Secession: A Mafia Boss Series, Installment #2

Chapter 1~Take the Shot

**6 years ago**

~Nicolai POV~

I opened the door of the twentieth floor of the Technical Manufacturer office building from the stairwell and quickly ran to the window to the far right of the office space, past the cubicles. I knew that from this window I had a clear shot of the entrance of the Majestic Theatre in New York City with my MK-13 sniper rifle. I had picked this building and this spot when I cased out the place two weeks ago, disguised as a city fire inspector. I was 500 yards away in a 40-floor story building. This shot was nothing for me to execute the perfect kill.

Though I had hoped to be a little closer, I knew that Uncle Vito was eyeing me like a hawk. The shot needed to be purposefully off range and off target. I found out Victor was dining with his fiancé, Amelia DeAngelis and her parents tonight and they had reservations to take in a show, The Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre after. Amelia’s father was the New Jersey District Attorney, Michael DeAngelis and was the perfect target for a would-be assailant who wanted to take revenge on a DA with a perfect record of high-profile convictions. From the unknown observer, a stray bullet killing businessman, Victor Antonio Bernardi would not draw out too much speculation. That is if they were not aware that this fucker stood to inherit the biggest Mafia organization in just two days’ time.

Victor was my cousin, a year younger than me and he had the fortune to be the lone surviving child of Don Enzo Alexander Bernardi, who was blown to pieces along with his wife and daughter fourteen years ago by our most notorious rival Don Alphonso Leonardo de Rossi. Don Enzo was the most ruthless mafia head who ever lived and because of him the Bernardi name elicited both fear and admiration among the who's who of the criminal underworld and mob bosses.

Uncle Enzo was my hero. I wanted to be him and hated the fact that God gave me the misfortune of being the offspring to his sister, Carmelita Bernardi Giordano instead. Don’t get me wrong, my parents have been good parents. My mother is formidable. She is as ruthless as they come, but being a woman, she was bypassed when it came to taking over the Bernardi organization as the Head when Uncle Enzo died. Uncle Vito was the inevitable successor. Regarding my own father, Don Giuseppe Giordano, he is a good man and a good father, but he is weak. He was a loyal ally of Uncle Enzo’s and was a respectable choice for an arranged marriage for my mom given that he had connections overseas. It was out of respect for him that me and my other three siblings carried his last name but let’s face it, we are and will always be a Bernardi.

Uncle Vito had proven himself to be a masterful skilled mafia head. He was charming but deadly. He was known as the killer with a smile to some and to others as the surgeon. I could see why the first name was accurate, but the second one was lost on me. But he had two main blemishes on his resume the last fourteen years. One was not killing Don Rossi to avenge Don Enzo’s murder, second was Victor. Victor was his weakness. It was not a well-kept secret that he favored Victor among all else. You would have thought he was Victor’s father or that fucker had compromising pictures on him the way he was loyal to him.

Victor Antonio Bernardi was no Don Enzo nor was he even a Don Vito. He was an Ivy league pretty boy who has never gotten his hands dirty. While I was dodging bullets in Afghanistan, he was dining in 5-star restaurants and luxury resorts, starting his corporate empire, jet setting with the Hollywood elites, f*****g one beautiful woman after another. And now because of his f*****g pedigree he was going to be handed the f*****g kingdom, just like that. Uncle Vito knew I was not happy with this decision. I have been by his side for the last seven years. I have been the loyal soldier doing everything that this family needed. It was I that put the fear of God in our enemies. At any given time, bullets would rain down on our enemies from seemingly nowhere. I was the best sniper around. My two tours in Afghanistan made me the master marksman I am today.

I had what it takes to be the Head of the Bernardi Mafia, not that Ivy League snot nose little prick, Victor. I had put in my time. My men respected me but better yet feared me. Had I had the fortune of being Uncle Enzo’s son, there would be no doubt who the Head would be.

But here I was being passed over for Victor. I knew what needed to happen. Victor had to me removed out of the equation once and for all. I had to devise the perfect Alibi. I am supposed to be out of town in Jersey City on business. I quickly executed the hit on one of Don Rossi’s lieutenants who was talking big about stealing our cargo off the coast of Miami. I made sure to deliver a single shot that took out three of his men first before burrowing into his head. That would make any enemy think twice about stealing anything of ours again, never mind bragging about it.

After the kill, I snuck back into the city. Uncle Vito was expecting me to return tomorrow. I made sure to have the street cameras catch me going into the strip club in Jersey. Everyone knew that once I head into a strip club, I was pretty much occupied for twelve to fourteen hours tops. What the cameras didn’t see was me leaving from the back door. I’m now here waiting to take the shot. It was 8:45 pm and the show was about to start in fifteen minutes. I saw the armored limousine drive up to the entrance of the theatre. Max got out of the front passenger seat and opened the door. I saw Amelia get out, followed by her father, then her mother and then finally Victor. Victor was about six feet, four inches tall and was your quintessential pretty boy, from his super model good looks, muscular lean built, his dark curly hair that he usually kept trimmed and short to his bright blue eyes that the ladies seem to not be able to resist. I must admit he’s come a long way from the scrawny, little b***h I grew up with. I imagine, from this angle I could shoot Victor in the head then deliver a second shot to Michael DeAngelis’s right shoulder.

I steadied my hand and saw that Victor was exactly in the crosshairs for me to deliver the fatal head shot. As I pressed the trigger, I heard a bang! My hand shook causing me to fire a shot to the left. Before I could process it, it appears the shot strayed and hit Michael DeAngelis in the back. It took just a second for me to then feel the burning to my right shoulder. I was shot. I quickly turn around and though I could not see who it was, I knew I was not alone. I could feel blood dripping down my right arm. I slump down, sitting on the floor.

I shouted, “Get out here, you son of a b***h! Let me see you.”

I then saw a dark shadowy figure walk up toward me. As the moonlight illuminated his face, my eyes widen in disbelief. My heart began to race as I became overtaken by fear. It was Uncle Vito. I could not imagine how the f**k he found out I was here.

Uncle Vito calmly open his mouth and said, “Do you think I’m f*****g stupid, nephew? Did you think you were going to kill Victor, and no one would be the wiser?”

“Uncle, it’s not what it looks like.” I pleaded.

“It’s exactly what it looks like. A f*****g i***t thought he could get away with killing the Head of the Bernardi Mafia without any repercussions. And because of your stupidity, you have just killed yourself,” Uncle Vito gritted out as he hoisted his gun coming toward me.

“Uncle, please. No!” I shouted before everything went dark.

I slowly open my eyes and found that my arms were bound. I was tied to a chair. I wasn’t sure where I was. I thought for sure I would be dead after Uncle Vito caught me trying to kill Victor. But instead, I was here, tied up in a poorly lit room. I than heard a noise to my left. I quickly turned my head to find Uncle Vito walking in. He took a chair and sat it in front of me.

“Do you know why you are still alive, Nicolai?” he said menacingly.

I spit out to my side before I spoke, “Because you’re a sick fucker,” I said with venom.

Uncle Vito chuckled, “You haven’t seen sick yet, Nicolai.” I paled.

What is keeping you breathing is the fact that you are a Bernardi, and I do not have it in me to spill Bernardi blood.”

I laughed. “Oh God, Uncle. You already spilled Bernardi blood. I’ve lost feeling to my f*****g arm. You f*****g shot me.”

Uncle Vito smiled but it didn’t make it to his eyes. “Oh, nephew that was a love bite. This is how this is going to go. I can see you will never accept Victor as the head.

I cut him off, “Because that prick doesn’t deserve it. Uncle you and I both know that.”

“I know that Victor is the rightful heir, and this is his kingdom to rule, and I will do everything in my power to see that happen,” Uncle Vito spat.

“Now, Nicolai you are officially dead. You will never come back here again. Do you f*****g understand me,” he said sternly.

“Uncle, that will never f*****g happen! I will come back and when I do, you will remember this day and regret keeping me alive,” I spat out.

Uncle Vito smiled and took out his pocketknife. He reaches out to my side and releases my hand restraints, confusing me.

He then looked me dead in my eye and said, “You know why they call me a surgeon?”

My heart began to race, but before I knew it Uncle Vito stabbed me in my neck. Blood started pooling out. I quickly put my hands to my neck as I gasped for air.

I was starting to feel faint, but before I passed out, Uncle Vito said, “I just stabbed you two centimeters from your carotid artery. You come back, and I swear there will be no family loyalty that will keep me from moving this knife two centimeters over.”