Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Gianluca
I follow my papà into the conference room. I see Ivan’s face on the screen. I take a seat at the table and listen to the conversation.
“Our deal is still in place, Enea. What my brother has done shouldn’t make the deal go away.”
My Zio laughs. “Of course what your brother’s doing makes our deal go away. Because our deal was you all stay away from us. Not just you.”
“But I told you, I had no idea Yakov would do this.”
“That’s a fucking lie.” I blurt out.
“You’re calling me a liar? I don’t tolerate disrespect like that.”
“I don’t respect you.”
“This is how you conduct your business?” he frowns as he looks around the room.
“Your brother broke our truce and took Gianluca’s wife and son. Yet you demand respect from him? You’re joking, right?” Zio Enea bellows out at him.
“I assure you, I don’t joke about respect.”
“Well then you’ve disrespected us by not keeping Yakov in line. I don’t care if you didn’t know what he was going to do. The point is he did it. So now what are you going to do about it?”
“I want your word that you will hand over Yakov to me to deal with.”
“Fuck that.” I snap. “You’ll just slap him on the wrist and tell him to be better.”
“No. I will make sure he’s punished.”
“That’s a joke. You won’t do a fucking thing to him.”
I can’t help the anger I’m feeling and I don’t care if I’m offending this asshole. His brother’s going to get away with kidnapping Gabriela and Giancarlo.
“I won’t make that deal. And it sounds like you know where he is, but you want us to do the work and get him. And then just turn him over to you.” Zio Enea says.
“Unfortunately I don’t know where he is. There are several options as to where he could be. But why would I tell you if you’re just going to kill him?”
“Do you really think he’s going to live after this? What would you do if one of our men took your wife and child? Or your brother’s?” my papà says angrily.
We can all see the look on Ivan’s face. He’s trying to come up with something to say. But we all know he’s a fucking hypocrite. He would never let someone live if they took one of their wives or children. So fuck him if he thinks we’ll just let it go. Finally he sighs.
“You have to understand, he’s my brother—”
“And he took my wife and son. So fuck your brother. And if he’s laid a hand on either of them? I’ll make sure he’s killed and then brought back so I can do it again.”
At first the look on Ivan’s face is mocking me. But as he watches me, I see the realization in his eyes.
“You won’t touch him. You’re a famous baseball player. You’ll ruin your career.”
“Try me.”
Gabriela
I finally got Giancarlo calmed down in the car.
But every time Yakov tries to talk to him, he screams at him.
At one point, I thought he was going to hit Carlo.
But so far he hasn’t. I wish I knew more landmarks here, because I have no idea where we’re going.
Even though I can see the signs on the freeway, I have no idea if we’re anywhere near Lake Renegade.
“Wanna go home, Mamà.” Giancarlo sobs as he holds my hand.
“I know, it’s going to be okay. I promise.”
“Papà says you can’t bwake pwomise.”
“I’m your fucking papa.” Yakov yells at Giancarlo.
“No. You is Yasha. Not papà.” He screams back at him.
I hold back my smile, I love him so much. Even though I know he’s scared, Carlo’s standing up to Yakov and I love it. I can see the vein in Yakov’s forehead. Good. Be mad you fuck.
“Remember what happens to bad little boys?” Yakov smiles at him.
“My papà said dat I’m a good boy.”
“Gianluca isn’t your papa, he’s a spineless asshole. I’m your papa. And if you call him that one more time, I’ll have to remind you what happens when I have to talk to you more than once.”
“He’s a child. Why are you like this to him?” I snap at Yakov.
He turns to me and slaps me.
“You’ll learn your fucking place too. Children never speak to their parents the way he’s speaking to me”
“Don’t hit my mamà!” Giancarlo screams.
Yakov turns to him and backhands him in the face. Giancarlo starts screaming again. I instinctively reach out and hit Yakov. I don’t care what he does to me. But he won’t touch my son.
“I’m going to have fun teaching you how to be a proper wife. And it looks like I need to teach my son how to act again.” He grins at me.
I glare at him and keep quiet for now. He’ll never break me.
We pull into the driveway of a house. There’s nothing about it that stands out to me.
It looks like every other house we’ve passed on the way here.
The garage opens and we park inside. As much as I’m trying not to be scared, I am.
They take us inside and put the two of us into one of the rooms. I hear the door lock from the outside.
Giancarlo sits on my lap as he cries. I rock him as I kiss his head.
“We’re going to be okay, mijo. Your papá will come and get us.” I say softly.
He looks up as me as he wipes his face.
“How you know?” he sniffles.
“I know because your papá loves you so much. He would never stop looking for you.”
“And you.” He says as he holds me tighter.
As we sit there, I realize something. I have my phone. I lay down on the bed with Carlo and put the phone between us. He watches me quietly as we lay there.
Gabriela: Yakov has us. I’m sure you know this by now.
And he’s going to realize I have my phone at some point.
I wish I could tell you where we’re being held.
But I don’t know. It’s a house that’s all I know.
It looks like all the other houses we passed.
But maybe you can track my phone? God I hope so.
I love you, Gianluca and I’ll protect Giancarlo with my last breath
Gianluca
It’s been almost an hour now and Ivan still won’t give us any addresses.
“I’ll give you some addresses that he could be at. But you need to give my your word that he’ll be taken alive.”
Zio Enea looks over at me and I nod. I’m done playing games with this fuck. I just want my family back and if we have to agree to that? Fine. But just because we agree to it, doesn’t mean that’s what’s going to happen.
“If we agree to that, you’ll give us real addresses? If you fuck with us and send us on false trails, our deal is gone. And if you contact Yakov and let him know we’re coming? Our deals off.”
Ivan hesitates for a minute, then he nods.
“Da. So we have a deal?”
“Sì. We won’t kill him when we find him.”
I keep my face as neutral as I can. My Zio didn’t say we won’t kill him, he said we won’t kill him when we find him.
Just as I’m about to signal to my Zio Enea that I need to talk to him, I see a text come in.
I see Gabriela’s name and my heart starts racing.
I open the text and read it. Thank god they’re both okay.
I still signal to my Zio that I need to talk to him.
He excuses both of us to Ivan, who nods at us.
When we get out of the conference room, I show him the text. Then he texts Sebastiano and Francesco to come out here.
“That Ivan is a fucking shitbag.” Sebastiano growls as he joins us.
“Please tell us we’re going to kill all of them.” Francesco adds.
“Not yet. But in time.” Zio nods.
He shows them Gabriela’s text.
“Her phone wasn’t transmitting anything earlier. But if she sent a text, now it is. I’m on it.” Francesco says as he grabs his laptop and gets to work.
Sebastiano and Francesco are the best IT guys in our family and I have no doubt they’ll find where they’re being kept. For once I’m glad someone is stupid. Yakov was probably so wrapped up in what he was doing that he didn’t think to take her cell phone. Little victories.
“I need to get back in there. Text me with updates.”
“Sì, Papà.” Sebastiano nods as he helps Francesco.
I head back into the conference room with my Zio.
“Ivan was just about to give us the addresses.” My papà says to us.
We look up at the screen and Ivan starts giving us addresses.
There are five of them total. I write them down and take them outside.
He knows we need to look them up and make sure they’re actual places.
When I get out, I hand the list to Sebastiano.
And wait. I fucking hate waiting. Luckily my cugino and Franco are geniuses.
“This address is closest to where the signal’s coming from her phone. It’s in Joliet. Text my papà so they can end the call with Ivan.”
Gianluca: We found her
Zio Enea: We’re coming out
Everyone comes out of the conference room and gathers where we are.
“How can that bastard think we’re going to let Yakov live?” my papà growls.
“We need to organize now. I don’t know if Ivan will hold up his side of not letting Yakov know we’re coming. So far he hasn’t gone against our deal. But he also didn’t keep his brother in line.” Zio Enea says as everyone agrees.
We spend the next hour getting our guys here and locking down the property in case Yakov or Ivan gets the idea to attack while we’re saving my family.
“Should I text her so she knows we’re coming?” I ask.
“Sì. But not yet. Wait till we leave.”
I nod. If I find out Yakov has touched either of them…No one’s going to stop me from beating the fuck out of him.