Fractured Devotion (Anastasi Family Syndicate)

Chapter 1

“You want me to do what?”My gaze shifted between my boss and friend, standing with his brother, Vin. The perked-up ears of a German Shepherd puppy at their side seemed equally curious.

“Vin needs your help with Falcon,” he explained.

“This is Falcon, I presume?” I asked, looking down at the dog.

“Yeah,” Vincenzo exhaled heavily. “Riley wanted a puppy, so I got Falcon for her. But now, with twins and a newborn on the way, it’s all a bit much for Riley. You’re one of the few I know without kids… plus, it might help you distract yourself.”

“Distract myself,” I muttered, a hint of bitterness in my tone. “You’re referring to the fact that the woman I love, your sister, is still missing, right? Those distractions?”

Before I knew it, Vincenzo’s grip was tight around my throat, his anger pushing me against the wall of my apartment.

“Listen up,” he hissed, his face inches from mine. “We’re all torn up about Carmela being gone, but that’s no excuse for your attitude. We care more than you know. And we haven’t given up—on life or on her. You need to snap out of it, Alex. When, not if, Carmela comes back, she’s going to need you. Enough of this pity party.”

Just then, Falcon wedged himself between us, a low growl rumbling from his throat. Vin’s eyes dropped to the dog, a mix of irritation and surprise crossing his face.

“Really? Siding with him already?” He let go of me, stepping back. I gasped for air, feeling the tension ease. “Seems the little guy’s taken a liking to you,” he remarked dryly.

I crouched down to Falcon’s level, stroking his ears as his tail thumped against the floor, the sound filling the spacious loft. “Great, but where am I supposed to take him for bathroom breaks? It’s not like I have easy street access from here.”

“I’ll get some people to fix up that wall,” Massimo said, nodding toward the solid wall beside the large window. “We’ll add a patio there with some turf. That should work for Falcon’s needs.”

I sighed, resigning myself to the situation. “So, I’m really doing this, huh?”

“Absolutely.” Vin grabbed a hefty duffle bag from near the elevator. “Brought all of Falcon’s things for you.” He set the heavy bag down with a thud and brushed his hands together. “Alright, I’m heading back to my family now.”

Massimo also started to leave but stopped, turning back to me. “Keep believing she’ll return, Alex.”

“I wish I could share your optimism, Massimo, but it’s hard. My mind says she’s alive, but my heart fears the worst.”

Massimo placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “I understand, but remember how we found you recently. If we hadn’t arrived when we did… well, we could have lost you, too. Think about Carmela. How would she feel coming back to find out you lost yourself to grief?”

I nodded, trying to gather some resolve. “I’ll try to do better,” I said, more to myself than anyone else.

Massimo gave a brief nod and joined Vincenzo in the elevator. As the doors slid shut, I turned to find Falcon looking at me, his expression almost amused.

“What’s so funny?” I asked him half-heartedly. His tail wagged even faster. “Great, now even you’re mocking me. Alright, let’s set you up a spot next to my bed.”

After a last trip outside—which Falcon clearly disliked, thanks to the elevator—he settled on the floor as I showered and prepared for bed. The thought of expanding my apartment to make things easier remained in my mind. As sleep overtook me, my dreams were haunted by Carmela. They felt less like dreams and more like persistent nightmares, replaying the haunting moment of her fingers slipping from mine as I was forced out of the helicopter.

I woke abruptly, the sensation of hitting the ground still vivid, but I wasn’t in the Colombian forest. I was on my bedroom floor, Falcon’s concerned face close to mine, his tongue gently licking my skin to rouse me.

“Damn it.” Shaking off the daze, I pushed myself onto my knees, only to slump back down.

Falcon, sitting right in front of me, tilted his head. His eyes seemed like they saw right through me. It was as if he could see the turmoil I’d been hiding from everyone else. Just two days ago, my facade had crumbled, and the memories had driven me to drink excessively. That night, ending up passed out in an alley, reeking of stale beer, and worse, marked a new low for me. Carmela had been my everything, the only woman I ever truly opened my heart to. And now she was just… gone. Massimo had faith she was still out there, but I was too frightened to hold on to that hope.

Rubbing my face tiredly, my mind flickered to something Massimo had mentioned at Celestina’s wedding. The Angel of Mercy—a name that had come up. Could that possibly be Carmela? Had she transformed into this avenger, a protector of the exploited? The thought was both wild and strangely fitting, intertwining with the unresolved mystery of her disappearance.

“Fuck.” Immediately, Falcon hurried to me and nuzzled my face. He had sensed my stress and eagerly planted himself in my lap. “I’m fine, boy.”

Falcon’s whining seemed like a nudge, echoing Massimo’s belief that I should consider the possibility of Carmela being alive. I ran my fingers through his scruffy fur, feeling a spark of curiosity ignite within me. With sleep eluding me, I stood up, lifting Falcon gently in my arms and placing him on the bed. I then grabbed my laptop from the table, returning to bed where I lay beside Falcon, continuing to stroke his fur as the laptop booted up. Perhaps Falcon really could help me focus on something beyond the engulfing sense of loss. Deep down, I knew I was teetering on the edge of a dark abyss.

I started scouring the internet for any clue that Carmela might still be out there. Surprisingly, I came across multiple articles about a mysterious woman disrupting human trafficking auctions, liberating the captives. Moreover, several of the traffickers were found dead. The descriptions were vague—just hints of a woman both deadly and stunning. Frustrated and overwhelmed, I slammed the laptop shut and tossed it aside.

Lying back, I stared at the ceiling, my thoughts a whirlwind of speculation about this ‘Angel of Mercy’ and Carmela. I had to find out if they were the same person. It was time to break out of my self-imposed exile and reach out to some of my buddies from the military. They might shed light on this enigma. Even if this woman wasn’t Carmela, I needed to know who she was. She had single-handedly achieved what we had struggled to do, and I was fascinated, maybe even a bit admiring. If I couldn’t be with Carmela, at least I could seek justice in her name.

Falcon wriggled closer to me, his warm body pressing against mine. The comfort he provided was unexpectedly soothing, and for the first time in many restless nights, I drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

The sensationof something wet nudging me jolted me awake. My eyes flickered open to see Falcon, his face inches from mine.

“You really can’t let me sleep in, can you?” I muttered, half-annoyed, half-amused. Glancing at the clock, I groaned when I realized it was barely after five in the morning. His response was a soft whine that seemed to echo in the quiet apartment. “Alright, alright, I’m up,” I conceded. I quickly slipped into jeans and a t-shirt, grabbing my shoes as I went. “Well.. you coming, boy? You’re the one in a rush, remember?” I told Falcon, who was already bouncing off the bed with excitement. He followed me into the bathroom, staying close as I brushed my teeth, then trailed behind me as I went to fetch his leash. Once we were ready, I headed for the elevator, pulling out my phone with a newfound sense of purpose.

I tugged out my phone to call the one person outside of the Anastasi’s who might be able to find out if the rumors were true. He’d left the military before me and gone to work for a long-time friend. A friend who was knee deep in the underworld—much like Massimo. Maybe he had information Massimo’s connections didn’t. If not… I wouldn’t be any closer to finding Carmela. For now, Falcon was my steady companion, my anchor in a world that felt increasingly unmoored. Rubbing his head, I scrolled until I found his contact. I dialed his number, a mixture of hope and apprehension in my heart. It’d been a long time since we’d spoken, but I knew he’d answer.

“Archer… It’s Alex,” I said as soon as he picked up. “I need your help.”

“Morning, AJ.” Archer’s voice, tinged with humor, came through the phone. I hadn’t heard that nickname since the military. Archer had taken to calling me AJ since we had two Alexs in our unit. “Given it’s 5:30 where you are, I’m guessing this isn’t just a friendly chat.”

I grimaced, realizing I’d called him early. “Sorry, did I wake you?”

Archer’s laugh was warm and reassuring. “It’s 8:30 here, and I’m up. My military days, plus the nature of my current job, don’t really allow for lie-ins.”

“Right, of course,” I said, stroking Falcon’s head absentmindedly. “Listen, I hate to drag you into this, but I need help.”

As I relayed my story to Archer, my words spilled out in a rush, painting the grim picture since joining the Anastasi family. I detailed the disturbing kidnappings that had become all too common, and then, with a heavier heart, I delved into Carmela’s disappearance—the part that gnawed at me the most. I explained how someone was running a human trafficking gambit and how Carmela had been caught up by a mere accident. Throughout the call, Archer’s intermittent grunts were a testament to his shared emotions. Each grunt seemed to punctuate my frustration and despair, mirroring the turmoil that had been churning inside me. He, too, was angered and agitated by the situation, feeling a sense of urgency and outrage similar to my own. His admittance of dealing with something similar made my gut churn with disgust.

“Think you can come down to Atlanta?” Archer asked after I’d finished. “My boss would want to meet you in person. He’d come to you, but things are tense here. His brother’s in the hospital after a car crash.”

“I’ll see what I can arrange and call you back,” I replied.

Ending the call, I gazed at Falcon, his keen eyes reflecting an understanding beyond his canine nature. The conversation with Archer had ignited a spark of hope, a rare feeling in the recent sadness of my days. Falcon’s presence, a new but welcomed constant and comforting shadow, seemed to bolster this newfound sense of purpose. The possibility of a lead through Archer, a connection in the tangled web of the underworld, gave me something to cling to. It was a thin thread, but one that could lead me through the maze of uncertainty and fear that had become my life since Carmela’s disappearance. As Falcon’s tail wagged softly, I realized that, for the first time in months, the weight on my shoulders felt a little lighter, the path ahead clearer. Carmela, wherever she was, suddenly didn’t seem so far away.