The Fire Unleashed ✔

9. The Penultimate Showdown

The plane ride was long, and tiring, but I couldn't wait to land in Amalfi. My body might be tired, but my mind couldn't seem to rest even for a minute - it was incessantly restless.

I looked like I hadn't slept for two days when we landed in Italy. My eyes were red and I couldn't think straight, which turned me into an extremely grumpy and moody man - ready to pounce on anyone that dares to cross me. I know that I'm usually intimidating, but today, it was on a whole new level and I could actually feel the terror vibrating off of my staff and bodyguards.

And that made me smile internally. I had a dangerous aura, and I liked it.

Luca asked me as soon as we got into our car at the airport,

"Hey, have you ever been to Amalfi?"

"Why are you asking me something you know? Of course, I haven't."

I said drily, not in the mood for a conversation.

"Can't you at least be a little mindful of me and have a healthy conversation for once? I was just trying to distract you idiota,"

He said, clearly making fun of my pronunciation.

"No need. I'm fine on my own. But yeah, Amalfi is really beautiful. Too bad, I'll never be able to love a horrible place as this, all because of a certain someone."

I said, regretting that I will never return here and be able to bask in the morning sun rising from rows and rows of colorful houses on top of hills. Or that I will never get to see the calm blue ocean and drown all my worries in it.

But, little did I know that in just a few months, this place was going to become one of my most frequented ones.

The rest of the ride to the hotel was silent, as we were both engrossed in our thoughts. My men were following us in different cars behind us, and many more were getting ready in my hotel. The reason why I owned a hotel here but still never got to see it was because it wasn't something I had built myself.

This was an old one, built from many years, and the ownership moved from person to person like a pendulum moves from one side to another. This went on for years until last year, when I finally bought it and gave it the name it belonged to originally - The King Hotel, Amalfi Coast.

Bria was waiting for us at the hotel, in the reception lobby, and came to us immediately.

"What took you guys so long?"

She asked, her tone sounding a bit alert.

"Why? What happened?"

I asked, getting worried now.

"We need to hurry. This idiot said our meeting was gonna be tomorrow, but he just called me a few minutes ago saying that it will be tonight at 10 pm."

"What? But, why so sudden? We aren't even fully ready!"

Luca exclaimed, not understanding a word, just like me.

"I don't know why, or what happened to him so suddenly. He ordered me for tonight, so I will have to do it. I can't say no."

She said.

I thought it over for a while. It couldn't be that someone would know about our plan and must have snitched, because nobody knew about it in the first place. Maybe this is all a coincidence.

"Okay now, don't worry too much. Let's first check in and settle down in our rooms, then we'll talk. And you Bria, you get ready for tonight."

I ordered her before calling over a staff member to carry our stuff upstairs.

It seemed like he couldn't wait for his own end. Tonight, it will all end for good.

There was no time to spare as it was already 3 pm. We had to assemble our men and get going. I told Luca to come up to the penthouse with all the men, while I took a shower after long hours of sitting in a flight.

Bria had told us that the hotel she was called in is not too far from here, and even though it has many twists and turns, it will be easy for us because she had visited the hotel many times, and was now an expert in knowing all the ways around.

The hotel had a special strip club too, which was the place Roberto told Bria to meet. They will sit in there for a few minutes and then leave for his room. But, she will not be alone, either in the club, or the hotel. Luca and one of our men will be stationed in the club, while Marco, my driver will be inside Roberto's room. There was no way that bastardo will be able to lay his hands on Bria anywhere.

The moment they go inside the room, Bria will mix a drug in his drink which will weaken his reflexes. He won't be able to speak or walk properly, hell he won't even be able to stand properly.

Once she has attacked him and weakened his defenses, he won't be able to help himself, and his men won't be able to help him because by then, our men will totally overpower them. Marco, Bria and Luca will stand on guard for me while I will be the one to slowly suck life out of his wind pipe - giving him a taste of his own medicine.

Smirking while I ran the plan in my mind, I dried myself with a posh white towel and entered the bedroom to which my bathroom was connected. I donned a crisp white shirt, black pants and a black blazer. After combing my hair and making a simple hairstyle by slicking them back and exposing my forehead, I was done.

I wore my two signature rings - one, a single platinum band with my initials, T.K. embedded in diamonds, and the other, many thin platinum bands entwined with one another forming a rope, and the face of a tiger embedded with small ruby stones in the front. It was the design every member of the WildCats had to wear. It was our symbol. It wasn't easy to earn - one had to actually put their life on the line to earn this ring. Because it meant you were in with us for a lifetime. Even then, the lowest rank men got one with fake diamonds, and only the most trusted ones got the ruby ones. Right now, only Bria, Luca and Marco had the ruby ones, besides me.

Before leaving the room, I tucked a small knife each in my boots, and my revolver in the inner pocket of my blazer. As I came out, Luca informed me that all the necessary information had been already relayed to the men.

I looked at each and every one of them before I gave them my direct orders,

"All of you are connected by this earpiece to Luca, and you will follow all the orders he gives you tonight. Stay in your given positions and do only as I tell you to. Any unnecessary movement or action will result in the failure of our plan and your death. So, choose wisely. Got it?"

I was answered with a loud yes from the crowd, making my back straighten from all the strength I was receiving today. 

By the time 10 pm arrived, we were fully ready. Bria had already left for the club, while our car followed her. I and Luca had stationed ourselves perfectly in the club, hiding behind all the lights and the ladies. We also wore hats for extra protection, in case something goes wrong.

I was in high spirits tonight, thinking that this was the final showdown of my life, and that my life will now become easy. I will be opening the page into a new chapter of my life, but my idiotic and innocent self had no idea that this wasn't the end of anything, if anything, it was just a penultimate showdown.

Or could I even call it penultimate? And not a child's play?

-----‐----‐--------------------------