Chapter 35 Dante
DANTE
Iinstinctively place myself before Grace and draw my weapon.
There’s someone inside our room. They’re hunched in a chair and covered in shadows. I can only make out their silhouette.
I turn on the lights. And slowly, I lower my gun.
"Enzo? What are you doing here?" I ask.
He stands and stretches.
“Finally,” he says. “What took you so long?"
"Why were you sitting in the dark?” I ask.
He glances at the gun I’m still holding. “I fell asleep in the chair waiting for you to return. Where were you guys?"
I close the door behind Grace. Under the warm lighting of the room, I can now see all the marks I left on Grace. There are faint purple bruises all over her neck and chest. She avoids my gaze, and I feel like the biggest asshole in the world.
“Anyway,” Enzo continues. "I was going to call you, but it's better that you hear this in person. I…I think I know where Ida is."
I freeze when I hear him say my sister's name.
Grace looks up at me with wide eyes. I take a deep breath before turning to Enzo.
"Say that again, please," I say.
"Look, I don't want to get your hopes up," he says. "It's still guesswork until we have solid proof."
"Just say it one more time," I plead.
He sighs. “I have reason to believe I know where your sister is.”
And I can't help it.
That sentence lands inside my chest like a grenade. Everything in me implodes.
Tears roll down my cheeks. I've been waiting to hear these words for so long. And I was scared to death that I might not ever get to.
Grace takes my hand in hers. Her eyes are glistening too.
I pull her into me, holding her tight like she's my anchor in a storm.
"This is just great," Enzo says. "I'm the one who stays up all night looking for clues, and she's the one you celebrate with."
I walk toward him and crush him in a hug.
“Thank you,” I say. “You know more than anyone how much this means to me.”
He pats my back. “Don’t celebrate just yet. All we know for sure right now is that she’s out there somewhere. And we have a possible location for where she could be. It doesn't mean that we'll find her there."
I know he’s right, but I can’t help but get carried away.
We’re so close. I can almost taste it.
“Tell me everything,” I say.
Enzo glances at Grace. She looks at me and walks to the bedroom.
There's still heartbreak in her eyes because of the words I refused to say. I want to reassure her, but for some reason, I can’t bring myself to say the right things.
Enzo walks toward the balcony. I follow him, closing the sliding door behind me.
“I hacked into their computers,” he says.
"It took a while, but I eventually found what I was searching for in one of the files.
It had information about the locations where the girls are being sent after they're...groomed. There are clubs all over the world. They look like ordinary clubs from the outside, but sinister things happen beneath the surface. The women and children have their passports and their identities taken away, and…you know the rest.”
Enzo is sugarcoating everything, but each word still feels like a dagger to my heart.
I can't even bring myself to imagine what Ida has gone through until now.
“Where is she, Enzo?” I ask.
"Southeast Asia," he says. “From what I’ve found, she’s one of the performers at a beach club in Bali. I don’t know if the information is up to date, but I'll send someone to infiltrate the club."
"I'll go myself," I say.
"I don’t think that is wise,” Enzo says.
"This is too personal for you. You'll get emotional, and you'll make mistakes.
And this is bigger than you. It's not just about your sister, but about all the women who are being forced to live a life they never chose.
It's about giving them their dignity back. "
"What's the name of the club?" I ask him.
“Have you heard a single word I just said?” he asks.
“Did you hack into the club's security cameras?" I ask, ignoring him. "I want to see her face.”
Enzo sighs. "You're not going to let me do things my way, are you?"
"I've waited far too long for this, Enzo," I say. "I understand why you're concerned, but I can handle it.”
"It might be too much," he warns me. "Especially the video footage. This is the kind of stuff you can't unsee."
I take a deep breath as I process what he's saying. My twin sister is working at a shady club in Bali. I don't know what kind of work she's being made to do there, but I know watching it will leave emotional scars that will never fade.
"I'm going to burn that club to the ground," I say.
“This is exactly the kind of behavior I’m talking about,” he says. “You can’t just go there and set things on fire. There are thousands of clubs like these around the world. We have to look at the bigger picture and act accordingly.”
“Show me a photograph of her,” I say. “Please.”
Enzo hesitates, then opens his iPad and goes to the photo gallery. He took photographs of everything he found at the address. When my sister's face fills the screen, my heart fractures in two.
I've never felt a mixture of pain and euphoria like this.
She looks so different, but she's still the same as she's always been.
It almost feels like I'm staring at my own reflection.
I try not to notice the purple bruise on her cheekbone.
Or the tears in her defiant eyes. Or the jagged scar that runs down the entire right side of her face, sparing her eye.
And then the screen turns black.
I see my own reflection, so similar to my twin sister's.
"I wish I could turn back time," I say. "I wish I could have changed the events of that night."
Enzo doesn't say anything. He squeezes my shoulder.
His own hand shakes with quiet rage.
“We’re not going to stop until all of them are free, Dante,” he tells me. “We worked too hard. We came too far. We’re not going to give up until every single one of them is free.”
I nod. It's important that I remember why I'm doing this. I can't get swept away by things I cannot change.
I have to focus only on what I can do now.
I stare up at the night sky. I can make out every star in the sky, a constant reminder that this is so much bigger than me.
"I thought I would feel happier than this," I say, blinking back tears.
"It's a lot to take in," Enzo says.
"I've waited so long to hear these words," I say. "I always assumed it would be the happiest day of my life. I don't know why I feel even worse."
"Because it became real. We know for sure now that Ida has been kept in captivity for all these years," he says.
I'm not a sentimental man. I don't let my emotions control me. But tonight, all I want to do is break down. I have an endless well of sadness inside me, and all of it demands to be felt right now.
"I get these waves of melancholy sometimes," I say. "I can't explain how, but I know it's not my own. I know that what I’m feeling is my sister’s emotions.”
"People say twins often have a special connection," he says.
"We weren't close growing up, but she's always been a part of me," I say. "Even after she was taken, I felt her energy. I had no clue where she was or what she was going through, but I knew she was out there."
Enzo lights a cigarette. I watch the smoke curl as it leaves his lips.
"I don't know what I'd do without you, man," I say. "Thank you...for everything."
"Don't thank me yet," he says. "There's still a lot of work left for us to do."
“There’s something else I need to tell you,” I say. “The Don said something over dinner last night.”
“What does that man want now?” Enzo sighs.
“He said that he would give me the names of my parents' killers," I say.
“But he wants something in return?" Enzo guesses.
"He wants me to find the Cosa Nostra princess," I say.
"And you're going to assign that fun little task to me, aren't you?" Enzo says.
"I know I'm asking for a lot, but..."
"I'll see what I can do," Enzo says. "Don't worry about it."
Enzo and I have a mutual understanding. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses. He's good at hacking and extracting information. I'm good at interrogation and getting my hands dirty.
And if anyone can find Eleonora Cavallari, it’s Enzo.
"Does he suspect anything?" Enzo asks.
“He knows about you," I say. "He doesn't know who you are, but he knows you exist."
"Things are going to change now that he’s back,” Enzo says, looking over at me. "We'll still work together, but it won't be the same as before."
"I've been trying not to think about that.” I exhale.
Enzo has been a part of my life for years. He's been my sidekick in everything. But now that my Don has escaped from prison, we'll be seeing a lot less of each other.
"I'll finally have some peace of mind," Enzo says.
"You'll be bored without me," I say.
"Only because you've traumatized me for all these years," he says. "I can't believe half of the things you made me do. You asked me to find a fucking diamond ring in the ocean."
"And you actually found it, too,” I say.
We look at each other.
I can leave my words unsaid with Enzo. He knows.
"You can always leave," he says. "You'll have the names of your parents' killers soon. There's nothing keeping you here anymore. I can arrange witness protection for Grace and you."
It's not the first time he's suggested this. But I can't leave this life now. Whether I like it or not, it's become a part of me now.
And somewhere along the way, I've become loyal to Don Savastano.
"I'm a part of his inside circle now," I say. "I can't leave, even if I wanted to."
"And even if you could, you wouldn't," he says. "You're good at playing this role.”
This is something we never really addressed. And in the middle of the night, it feels okay to admit out loud.
"I'm not playing a role," I say. "I was at the start, but it's just become who I am now. It's all I've ever known."
"You can always choose a different life," Enzo says. "Especially now that you’re also a husband.”
I glance up at the sky. All I can see is the heartbreak in her eyes. When she told me how she felt, it only reminded me of how love is used as a weapon in this world.
"I think I messed up," I tell him.
"What did you do now?" he asks.
"She was vulnerable with me," I say. "And I couldn't do the same."
"You'll figure it out," Enzo says. "You adore that woman. You'll do whatever is necessary to keep her in your life."
Enzo knows me better than anyone, so hearing him say that is reassuring.
But the fear still lingers.
"What if something happens to her because I brought her into this world?" I say.
"She's never had an easy life, mate,” he says.
“That girl is stronger than you think. And the only real threat to her is her own mother. Once we find Malorie and deal with her, there won’t be anything else for you to really worry about.
Maybe you're forgetting this, but your reputation precedes you.
Nobody in their right mind would try to hurt her. "
He's right.
Everything he's saying is true, but I can't shake this fear from my bones.
"You're overthinking everything,” he says.
"Don't stay stuck in that loop. You can't do everything at once, so let's focus on doing one thing at a time, okay?
First, we find your sister at the Balinese club.
Second, we figure out how to capture Grace's mother.
And after that, we'll deal with the rest."
I nod and exhale slowly. He's right. I can't lose my shit now, not when I'm so close to having everything I ever wanted.
"And for the record, I don't like the idea of you going to Bali on your own," he says. "I'm coming with you."
"I need you to put all of your focus on finding the Cosa Nostra princess," I say. “The Don won’t get off my back until I have that done.”
"I'm capable of multitasking, Dante," he says.
I stare at him.
A plan spins into place, coming together in my head in perfect detail.
"We came to Paris to ask for help," I say. "I can ask the other families to come with me to Bali. We could use their support.”
“Fine,” Enzo says. “I’ll look into hacking into the Skylink database in the meantime. If we can trace all of the players, it will be easier to plan a global raid.”
I exhale again.
"Thank you," I say.
Everything's finally falling into place.
I should be happy about it, but no matter what, I can't shake this fear that has rooted itself deep inside me.
I'm scared to death that it will all slip through my fingers like grains of sand. I'm scared that right before I get everything I ever dreamed about, I will lose it all.