Chapter 24 Leandro
Normally, an irritated Tennant is amusing, when he stops pretending to be so controlled and lets people see behind the facade.
Today, however, it’s annoying, as Allesandro isn’t a threat.
Lio is in love with both Tennant and Hollis, and while I can’t say he’d reject his Master if given the chance, I also know he won’t let anything come between him and his Daddy and Owner.
Not only that, I know where Lio’s loyalties lie, and if I thought there was a chance he’d leave me for Allesandro…
well, the former Martelli Boss wouldn’t still be living.
As that meeting wraps up, my computer starts beeping, the safety measures on Marcus’s car going off.
“Shit.” Switching feeds, I tap into the audio for the car and wince when the sounds of chaos echo around the room.
As quickly as I can, I send messages to those I need to, while trying to find any cameras in the area so I can see what the hell is going on.
Hollis bursts into the office around the same time Keegan and Carter do, which is inconvenient. I had hoped to bring Hol up to speed before dealing with people.
“What the hell is going on?” Carter demands.
“There’s been an…incident. Marcus and Antonio were ambushed on their way to Ely’s.”
“Fuck,” Hollis hisses. “There aren’t many cameras in that area.”
“Did you deploy soldiers?” Keegan asks, and it’s a fight not to roll my eyes. Does he think I’m new at this?
“Yes, but they’re too far out to do anything about it.” My fingers fly over my keyboard a moment before I tell him, “Antonio made a call to Ely, and since it’s her territory they’re in, hopefully that means they have someone close by that can reach them.”
Jude comes into the office. “What the fuck happened?”
I tune out Carter bringing him up to speed and focus on helping Hollis hack into the few cameras we can access.
I frown at my screen. “They’re on the move.”
“I need to get out there,” Keegan says.
“Wait.” I turn my head enough to look at him. “We don’t know where they’re going. They currently still have their phones—it’s how I’m tracking them—so we can assume they’re with Ely’s people.”
“Can confirm,” Hollis says. “I was able to get a look at the plate on the car they got into, it’s one of Ely’s.
That, plus the partial shot I got of her face on the camera before they left the area is enough to confirm.
I’m trying to track their route via the cameras, but they’re moving fast, and they’re few and far between in this area. ”
Carter steps closer to Hollis’s desk, studying the screen. “They’re moving away from Ely’s territory, rather than going deeper into it.”
“They probably don’t want to bring trouble to their doorstep,” I muse. “Once we get a ping on where they are, and possibly see if we can get them on the line, then you can go play knight in shining armor. But until then…we don’t know what trouble you’ll be walking into.”
“How do we know this isn’t another trick of yours?” Keegan asks flatly. “Maybe you made this happen.”
Both dogs take issue with his tone, letting out simultaneous growls of warning. I give him a bland look. “I had nothing to do with this. I said I wouldn’t interfere again without speaking up, and I haven’t. Trust me.”
“No, you manipulated the situation, and twisted your words so you never had to make specific promises. I don’t trust you one bit,” Keegan bites back.
I shrug. That’s his problem, not mine. He, and the rest of the Martellis, will learn.
I don’t go back on my word. Tennant asked me not to play chess master by myself anymore.
While I can’t stop what’s already in motion, even if I wanted to, I won’t put anyone under this roof in harm’s way.
I learn from my mistakes, and it won’t happen again.
“They’ve stopped, but there’s no surveillance whatsoever to tap into.
I’m assuming they’re at some type of safehouse.
” Hollis rattles off the address, but it’s not on the list of known properties Ely and her gang own, and a quick search brings up nothing, which means we need to look deeper, and that's something that will take time we might not have.
“You’ll be walking in blind if you go now,” Hollis says. “I’d rather try to get a bead on Antonio and Marcus before sending anyone in.”
“I’ll send out another group of soldiers,” I offer.
“Fuck!” There’s tension in Keegan’s voice as he realizes it’s not safe for him to go rushing off to save his Boy, as badly as he might want to.
The last thing Marcus and Antonio need right now is for us to lead the danger right to them, especially if they’re safe at the moment. And there’s nothing to say that won’t happen, since we have no idea what the fuck’s going on. Not until we hear from the men surveying the scene of the “accident”.
“Call Ely,” Carter tells Keegan. “I want to know what the fuck is going on. Just because we assume she has them, doesn’t mean anything.”
Keegan pulls out his phone, but before he can make the call, Carter’s cell phone starts ringing.
“Wait,” I tell him. Pulling up what I need, I tap into his phone, doing a quick run of the unknown number and coming up with nothing. “Okay, answer it.”
“Hello? Who’s this?”
Turning my speakers up, I start working on trying to trace the call, while Hollis spins his chair around and starts interpreting for Jude.
“Is this Carter Amato? Or De Luca? We’re not sure what to address you as.”
“Amato is fine. Who is this?”
“Good, then I have the right guy. You’ll be happy to know we have something of yours, and Daniel doesn’t want it, so you’re free to come get it.”
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
“You don’t…but then…we don’t know if you are either.
It’s a gamble for us all, isn’t that fun.
” There’s a jovial tone to his voice that catches my interest. Hopefully, Carter can pull a name from him so I can do more digging…
“I suggest coming to get your packages sooner rather than later. As I said, the boss man really doesn’t want them here—though the boss woman doesn’t seem bothered. It’s better than TV, actually.”
I meet Carter’s eyes and sign, “Got the trace. Same address that Marcus and Antonio’s phones are pinging from, so there’s that at least.”
“Give me an address…” Carter purposefully trails off.
A chuckle comes over the line. “Javi, and sure, though I suggest you keep this on the downlow, if you know what’s good for you. After all, I won’t be happy if I have to patch up more than a concussion and a few cuts and scrapes.”
“Are my men safe, Javi?”
“Yes. As I said, a mild concussion and some cuts from the glass, nothing that will kill them.” There’s almost a wistful sound to his voice, and I hold back a snort.
“Someone will be there to retrieve them soon.”
“Good. Just know…you better be as friendly as Ely thinks you are…” With that lovely warning, Javi hangs up.
“Fuck,” Carter hisses. “This…isn’t good.”
“Caught the warning about the traitor too?” Keegan asks, stress evident in his voice.
“Leandro, how far out are the men from Marcus and Antonio?” Carters asks rather than replying.
“Maybe twenty minutes. I’ll ask them to hang back until Keegan catches up.”
“If there’s a traitor in the gang…”
“No,” I say before Keegan can even finish the thought. “I would know if someone in our midst was a fucking traitor.”
“Would you?” Jude asks, taking a step toward me. “Or are you trying to throw us off the fact you’re playing God again?”
“This isn’t my doing. You either trust me or don’t, I don’t care.
I don’t go back on my word. I know nothing of this supposed traitor.
” I smile, letting the mask fall for a second.
The cold nothingness that normally encapsulates me slips through as my lips tilt up into a grin.
“But you can be sure I’m going to find out who it is.
There’s a reason the Senator hasn’t been found yet.
The only people who knew where those two were going were you, me, and Keegan.
After all, I’m not allowed to run missions on my own, and I know your precious Sweetheart has orders to tell you when he leaves the house. ”
My arm stings where Jude’s knife grazes it. I don’t flinch though, meeting his gaze head on, even as the sound of the knife embedding into something behind me is loud in the otherwise silent room.
“Enough,” Carter orders. “Jude, you and Keegan will go save Antonio and Marcus before they get themselves into any more trouble. Take a few guards with you. We can’t trust the roads right now, and I don’t want you traveling by yourselves. Leandro—”
“I am perfectly capable of doing my job. The Senator has gone to ground. After his little press conference where he backhandedly called us out for killing his children, he hasn’t made a public appearance. I might need Hollis to take that over while I go rat hunting.”
“I’m trusting you, Leandro, because I’ve known you for years, and I want to believe you mean what you say about not wanting Roman and Lio to get hurt. That doesn’t mean you don’t still owe payment for your mistakes.”
I laugh a little. “Sure. I’m curious to see what the Council comes up with as an appropriate punishment. Now, get out; Hol and I have work to do.”
“Here.” Hollis tosses Keegan an earpiece. “One for Dima, too.” He hands one to Jude. “Be careful, Agnellino. You and your Boy both better return in one piece.”
Jude gives him a short nod. “We will.”
Jude and Keegan leave, with Carter following close behind. I feel like I can breathe when it’s just Hollis and me.
“I’m getting fed up with the Martellis’ lack of faith in me,” I grouse.
“Can you blame them?” Hollis asks sharply. “You fucked up, Leandro. You’re lucky they seem to respect Tennant and I enough to not outright murder you.”
“I’d like to see them try,” I mutter.
“Enough,” he replies. “Just…enough, please. Let’s make sure everyone gets in and out safely.”
I let it go, hearing the stress in his tone, and knowing how worried he is about Roman and Lio. Hell, I’m worried, and that’s not an easy emotion for me to parse through. Not knowing how to help either of them, and hearing there’s another fucking traitor in our midst…
No, now isn’t the time for the Martellis to be on their high horse about me and my methods.
As unorthodox as they might be, they got results…
even if things got a bit messier than intended.
No matter, I’ll not only find this rat, but the Senator too, and then people can stop giving me the fucking side-eye…
or I’ll let Boston eat them, whichever comes first.