“You’ll get your chance, brother,” Roman mutters darkly before turning to Mick. “Have you nailed down his location yet?”
Mick nods, getting straight back to business. “We have. But you’re not going to like it.” Roman gives him a hard stare and Mick hurries to give him the information that he needs. “You were right, she’s holding Levi in her private residence an hour out of the city. From the fifty cameras within the home and the layout Shayne was able to draw up, we were able to determine that Levi is being kept in a padded cell under the mansion. We’re unsure how to access the underground portion of the property or just how big it might be, but if you take the rest of her home into consideration, you can guarantee that she put a lot of thought and cash into it. These cells were not meant for people to come out of.”
Roman and Marcus nod as if simply discussing what toppings they’re having on their pizza.
“I’m not sure of Gia’s usual day-to-day security, but there are a lot of guards swarming her property. It looks as though she’s anticipating an attack and she’s ready for it. I don’t know how you guys are going to get through this one, but if anyone can make this happen, it’s you crazy fuckers.”
Mick goes on to show us a shitload of tech gear that we’ll be using as if we’re in some kind of James Bond movie, and I gape at it all. I’ve never known the boys to need anything apart from themselves and a gun, but to have a tech dude in their ears, watching their movements with heat signatures and a shitload of other stuff I don’t understand only goes to show just how fucking dangerous this really is. Hell, there’s even a hint of nervousness buried deep in Roman’s eyes, while Marcus looks like he’s about ready to slaughter every man who stands in his way, and I can guarantee that’s exactly what he’ll do.
The boys are preparing for one hell of a war. We’re just three people up against a fucking storm.
The next twenty minutes are filled with the boys going over every detail of the property that we can get our eyes and ears on. They watch the guards and figure out where they’re stationed on the property, zero in on codes being punched into the front gate, and figure out where the weakest link is.
We study every angle of the property, and every now and then, a new question is thrown my way, but for the most part, my eyes remain locked on the screen that watches Levi, making sure he’s still holding on.
A meticulous, detailed plan is put into place, and after giving Mick the rundown on the whole GPS tracker thing, instructions are given to clear out the warehouse and move all the boys’ product and cash to a new location, ensuring the workers’ silence and safety.
The warehouse turns into a buzz of movement, everyone doing what they need to do to get this place stripped while all the tech bunnies remain exactly where they are, having instructions not to move until Levi has been recovered and is safe. After that, they can do whatever the fuck they need to do to get out of here. The moment Gia realizes that we’re coming, she’ll use every last weapon in her artillery to win.
With everyone busy and preparing for what’s going to go down in the dead of night, Roman and Marcus crowd around me, their faces grim. Nervousness weighs down on my chest as I watch them through narrowed eyes. “What?” I demand, getting to my feet while distantly aware of the way everyone in the room seems to ignore us, acting as though there aren't two psychotic serial killers moving in on me.
Roman glances at Marcus, a silent message passing between them, and after a beat, he turns back to me, a new determination written across his face. “You’re not coming with us.”
I stumble back a step, my brows furrowed as I look between them in confusion. Surely he just mixed up his words because there’s no way he could possibly mean what he just said. “Excuse me?” I demand. “What the hell do you mean I’m not coming?”
Marcus takes a hesitant step toward me, slowly reaching for my hand, but I quickly pull away, knowing this bullshit idea would have belonged to him. “You know I think you’re incredible, and if anyone can handle themselves during this, it’s you. Don’t get me wrong by assuming I think anything different, but you can’t be there. Gia wants your head, and she will stop at nothing to get it. Every one of those men will have kill orders on you, on all of us, and we can’t go into this worried about you. You’ll be staying here with Mick. He’ll give you a head piece so that you can communicate with us and watch the live feed, but you won’t be coming.”
I stare at him, my heart slowly cracking right down the center before turning back to Roman. “And you agree with this?”
His gaze drops, usually being the one to break whatever news needs to be broken, only when he can see my heart shattering before him, his determination wavers. “I do,” he finally says.
Letting out a heavy breath, I nod and turn away, hating the feel of their laser-sharp gazes locked on my back.
I didn’t think that it would come down to this, but nothing, not even Roman and Marcus, will keep me from getting to Levi. He needs me more than ever, and after the stupid amount of times Levi has had my back, it’s a damn guarantee that I will have his. I know Roman and Marcus are simply trying to protect me, and I know they have a really good reason to do so, but I will give up my life if it means saving Levi’s.
Nothing is going to stop me.
Not Roman. Not Marcus. And not Gia Fucking Moretti.
They leave me no choice.
23
Nerves rattle me, but they’re nothing quite like the guilt that sears me from the inside out.
They’re going to kill me. Hell, I’m going to kill myself. But no one, not even Marcus and Roman are going to keep me grounded. This is too important. Levi needs me. He needs something to fight for. He needs a ray of hope to shine through the bullshit and get him through this until the guys can help free him. But right now, this whole waiting until the middle of the night bullshit to make a move, this shit isn’t sitting well with me. In fact, just the thought of waiting another minute tears me to shreds.
I stare up at the ceiling of the dumpster fire motel room the boys and I have been shacking up in since leaving the warehouse four hours ago. They’re dead to the world, deep asleep, with the intention to regain as much energy as possible for the raid on Gia’s home. They’re going to need it, especially being down one brother.
Time is ticking so damn slowly.
I haven’t slept a wink, but I knew that before we even came here. How could I sleep after seeing that live feed? In the hours that I sat in front of that screen, Levi didn’t get assaulted again, but the way he held his body made it clear that he was ready and prepared for more.
Glancing out the window, I decide that I’ve waited long enough. It’s after eleven, and the sky is as dark as it’s going to get. The majority of cars have cleared off the roads and Gia’s night shift would have well and truly taken over.
I have no plan. No solid idea of how I’m supposed to get in there and find my way to Levi, but I have to try. The boys aren’t planning on leaving until just after two in the morning, and by the time they wake up, they’ll find me long gone. They’ll race after me, and if everything goes as well as I hope, I’ll already be with Levi when they arrive, then they can help us get out of there. Sure, I’ll probably get the worst kind of lecture and be hate fucked afterward, but I’m not leaving Levi for one more second.
They can hate me all they want. They can rant and rave at me until their throats are bleeding, but they can’t possibly deny the fact that if it had been me in that padded cell beneath Gia’s home, they would have done the exact same thing. Hell, I just raced back into the lion’s den to save their bitch asses from their father, risking it all. If they don’t expect me to try something, then they mustn’t know me well enough.