42. Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-One
Luca
If there ever were a time when I felt helpless, it would be now. I have been stalling at the bottom of the mountain for two days, waiting to get some eyes near Alexander’s home at least. But a storm has rolled in, making it impossible. And once the storm ends, we will have to wait for the roads to be cleared to make our way back up.
“You know, no matter how long you stare out the window, the snow isn’t going to stop.” Nicolai enters the room with a grim expression on his usually amused features, placing a folder on the nearest table.
“Yeah, well, sitting and waiting has never been my strong suit,” I say, moving away from the window.
Nicolai is silent as I take the folder from him. Out of all the names on the list, all claim not to know of Elise’s whereabouts. I release an irritated breath, throwing the papers.
“I’ll just have to hunt each of them down and cut out their tongues myself,” I growl.
“You know you can’t do that, Luca. Not if you want to keep the peace—”
“They fucked any chance of peace after they took my wife,” I snap.
“But you don’t know that. We don’t have proof other than a list that they have her,” Nicolai says.
It takes all of my strength to remain calm as he speaks logic into the air. I pull in a deep breath, looking back out the window.
“The sooner I can get some eyes up the mountainside, the better I’ll feel,” I say.
The room is silent for a moment, forcing me to acknowledge how close I am to a breakdown. My thoughts are beginning to eat away at me. The guilt I’ve managed to keep pressed down is slowly bubbling to the surface. If I had just controlled myself, and not let it slip of what happened to Elise’s mother, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Hell, if I’d forced her to stay on the property instead of allowing her to leave, we wouldn’t be in this mess.
I quickly cross the room, grabbing a small bottle of vodka from the liquor cabinet. I welcome the burn as I take a seat next to Nicolai, and the guilty thoughts that began to resurface slowly fizzles out.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so antsy before. Especially over a woman,” he says, reaching for the bottle.
I shake my head. “I’ve never been this scared before. I’ve never cared about anyone like this…not since my father,” I say truthfully.
Nicolai is quiet for a moment before shifting to give me back the bottle.
“I know I haven’t been the perfect husband. But I never pretended to be someone I wasn’t…I never said I was a good man. I never lied to her about who I was…She just didn’t want to accept that,” I say, taking another drink.
“Well, it’s better to be a dangerous man capable of good than to be a good man incapable of being dangerous,” he says.
I scoff, rolling my eyes at his wisdom.
“All I mean is, if Elise is somewhere from that auction, she’ll be more than happy to come back to you,” Nicolai says.
“Hm,” I grunt, taking another sip before handing the bottle to Nicolai.
Ever since I spared her in that warehouse, all I’ve ever wanted is Elise’s love and adoration. But not like this.
“Let’s just hope she isn’t with Alexander. I doubt he’ll let what I did to him slide if that’s the case,” I say. “And I would hate for our last conversation between each other to be what it was.”
I squeeze my eyes shut as I recall the look of horror etched onto her face as she looked at me, the desperation to get away.
I’ve never thought twice about what I did that night to her mother. It was just another job—a way to prove myself to my father. I thought for sure I would never have to look her in the face again. She was low on our radar. To this day, I don’t understand why my father forced me to marry her, knowing the past we shared, knowing what I took from her.
I release a bitter chuckle, scrubbing my hands over my face just as Romelo enters the room.
“Boss. The snow has let up. We’re getting plows out and will be able to send a team to survey by morning,” he says.
“Good. Let me know when everything is in place,” I say, shifting my attention to Nicolai.
“Let’s go,” I say.
For too long, I have neglected my duties as Capo. And with no proof of Elise’s whereabouts, it’s time I return and leave the search to my men. I quietly make my way out of the building, with Nicolai and Romelo in tow, as I approach the waiting car.
“Make sure everything is settled. Then join me back at the estate. It’s going to take a lot of manpower to figure out who exactly is coming after us. And I’m sure we are already behind,” I say.
“Yes, Capo.” They both speak in unison.
I quickly get in the car, and we’re off. I shift my attention to the looming mountainside as we pull out. Since the storm has finally let up, the moon casts a bright light over it, making it look even more ominous in the darkness, as I can’t make out more than the shape.
“Where are you, Elise?” I murmur.
My mind drifts to our last conversation together. I’ve never felt regret like I do now. I don’t know what came over me in that moment. I was content to go to my grave with the truth about her mother’s death. But seeing her continually blame me and treat me like I’m the bad guy when I watched her scream for her father’s life, knowing who he was, bothered me.
I’ve never been bothered by how people feel about me. Up until recently, it didn’t bother me how Elise felt. But I am changing, my desire to protect Elise pulling me out of the darkness I’ve always lived in. I take a deep breath, trying to think if there was anything out of place at Alexander’s. But other than the fact that I don’t trust him, there was no proof that she was there.
I suddenly recall the two plates that the maid was cleaning up as I left. But that isn’t enough proof. Alexander lives alone with no security because of how difficult it is to reach his home. But it would make sense if she eats with him.
I pull in a deep breath as I think of his taunting words. He spoke too intimately of Elise, as if he were describing her in the present, not his imaginations.
“Stop the car!” I shout.
I’m out of the car as he barely stops, trudging through the thick snow as I sprint back to the building we were occupying. I crash into the doors, past the lobby, and into the room we were staying in, my panic outweighing my logic.
“Luca?” I hear Nicolai’s concerned voice, turning to face him as my resolve solidifies. I’m not leaving unless I am sure she is not there. If I have to burn Alexander’s house down in the process, I will.
“Get me on one of the plows.”
Elise
I can’t stay awake. It’s become a difficult task, as has breathing. I can hear the wheeze in my breath as my eyelids flutter, my head throbbing in pain. The lights illuminate the thick snow in front of me, and if not for the pattern of the trees on either side, I wouldn’t be able to figure out where the road is.
I pull in a trembling breath just as a violent wave of nausea hits me, and I can’t hold it back. I vomit into the passenger’s seat, the car violently jerking as I do. Now that the adrenaline has worn off, I can feel the extent of my injuries. Not only is my back on fire, but my head is in excruciating pain, and my nose is still dripping blood. But I can’t lose focus, not now. Not even when the road and trees become blurs in my vision.
“Shit,” I murmur as I recall how hard Alexander hit me across the face.
I must have a concussion. And the longer I sit here, trying to stay awake, the harder it is for my brain to comply. I slowly reach for the volume knob, praying the music will keep me conscious. But I know the distance to get to the bottom of the mountain will take me hours. Alexander so much as told me as he bragged about his seclusion and why it was foolish of me to try to escape initially.
My eyes grow heavier by the second, and the road slowly becomes nothing more than white fluff. I cannot see beyond the hood of the car. As hard as I try, I cannot keep them open. Eventually, they close on their own accord, and I am plunged into darkness.