I shoved the door open. It slammed against the wall, sounding loud in the otherwise quiet church.
A small family of three, comprising a middle-aged mom and two small children, were praying in the front pew. I wondered if they would have gone here had they known the Bratva operated and enforced this church.
The mom tucked her children underneath her arms as I walked past, her eyes tracking my movements warily.
I ignored them and walked out the front door, my mind drifting to a time when things had been simpler.
When I could have gone home after a long day of hard work and been greeted at the door by my boys.
I shook my head as I stepped over the threshold, leading out to the bright and sunny New York summer. My eyes scanned my surroundings. The streets were almost barren. No one wanted to be out and about in this part of the city. Trash littered the walkway due to neglect, and across from me was an alleyway. If I looked close enough, I would see a drug deal going on.
I was in the worst part of New York.
But I knew no one would approach me. No fucker was stupid enough to do it.
I walked over to my parked car, my thoughts turned back to Texas like it had twenty times already since I woke up this morning.
I was usually better at keeping my memories and thoughts about my kids from my mind during the day while I worked.
I supposed it was because there hadn’t been a breakthrough on their location until now. And I didn’t know what Gabriel found in Texas.
As if I had conjured up the Devil simply by thinking of him, my phone beeped with an incoming text message. I pulled it out to read the text.
I found two boys here at the strip club. They were left here by their mom about a week ago, but I don’t know if it’s them.
My jaw clenched as I read the message. A heavy pressure settled down on my heart, and a vise grip wrapped around my windpipe, squeezing and squeezing, making it hard to breathe.
I couldn’t do anything in New York. Not until Mikhail got Bianchi to set up a meeting with Luca. But I could go to Texas.
I could confirm if the two young boys found there were really my boys, left there by the cold-hearted bitch that was their mom.
My fist tightened around the phone before I forced myself to relax and texted Gabriel back. Getting in my car, I sped out of there.
I was going to Texas.
5
DAMIEN
I struggledto get enough air into my lungs.
I was sure they’d broken a rib or three, and it was pressing on the right side of my lungs.
I didn’t know how long ago they had taken me.
Days? Weeks?
Or fuck, maybe I fucking died, and this was Hell.
Certainly, my soul wouldn’t have gone up to Heaven—if such a place existed.
The only time I had come close to experiencing Heaven was in Catalina’s arms.
Memories from my childhood assaulted me.
From when I had been nothing more than a weak, powerless boy to the moment I became more monster than man.
The faces of those who took from me flashed in my head, shining the brightest, and I couldn’t shut them out even if I tried.