21
Antonio
Two hours earlier…
“Mario should have been back by now,” I seethe between gritted teeth.
Pacing the length of the hallway, Ardian is leaning with his back against the wall, his arms folded across his desk.
“Maybe he had an errand to run?” Ardian doesn’t sound convinced by his suggestion. His brow is furrowed, and he rubs at his jaw. “You gave the kids the teddy bears with the nanny cam installed.”
It’s not exactly a nanny cam, given that it also contains a tracking device, but I had that added aftermarket.
I hurry into the office with Ardian on my heel. I pull up the live streaming feed, but it’s hard to see anything. The camera is dark; the video footage pixilated.
“Maybe back the feed up a bit?” Ardian suggests that I couldn’t have figured that out on my own.
I pull up the tracking information on the web, and my stomach sinks at the fact that they’re way outside the area they should be in.
“What the hell are they doing in Pennsylvania? Did you know about this?”
“Of course not,” Ardian insists. “I’ll call Mario and see what the hell is going on.” He dials and waits, shaking his head.
He doesn’t bother to leave a message. It’s clear that Mario is attempting to go off-grid, but why?
What purpose is there unless he plans to dump three bodies? But then he could have done that in several other locations in New York. He didn’t have to travel across state lines to find a place to dump the bodies.
I run a hand through my hair, my stomach terse. I can’t think about what Mario might do. It sickens me to imagine that he might hurt my children or Aleksandra.
“I want the chopper ready in ten, and we’re going after my family,” I say, giving orders to Ardian to handle the specifics.
We have a helicopter pad in the backyard, and Ardian makes the arrangements so that we can be on our way.
I head to the armory and retrieve several guns, ammo, and a bulletproof vest that I put on under my jacket.
Mario’s proven that he isn’t to be trusted. If he’s gone after my family, he’s likely after my seat on the throne. I toss an extra vest at Ardian just as he ends the call and shoves his phone into his pocket. “You’re coming with me.”
“Chopper will be here in eight minutes, sir.”
“Good. I need to know someone has my back,” I mutter as we hurry to the back of the house. I secure the vest and then my black blazer over the top, doing my best to conceal my protection. The last thing I want is Mario aiming for a shot at my head because he notices that I’m wearing a vest.
I give orders to Gian and Monte before heading out of the complex and outside for the chopper.
“I should haven’t sent Mario.” Why didn’t I drive her myself to the apartment to make sure it was safe and she was happy? It would have given us the opportunity for a proper goodbye.
The chopper’s blades are loud and don’t cease to die down as we hurry to the helicopter, keeping a low profile.
Our ride is waiting for us.
I climb into the back with Ardian, and we secure the headsets that help drown out the ambient sound around us and allow me to communicate with the pilot.
I’ve got a tablet shoved into my jacket pocket with a live feed for the surveillance and the vehicle’s location as it heads west. I relay the information to the pilot while I try to sit back, but there’s nothing capable of helping me relax.
My foot taps against the floor of the helicopter. Anxiety sets in, itching at me under my skin, making my heart race. The cabin is warm, my cheeks feel flushed, and I’m doing my best not to let panic set in, but the mere thought of Mario hurting my children or Aleksandra kills me.
Is that why he’s doing this, to get back at me for killing Roberto? Is this vengeance?
“What’s our ETA?” I ask the pilot.