CAPO

37. Blood

Giovanni watched as Arabella slid into the car after his mother, Bianca and her girlfriend following. Rafael started the car behind him and Giovanni threw open the door, sliding in.

The rest of his men were already at Giovanni's building where the ambush begun, and as they drove onto the street, Giovanni could faintly see an approaching black van, men huddled out of the opened door at the side.

He reached behind him, grabbing onto the handle of a large heavy gun, and as Rafael slowed and Giovanni peered out of the window, gun cocked outside, he aimed and opened fire, the gun shuddering in his arms as he pressed on the trigger, bullets flying right through the men and when one aimed at Giovanni, the bullet came from the gun and pierced right through his shoulder, sending him back in his seat, groaning loudly.

He clutched his throbbing shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut as he arched his neck, the back of his head pushing into the head of the seat.

Rafael sped up, pulling up the handbrake as they turned the corner before he sped up again, racing through the busy road. Horns from the pedestrians sounded around them, Rafael skillfully missing the other cars.

Giovanni's phone vibrated in his pocket. "Yeah?" He yelled into the phone. "The women are safe, I'm on my way," Enzo rushed out before ending the call.

A few minutes later, the car screeched to a stop in front of the building. Giovanni stumbled out, momentarily clutching his shoulder as blood pooled down Arabella's shirt, tainting it.

The man pushed back his hair and followed behind Rafael. The two men and a few of Giovanni's employees piled into the building, their guns held high and Blood dripping onto the floor from Giovanni's wound.

"Get to the office, Arthur! Mind the elevators," Giovanni yelled, pointing to the stairs down the hallway, "Rafael, go with him. Jonas, come with me and Michael, wait for Enzo before you come up,"

Giovanni and his man made their way to the meeting room on the last floor. Giovanni held his finger to his lips, telling Jonas to wait and be silent.

He pushed doen the door handle, holding his gun to his chest as he entered.

There was a man standing at the window, cigarette smoke wafting from him. He told Jonas to stay by pointing his finger to the ground as he made his way further into the building.

"Giovanni Massimo Armani," The man announced. "I've been trying to get a hold of you for some time now. You've been avoiding me, haven't you?"

Giovanni aimed at his head, "Maybe. I don't do deal with Americans anymore," He said. "You sent the man to my house to scope out, didn't you? Saw all my men there and he reported back to you?"

"You're very intelligent, Mr Armani. I'm surprised you didn't know I'd be visiting,"

The man turned, his blonde hair gelled back and fine, black suit glinting in the setting sun. Giovanni lowered his gun, breathing heavy as he looked at him.

"My boss tells me you had business with him a whole back, and you did him over. Mr Dudley doesn't handle disappointment well, Giovanni."

He inhaled, "My men tell me they were caught by Spanish mafia members. I told your boss that, Mr Taylor." He merely shrugged, "I'm James' adviser. I clean up his business when he has other things to do, and you, Mr Armani. Are trash that needs to be cleaned up,"

Giovanni slumped down in the dark leather chair, putting the gun on the table, taking the pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

"Your boss is a fool for not coming down here himself, we could've handled this the way men do, not the way children do when they don't get their way,"

The blonde man scoffed, amused, "You are a fool for treating Mr Dudley like a child."

Giovanni blew out a puff of smoke, tipping the cigarette on the hardwood floor. "I never treated him like a child, Andrew. I merely ignored his calls, ignored his letters and most importantly, ignored his threats."

"And that's why I'm here," He said, taking a seat across from Giovanni.

"Your men are killing mine up there, for what? To be crowned king by an American man?" He laughed, standing from his chair. He rounded the table to the man, bending and roughly grabbing his jaw, tilting his head up to him as he lowered.

"There is God, and then there is Giovanni Armani," He smirked, "I will send your boss a message with your death, and then he will hear me loud and clear, Mr Taylor. Say your peace with me,"

The blonde man opened his mouth, roughly pushing Giovanni's hand away. "Say my peace with you? Are you God, Mr Armani?"

Giovanni pulled the gun from behind his trousers, pushing it against his forehead, "I'm much more terrifying than your God," He gritted, pressing the trigger.

Blood, brains and skull splattered on his face, on the desk and the floor. Not wasting a second, Giovanni stormed out of the room with the gun held tightly in his hand, Jonas, Rafael and Enzo following behind him as he dashed up the stairs, his shoulder on fire.

"Where did you leave them?" He asked Enzo behind him, "They're with Aunt Margaret out of town, Gio. Arabella's worried, wouldn't let me leave,"

Giovanni's chest clenched at the mention of her name, "She'll never forgive me for dying here today, so when it does happen, tell her that I loved her, and with my last breath I told her that,"

Enzo nodded curtly, and as they stood just shy from the hallway, they could hear gunshots and screaming. Giovanni gripped his brothers shoulder, his eyes burning with unshed tears.

"If I die here today, Enzo, you must look after the business better than I did. And be smart, brother. You are an Armani after all,"

Enzo smailed a sad, worried smile at his brother, "Te amo, fratello.
[I love you, brother.]

Giovanni smiled back, "Te amo, fratellino,"
[I love you, little brother.]

Giovanni looked up to Enzo, telling him to follow him with only a nod. So, Giovanni turned and he held his gun high, making his way down the hall, up to his office. He shot a few Americans on his way, not sparing a moment to feel bad about it.

Now he was a few moments away from his office. And he was alone; the rest of his men was sent down to the middle story. It was only him and the bodies and the ghosts and as Giovanni rounded the corner to his office, he heard incoherent screaming behind him, and then he felt it.

He felt the bullet go through his stomach, and then through his chest. Weak, he fell to the floor, groaning loudly as he clutched the new pain.

He pried open his eyes and saw three men above him, smirking with the devil behind their eyes. Then they lifted their feet and their hands and it all came down on him, hitting and punching and kicking and when Giovanni tasted blood, he made his peace with the God above him, and readied himself for the Devil below him.