Chapter 53
Fifty-Three
ROME
Ipocket my phone and look up to see Luke watching me with raised eyebrows.
“What?”
“I don’t even know who you are anymore.”
I roll my eyes, and we continue down the hallway to the cell. “You’re being dramatic.”
“Nope. I’m not. I’ve literally never seen you get mushy over a woman. I’ve also never seen you spend so much money on one.”
“It’s just money.”
“Still.”
“Tell me you didn’t give Scarlett your black card this morning.”
Luke shuffles on his feet and pushes his hand through his hair.
“That’s what I thought. Eloise is mine. Forever. Anyone who tries to even hurt her feelings dies. Painfully. Got it?”
“Got it.” He nods, and we push inside the cell where two men are strung up, their hands tied over their heads and hanging from hooks. They’re gagged, and they’re exhausted.
They should be. They ran for miles, trying to escape my men.
It didn’t work.
“So Rizzo sent you into my territory even though he was warned not to.” I shake my head and pick up a baton, shaking it so it extends to its full length, and then hit man number one in the knee, shattering the kneecap.
He screams.
I grin.
And the door to the cell opens as Julian and Mateo walk inside.
“Where’s Carson?” I ask them.
“He’s out of town on a job,” Mateo says with the shake of his head. “Won’t be back for a couple of days.”
“Too bad.” I rear back and hit Number Two in the hip. “He would have enjoyed this.”
“Next time,” Julian says with a chuckle. “Rizzo continues to be a stupid cuntface, I see.”
“I like that,” Mateo says with a nod. “Cuntface. I’m gonna use that one.”
“Happy to help,” Julian says, and they bump fists.
“How have your accommodations been here, boys?” I ask them and nod for Luke to take the gags out. Number One immediately pukes, making us all scowl. “Jesus.”
“Fuck you,” Number Two says. “We’re not the only ones here.”
“Shut it,” Number One says, but I shake my head.
“No, by all means, keep talking. Who else is here?”
But Number Two closes his mouth.
Mateo likes to use fire when torturing, so he grabs the blowtorch, turns it on, and goes to town on Number One’s back.
“That’s what you’ll get if you don’t talk,” I say conversationally. “Who else is in our city?”
“Everyone,” Number Two says with a shaky voice. “The whole army.”
“Rizzo?” Julian asks.
“Shut. Up,” Number One groans through the pain.
“They’re going to kill us anyway,” Number Two says.
“He’s smart,” Julian says, nodding. “I like him. He’s also a pussy and a piece of shit, but I like him. Is Rizzo here?”
“Yeah.” Number Two licks his lips. “Found the girl.”
The hair on the back of my neck stands on end.
“Had an inside contact,” he continues, and I gnash my teeth.
One of my own is a traitor.
“Gonna snatch her up.”
I look at Mateo, whose black eyes narrow menacingly.
I don’t know what was said between the man and my firefly the other day, but I can see the shift in how he feels about her.
And right now, he’s fucking pissed.
We all are. The room around us pulses with fury, and we’re about to take it out on these two.
“I’m calling the men now,” Luke says, reading my mind.
“Get them home,” I growl and turn back to Number Two. “When are they making the grab?”
“Time is it?” he asks.
“Just after one,” Julian replies.
“Should already be done.”
I whirl around to find Luke, and when my eyes land on his, I know.
Fuck.
I’m about to burn my city to the motherfucking ground.