Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
NEVIO
M y phone rings. It makes me jump.
I’m not usually a jumpy person, but ever since the minute Dalila left the house I’ve been fidgety and agitated. I want her home.
It’s only been fifteen minutes, but I am barely handling her absence and the worry is making me nauseous.
I lean over to grab my phone off the table in the living room.
Her father.
The tension in my stomach increases ten times over when I stare at his name. Why would he be calling me? Has something happened?
Thoughts fly through my mind at a million miles an hour.
“Nevio.” I say with a tight throat that feels dry and scratchy.
“I thought she was supposed to be here already. She’s late.”
“She left fifteen minutes ago. It’s only a five-minute drive.” I stand up, beginning to pace.
“She’s not here.”
“What have you done, Vincent?” I ask, suspicious of her father.
“What the fuck does that mean?” He spits back defensively.
I slam down the phone and shout for my security guards. “She didn’t reach her destination. Get in the car. We’re going to find her.”
I’m running towards the front of the house. My head feels as though it’s going to explode. I’ve never felt this kind of panic before. I have never felt dread so thick like this, flooding my bones and chilling me to the core.
Two of my security personnel climb into the car with me. I pull my gun out to check the clip while we drive out of the security gate, turning in the same direction Dalila went only a short time ago.
I am scanning the roads, terrified of what I might see, constantly searching for her but also feeling a sense of hopelessness.
A short distance from the coffee shop, I can hear sirens.
The roads are congested, and we move slower through the thick traffic — until we reach the scene of an accident.
My car.
Rolled.
Smashed.
Lying on the roof, half in the road, half on the curb.
There is blood splattered down the side of the driver’s door, pooling on the tar, making it shine with thick wet red liquid.
I can see the driver, but I can’t see Dalila.
I push the door open and run towards the mess.
“Was there a girl?” I shout desperately at the paramedic on the scene.
“What?”
“Where is the fucking girl that was in the car?”
I only hope that she was taken in an ambulance. That this is a genuine accident.
But the look on the paramedic’s face says otherwise. “There was no girl, man. Do you know this guy?”
I shake my head. Fuck. There was no girl.
Except I know there was.
“Hey, man, do you know this guy?” the paramedic screams after me as I turn away. “Dude, you have to stay and answer some questions.”
But I’m already climbing back into my car, gesturing to the driver to keep going.
I need to have a word with her father.
To my surprise, he went home. He didn’t go looking for her; he didn’t trace her route back towards my place - he just went home.
I push my way through his front door as his security guards try to hold me back.
“Where the fuck is she?” I scream into his face, grabbing him by the collar.
Three men try to pull me off him, but I can tell they’re scared of me. They know who I am. Everyone knows the stories about me.
“It’s ok. It’s ok.” Vincent waves his security guards off me. “It’s OK,” He says again as they step away. I don’t know if he’s saying it to them or himself.
“Where is my wife, Vincent?”
“I don’t know. She ever showed up.”
“I know that already. We found the car. Flipped. My driver is dead, and she is missing. Now you tell me you had nothing to do with this.” I am livid. Screaming. Shouting. Making an enormous noise. I never shout. I am the deadly silent shadow - but not now. Now I am a mess of fear and rage.
“What the fuck is going on?” Masaccio’s voice comes from behind me and I spin towards him.
“Where is your sister?” I hiss at him.
“She’s gone?” His eyes glaze over in panic. He turns towards his father. “Did you do something?” He asks.
“Why the fuck does everyone think I have something to do with this?” Vincent asks in frustration.
“Because you are the only one who knew she was traveling that route.” I grab him by the collar again and shake him. He grips my wrists, trying to hold himself up, so he doesn’t land flat on his face.
“Stop.” Masaccio says, pulling at my arm. “That will solve nothing.”
I draw my gun from my belt, staring Masaccio right in the eyes. “No, but the threat of a bullet in his head might shake his memory into action—”
Vincent screams, trying to scoot away from me. His feet slipping on the tiled floor.
“I didn’t take her. I did nothing.” He shouts again.
I let go of his collar, and he slams onto the floor with a thwack.
“Lenny Malone. He’s the one who took her.” I say coldly. “And you are going to tell me where?”
“How would I know?” He stammers, looking up at me.
Masaccio walks over to his father and pulls him to his feet.
“Nevio, we can figure this out. We’ll help you.”
Rufino bursts through the front door, with Celso close behind him. “What the fuck? We heard shouting.” Their guns are drawn and pointed low as they stride towards us with confusion traced across their faces.
Masaccio turns towards his brothers. “Lenny Malone took Dalila.” He says with disgust, staring at his father. He points his finger right into his father’s face. “And you are going to tell us where he is.”
“Fuck.” Rufino whispers darkly. Celso’s eyes are wide with horror.
I can’t take this. Everyone is just staring at Vincent, waiting for him to cough up information. He has said nothing useful at all.
I watch him as he strolls over to the sofa and sits down in it, massaging his throat where I had gripped his collar. That fucker is taking his fucking time and all the while, terrible things might be happening to Dalila.
I push past Mas, who tries to block me, but not wholeheartedly. His patience is also wearing thin.
I grab Vincent by the collar again.
“Where the fuck is Lenny Malone’s place?” I whisper, a hiss, a threat, a warning on my voice.
“I can show you. I can show you, for fuck’s sakes. I’ll show you.”
Mas turns towards his brothers. “Get weapons. Call Tuomo, we are all going together. We need more men. Everyone gets their teams together.”
I shake Vincent, trying to force the answer out of him. “Tell me. Now. I’m not waiting for them.”
“You’ll die if you go alone.” He shakes his head. “He’ll kill you.”
“Right now your daughter is there alone - with that monster. I’m not waiting. Tell me where the fuck he is, and I will leave right now. Her brothers can catch up with me.”
“Fort Larkwood. The massive property at the edge of the forest. It’s an enormous house with black face bricks walls. You can’t miss it.”
I drop him again, this time onto the sofa, then immediately turn towards the door to leave.
Mas blocks me, only for a moment.
One look in my eyes and he knows not to even bother trying.
He takes a deep breath and steps out of my way. “We’ll be right behind you.” He says after me.
My two security guards climb back into the car with me and I punch the location onto the map system. It’s worthy five minutes away.
With all of this chaos, all of this wasted time, she is probably there already.
Fuck knows what he is doing to her or what he has planned for her.
“Break the speed limits. Not of them matter.” I say as my driver pressed his foot heavy against the accelerator.
Snow beats against the windscreen, slowing us down. I swear under my breath.
I’ve done dark things in my life.
I know I’m a monster.
But nothing I have done in the past is going to compare to what I will do to Malone if he has laid his hands on my wife.