Chapter 51
Maximo
The tracker in Elena’s phone shows her to be home. Though when I barge inside, see the mess in the foyer, like there was a struggle, I know she’s gone. Taken. Even so, I have to check.
Climbing the stairs two at a time, I call out, “Elena? Julianna?”
I spot Elena’s cell laying on the hallway floor. Cazzo. Dread hammers against my ribcage.
Darting to my office, I pull up the security feed from inside the penthouse and watch everything that happened with a growing sense of fury. Niccolò and Dario are dead men. When I’m done with them, they’ll be begging for the relief of death.
They’re the reason Lazaro willingly told me everything. The bastard knew I’d drag him in for questioning at some point. When I did, he was ready to implement his plan. Did he know I was following him? Is that why he drove past his house earlier, changing his destination?
While I had him in my clutches, he was playing me, buying his sons time to come in here and kidnap my wife. I doubt they even know who Julianna is to me, but they took her too. Now they hold the two most important people to me in the world.
Raking my fingers through my hair, I consider my limited options.
Since Lazaro and his sons are traitors, who else is on their side?
I can’t trust a single one of my own men.
Once this is over—there will be a culling among our ranks.
In the meantime, I turn to the only men I do trust. The only men who believe in taking action first and asking questions later.
Cian answers on the second ring, “Yeah?”
“They took Elena.”
A beat of silence. “Who took her?”
“Two of my soldiers. Lazaro turned on me. He’s locked up, but his sons took my wife. I can’t trust anybody else—”
Cian grunts. “I’ll call the others.” He hangs up.
Desperate, I pull up my tracking app, but every single device is parked right here. She didn’t take a purse, or even slip on a pair of shoes. Damn it, I should have put one in her ring—or better yet, beneath her skin.
My phone rings, showing an unknown caller. “Who is this?”
“Niall Bane. I have information for you.”
It’s about time. “Go ahead. I’m in a hurry.”
“Okay… Lazaro is mostly accounted for, but the Achilli brothers whereabouts are missing during all of the attacks. I want to look deeper into—”
“It’s a bit late for that.” I scowl at the wall. “Unless you know where the fuck they’re hiding out—”
“What’s going on?”
“They took my wife.” I hesitate. “And my sister.”
“When?”
“Less than an hour ago.”
“From where?”
“My home.”
“Stay on the phone with me, I’m getting your location.”
I frown down at my phone, why would Niall help me? We don’t even know each other. He doesn’t owe me a damn thing. Unless he’s still paying off his debt to Blake Baron.
But right now? I’ll take all the help I can get.
“Got you,” he says. “Okay. A black town car left from your garage thirty-six minutes ago, heading west. Go find yourself a vehicle, I’ll track them. You drive.”
I immediately sprint into action. Opening a hidden panel in my office, I grab a couple more handguns, a semi-automatic rifle, and as much ammo as I can carry in a duffle bag.
Taking the elevator down, I stash the bag in my Pagani, and reroute Niall’s call through the onboard phone system.
“Where am I going?” I bark into the dashboard.
“West. Then take a left at the third light.”