“Solar company?” Dom questions. I thought the same thing. What is she doing in an area that would have that shit stolen the second it was installed?
“Yeah, authentic and everything. She’s going door-to-door and shit, like it’s fucking safe.” I can’t stand the idea that she does that for a living. There are too many fucked-up people that she could run into, myself included.
“Damn it. What’s really going on, Nero? I get you don’t want to hurt her, but we can’t do nothing.” That, I understand more than anything.
“We can’t hurt her,” I snap. He laughs at me. Does he suspect that I’m a goner? “Wait, Dom. I have a plan, but you’re not going to like it.”
“What is it?” I can almost see him rolling his eyes through the phone.
“I’m going to keep her hostage and change her mind,” I explain. It’s much more than that. I’m going to have her screaming my name as she comes for me.
“What?”
“Let’s just say I can’t hurt her,” I confess. My stomach burns with the idea of harming even a single hair on her head.
“This is on you, Nero,” Dom points out. Something I can’t forget.
I hear someone in the background when Dom adds, “I’ve got to go; the queen is summoning me.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to you later,” I chuckle out because she has him by the balls, but I’m not too different I begrudgingly admit to myself.
I drive to work and sneak up to my office, grabbing my things and stopping down in Rodgers’ office knowing he’s still working. I hand him the signed documents that I finished before I even left. He grins from ear to ear which is a first.
“Get out more, Rodgers. I’m going home for the night.”
I turn to leave when he calls out. “Thank you, Mr. Bianchi.” I nod and continue out of the building to my usual SUV. Like Dom, I have drivers on occasion, but I prefer to drive myself around.
My first stop is to see Mariana and take her. I’m driving toward her apartment when Enrico calls me. “What’s up?”
“She booked it out of here, filling her car with shit like she’s leaving town.” Damn it.
“Did you follow her?”
“Yeah, but then I lost her. There’s another problem. I went back to her apartment to see if I could find anything, but there were several men looking for her in her apartment. I overheard them, and they were trying to kidnap her.” Damn—my woman is having a very bad day. Once I locate her, I’ll be fixing her problems.
“Find out who they are. I’ll be dealing with them in due time.” Each one will die at my hand.
“Understood. What about her?”
“I’ll deal with her. I’ve stolen access to her location on her cell phone. I’ll be able to find her in the next twenty minutes.” I did it while she was still passed out, making my life a lot easier.
“I don’t think she’s going to be an issue. I’m guessing she wasn’t running from you, but from the guys who showed up.” I’m betting on it, too.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll be speaking with Miss Conlon soon. I can’t just let her go freely.”
“Yes, Nero.”
“Find out who those assholes are.”
“On it.” I click the end button and toss my phone on the seat of my vehicle. I have a plan, and I will make it work. I have a body to dispose of, and now isn’t the time to forget what brought me out here in the first place. Killing Walsh immediately hadn’t been my initial plan because I needed to know who he was working with, but after the fucking trouble he caused with Mariana, he just had to go. I’ll figure out who he was dealing with once I get home.
After getting rid of the little shit, I return my focus to the only witness. I run the software and locate her with ease. She’s on the far Southside of the city. As I drive, the location begins to get more accurate. I’m just two blocks away from her. This isn’t a great neighborhood either, but it’s better than the shithole we met in. I get closer and finally spot her vehicle in a small lot.
Exiting my vehicle, I take a peek inside. She’s not in it, but all of her things are. The lot’s attached to a woman’s shelter. As I approach the front door which has no windows, there’s a sign that clearly states Men will be let in after verification.
Not wanting anyone to know I’ve been around here, especially her because she might try to run again, I cool my heels and think. Sitting in my car, I debate my next moves.
Fuck, I hate that she has to sleep in some damn shelter. Still, knowing she’s safe inside, I can deal with other matters. I don’t want to give away my position just yet because I need to have everything organized, so I drive away, but not before slipping a tracer tag on her vehicle, just in case she has her phone off.