21.Alin #2
“Even when we reach an agreement with them, they break it. This is nothing new to us; it’s our life here, and not just with the Bratva,” he admits, and the anxiety begins to swell in my chest again.
I realize I will have to live with constant worry for Luca, at least for the time we have left together. I need to do something; I won’t let him get hurt tomorrow at any cost. I may not come from their world, but I can certainly be of help.
I keep listening, trying to decipher their plan for tomorrow amid all the map talk.
It seems that Luca, Mariano, and Pedro are heading to the port area together.
Mariano and Luca are supposed to target Stas, and Pedro will go in with Marco, one of the men, to target Vladimir.
The rest of the forces will spread around the container locations in the port, handling the cargo under Abert’s command.
“All this for a shipment, Luca?” I ask in disbelief. “What could possibly be in this shipment?” Luca finishes typing a message and turns to me immediately.
“Alin, they’re joining forces with other groups, which means this shipment is supposed to be very large and important to them. It could be drugs, weapons, or even women. According to our informants, there seems to be at least one container of women there.” I am horrified.
“Women?” I ask, my mouth opening before I even realize it.
“Yes, Alin. Women. In our organization, all the women work of their own free will. They chose this life and knew what they were getting into. With the Russians, however, most, if not all, are kidnapped, smuggled, and severely abused. Some are even sold or auctioned, often its the virgins.” he explains, and I feel my breakfast rising in my throat.
“If there are women, you’re going to get them all out of there and kill every last one of the men who took them!” I demand, feeling rage flood my body, taking over every cell. Without warning, the glass of water on the table near Luca shatters. Glass shards and water fly everywhere.
I immediately fall silent, pushing my chair back in surprise. Alin, control yourself!
I quickly look at the brothers, who have gone into defensive mode.
“What was that?” Luca asks, scanning the room quickly. I tense up, frustrated that I’ve failed to control myself.
“There must have been a crack in the glass,” I say quickly, praying they drop it. They return to their tasks after another quick scan of the room, as if looking for something or someone that doesn’t exist.
I rise from my seat, take a few tissues from Luca’s private desk, and place them on the water, trying to avoid direct contact.
“Alin, when we’re done here, I’ll send in the cleaner. Don’t bother,” he dismisses me, and I’m glad he does. Now that I know what’s at stake, it’s not just about protecting Luca; it’s about trying to save the women who might be in that shipment. I will be joining them no matter what.
“Luca, I want to come with you,” I announce, not realizing how foolish it might sound to his ears. He doesn’t respond directly to my request and just chuckles.
“Luca, please, if something happens to you... “ I start to say, swallowing hard. “I want to help,” I declare, horrified at the thought that they might not come back alive. Luca steps closer to me, bending down with his face close to mine.
“Alin, I’ll be perfectly fine. This isn’t the first or last time doing something like this. But I do really enjoy seeing you worry about me like this,” he says, his face now inches from my nose as he bends over. I give him a light push.
“I’m worried about all of you! You all better come back alive!” I demand, and Luca looks amused.
“Yes, ma’am!” he replies, and I get a bit annoyed at his lightheartedness and the risks he takes. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this beautiful creature at home waiting for me. I will definitely come back,” he tries to reassure me, kissing my forehead.
It doesn’t help much; I don’t feel calm at all. I am determined now to join them one way or another, with or without Luca’s permission. My gaze shifts to the map, committing the starting location to memory.
“Alright, I’ll leave you boys to the hard work. I think Cora is waiting for me outside,” I say and walk out without waiting for a response. I’m not even sure if Cora has arrived yet, but I need to plan my way to join them tonight.
I scan the entryway and don’t see Cora; she should have been here by now. Perfect, this will give me time to plan what I need to do. I head toward the stairs and suddenly hear a distant shout, “Alin.” I turn around and see Cora sitting on the terrace, already on a sunbed near the pool.
I sigh and head upstairs to change into a swimsuit; it looks like I’ll have to postpone my plan for the evening.
I run back down in an olive-green bikini and join Cora on the sunbeds.
I move the sunbed she left for me a bit away from the water—I won’t take any risks around it anymore—and lie down close to her.
We spend the entire afternoon by the pool. The weather is hot, but the sun isn’t scorching, allowing us to stay outside longer. Luca’s cook, Palina, serves us a late lunch, and we finish the food in no time, not even realizing how hungry we were.
“Now are you going to tell me what’s been going on in that closed room?” Cora asks, trying to gather information. I don’t feel the need to hide it from her, but I still don’t tell her everything.
“They’re going to destroy some shipment tomorrow; it looks like it’s going to be something big,” I answer, trying to sound calm and confident but failing.
“Mariano will disappear for a few days again, and I’ll have to worry like crazy,” she says in frustration, covering her face with her hands. “A few days?” I’m surprised by the new information.
“Yeah, sometimes, they have to disappear for a few days before they can come back home, until everything calms down after a big operation,” she sighs, leaving her face buried in her hands. The fear for tomorrow grows stronger in my chest due to Cora’s clear worries.
“If something happens to Luca... “ I whisper into the air, my face freezing at the thought. I won’t let anything happen to him; I’ve already decided to join them.
“Cora, come with me,” I request, and she immediately lifts her head, looking at me in confusion.
I grab her arm and pull her back into the apartment without asking or providing any information, leading her to my room, as I’ve still never moved out of the guestroom.
I lock the door behind us and quickly sit Cora down on my bed.
She follows my direction and waits for an explanation.
I ensure no one is outside the door, sit beside her, and and begin to explain.
“Cora, you’re the only person I trust. I need you to help me with a very important plan that must stay between us,” I say slowly, allowing her to absorb every word.
She nods immediately. “What’s this about?” she asks, her eyes still full of clear concern.
“I want to sneak to the location where the brothers will be tomorrow. I remember the map and the positions exactly. I can’t send them off like this; I’ll go crazy with worry, and I’m sure you will too.
I need to protect them,” I declare, not hiding my intentions this time.
I need her help, and if it means she discovers my secret so I can keep them safe, so be it.
“Are you crazy? Luca would lose his mind and his focus in the field! And I am not ready to send you off on a suicide mission!” she immediately rejects the idea.
“Cora, if I thought something would happen to me there or that I wouldn’t be able to help, I wouldn’t suggest it. As you said, there are things you don’t know about me, and I promise that if you help me, I’ll tell you everything. Right after they return safely,” I plead.
Cora is the only one I trust enough to help me with this.
She moves closer and looks into my eyes.
“Alin, it’s enough torture that I won’t know if Mariano will come home to me.
If I have to worry about you too, I’ll fall apart!
” she says with a trembling voice, and I understand where she’s coming from.
If she had asked this of me, I wouldn’t let her out of my sight, but she doesn’t have what I have, and I need her help.
“Cora, if you don’t help me, you know I’ll still do everything I can to get out of here. Wouldn’t you prefer to be informed and more at ease?” I use the last persuasion card I have up my sleeve and hope it works.
“Okay,” she sighs after a long, nerve-wracking minute and looks dissatisfied. It doesn’t matter to me; they will come back alive, and that’s what’s important.
“What do you need from me?” she asks, not looking into my eyes.
I shift my body slightly forward, moving closer to her, and a small, scheming smile appears on my face.
I begin to pour out all the ideas that come to mind.
Escaping from a secure, guarded building could be just as big a problem as breaking into one.
Without blinking, Cora rejects all my plans.
She knows exactly how the guards will react and their response time.
She decides to take matters into her own hands this time and devises a better plan for escaping them.
When we finish, she looks at me and pleads, “Alin, I don’t know what your plan is in the field, but please, all of you, come back safely. ”
I immediately smile and assure her that everything would be okay.
I hope.