Chapter 6 Eli
Chapter six
Eli
Quietly, I walk past Madeleine’s bedroom door, make my way down the stairs, and out the front door, where Mauro and Leo are waiting for me by their cars.
“You ready?” Leo asks, a puff of white smoke escaping his lips into the cold night air. He rubs his palms together and holds them in front of his mouth, exhaling against them for warmth.
“I’m ready.” We don’t want Madeleine to know what lengths we’re going to in order to stop this wedding, so we waited until after Scarlett left and Madeleine fell asleep before embarking on this mission.
I glance at Mauro. “We’ll be back in the morning.
If she wakes up, notify me, and I’ll return right away. ”
He gives a two-finger salute as we turn and depart.
I look at Leo. “Scarlett’s secure?” He raises an eyebrow, and I chuckle. “I know, dumb question.”
“Asher’s on duty now,” he replies. “I let Scarlett know I had some business to take care of in the city. I won’t lie to her, but I don’t want her to know more than she needs to. There’s no reason to add any additional stress to her life.”
I nod as I open the driver’s side door to my SUV. Leo slides into the passenger seat and adjusts his gun inside his jacket.
I start the car, and the gentle purr of the engine vibrates through the cabin. Unease fills me as we leave the estate and head toward the city, not knowing if we might be walking straight into a goddamn trap.
But I trust that Vin knows what he’s doing.
After entering the club with a guard escort, I find myself on high alert as we navigate through the crowd.
I hate fucking crowds.
Too many faces to read.
Too many movements to watch for.
My chest tightens as my heart rate begins to accelerate.
Every square inch of this place is packed to the brim like a can of sardines.
The strobe lights dance around the room, heightening my sense of impending doom.
And the noise…
There’s so much goddamn noise.
If a bomb went off right now, we’d be—
“This way,” the guard says, leading us down a quiet hallway toward an open elevator that seems to be waiting for us. I step inside with Leo beside me and immediately notice that there are no buttons on the walls.
“Floor three.” The guard’s deep voice echoes in the enclosed space, prompting the doors to close before the elevator ascends.
“Neat trick,” I remark, clasping my hands behind my back.
After a brief moment, the elevator comes to a stop, and the doors slide open, revealing an office. The guard gestures for us to enter, and we step cautiously into the room, alert to our surroundings.
“Welcome, gentlemen.”
My eyes lock with none other than Enzio Manacorda, Alastor’s stepbrother, who sits in his wheelchair behind his desk. He motions toward the empty chairs across from him. “Please take a seat.”
Leo and I exchange glances before both of us settle into our chairs.
“You may leave now, George,” Enzio instructs the guard behind us. “We have business to discuss, and I won’t require your assistance.”
“Of course, sir.” George steps back into the elevator right before the doors close behind him.
For the first time since entering the club, we’re immersed in deafening silence.
“Well, I must say, I’m a bit disappointed that your brothers didn’t join you,” Enzio remarks, leaning back in his chair and scratching at the stubble over his chin. “It’s been quite some time since I’ve seen them.”
“We didn’t want things to become too…boisterous,” Leo replies.
“Boisterous?” He glances between us, steepling his fingers. “Well, color me intrigued. Why have you come to see me? Vincenzo didn’t give me much information except that it was an urgent matter.”
“It is,” Leo states. “It’s a pressing family matter that we can’t put off any longer.”
Enzio eyes the gold rings on his fingers. “And when you say a family matter, you mean—”
“The wedding’s not happening,” I interject, getting straight to the point.
Enzio freezes for a moment before cautiously placing his hands on the arms of his chair. “I see.”
“As you can imagine,” Leo continues, “my brothers and I are not pleased with the upcoming nuptials. Alastor is not exactly who we would choose for our dear sister, which is why we intend to put a stop to this.”
Enzio nods in understanding. “He is not someone any brother would want their sister to marry.” He glances at me. “And how do you fit into this?”
I offer a sly smirk. “I’m merely the bodyguard.”
Enzio raises an eyebrow, clearly perceiving more behind my remark. “And what’s stopping me from going straight to Alastor with your plans?”
“You could,” Leo says. “I mean, you could pick up the phone right now and call him, but you won’t.”
“What makes you so certain?”
Leo offers a half shrug. “Because it seems we both have something to gain from working together instead of against each other.”
“Perhaps.” Enzio taps a finger on the arm of his chair, deep in thought. “I’m just trying to decide if I can trust you.”
“The feeling’s mutual,” I voice.
Enzio’s eyes narrow. “And if I help you with this matter, what’s in it for me?”
Leaning forward, I rest my elbows on my knees. “Look, we’re stopping this wedding from happening one way or another—whether you help us or not. But we’re men of our word, so if you help us with our problem, we’ll vow to help you with yours.”
Enzio’s brow raises, curiosity flashing over his eyes. “By helping me with my problem, you mean…”
“Doing whatever it takes to get you back on your precious throne.”
His gaze drifts between me and Leo, letting a moment of silence pass before he lets out a heavy sigh. “Fine. Not like there’s much left for me to lose at this point.”
“All right.” I drag my fingers through my hair. “Now that we have that out of the way, let’s start by you telling us what we need to know. Preferably from the beginning. We don’t want any details left out.”
He nods, adjusting the sleeves of his jacket.
“As most know, I am—or should be—the rightful heir to the Manacorda Empire. But about a year ago, that all changed. On the day Alastor and Madeleine’s engagement was announced, I was, how should I say, dethroned from my rightful place in this family.
No longer in the running for CEO.” He sighs.
“It was a position I had spent my whole life preparing for, and just like that, it was taken from me.”
“Why?”
“That’s what I need to figure out. By traditional standards, I am of pure Manacorda blood, while Alastor has none.
He’s not truly one of us. But after I sustained my injury many years ago…
” He stares down at his lap, his fingers tightening on the arms of the chair.
“I’ve only been seen as a weakness by my father.
” He peers out the window and then back at us.
“My mother, may God rest her soul, died when I was just a boy. Soon after, my father remarried my stepmother, Mila, as he felt it made him look weak to be viewed as a widower. With her came Alastor and Cressida.”
“Cressida?” The name doesn’t ring a bell.
“Yes, Alastor has a twin sister,” he says, arching an eyebrow. “Have you not met her?”
I shake my head, trying to recall this piece of information, but Leo interrupts my thoughts.
“She’ll be at the bridal shower tomorrow. You won’t miss her; she looks just like Alastor.”
“She’s a sweet girl. Mostly keeps to herself. Can’t say I blame her, knowing who she grew up with,” Enzio comments, his eyes bouncing between the two of us. “Alastor is a snake in disguise. A true psychopath, if you ask me. But because of his…tendencies, my father was drawn to him.”
“Tendencies?” I ask.
“Let’s just say that as a kid, he took pleasure in making my pets go missing. And as we grew older, it only got worse from there.”
My blood boils with rage thinking of this monster anywhere near Madeleine.
Especially alone.
“Alastor, well, he worships my father. Wants to be just like him. Actually, no.” Enzio shakes his head. “He wants to be more powerful, more influential than he is. He’d take over the world if he could.”
“And my sister,” Leo says, looking deep in thought. “You think she comes into play because a marriage with her secures a connection to our family—the most powerful family in the northeast.”
Enzio points a finger. “Bingo.”
Why the fuck would Madeleine agree to marry this lunatic?
I tug at my collar; the room suddenly feels too warm.
The fact that Alastor has her in his clutches doesn’t sit well with me.
Not one goddamn bit.
“He’s blackmailing her,” I state. “It’s the only plausible reason behind their engagement.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Enzio answers. “Alastor will do whatever he needs to do to get what he wants.”
“But what could he possibly have to blackmail her with?” I grit out, trepidation spreading throughout my chest.
Enzio shrugs. “We all have monsters in our closets. What are hers?”
Leo shakes his head in disbelief. “She’s never even killed a man.”
I arch a brow.
“As far as we know…” He scratches the back of his head.
“Sometimes we think we know someone when we truly don’t,” Enzio says matter-of-factly.
“Isn’t that the truth?” Leo’s eyes darken, lost in a memory.
I squeeze the back of my neck in frustration. “None of this makes any sense. Madeleine doesn’t take crap from anyone. She’s always been strong and independent. And then, suddenly, she’s engaged to Alastor, who, no offense,” I say, glancing at Enzio, “is about as attractive as a naked mole rat.”
He lifts a shoulder. “No offense taken.”
“And on top of all that, he’s a raging psychopath.
We need to find out what he’s holding over her, and we need to do it quickly.
I won’t let her walk down that aisle toward that prick.
It will be a cold, bloody day in hell before she ever gets to call him her husband.
” Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Leo’s gaze shifting to me, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
His body tightens as he leans closer, opening his mouth as if he’s about to say something.
Shit. “The Alaries are my family, and I will not let your arsehole of a stepbrother cause any one of them harm.”
Leo shifts in his seat, leaning back in his chair as he nods in agreement. Enzio considers this for a moment, then opens his desk drawer. Leo and I instinctively reach for our guns, but we quickly pull our hands back when Enzio retrieves a manila folder.
“When Vincenzo called to arrange this meeting, I had my suspicions about what it was regarding.” He holds out the folder for me.
“This contains everything I’ve gathered over the past few months concerning Alastor.
Every loyal person in his life, every financial transaction concerning Manacorda Enterprises, every flight taken on our family’s private jet—even his goddamn tee time.
You name it, it’s all here. Maybe some fresh eyes can help find something worth noting. ”
I take the folder and skim through the contents. “Who would you say is closest to Alastor?”
He scoffs. “That would be his guard, Tony Amante. Wherever Alastor goes, he goes. If anyone knows something, it would be him.”
“Have you tried questioning him?” Leo asks.
“Unfortunately, in my position, I’m not at liberty for that kind of activity anymore.”
“Leave it to us then.” A malicious grin spreads across Leo’s face. “Our specialty is interrogation.”
“I figured you’d be up for the challenge.” Enzio smirks in amusement. “If you can get him alone, I’m confident you can get something out of him.”
Leo rubs his chin. “And if he goes missing…”
Enzio waves a dismissive hand. “People go missing all the time. It’s no skin off my back.”
“Tell me something,” I say as I continue skimming through the documents. “How close are you to your cousins, the Vasilievs?”
His head tilts to the side, his brows furrowing. “You know them?”
“We’ve had dealings with them,” Leo answers. “Mostly with their father.”
“Heard he died.”
“He did.” Leo leans forward. “I killed him.”
Enzio sits back, waiting a minute before he speaks.
“I never cared for my uncle. Never cared for anyone in that family, to be honest. The way they conduct business is not up to my standards, but my brother and father show no disapproval of their methods. As long as they bring in money, they don’t care how things get done.
Oil is my family’s legacy. It’s what we’re known for.
But the Vasilievs always seem to have a way of obtaining it where others can’t.
Probably through force or other barbaric methods.
But over the years, they formed a partnership with my father and Alastor where they secure the lands, and Alastor and my father send a team out there to produce as many barrels as they can, ensuring very profitable margins from countries like Russia, Saudia Arabia, Iraq, Brazil… Just to name a few.”
He taps his index finger thoughtfully against his desk.
“I’m not sure this will be of any use, but the oldest brother, Mikhail, has had several private meetings with Alastor over the past year.
For what? I’m not quite sure. Maybe scheduling a meeting with him and his brothers isn’t such a bad idea for you to consider. ”
I close the folder and look at Leo. Meeting with the Vasilievs is dangerous and, quite frankly, the last fucking thing we want to have to do, but if it ensures putting an end to this wedding, then we’ll do what needs to be done. “We’ll look into that.”
Enzio sits up straight, his expression turning grave.
“But I must warn you: the Vasiliev family is not one you want to make enemies with. They steal, kidnap, torture… They don’t leave any survivors in their path of destruction.
” He glances at Leo. “You may have had dealings with their father, but the five brothers are an entirely different story. If they discover you’ve interfered with any of their business or family matters, they will bring a war to your front door when you least expect it. ”
Leo nods. “Let them.”
I check the time on my phone and stand, suddenly anxious about returning to Madeleine’s house. I’ve been away for too long. “Keep us informed of any new information, and we’ll do the same for you.”
Enzio dips his chin. “I’ll be in touch.”