21. Countdown to Chaos #2
“Start with why you look like you haven’t slept in days.” She leans forward, lowering her voice. “And why that same man from the precinct is outside watching the cafe like he’s expecting trouble.”
Of course she noticed Eli . Again. Nothing gets past Rissa.
“That’s … complicated.” I stare into my coffee, gathering my courage. “Remember when I told you my cover was blown at Club Velvet Petal?”
She nods slowly. “Hard to forget. The captain was ready to throw things.”
“I didn’t tell you everything.” The words are like glass in my throat. “The owner, Ezekiel King? We … have history.”
“History?” Her eyebrow arches. “What kind of history?”
I take another sip of coffee, using the moment to organize my thoughts. “We dated briefly, about a year ago. Right after my divorce. Then he ghosted me.”
“And?”
“And now we’re married.”
Rissa chokes on her coffee, sputtering. “ What? ”
“It’s not what you think.” I run a hand through my hair, agitation making my movements jerky. “When my cover was blown, a member of the Costa family made me. Giovanni. He…” I swallow hard, the memory of that night still fresh. “He broke into my house. Tried to kill me.”
“Jesus Christ, Eve.” Rissa’s face pales. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I stare at my partner. I know I can trust her, but this will be hard for her to accept. She takes the badge seriously. Just like I always thought I did. “This stays between us. No reports. No arrests. Put your badge aside and your detective brain on hold. Can you do that?”
She studies me for several beats, and I can’t tell if she’s going to agree. “Something tells me I’m going to regret this, but okay. This stays between us.”
“Thank you.” I take another sip of my coffee before I continue.
“Zeke was there. He killed Gio to protect me.” The words rush out now, unstoppable.
“The marriage was his solution. A way to keep me alive when the other families found out about Gio. It’s a mafia thing.
Family is sacred. Kill family and you’re asking for war. ”
Rissa sits back, her expression a mix of shock and something else—hurt maybe? “So all those times you’ve been distracted at work, showing up late—”
“Yeah.” I can’t meet her eyes. “My life is completely turned upside down. I’ve been living with him. Trying to figure out how to balance being a cop with being married to someone who…” I don’t know how to explain Zeke’s complicated relationship with the law.
“Someone who what?” Her voice is carefully neutral. “What exactly does Ezekiel King do, Eve?”
I laugh, but it’s forced. “That’s the thing—I’m not entirely sure. He owns the club, yes, but there’s more. He has connections to the New York mafia, to Nicolo Moretti.”
Rissa takes in a sharp breath. Everyone in law enforcement knows Nicolo Moretti.
“But he’s not like them,” I hurry to add. “He left that life. Sorta. Now he…” I hesitate, wondering how much to reveal. “He works against Nicolo trying to stop a mafia take over in Columbus.”
“By killing Giovanni Costa?”
“By protecting me.” I finally look up at her. “By giving me and Leo a safe place when everything went to hell. Or at least that’s the way it was supposed to be.”
The mention of Leo makes my voice crack, and suddenly I can’t hold back the tears I’ve been fighting. They spill hot down my cheeks as everything crashes over me at once.
“Eve?” Rissa reaches across the table, gripping my hand. “What happened?”
“They took him.” The words come out as a sob. “Someone—someone who looked exactly like me picked Leo up from school yesterday. He’s been kidnapped.”
“ What? ” Rissa’s grip on my hand tightens painfully. “When? Why wasn’t I notified?”
“Because we can’t go through official channels.” I wipe at my face with my free hand. “Alessandro Costa—Gio’s father—he’s behind it. I know it. It’s revenge for his son. But if we report it—”
“If we report it, we have to explain why the head of a mafia family would target you and your nephew.” Rissa finishes my thought. “Which means explaining your marriage to Zeke.”
I nod miserably. “And exposing his connections to the New York mafia. Which would put an even bigger target on all our backs.”
Rissa is quiet for a long moment, processing everything I’ve told her. The wheels turn in her head, the detective in her cataloging every detail.
“Okay,” she finally says. “Walk me through everything. From the beginning. Don’t leave anything out.”
So I do. I leave nothing out, trusting my friend with everything.
My voice is hoarse from talking. “I don’t know what to do, Rissa. I’m so scared they’ll hurt Leo.”
“We’ll find him.” Her voice is firm, brooking no argument. “But Eve … this life you’re living? It’s not sustainable.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Bitter laughter escapes me. “I’m a cop married to a man who operates outside the law. I’m raising my nephew in a house full of secrets and danger. Everything I thought I knew about right and wrong has gone completely sideways.”
“Do you love him?”
The question catches me off guard. “What?”
“Zeke. Do you love him?”
I stare down at my now-cold coffee. “Yes,” I whisper. “God help me, but I do.”
“Does he love you?”
“I … I don’t know.” The admission hurts more than I expect. “He’s protective, possessive even. His actions say he does. But he never says the words.”
Rissa sighs, running a hand through her dark hair. “This life takes too much from us.”
I furrow my brows. “What do you mean?”
She takes a deep breath and gives me a pointed stare. “This is a shitty time to tell you this, but I’ve been thinking about leaving SVU.”
“What? Why?”
“This life … it’s … it’s hard.” She gestures vaguely around us. “The constant darkness, the violence, the toll it takes on our families. Being a single mom and a detective? Sometimes it feels impossible.”
I think about my own struggles with Leo, about how hard it is to balance my duty as a cop with my role as his guardian. “Where would you go?”
“South. Maybe close to Miles’s hometown.” A sad smile crosses her face at the mention of her late husband. “Somewhere quieter. Where Skylar can have a normal childhood, you know?”
The thought of losing my partner sends a fresh wave of panic through me. “Rissa.”
“Hey.” She squeezes my hand again. “I’m not going anywhere until we find Leo. And even then, well, let’s just say I’ve got some vacation time saved up. Enough to help figure this mess out.”
Relief floods through me. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” Her expression grows serious. “We need a plan. A real one. Not just Zeke’s men running around playing vigilante.”
I nod, sitting up straighter. This is familiar territory. “Alessandro’s men are watching the house. Zeke’s got people tracking their movements. They keep switching cars, changing routes.”
“Start with the woman who picked up Leo.” Rissa pulls out her notebook, all business now. “Someone who could pass for you that convincingly? That takes serious preparation. Surveillance, study, probably weeks of observation.”
“They knew my routine. They knew exactly when I usually pick him up, what I wear, even what snacks I pack for him.”
“Which means they’ve been watching you for a while.
” Rissa’s pen scratches across the paper.
“Before Gio’s death, even. They’re probably watching me too.
” Her expression turns dark as she processes what that could mean for her and her daughter.
She shakes it off—ever the professional—and continues.
“This wasn’t just about revenge—it was planned. ”
“But why?” I shake my head, frustration building. “Why go through all that trouble? Why not just—” I can’t finish the sentence, can’t voice the horrible possibilities.
“Because this isn’t just about you.” Rissa looks up from her notes. “It’s about Zeke. They’re using Leo to draw him out, to force his hand.”
The pieces start falling into place. “Alessandro’s working with someone. Someone who wants Zeke back in the game and under their control.”
“Nicolo,” we say in unison.
“It makes sense.” Rissa taps her pen against the notebook. “The level of resources needed for this kind of operation? The professional surveillance, the perfect impostor? That’s not local mafia work. These guys around here are amateurs. That’s big league.”
“Fuck.” I drop my head into my hands. “What am I going to do?”
“ We .” Rissa corrects, reaching for my hand. “What are we going to do? And the answer is—whatever it takes to get Leo back.”
I look up at her, determination in her eyes.
“Even if it means working outside the law?”
“Even then.” She reaches across the table, gripping my shoulder. “You’re my friend first, Eve. That means a hell of a lot more than just a partner. And Leo’s family too.”
Tears prick at my eyes again, but for a different reason this time. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Probably not,” she agrees with a slight smile. “But you’ve got me anyway. Now, let’s figure out how to bring Leo home.”
We spend the next hour going over everything we know, building a timeline, identifying patterns. Rissa’s analytical mind helps me see connections I’d missed, possibilities we hadn’t considered.
“We need to coordinate with Zeke’s people,” she says finally. “Pool our resources, share intelligence. We can’t afford to work against each other on this.”
“He won’t like it,” I admit. “He reluctantly agreed to me talking to you.”
“Tough shit.” Rissa’s voice is steel. “His way isn’t working. We need to try something different.”
I nod slowly, knowing she’s right. “I’ll talk to him.”
“Today,” she insists. “We don’t have time to waste on pride or territorialism. Leo needs all of us working together.”
“Okay.” I stand up, my legs stiff from sitting so long. “I should get back before Eli gets antsy.”
Rissa glances out the window at my watchdog. “He’s already antsy. Been checking his phone every two minutes.”
As if on cue, my own phone buzzes. A text from Zeke.
Zeke
Where are you?
“Speaking of antsy.” I show Rissa the message.
She rolls her eyes. “Come on, let’s go. You can ease your overprotective husband’s mind, and we can inform him that we’ll work together on this.”
I pause, suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude for this woman. “Rissa? Thank you. For everything.”
“Thank me when we get Leo back.” She stands, pulling me into a tight hug. “And Eve? No more secrets, okay? We’re in this together.”
I hug her back, clinging perhaps a bit longer than necessary. “Together,” I agree.
She heads to her car while I walk back to Eli. I feel lighter somehow. Not better—nothing will be better until Leo is safe—but less alone.
Eli opens the car door for me, his expression carefully neutral. “Good talk?”
I slide into the backseat, thinking about everything that lies ahead. The confrontation with Zeke, the dangerous dance we’ll have to do between law and chaos, the desperate race to save my nephew.
“Yeah,” I say finally. “A very good talk.”
My phone buzzes again as Eli pulls away from the curb. Another text from Zeke.
Zeke
I need you home. Now.
I stare at the message. Has something happened? Something new?
Or is this just my overly protective husband?
“Eli?” My voice sounds strange to my own ears. “Drive faster.”
The car accelerates, and I watch the city blur past my window.
Hang on, Leo . We’re coming for you. All of us.
I just pray we’re not too late.