoever wants to take over can handle their own bullshit, my contract will be null and void.”

  “I’m pulling up to the road of the estate now.”

  “Handle it. Then contact me when it’s done. And Renzo?”

  “Yeah, Boss?”

  There is a dramatic pause, when he speaks again, I can hear the smile in his voice. “Torch the place. Nothing stands of that fucked-up piece of shit. But grab his electronics, you never know what we’ll find.”

  “Will do.”

  Ending the call, I can’t stop my own smile from curving on my lips. Gavino may be busy building his own empire, but he’s not too busy to make sure his allies are secure, his name stays intact, which protects all of us in the long run, and he collects whatever information he can get on the sick fucks.

  The road to the estate is as I expected. It’s a dirt and gravel road, it’s isolated and there are rolling hills all around it. Leaving the car hidden behind some bushes, I grab my gun bag and sling it over my shoulder before I take the path less traveled in an attempt to find an opportune spot and slip through.

  Honestly, I’m hoping that I won’t need to use the piece in my bag. I would like to get some actual information from him. His son sang, and I have no idea if he’s as stupid as his spawn, but one can hope.

  When the house finally comes into view, I should be surprised at how large it is, but I’m not. This is typical for men like Orin. They want to live in their fancy houses, show off their wealth, and feel as if they are better than everyone else on the entire planet.

  They push away the despicable things that they do and lie to themselves about how disgusting they really are. They make excuse after excuse, or maybe they all don’t, I think some just really were created depraved and don’t know anything different.

  If I could fix it, if I could end them all, I would. I want to. Hurting women and children that way, it doesn’t sit right with me, never did.

  Crouching down, I look out at the grounds. I don’t look for people though, not yet. Instead, my gaze flicks around and I look at the security system. Unless his cameras are microscopic, which they could be, I don’t see them.

  Taking my phone out, I send a text to Gavino and ask him if he can find out about a security system out here. He’s on top of it, as I knew he would be. He answers me in just moments.

  GAVINO: NO. TRACKED YOU. LOOKED AT ESTATE. ONLY THREE GUARDS, NO CAMERAS.

  HOW?

  GAVINO: COCKY.

  That one word describes everything about Orin, so it doesn’t surprise me that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Taking Gavino at his trusted word, I start to slink down the side of the hill and toward the back of the house.

  Before I leave here, I’m going to find out just what happened to Emilyn. Then, I’m going to end this sick fuck—slowly.

  It doesn’t take me long to breach the boxwood shrub that surrounds the entire home and yard. I simply just have to step over the top. Walking up to the back door, I almost laugh at how entirely too easy this is.

  I still have my gun bag strapped on to my back, but my handgun is firmly in my grip as I turn the knob on the back door and push it open. He hasn’t even locked the door. Standing in the kitchen, I strain to hear any sounds in the home.

  I hear it.

  In the distance, I hear a man’s voice. It sounds as if he’s possibly talking on the phone, because I don’t hear anyone else’s voice. Slowly, carefully, and quietly, my feet carry me in the direction of the singular voice.

  As I suspected, he’s in his office. Turning the knob, I lift my gun and point it forward before I forcefully push the door open. I hear him grunt, then my eyes widen slightly at the scene in front of me.

  Orin Murphy is indeed not alone.

  There is a completely nude woman on her knees, his cock in her mouth. Another woman is also nude and, on the couch, her legs spread far as she pleasures he
rself with a vibrator. She has nipple clamps securely in place and a collar around her neck.

  A third woman is on her knees, also nude, her back to Murphy with her hands gripping her ass cheeks and holding them spread.

  It’s a scene that I haven’t seen before, and while typically I would find it arousing, since I’m not a stranger to multiple partners, knowing these women are likely here against their will, it’s definitely not sexy.

  In this case, a wave of sadness rolls through me. These women aren’t doing it for the art or the love of sex. They aren’t doing it to get paid, they’re doing it to survive.

  “What the fuck?” Orin growls, burying his dick down the poor girl’s throat.

  To her credit, she doesn’t make a single sound. He probably has a cock the size of a thumbtack anyway.

  “Your son told me I could find you here,” I drawl, continuing to point the barrel of my gun at his forehead.

  “Did he now?” he asks, a slow smile appearing on his lips.

  I chuckle. “Not so much as told me, but I found his ID in his wallet after I blew his fuckin’ brains out, so this was the first place I looked.”

  The smile dies on his face and then he turns an odd shade of yellow and green all in one before he pushes the woman off of his dick and growls as he faces me. I dip my chin in the direction of his toothpick sized flaccid cock. He quickly zips up and takes a step toward me.

  Shaking my head once, I make a tsking sound which stops him in his tracks. “You’re not in charge anymore, Murphy,” I inform him. “Sit your fat ass down. I have a few things to discuss with you.”

  SIOBAHN

  I think of calling Kathleen when it’s after work hours and Renzo still isn’t back to the hotel. I don’t. Instead, I continue to slip in and out of sleep. I don’t know what he’s doing or where he’s at, but calling any of my friends just feels wrong. I’m not even sure why, but it does.

  So I wait. I eat a little of what he had ordered for me earlier, but it’s gone cold and I’m not hungry for anything else as I watch movies and doze off and on.

  The hours pass, the day turns to dark night, the moon bright and the breeze blowing through the opened windows causing a chill in the room that I can’t help but smile as I feel.

  Then, as if the wind itself has brought him back to me, the door flies open. There he is, standing in the illuminated hallway, blood splattering his white shirt once again.

  “Renzo?” I ask on a whisper.

  He steps inside, closing the door behind him, and I hear the lock click into place. He takes a step toward me, then another, his eyes search mine and they look almost feral as he takes me in. He’s breathing heavily, then as if something inside of him snaps, he jerks his head to the side.

  “Get ready. We leave in an hour,” he growls.

  “An hour?” I breathe.

  He jerks his chin up, then walks past me and into the bathroom. I sit in bed, watching as the door closes and wonder what in the fuck is going on? An hour? Throwing the sheets to the side, I slide off of the bed and make my way toward the bathroom right behind him.

  Renzo is already stripped from his clothes and climbing into the warm shower when I step into the steaming room.

  “Renzo,” I snap.

  He doesn’t look over to me, in fact, he keeps his back to me and just starts to wash his body. He turns to the side only to wet his hair and I can’t help but freeze in my spot, my lips parting as I watch the water trickle down his naked, toned, naturally tanned skin.

  Shivering in my spot, I try to shake myself out of my own lusting gaze and step forward.

  “Renzo,” I begin, my voice a bit gentler.

  He turns slightly and looks over to me. The sparkle that I usually see in his gaze, the way the amber flakes move as he looks over at me, it’s all gone. He looks like he’s just staring at nothingness instead of my face.

  Stripping out of my clothes, I make my way into the shower. He doesn’t smile, doesn’t even flinch as I reach out and press my palms against his warm chest. Sliding my hands up, I wrap my arms around his shoulders, pressing my naked body against his, tilting my head back so that I can look up into his gaze.

  “Renzo, what’s happened?” I breathe.

  He shakes his head once, lifting one of his hands, he grabs a hold of my hair. The other he uses to cup my cheek. His gaze searches mine, but he isn’t looking at me the way he did just hours ago. Instead, he’s searching for something, but I’m not sure what.

  “You will hate me, cuoricino,” he whispers. “You will hate me, and you will want to leave me, but I won’t let you. You’re mine now.”

  Shaking my head, I lick the droplets of water from my lips. “Did you cheat on me?” I ask.

  He frowns, but doesn’t answer me. His thumb slides across my bottom lip as he leans forward and touches his mouth to mine.

  “I can’t hate you, but that’s the only thing I could never forgive you for, Renzo. If you fell in love with another woman.”

  Something flashes in his gaze and he smiles sadly. “Love is something I don’t know much about, cuoricino. I know that I can take care of you, and I will. I know that I can keep you safe, and I will. I know that I will do all of this and start a life with you. That is all I can promise.”

  My lips twitch into a small smile and I nod my head once. “Then kiss me, Renzo.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  SIOBAHN

  We arrive not one, but two hours later to the airport. I push the issue, I need to feel Renzo inside of me. I don’t know what was going on with him, but something has changed and I just need to feel.

  On the way to the airport, I sent a group text to Kathleen, Andrea, and John letting them know that there has been a change of plans. They all can’t believe it, but wish me luck, then make me promise to stay in contact and to call as soon as I arrived in the states.

  I make the promise. I’m not sure that I’ll be able to keep it, but I hope that I can. I want to stay in touch with them, I want to have true friends. I haven’t been able to get close to people since Emilyn disappeared. Just when I start to let them in, I leave. I want more, I want to live, and I want to be happy again.

  The airplane isn’t as big as I thought it would be. We arrive on the tarmac and I’m surprised that they just let us drive on up to it. This whole situation reminds me of watching Orin load women into a plane and then watching it take off.

  “Renzo?” I whisper.

  He looks over to me as he shifts the car in park. I watch as he places the keys against the visor and pushes it up against the roof of the car.

  “Siobahn?” he asks, his voice rumbling through the car.

  “Is this a private plane?” I ask.

  He chuckles. “It is. How did you think we’d get where we’re going with no documentation?” he asks.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t think… wait, is this a government plane?”

  He shakes his head slowly. “It’s not. But it is my employer’s. Let’s go now, cuoricino.”

  I don’t ask any more questions, it’s clear that he’s only answering vaguely anyway. I don’t know if I’m ever going to get any details of his career. I want to know what he does and I’m determined to find out, but I want him to tell me.

  I also want to make him smile.

  I remember how he practically looked through me earlier tonight, then recall the way he smiled and laughed at whoever he was on the phone with just days ago. I want that. I want it all. I’m selfish when it comes to him and I want to be the only one who makes him smile like that.

  Slipping from the car, I wait at the back for him to take our luggage out. Watching him pull out the few suitcases that I have makes me realize just how little I have. I am counting on him for everything, on a virtual stranger and all of my worries that have come and gone since he asked me to move, rear their ugly head again.

  “Cuoricino?” Renzo has walked a good ten feet and has stopped to look back at me. I didn’t even realize he was walking a
way from me, I was too busy worrying.

  “I’m scared,” I breathe.

  His lips turn down, then almost as quickly curve back up as he looks into my eyes. “You have zero need to, but I understand it. Come on, let me show you a new life, yeah?”

  “Better than I had?” I chance asking.

  He shakes his head once, a dark cloud shifting through his gaze again, the sparkle in his eyes dies instantly and a chill runs up my spine.

  “No, nothing is better, only different. Some parts will be better I’m sure, some could be worse. I don’t know. I can only promise you those few things.” He pauses, then he grins. “Those few things and your salon.”

  I’d forgotten. How could I have? He promised me something that has been a dream of mine for years, something that I never thought could be attainable because I’d saved all my money on my father’s mortgage, on living expenses, and on hiring a private detective.

  “The salon,” I whisper.

  He holds out his palm and I don’t even hesitate. He’s dangled the carrot and I eagerly hurry toward it. Maybe I’m selfish, stupid, or just plain hungry for more. I don’t know what it is, but I’m willing to go with a man that I don’t know for a taste of what could be.

  We climb onto the plane and I’m surprised that it’s as spacious as it is. There is a pilot and co-pilot up front, but nobody else. I’m glad that it will just be us, I’m not sure I could deal with a flight attendant.

  “Just rest. We’ll be home in just under eight hours,” he rasps.

  He sits down next to me and I watch as he takes out a book. I frown, surprised to see that he even has a book, that he’s even a reader. I realize once again just how much I don’t know about him at all.

  “You read?” I ask.

  The plane is moving, but I need to be distracted or I’ll think far too much about every jerk and bump as it begins to ascend into the air.