“You’re still here,” he says, and I have to double check that his phone is in his lap to realize he’s talking to me.
I hum my response, not sure what he means by that.
He rolls his head, so those freakishly golden eyes bore through me, splitting me open to extract every piece of information he feels entitled to. A frown pulls at the corners of his lips while he assesses me, and I raise an eyebrow in reply.
Lion sags in his seat, spreading his legs wide and dropping his head back to stare at the ceiling with a grunt.
“If you hurt her, I’ll make Martinez’s death look like a fucking unicorn party,” he grumbles while I stay silent, waiting.
All my voice seems to do is piss him off and I’m actually intrigued by this turn of events. Get on with it, asshole.
“You’ve stood your ground to me with every challenge I’ve given you,” he says to the ceiling. “Ripped apart every corner you could wiggle in for a clue as to where Malia is. You’ve gone against the moral code a man like you should have. I’ve seen you stand up and look a man in the eyes without wavering, a man who brings fear to all but those he loves.”
He sits up and turns to face me.
“There’s never been anyone more deserving of my sister than a man who is willing to go through hell just to bring her back.”
I remain quiet until I’m sure Lion is finished speaking and let his words sink in. He gets up and walks to where Nathaniel is handling things back at home.
Home.
Where my sister has decided she wants to be.
Where I will make my girl my wife.
Where I will stand next to my queen as she runs her empire.
Home.
Where my children will run in the woods and grow into their role as future leaders.
We have the Ricci estate surrounded, with Nathaniel’s and Lion’s men all falling into position. With the damage we found in the bordering wall, it was easy for a small army of us to sneak in right under their noses.
Security is heavy, but you can tell the Riccis are confident no one knows they’re the kings of one of the largest sex rings in America. Well, thanks to Giovanni’s poster boy, Rico Martinez, who we made sing like a bird, we know. And now we’re here.
She’s here. Malia is inside the mansion both Nathaniel and I are watching while we wait to fall in line with everyone else. I know she is.
Nathaniel originally reached out to Giovanni when this clusterfuck started and, of course, like the absolute piece of shit he is, he offered his help and to reach out to his connections.
The Riccis are based in the U.S., having migrated west in their thirst for power, like the rest of the syndicates. Climbing the gangster pyramid, falling in either war or becoming allies while using each other’s product, muscle, and money.
“I want you two, along with Caine, to go in through the back,” Nathaniel says, handing out orders to the men who had flown here a few hours behind us. “Lion is in position by the west wing.”
Nathaniel had Lion fly in some of his men, too. In our haste to get to Malia, we didn’t consider that this was an extraction mission and the four of us were going to be severely outnumbered. I’d rather we were overprepared to ensure Malia’s rescued safely instead of having shit odds stacked against us. It’s time to turn luck to our side for once.
“I want headcounts and locations from every corner of this fucking hell hole,” Nathaniel continues. “Liam and I will hit the front.”
The men nod and move to their delegated positions, leaving Nathaniel and me alone. We crouch down, using bushes to conceal us as we move toward the front of the mansion. We hear movement, both of us redirecting our weapons when a familiar face comes into view.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” I growl, my head snapping toward Nathaniel, who has his mask firmly in place.
Did he know?
Oren should be back at the mansion helping keep guard. My fucking sister is there and almost every one of Nathaniel’s best men are here in Italy with us.
Unless Oren has been working with Elio this whole time.
With that thought, my attention is back on Oren. I raise my gun, prepared to kill another person I had once considered a friend as he moves toward us with a strange man flanking him.