Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty Seven
Luca
I’m at the desk, the house quiet in that particular way it gets when she isn’t in it.
Elena is out with Caterina—lunch, a couple of stores, two cars, and four men on them the whole time. I’ve checked the live pings twice and finally made myself stop.
Antonio steps in without knocking, shuts the door with his heel. His face is all business.
“What is it?” I ask.
“We traced the source of the hit,” he says. “It came from inside the U.S. Attorney’s office.”
Ice runs through me. “Who?”
“Assistant U.S. Attorney named Noah Akers,” Antonio says.
“Mid-level. Not on your case team officially, but he’s had access to the shared case drive, comms, and the internal ethics channel.
He used the comms liaison’s webform token to submit the ‘anonymous tip’ to Hart.
I’ve got the server logs and the header trail. It’s him.”
I stand. “How certain?”
“Ninety-nine,” he says. “We got workstation ID, timestamp from his personal phone on a coffee shop Wi-Fi three blocks from the courthouse.”
I shove out of my chair as fire roars through me. Someone Elena works with put a hit on her?
“And Russo?” I snap.
“Akers hired Russo, and they were all too happy to do it. Luca,” Antonio starts.
“What?” I bark.
“There’re more messages…” He looks worried. “Luca, there’s a second hit on the way.”
At his words, I whip out my phone and rush out of the room.
Antonio follows. “Where’s Elena now? Don’t tell me she isn’t here.”
“She’s with Caterina,” I snap. “Out for a girl’s afternoon. Nico’s on them.”
We’re already moving down the hall. I’m dialing. “Nico,” I bark the second he picks up, “abort the stop. Bring them home now. No detours.”
“Copy,” he says, voice tight.
“Listen to me,” I push. “The hit came from inside Elena’s office. Russo’s men are the trigger, and it’s not over. There’s another hit on the way. You do not stop. If anyone blocks you, you push through. If you lose a tire, you ride the rim. I want you through my gate yesterday.”
“On it,” he says, voice hard.
I kill the call and call Vito. “Drop everything. Elena’s hit came from inside the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Noah Akers. I want him in a locked room within the hour. I don’t care how you get him. Take Giovanni.”
“Understood,” Vito says. “On him.”
“Move,” I bite, cutting the line.
To Antonio: “Burn Akers’ patterns. Home, office, coffee shop, gym. Cameras, tolls, the works. Anyone he’s touched in forty-eight hours, I want eyes on them.”
“Already pulling,” he says, thumbs moving.
I call Nico again, but get no answer.
Everything in me turns cold as the phone rings and rings.
“Damn it!” I shout. “He’s not answering. I need eyes on them, Antonio. Now.”
“Doing the best I can,” he says, dialing his phone.
“Do it faster,” I bark, my heart pounding like a drum in my ears.
Antonio jogs up beside me, phone to his ear, snapping out orders.
But my phone stays dark. No Caterina, no Elena. No Nico.
I hit redial. Voicemail.
“Damn it. Where the hell are you?” I growl as I tear the front door open.
But no cars are coming up the drive. No engine. Birds are chirping, the afternoon sun is shining high.
And three of the most important people in my life might be in danger.
“Where the hell are you?” I say into the silence, and get nothing back.