Chapter 33
CHAPTER 33
C hristos
I continued mulling over the power we wielded as Elias headed for the facility where Carl had been waiting a couple of days for our arrival.
With no intentions of wasting my time interrogating him for long, I would at least be allowed to enjoy taking out some of my anger on a man who’d come close to robbing me of such pleasure in meeting Valencia.
For that alone, he would pay a painful price.
“I don’t need to be in on this. I’ll update Dimitrios on how the meeting went.” Havros was already pulling out his phone.
“Just be careful, brother. I don’t like the odds we’ve faced up to this point.” I wouldn’t put it past Arek to try to remove us from this earth before we had a chance to leave.
“Careful is my middle name. Oh, wait. Isn’t that yours?”
He was able to laugh while I continued to ponder everything I’d seen and heard.
I was still anxious and wasn’t certain why. That made me dangerous. But nothing would keep me from handling this course of business just like I did with everything else.
“He’s in here, boss,” Elias told me.
“And the people keeping him?”
“Some people I trust.”
I smirked as I threw open the door. “Like you did with Carl?”
“Carl never crossed us before. Years. I don’t know why he did so now.”
“There’s always a reason and it usually has to do with money.” I strode into the warehouse space, already rolling up my sleeves. I’d lost my jacket in the SUV and hadn’t brought my tools with me. I’d even forgone the katana. This would be quick and dirty.
It would also allow me a sense of satisfaction.
Carl was tied to a chair and looking like the most uncomfortable man alive.
He was also sweating given the excessive heat in the building. There were huge fans in the ceiling to keep the manufacturing tools the correct temperature at all times. That would drown out any noise.
I was also uninterested in playing any games. “Carl,” I said as I approached. “You were always reliable. Why did you sell me out?”
If he’d so much as acted smug or smiled, I would have shot him on the spot. He had fear in his eyes. “I didn’t have a choice. They were going to hurt my brother.”
“Your brother. Why?”
“Because he owes them money. I was working off his debt. He’s all the family I got.”
I’d heard the same kind of song and dance before, but in this case, I believed him. “Who are we talking about?”
“The Cosa Nostra.”
Now that was news I hadn’t expected, but it fit into one of the reasons the Don had continued to provide his assistance.
I glanced at Elias and was almost saddened by what I was about to do. “Why not speak to Elias or come to me?”
“They would have killed him. You don’t know what they’re capable of and they use the fucking savage Armenians as their lynch men. You don’t know what they do to their enemies.”
Another interesting piece of information. That would mean the Italians had more weight than they’d been given credit for. “Perhaps not, but you made a serious mistake in who you aligned your loyalties with. Where is your brother now?”
The guy actually sobbed briefly. “They killed him.”
“Do you have other family, Carl?”
“A sister in Georgia. Please don’t hurt her.”
I threw a hard punch then another, knocking him and the chair to the floor. I was angry, so much so I could see blood in my periphery of vision. “I don’t hurt women under any circumstances.”
“Fuck, boss,” Elias said. He knew when I was close to becoming unhinged. And I was. It wasn’t a good look on me.
Elias righted him, his face as pinched as likely mine was. “I’m sorry to hear about your loss, Carl. I truly am and I do appreciate when a family member is placed on the line, but you made bad choices. One last question. Do you have any knowledge of an attack placed on my family in Greece?”
“No, sir. I promise you that. But… But…”
“Spit it out.”
“You can’t trust everyone.”
He wasn’t kidding about that. “Meaning?”
“Someone close.”
As always, men in his position fascinated me. “Do you know who?”
“No. Swear to God.”
While I wasn’t inclined to believe him, the man was terrified enough he wasn’t about to provide anything that would potentially cause his sister harm. While some men might allow him to live for that alone, I couldn’t risk the man attempting to make another deal with either crime syndicate in the US.
I pulled out my weapon and his eyes flashed appropriately with fear. “I’ll make certain your sister is well taken care of. That’s the only promise you get.”
With a single shot, I ended his life. Maybe I wasn’t in the mood for taking out all my aggressions on someone that could provide little additional information.
“Find out about his sister and send her a wire transfer,” I told Elias.
“Yes, sir. What now?”
“Now, we return to Greece.” If the Armenians were working with the Cosa Nostra, perhaps our alliance with Don Coppola would remain a good business practice. If there was someone in our organization betraying us, I’d hunt them down.
Once outside, I headed for Havros. “Call your buddy Don Coppola. Tell him he has good reason to be worried about the Cosa Nostra in this godforsaken city.”
“He already knows that. He has plans on cleaning up the streets. His way.”
I laughed. “If only we had the time or inkling to join him.”
“A successful business venture?” Valencia asked. Her voice was more pensive than I liked to hear it.
“I believe so. However, time will tell if your father is as trustworthy as you want him to be.”
“You didn’t hurt him. Did you?”
I laughed. “I keep my promises, Valencia.” We’d left New York without spending the night. The one thing I’d learned over the years was how prudent it was to follow your instincts. Mine told me the nightmare wasn’t over. I’d made one last stop, terrifying the man I’d met with, but at least he’d listened to me. It would seem threats were going around.
“Good. I would hate to hate you.” She laughed at what she’d said. “You sound tired.”
“Just tired of engaging in foul play. It will be good to be home. How’s Magnum?”
“Missing you. I don’t know how that’s possible in less than twenty-four hours.”
“Because I’m a great guy.”
“Who are we talking about again?”
It was good to have a conversation with someone that had nothing to do with business. “Very funny. Be careful what you say to me.”
“When are you arriving?”
“A few hours. You’ll be asleep by then.”
“I assure you I won’t be. Wake me up if I am.”
“Oh, I have every intention of doing so.” I allowed myself to growl and immediately, Havros jerked his head up, grinning like some loon.
“Good. Just remember, we’ll have a cuddle dog between us.”
“Uh, not for long.” At least she allowed me a chance to hear her laugh.
“See you soon.”
“You can count on it,” I told her and ended the call. When I rested my head on the back of the chair, Havros leaned forward. “Don’t do it. I’m not in the mood.”
Chuckling, he lifted his drink. “I have no intention of teasing you. All I wanted to say as your brother is it’s good to finally see you smile again. I didn’t think that would ever happen after Leandro’s murder.”
“Yeah, I hadn’t either. I hadn’t cared to. Until I met Valencia. She has rocked my world.”
“Take my advice and it’s the same you’ve heard. Don’t allow her to get away.”
I grinned as I thought about the plans I had. “Don’t worry. She will never have another chance to get rid of me. Not one.”
“She insisted, boss,” Luca said as the plane touched down.
“What do you mean she insisted?” What the fuck was Valencia doing and why had one of my most trusted soldiers allowed her to leave my parents’ house?
“She wanted to surprise you. I didn’t think it was any big deal since your home is also well guarded.”
“Where are you?” I bristled, feeling the weight of everything that had occurred like a boulder slammed against my chest.
“I’m right outside. She’s safe. I swept the house and grounds. She asked me to let you know when you landed.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
The woman could be very convincing when she wanted to be. “Keep an eye on her. Check the communications and for God’s sake, shoot to kill.”
“Are you expecting anything, boss?” Luca asked, his tone holding surprise while mine held anger.
“I don’t like the way everything has gone down.”
While Don Coppola had already indicated their sweep of the city had started, there were a half dozen outliers who would sequester themselves into hiding until they were able to form a plan of attack. Let alone what the fucking Armenian Power would do. Cockroaches.
“What the hell is going on?” Havros hissed from beside me.
I’d already removed my seatbelt even as the jet was dropped hard onto the surface. While the landing was jarring, I didn’t give a shit about my safety.
Not when hers could be compromised. I gave my brother a look, trying to recalculate how I wanted to handle things.
There was nothing like the feeling of stepping on my home soil. However, the bad feeling remained and I was almost never wrong.
“I’m right here. Nothing is going to occur. How far away are you?”
“Thirty minutes.” It would be thirty of the longest minutes in my fucking life. “Call me if you notice one goddamn thing. Then call for additional soldiers.”
“Yes, boss.”
I almost tossed the phone, already standing in wait of the door opening.
“Calm down. What is it?”
I looked from Havros to Elias. “Valencia decided to return to my house to surprise me.”
“Shit,” Elias said. “Luca is a good man.”
“So you keep telling me. He makes piss poor decisions.” If the door wasn’t opened soon, I was going to use the emergency latch.
The plane finally rolled to a stop and as soon as it did, I breached protocol, grabbing the latch. While the grounds crew was damn good, immediately bringing the stairs to the plane, I jumped down them just as they were being rolled into position.
Havros managed to flank my side, already texting Kara. He was as anxious as I was. The whole idea of keeping everyone together until the plan was unfolded was to ensure their safety and not to split the forces.
Yes, we employed dozens of soldiers, but depending on the size of the attack, it might not be enough.
We all took long strides toward the waiting SUV, Elias not bothering to open our doors, instead jumping into the driver’s seat.
Both Havros and I climbed in and my bad feeling was turning to rage and terror. Not for myself, but for the woman I’d promised I’d protect.
“Call her,” Havros suggested as Elias gunned the engine.
“That’s what I’m doing, bro.” I dialed and immediately the goddamn call went to voicemail.
“She turned off her phone.”
“We’re in a bad cellphone tower location. Give it a few minutes.” My brother, always the voice of reason.
He didn’t understand that when my instincts flagged something, I was never wrong. I’d known Leandro was in trouble. I’d tried to reach him, but had been too far away. I lost my best friend because I hadn’t succumbed to the bad feelings I’d had all day. Hell, maybe I was the one with precognitive abilities.
Fuck. I sent a text, warning her to be aware of her surroundings. At least it went through after a few seconds of a drag.
Elias knew the backroads that would take us to the house faster. Even with the lack of moonlight, the darkness didn’t stop him from speeding through the streets.
“You don’t buy the Italian Godfather has everything under control?” Havros asked a few seconds later.
“Not a chance in hell. We’ve experienced far too much over the last eighteen months, for fuck’s sake. We still have targets on our backs.”
“Because we don’t play dirty.”
“And because we have a lucrative business and access to dozens of ports throughout the world. That’s worth billions.”
“We’ll lock them down.”
I glanced at my brother. Now, he turned optimist. “Maybe too little, too late.”
We remained silent as Elias drove. Another phone call to Valencia produced the same thing. When we were only five miles out from my home, I dialed Luca. Thankfully, he answered.
“There’s nothing going on, boss,” he said by way of answering. “I just checked the systems.”
“Well, check again. If they manage to bypass the security, you won’t know they’ve gotten into the house.”
“You got it, boss.” Luca didn’t waste time with pleasantries, ending the call.
I pulled out my weapon, checking the magazine then snapping it into position. “Elias, where are the other weapons?”
“Duffle under the seat. I knew you’d want them.”
At least my lieutenant knew how I reacted to any concept of an attack. I yanked the bag onto my lap, unzipping it forcefully. With a small assault rifle in my hand, I shoved the duffle in Havros’ direction for him to choose.
The minutes dragged by, my heart thudding to the point of echoes in my ears. Another call made to Valencia. Another shove into voicemail.
“Kara texted me back. Mom and Dad are asleep, but she and Willow are downstairs. They’re surrounded by men.”
I nodded, thankful we weren’t under direct attack. “Get us there faster, Elias. I need to touch her face.”
Elias said nothing, merely glancing into the rearview mirror as he pressed down on the accelerator.
The ride had gone by quickly, but in my mind, too much time had passed.
As he rolled down the street, my stomach was full of knots. Something was very wrong. The moment he whipped into the driveway, I leaned forward, staring out the window. The place was dark and not just from the inside lights being out. The front light wasn’t on as mandated.
And there was no sight of a single soldier.
“What the fuck? Stop the SUV right here. We need to get inside without being noticed. The side door by the garage is where I’m headed. Go find out where the fuck Luca and the men are. Havros, see if the electricity was cut.” Which would mean the security had been breached. Why hadn’t the goddamn house generator kicked on?
I was out of the vehicle in seconds, staying low as I headed to the side door. Few knew it existed since it was covered by trees and other foliage. With the power being off, I’d need to jimmy the lock.
As I pulled out the Swiss Army knife, my thoughts drifted to the night in Milan. Goddamn it. If anything happened to her, this city and several others would be burned to the ground. No matter the consequences.
At least our father had taught us how to pick locks when we were teenagers. Granted, I’d used that more to my advantage, getting myself into trouble more than once. Tonight, the skills might be helpful in saving her life.
The woman I already loved.
I took a deep breath, concentrating until I heard a click. Once inside, I remained silent as I headed for the house.
The door leading into the mudroom and pantry was unlocked. As soon as I stepped inside, I had a sense of danger. There were no sounds. When I flicked on the light over the stove, I had my answer.
The power had been cut.
Somehow, they’d cut the lines to the generator as well. The attack had been well planned and my guess was for a later time when I’d arrived at the house. My gut also told me the same type of attack had been planned on every home in Athens. At least we knew what to look for.
There were ways of remaining offsite until the last moment, advancing as soon as the power had been cut. I knew what the consoles looked like, the amount of power they generated making them easy to find if you knew what you were looking for.
As I moved through the darkness, I listened for any sounds. I first checked the office and living room, moving silently from location to location. The moment I’d entered the foyer, I heard a single whine.
Magnum.
Then a yelp as if the pup had been hit to keep him quiet.
I threw myself up the stairs, racing down the hallway toward my room. Our room. The location where we’d shared passion and joy.
An adrenaline rush hit me as I kicked down the door, racing inside. My eyes were already accustomed to the darkness. There were two figures in the room, one with their hands wrapped around Valencia’s throat, the other ready to take a shot at Magnum.
“No,” she screamed in a horrible voice as she tried to fight her attacker.
Magnum roared to life, his barks and growls filling the space as he leapt from the floor. The moment he knocked the attacker down, I was on them, easily firing off two shots into the fucker’s brain.
I lunged forward, grappling with the second assailant, pitching him off Valencia. I didn’t have time to check on her, forced to wrestle with the strong asshole who refused to give up his weapon.
“No,” she moaned and I sensed her trying to get to Magnum. “Luca. He’s… He’s… responsible.”
What the fuck was she saying?
My thoughts briefly shifted to what Carl had said. Had I been that fucking blind?
I heard footsteps just as the power was restored, the room flooded with light just as I issued punch after punch into the assailant’s face.
And I kept punching even as I heard bones crunch and felt the splatter of blood on my face and hands. I didn’t care. I wanted the asshole to suffer.
He grunted and tried to fight me. Somehow, I knew Havros had his arms wrapped around Valencia, allowing me to take out my aggression. I was a madman, blinded by rage from everything our family had gone through.
So I kept hitting him until I felt a hand on my shoulder.
“It’s a cluster fuck, boss. But our men are alive. A stun gun was used. Let me finish him.” Elias’ voice was shaky. Only then did I realize the person lying on the floor beaten to within an inch of his life was a man I’d trusted for years. Fucking years.
“Luca.” I turned my head toward Valencia, thankful my baby was alright.
“He took my phone,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about.” I stood, pointing my weapon at Luca’s head, shocked to see he was still conscious. As soon as I gave Havros a sharp look, he covered her face, also grabbing onto Magnum.
Both Elias and I drove bullets into the man’s brain. I didn’t care about the reason. All I knew was that he’d betrayed both me and my family.
And he deserved to die.
As soon as the light left his one unswollen eye, I took two long strides toward her, yanking her into my arms. “It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you and I’m never letting you go.”
“Magnum. Is he hurt?” she muttered against me, doing everything she could to pull her head free. I refused to allow that to happen. She didn’t need to see the fucking carnage.
Magnum whined as his answer, immediately moving toward us, placing his muzzle against her leg.
“Oh, my baby. What happened? Why?” She was doing everything she could to keep from sobbing.
I glanced at the other downed assailant, not recognizing him from any of our past dealings.
Havros had already dropped to his knees, searching the unknown man’s pockets. He shook his head indicating there was no identification. Then he yanked up the man’s sleeves, both of us noticing a carved symbol at the same time.
“Armenian,” I growled. They all had the same gang-style marks. “Find out who the fuck did this and how Luca managed to infiltrate our system. Have the other residences swept for bugs. They’re there. I can feel them.”
I pulled her from the room, grateful Magnum’s condition was good given what he’d been through. He’d likely saved her life and for that, I would forever be grateful.
“Come on, baby. Let’s get you out of here.”
She allowed me to take her out of the room, her body trembling as I did.
Once we were downstairs, I moved her into the living room, easing her down. Immediately, Magnum jumped up and I was finally allowed to breathe a sigh of relief.
“He said he hated you. He told me if it was the last thing he’d do on this earth, he would kill you and your family. Who is Luca working for?”
“I don’t know, my angel, but I will find out. It’s over. The nightmare is over.” I cupped her face gently, hating the way she was quivering. If I could kill the man ten times over, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
“Arek. Does that mean anything? I overheard Luca talking with someone on his phone when I’d tried to escape.”
Fucking Christ. We’d all underestimated the bastard. “I know the name.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Everything in my power to right this wrong.”
“I love you, Christos, but will it ever be over?”
“I promise you that it will be, and soon.”
I could see her mind churning, processing her close call with death. Again.
Because of my business and that of my family, I’d almost destroyed everything she held dear. It was time to make amends.
It was time to let her go.