Chapter 18
eighteen
Gabriel
I have a bad feeling.
The only problem is that I can’t detect whether that feeling is connected to Isabella’s kidnapping or because Valentina is joining the search.
Maybe she's safer here by my side for now. But what if something happens? Then she also will be in danger.
Valentina peers at me through her lashes. Her voice urges me to trust her. “You know I’m not made of glass, right? I can handle whatever happens. You don’t need to worry about me.”
I hide a smirk, remembering that she can actually handle anything. “I know very well how you can handle things, but I don’t want you to. I don’t want you to have to handle anything.”
She locks her eyes with mine, her voice strong. “I get that. I really do, but I’m here of my own free will. I need you to understand this. I want to be here for you and help to find Isabella.”
I exhale. I can’t argue with her right now. I need my head clear, and I tell myself that’s the reason I agree to Valentina tagging along.
We take off on her bike while she wraps her hands around my waist and her legs embrace me from my sides while we ride against the wind toward the first destination to look for Isabella.
But my mind isn’t on her; it’s on the woman behind me and what I would do if anything happened to her.
I have a duty toward her, a vow I took, and a promise I intend to keep.
There is no love between us, not that I ever want there to be, but I’m content.
That’s why I agreed to this marriage, but my duty is to protect her.
Thus far, our search has not been successful. I just hope at this last place, an old manufacturing building, we will have more luck.
“Like before, in groups of two.” I look at ten of my men. “Split p and search every corner. Be careful.”
I take Valentina and take the turn around the house. Just around the corner, the air snaps beside me as a bullet passes me. My breath steals and the rush of heat floods me, but I don’t have time think.
“Shit.” I embrace Valentina and throw us onto the floor just as another bullet hits the wall behind where we were standing.
“Stay down,” I tell her. I raise my head to see two men approaching us. I pull out my gun and shoot back. When no fire is returned, I get to my feet, ready to move from the line of fire. “We need to stay low.”
I take a step and stop when another bullet misses me by an inch.
“Are you sure this is the right approach? Valentina pulls at my hand.
“Shit! I can’t see them.” I take Valentina’s hand, and with my gun in the other, I shoot as I run toward the safety of the trees.
With our backs to the trees, I check my gun.
Only two bullets left. I peek around and see two men approaching.
My eyes search for a way out of this, and I catch sight of the dumpster toward the exit. I need to get Valentina to safety.
“I need you to run as fast as you can toward that dumpster when I say.”
She looks from the dumpster to me with furrowed brows. “No…”
Shots fire from the inside of the factory, and I can see two men approaching us. I shouldn’t have brought her with me, but it’s too late for regrets.
I close my eyes, inhale, then turn to her.
“Stay here. I’m going to distract them, and when you're in the clear, run and don’t look back.
” Before she can argue, I crush my mouth to hers.
If I die tonight, at least I will know I did so to keep her safe.
Her lips part, and our tongues clash with fear, adrenaline, and want.
I pull back. Her confused eyes meet mine. I give her a quick smile before I turn away.
“Wait,” she calls just as I aim and fire at the first guy. He doesn’t drop. I fire again, praying she listened and ran. The bullet hits him in his neck, and he finally falls. I run toward him to take his gun, but a shot has been fired at me. I duck down.
I scan the area. No sign of Valentina. The bullet struck behind my head, and I scramble to my feet in search of a hideout.
I’m just a step into my run when something slams my face.
The pain registers in my brain, and I lose my orientation for a second, but it’s enough for whoever hit me to have me at gunpoint.
“Make it easy for me and move so I can spill your brains, you son of a bitch.”
Fucking Albanians.
“What do we have here?” A man with a heavy accent speaks from behind me.
“Should we kill him?”
“We were paid to distract them, not kill them,” a second man says and grabs me by my hair.
“But you killed my brother, so it’s only fair to kill you.
” He gets in my face. “But first, I want to have a little fun. Edi, go find the girl that was with him. What fun is it without a woman? I’ll let you watch me fill all of her holes. ”
My blood spikes, and I move without thinking. I hit my forehead against his with all the force I have in me.
“You son of a bitch.” I ignore his swearing and the pain. “Shoot him.”
I wait for the bullet to hit me, but it never does.
Instead, a knife passes me and hits Edi in the throat, spilling his blood.
I turn to my left side to see Valentina approaching with a gun in her hand.
She raises a gun to the guy’s head, but then lowers it and shoots him in the knees.
His cries fill the space, and I rush to his side to disarm him of any weapon he has.
“I told you to run!” I turn toward Valentina.
“I’m not good at following orders. I thought by now you would know that.”
I laugh. “I can’t believe I’m glad you didn’t run.”
She shrugs. “You could just thank me.”
I smirk and wrap my hand around her waist, pulling her to me. I lean down and crush my lips to hers, deepening the kiss and exploring her mouth with my tongue. She wraps her arms around my neck, pressing herself into me even more.
“As much as I would like to keep this going and thank you properly, we should probably help the others and secure him,” I speak into the kiss.
Valentina pulls back and raises her gun between us. “Sure thing. Let’s go.” I chuckle and go for the dead man to take his gun. I search him and find zip ties in his pockets.
“You should interrogate him. He should have some information.” Valentina nudges the man with her shoe.
“I will interrogate him later. First, I need to make sure that my men got the others,” I say as I turn him on his stomach. He cries out, fighting against my grip.
“We should place him in the dumpster so no one can find him. I have something for his mouth.” Valentina raises a scarf between us.
I raise my eyes to the scarf she's holding. “Where did you get that?”
“It’s his.” She nods toward the Albanian.
“Even better.”
I ignore his wails and cries as I bind his hands and wrap the scarf around his mouth.
With that done, I hook my hands under him and drag him toward the dumpster.
The man is big; I would say around three hundred pounds, yet I manage to move him.
Valentina opens the cover, and the rotten smell fills my nostrils.
I chuckle darkly. “You're going to enjoy this stay.” I look at Valentina. “Grab his legs, and on a count of three, we’re going to lift him and dump him inside.”
She leans down and grabs his legs. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
“One. Two. Three.” We lift him, and together, we dump him inside. We ignore his protests and close the cover of the dumpster on him.
By now, the shooting has mostly subsided, but we can still hear a bullet or two being fired. I narrow my eyes at Valentina. “Stay by my side and be sure you always have your back covered.”
“I will.”
With my back to the wall and Valentina on her feet behind me, I hurry toward the back door.
I turn the knob, and relief washes over me when it opens.
I follow the path to where the sound of gunfire comes from, ignoring the dead bodies on the floor.
I will deal with that later. I round the corner and halt, reloading my gun.
There’s a man I don’t know, and he’s holding one of my men at gunpoint.
I raise my gun, point it at him, and pull the trigger.
The bullet lands at the side of his head, causing him to fall. “You good?” I ask one of the soldiers.
“Yes. Thanks, boss.” He nods.
“How many are there?” I ask, inspecting the area.
“There were five men. One ran away; Matteo is after him. Three were killed in the crossfire.”
I turn my attention to him. “And from our side?”
“Two casualties, and I think Vince won’t make it. He is badly injured.”
“Dammit, this was a trap.” I run my hand through my hair, my shoulders falling. They wanted us to be here. The question is, were they expecting Salvatore to be here?
Valentina touches my back. “You couldn’t have known, Gabriel.”
I shake my head. Those men had families; this is why Salvatore worked hard to change the future of the Cosa Nostra.
I look at the soldier in front of me. “There is a man in the dumpster outside. Take two men and bring him here. Be careful; the man is heavy as fuck.”
He lowers his head. “Yes, boss.”
I need answers, and I need them now. Once that piece of shit is in front of me, I will have them, no matter how long it takes.
The men bring in the Albanian, and I place the chair I found in the middle of the room, so they can put him there. When he’s secured on the chair, I crack my neck left and right, preparing myself for what’s to come.
“You know what I would love? For you just to tell me everything I need to know,” I say as I circle him. “It will be easier for me and a quicker death for you.” I lean down to look him in the eye. “What do you say?”
“I don’t know anything,” he fights against his restraints. “I got paid to do my task and not ask questions.”
I can work with that. “What was your task? What were you paid for?”
“Why would I tell you that? It’s not like you’re going to let me go,” he sneers.
I lower myself to meet his eyes. “True, but I may take pity on you and make it quick.”
He shakes his head. “We were supposed to get the woman, hand her over, and get paid. Also, we were paid to come back here and distract you if needed.”
My eyes harden as I narrow them at him. “By whom?”
“I don’t know the guy by name.” He sniffs, sweat covering his face. “He just transferred the money, and that was it.”
“How did he find you?”
“On the web. That’s all I know, I swear.” He shakes.
“Where did you deliver the girl?” I urge, my voice hard.
“Some warehouse south of here, on the other side of the district.”
“Where exactly?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know. He sent me the location, and then we went.”
I tilt my head to the side, pinning my eyes to his. “Is there anything else you're not telling me?”
He shakes his head. “No. This is all I know.”
I turn toward my men. “Keep an eye on him. I need to make a call.”
I call Salvatore, who informs me that he’s at one of the locations Marco has already shared with us.
I can only pray that they find Isabella.
My reasoning with him to stay calm and rational fails.
I exhale after he ends the call. I need to be beside him, but first, I need to take care of the situation here.
I pull out my gun and get ready for another blood stain on my hands as I place my gun at the Albanian’s head, pulling the trigger.
“Clean this up.” I give orders to my men, then take Valentina’s hand and lead her away, back to safety.