Chapter 23
ARES
Islam my fist against the desk, hoping it'll help release my anger and frustration. Three days. Three fucking days waiting. For my men to find those pieces of shit who shot Calli and Katerina.
I'm about to call Theo or Alex for updates when my phone vibrates in my pocket. I take it out and see Dimitri's name flash across the screen.
We found them. Four men. At Gio's warehouse. Come when you're ready.
When I'm ready?
I've been waiting for this since I saw Katerina's bloodied shirt, since I bandaged the wound on her arm. Since I heard Calli's choked voice describing how Katerina pulled her down and protected her.
I called in everyone I knew for help with this. Dimitri got a copy of all surrounding security tapes. The restaurant cooperated; the other businesses didn't. We had to get a little forceful, but we got them nonetheless.
My close friend Gio Bonventi has been helping too, showing his men the tapes and finally, after three long, excruciating days of searching, Dimitri's text message is all I've hoped for.
They found the fuckers responsible. They're being held at a Bonventi warehouse, as their men and ours must have found them together.
I slide my gun into its holster and grab my jacket. The rage that's been building inside me these past few days settles into something deadlier now.
Derek's already waiting outside my office door.
"The car's ready, sir. Theo's meeting you there."
I nod. My mind is already at the warehouse, already picturing what I'll do to the men who thought they could hurt my family.
As I walk through the house, I catch a glimpse of Katerina and Calli in the living room, their heads bent close together, laughing over something on a phone.
For a moment, I consider going to tell them we found the men. To have Katerina understand the men who did this to her will pay with their lives.
But I stop myself. There's darkness in what I'm about to do. I won't taint what's growing between us by letting her see the monster beneath my skin, even if she already knows it's there.
Not yet.
I slip out the front door without a word and slide into the waiting car.
"Drive," I command.
I stare out the window, watching the city blur past. Chicago is mine—my territory, my responsibility. And someone dared to violate it, dared to target my family.
My hands clench into fists on my thighs. The image of Katerina's blood seeping through her dress haunts me, a stain I can't wash away. The way her body had trembled under my hands as I'd cleaned her wound, as I'd tried to be gentle when all I wanted was to tear the world apart.
She'd been brave for me, pretending it didn't hurt. And later, when we'd made love, she'd given herself to me completely, trusting me with her body, with her vulnerability.
I don't deserve her trust. But I'll earn it by getting rid of anything that threatens her.
The car pulls up outside the warehouse. Theo's Mercedes is already there, along with Dimitri's black Audi.
I step out of the car, and immediately Gio's men straighten, nodding respectfully as I pass.
Gio himself meets me at the entrance.
"Ares," he says, extending his hand. "We've got them all waiting for you inside," he says with a smile.
"Thank you for your help, Gio. I owe you," I say, shaking his hand.
"Bullshit. No debts between friends," he says and pats me on the back. "Plus, you helped me with Raven," he smirks and turns. "I'll leave you to it. Theo and Dimitri are inside."
I walk through the warehouse, past stacked crates and machinery, to a sectioned-off area at the back. The heavy metal door opens to reveal a makeshift interrogation room—concrete floors with drains, plastic sheeting on the walls.
And four men, bound to chairs in the center of the room, bags over their faces.
Theo and Dimitri are standing near them, circling like predators. They look up as I enter.
"Brother," Dimitri acknowledges me, stepping toward me. "They've been quite forthcoming."
"Have they?" I ask.
Theo approaches. "Yes. They claim they were paid five million for the hit, from something called Athenian Warriors. We're not sure who they are, but after some digging, they work in Zervas territory."
I nod. "I've heard of them. A small group of thugs, Dad said. Not so small to be spending five million on hits."
"Zervas," Dimitri says.
"Maybe. We don't know that."
The Athenian Warriors were wannabes. People who think the mafia works like the movies. They don't have much of an infrastructure, so someone gave them this money. These idiots might not know who, though.
"Remove their hoods. I want to see them," I command, and my men move quickly, ripping off the hoods of the four men. They all squint under the bright lights and squirm in their seats, trying to break free from the rope.
Each has varying amounts of dried blood around their mouths and noses, their eyes are swollen, and faces puffy and red.
"Looks like you've already had some fun," I say, looking at Dimitri, who's the most brutal of us.
He shrugs. "Three days they hid from us. Not to mention shooting at my sister," he says and backhands the guy closest to him, "and your wife."
"Take his gag out," I motion to the man on the far left. "I'll start with him and work my way down."
One of my men pulls the gag out and I approach the piece of shit.
"Who ordered the hit?" I ask in a low tone, wanting to hear it for myself.
"Sebastian Makris," the man says, wincing. "He said it's a message."
"And who's he?"
The man looks shocked I don't know. "He runs the Athenian Warriors."
I nod and remove my jacket, exposing my holstered gun. The man's eyes widen.
"And did Sebastian tell you who you were shooting at?"
The man swallows hard. "Your sister and... and your wife."
"Warriors? More like fucking cowards. Who shoots or orders a hit on women anyhow?" Dimitri spits out at them.
I ignore my brother, though he has a point, and circle the tied-up man slowly. "My sister," I repeat his words. "And my wife."
I stop behind him, leaning down to speak directly into his ear. "Do you know what I did on the day of my wedding?"
He trembles, shaking his head.
"I burned a man alive for hurting someone I vowed to honor and protect," I say in a low tone. "And that was before I even knew I cared for her. So, what do you think I'll do for the woman now? And not just for her, but for my sister as well?"
"Please," he whimpers. "I was just following orders. I didn't even fire a shot, I swear. I was the driver."
I straighten, looking at Dimitri, who nods slightly, confirming the man's claim.
"Who shot, then?" I ask.
The man shakes but doesn't answer.
"Who?" I yell and take out my gun, walking to the man next to him and pressing the gun to his forehead.
"Him?"
The man shakes his head no.
I move to the next, aggressively pushing my gun against his forehead. "Him?"
No response.
I push harder, making the man's head tilt back.
"I said. Him?"
The man nods.
Bang.
I squeeze the trigger. Blood and bits of gray shoot out the back of the man's head as darkness overtakes his eyes. The others jump at the sudden noise, and I watch as the man's head hangs to the side, blood pouring from the new hole I've just given him.
I move to the next man and place my gun to his forehead. He screams through the gag, the barrel burning his skin from the recent shot.
I can't quite make out what he's saying, but I know he's begging for his life.
"So here's what I'm thinking—and Theo, correct me if I'm wrong here.
You," I say, pointing to the man I've been speaking to with my gun, "say you were driving, and the man next to you was as well.
This piece of shit is dead, so that means," I say, moving down one more to the last guy at the end, "that this fucker was also a shooter. Is that right?"
It's a rhetorical question. I don't need an answer. Even Theo knows, because I see the smile on his face.
Bang.
My bullet enters the man's left eye socket and comes out the other side with bits of hair, bone, and blood before lodging in the wall behind him.
"And then there were two," Dimitri says, laughing.
I take a step back and look at the line of four men. The first two sitting upright—the first staring wide-eyed at me, mumbling some begging nonsense. The second just staring, still gagged. And the last two, down, bloody, and dead.
"Please. Please, we can work something out. Don't kill me. I just drove."
I nod and put the gun in my holster.
"I'm not going to shoot you. I'm going to use you to send a message back to this, uh, Sebastian Makris."
"What are we going to do with the other guy?" Dimitri asks.
I shrug. "You want to do the honors?"
"Really?" he asks, stepping forward.
"Yes. You found him. It involved our sister and—"
I don't even need to finish. Dimitri steps past me and approaches the gagged man, brings out a knife, and in one swift motion slams the blade right into the man's windpipe.
The man shakes, gurgles, and blood pours like water from his throat as Dimitri pulls out the knife.
"Theo. You remember what I said to Chris when he brought the girls back home?"
My brother rubs his chin for a minute and then looks at me.
"Seriously? You're serious?"
I roll up my sleeves and crack my neck.
"I wanted a fucking head for this. It'll be the perfect message for Sebastian Makris."
I take a step toward the man still bound in the chair—the only one left breathing. His eyes widen. He starts to shake and sob, finally realizing what's coming.
I stare him dead in the eye and say, "Bring me a saw."