Chapter 25 #2
And suddenly, Enzo understood. If Kathleen were with him, he’d be forced to divide his focus.
Forced to protect her. Forced to slow down.
Vitale was tying one hand behind his back.
And he would have a vulnerability. Not just Bianca but Kathleen was also now a captive, and Enzo had to find a way to protect both women.
Movement caught his eye; the two men by the wall straightened, watching.
Not Vitale’s people. Different players entirely.
One of the other groups that wanted the map, he guessed.
And they were suddenly uncertain what the hell was happening.
They kept glancing at each other and then around the airport.
He was pretty sure the one on the left was the original guy who wanted the statue.
He and his friends suddenly seemed to understand there was a lot more going on than they’d counted on.
Enzo focused back on Dominic. “Fine. Tell Vitale to go fuck himself.” He immediately turned Kathleen and his team around and headed back toward the doors.
“What the hell, Enzo?” Kathleen hissed. “Seriously?”
“Yes,” he growled. “I can’t take the risk. Even if I got you on the plane, I have no idea who would meet you in New York. Vitale seems to have people everywhere. He’s already grabbed one person. I’m not letting him grab another. You’re staying with me.”
“This is ridiculous,” she snapped. “It makes no sense. Why would he—”
“We can argue about it later.”
He guided her quickly out of the airport. They were back in the cars within minutes.
Kathleen rounded on him. “Why does he want me with you?”
“Because if you’re with me, my focus is divided,” Enzo said bluntly. “I’m worried about keeping you safe instead of figuring out what Vitale is doing. You make me that much more vulnerable, which is his entire point.”
In all likelihood, Vitale knew about Enzo and Jamie’s past and knew they were friends. That added another layer of difficulty for Enzo. He couldn’t let anything happen to his best friend’s sister. Fucking hell!
“That’s ridiculous. I’ll call Jamie; he’ll send the jet and a pile of security. I don’t want to be involved in this mess anymore.”
“Unfortunately,” Enzo said quietly, “I don’t think that’s going to work.”
“What do you mean?” she demanded. “Jamie’s security is top-notch.”
“Oh, I have no doubts. But if Vitale thought of this…” He shook his head. “He’s already thought of Jamie’s team. My guess? If you attempt it, he’ll hurt Bianca on top of whatever surprises he has worked out for you, Jamie, and his security.”
Kathleen stared at him. “What do you mean, hurt Bianca? Surely he has to know if he kills her, you won’t give him the map.”
“He doesn’t have to kill her,” Enzo pointed out. “He can cut off a finger or an ear. He has lots of options to force my hand.”
Kathleen went pale. “Oh my God.”
Enzo grimaced but said nothing. This was the reality of the underworld he’d lived in for so long.
“So… You’re saying I’m stuck. No matter what.” Kathleen’s eyes were wide, full of fear.
“Yes. It appears that way.”
She huffed out a breath, then shook her head. “Well, I’m still calling Jamie. The Callahan people will—”
“No.”
The word came out sharper than Enzo intended, but he didn’t soften it.
Kathleen jerked back a little. “Excuse me?”
“You can call Jamie,” Enzo said, forcing his tone level, “but it won’t change anything. Dominic told me Vitale is monitoring the airports, so his men will be watching for any move you make. Including calling in a jet.”
“That’s insane,” she muttered. “He can’t possibly have that much reach.”
“He does,” Enzo said quietly. “And he’s not alone. Bianca’s brother seems to be involved somehow. Between the two of them, they have tentacles everywhere. Anywhere you think you’re safe?” He shook his head. “That’s where he waits.” Enzo let out a long sigh.
“Her own brother?”
“Yes. She and Rocco have never gotten along.” He didn’t go into details. No need for Kathleen to know that it’s really Enzo that Rocco hates, and he’s just using his sister to inflict pain.
“Vitale is…different. His job, how he makes his money, is by introducing like-minded individuals, and he gets a percentage of any deal they make. But he’s mean and a slippery son of a bitch.
If he can screw you somehow, he will. And his reach is global.
There is no corner of the earth where this man does not have contacts.
Calling Jamie will be exactly what he expects you to do.
You can call your brother, but just know there’s great risk involved. ”
What he didn’t add was the fact that Vitale wanted Kathleen to be a part of this meant he was willing to take on Jameson Drake.
That was no small feat, and it smacked of desperation.
Which meant there was more to this than met the eye, always the case with Vitale.
But this time, whatever is going on had Vitale taking risks he wouldn’t normally.
And that made Enzo more nervous than anything else.
Kathleen looked out the window, swallowing hard. She wasn’t crying, but she wasn’t far off. It twisted something in him. Something fierce.
“I’m not trying to frighten you,” Enzo said softly. “I’m trying to be honest.”
“And I’m not trying to be difficult,” Kathleen shot back, voice tight. “But I have a life, Enzo. A son. People who depend on me. I can’t stay wrapped up in some feud—”
“It’s not just a feud,” he cut in.
“What?” she frowned.
“This isn’t just a family dispute. That’s part of it, but”—he exhaled—“Vitale is… something else. Something worse. He’s a businessman who treats people like assets.
Replaceable. Disposable. There is no code.
No honor. No boundaries. If he is taking this kind of risk…
Dealing with Rocco, being willing to take on your brother, means he’s desperate, which just makes him deadlier.
We need to find out more before we can call in any reinforcements.
Otherwise, we’re just putting more people like your brother at risk. ”
Kathleen went silent, absorbing the words. She turned her head slowly toward him. “And I’m an asset.” It wasn’t a question.
Enzo’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “You’re leverage.”
She nodded once, sharply, as if anger replaced fear. “Great. Wonderful. Love that for me.”
Despite everything, Enzo almost smiled. Almost.
They drove in tense silence for several moments, the city blurring past.
Finally, Kathleen asked, “So what’s the plan? And don’t give me some macho cryptic answer. I want the actual plan.”
“There isn’t one yet,” Enzo admitted. “I had planned on heading to Mallorca, but now…we have to regroup. I’m starting to think that you might be right. I need to find the treasure.”
“And what? I’m meant to stay there indefinitely?” Her eyes flashed. “While you go off doing God-knows-what?”
“You won’t be alone,” he assured her. “My men will—”
“That’s not the point,” she snapped.
He paused. “Then what is?”
Kathleen looked at him, vulnerability bleeding through her irritation. “I don’t like being… trapped.” Her voice cracked on the last word.
Something inside Enzo twisted violently. “I know,” he said quietly. “And I’m sorry. I didn’t want this for you.”
She looked away again, blinking fast. “Besides, that’s not what that Dominic guy said. He said Vitale wants me with you.”
Enzo grimaced. She was not wrong. Vitale would want her with Enzo at all times, otherwise, she wasn’t as potent a distraction or a vulnerability.
He wanted to slam his fist into Vitale’s face.
Or, better yet, his throat. One solid throat punch, and he would never have to worry about Alessandro Vitale again.
The SUV turned down the tree-lined street that led toward Enzo’s compound. His lead car pulled into position behind them. His men scanned the area. Everything looked normal, which meant nothing.
As they passed through the gates, Kathleen exhaled shakily. “I still don’t understand why Vitale cares if I stay with you. What am I to him?”
“Nothing,” Enzo said, parking. “That’s the problem.”
She blinked. “What do you mean?”
“People who mean nothing?” Enzo killed the engine and turned toward her. “They’re the easiest to use.”
Kathleen stared at him, her eyes widening, the reality sinking in.
But so did something else, something darker, something that knotted in Enzo’s gut the moment he saw her expression shift.
She was starting to understand exactly what kind of man Alessandro Vitale was.
And exactly what kind of hell Enzo had just dragged her into.
He opened his door. “Come on. Let’s get inside.”
Kathleen didn’t move at first. Then she took a long breath, squared her shoulders, and climbed out. The second her feet hit the gravel, his men surrounded them with practiced efficiency. They moved toward the front entrance, Enzo keeping one hand on her lower back, guiding her forward.
She stiffened at the touch, then relaxed into it. Just barely. Inside the foyer, the house was quiet. Too quiet.
Kathleen turned to him. “So… now what?”
Enzo met her gaze. “Now? We figure out a plan.” And he meant the ‘we’ part. She was part of this now, whether he wanted her to be or not. She had a say in how they proceeded. It was only fair. And it was the only way he could make it up to her since it was his fault she was in this situation.
Her breath hitched. “And then?”
He held her eyes. “Then we figure out how to stay alive long enough to beat Alessandro Vitale at his own game.”
Kathleen swallowed, eyes wide. “Should I be terrified?”
“Yes,” Enzo said honestly. “But we’re in it together now.”
Something flickered in her expression; fear, anger, determination, something else he wasn’t ready to name.
She nodded slowly. “Okay then.”