31
LUCA
W e park at the bottom of the Valley just as the sun sets. The orange and pink hues paint the picture of perfection in the sky, while we’re dealing with anything but that. Besides the fact that we’re on some sort of rescue mission to seek out a girl for a gang that tried to take our leader out, I’m still pissed about the situation I’ve found myself in with Sera.
“If you keep staring at their car like that it might burst into flames,” Marco comments from outside the open car window.
I raise a brow, facing him. “Would that be such a bad thing?”
He shrugs, not saying anything further on the subject, which I’m grateful for. Instead, he hands me an earpiece that will keep us connected with Raf.
I step out of the car, tapping it twice. “Mancini?”
“Here!” he answers almost immediately.
A drone swings over us and I salute it.
“Keep in the shadows,” Raf warns us. “Patrols are heavy.”
“Got it,” I answer, checking my weapon.
“How many?” Marco asks.
A sigh comes over the earpiece before Raf finally gives the answer we’ve been dreading. “About thirty men. ”
“Shit,” Matteo mutters. “That’s double what they had last time!”
“Guess we’ll have to be careful then.” Levi snaps a magazine into his weapon.
“Do not engage, Marchese!” Sera snaps over the comms. “This is recon, remember?”
Levi rolls his eyes. As much as I hate to admit it, I know exactly what Levi is thinking. I suspect we are all thinking the same thing. We’re here now, so we might as well get the girl out if we can.
“Let’s go,” Marco orders. “The sun is coming down.”
After disembarking and ensuring everyone is ready, we start to hike the half mile to the top of the hill. Levi falls behind with Matteo, the silence pierced by the sounds of our footfalls on the ground.
While Raf watches us from the skies back at Sera’s place, we’re at ground level. There was no way we were going to let Sera come out with us. Luckily, we didn’t have to fight her on it. She was more than happy to stay at home and let us get to work. It’s one less thing for me to worry about because I still don’t like this idea.
Levi’s outburst was the last thing I expected. Sure, I knew he would have some reservations about what Bianchi wants, but I didn’t think he would call her out on it. The guy has some balls to say the shit he did and get away with it. That’s what pisses me off the most. Sera is our leader, and she let him talk to her like she was nothing more than the shit on his shoe. Guys like him don’t deserve Bianchi when they’re acting like that, but that’s not for me to decide.
“They must be moving shit,” Marco says from behind me.
Dirt and dust kick up from ahead, a couple of Greco’s men skidding in the loose earth.
“Do you think so?” I ask.
“Yeah. It makes sense. Why have that many men? They must be getting nervous by now. They’ve made a couple of attempts on Bianchi’s life and she hasn’t retaliated yet. They’ll be expecting something, especially if the Vultures haven’t been reporting back to the Verdis.”
Cazzo. He’s right. After the meeting with the Vultures, they agreed to keep the Verdis at bay. That was under the assumption that we could get the leader’s daughter back. But if Marco is right and they’re getting nervous, they’ll be wanting to move assets.
“We’d better pick up the pace,” I say, pulling myself up a steep area by a hanging branch.
The good thing about the Valley is that the coverage conceals us as well as providing us with access to different routes. You can climb trees, hide in the bushes, even swim in the river at the bottom.
“You remember when we used to come up here as kids?” Marco asks. While the shadows of the trees cover most of him, there’s still the sliver of light from the sun on the hills, slipping through the canopy. I never thought Marco was the type to reminisce, but I can see why his memories bring him back to when we were children.
“Yeah,” I reply, stepping over a tree trunk. “My father hated us being up here.”
“That’s because we didn’t have shit to protect us,” he laughs. “Now, we have a fucking crew.”
I look behind us to where Matteo and Levi are climbing up. A couple of Greco’s men follow behind while a couple more are out ahead of us taking the lead. I’ve always imagined leading a crew. I always envisaged having my father by my side while I took over. It’s hard coming to terms with the fact he’s gone. Even after almost two months, it doesn’t hurt any less, but it has been easier to forget.
“And we’re back in the one place my father told me never to come to,” I say, shaking my head.
“Yeah,” Marco sighs. “I haven’t been up here in years.”
“Same,” Matteo huffs as he joins us on a ridge. The sun is almost down now, the peak of moonlight cresting behind us. “I wonder if that tree swing is still down by the river?”
“I don’t think now is the time to find out,” Levi comments, storming past us.
Rolling my eyes, I nudge Matteo to keep going. We’re almost at the top, but it’s getting steeper now. It’s harder to dig our feet into the dirt, and it’s so dry that the ground is crumbling beneath us. The only thing to keep us upright now as we hike are the tree branches that offer their support .
We all climb, huffing and puffing until we reach a break in the trees that overlooks the large field that surrounds the compound. It’s hard to make out much other than the movement from guards, their flashlights illuminating their path around the perimeter.
“Fontana, you take two men with you to the west side,” Marco orders. “Marchese, you take the north side. Me and Matty will take the west. Stay in the dark, stay on comms.”
In unison, we all nod, turning on our heels. My pulse beats loud and clear in my ears, and I know what I have to do.
“Luca, don’t do anything stupid,” Sera joins the call, her warning tone failing to stop me.
It’s the first time she’s spoken directly to me. She didn’t say anything to me when we left—not that I gave her the chance. I’m still in two minds about everything. It’s not that I’m bothered about sharing, I’m not . It’s that she’s ultimately pushed me aside because Levi doesn’t want to be a part of this. It’s all or nothing for Sera, and I’m not sure I’m content with that.
“I told you, you don’t need to worry about me,” I growl back over the comms, cocking my weapon as I storm past Levi with my two guards.
“Recon only!” she barks, but it’s too late. Marco is right behind me as we weave through the trees, sprinting between gaps that could expose us until we’re on the western part of the compound. He’s essentially ignored the plan to make sure I don’t do something stupid.
I find a group of unused vehicles, dormant in their parking bays, and use them for cover, hiding behind them so a large empty truck covers our position. Greco’s men are positioned either side of Marco and I, and even in the dim light I can see the rest of our crew taking their positions.
On the other side of the compound, Matteo is setting up on the ground, his rifle aimed carefully. Levi is beside him with more of Greco’s men, checking for blind spots. It’s all about to go down. I can feel the static in the air, the tension charging us up like batteries.
“Luca,” Sera warns again over the comms.
“You made a promise, Bianchi,” I remind her quietly of her promise to The Vultures. The last thing I want to do is give our position away.
“Fuck the promise! I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
I crouch down as a guard passes by a large empty truck covering our position, letting out a breath when he doesn’t spot us.
When it’s clear, we move across the compound under the blanket of shadows. Closing the distance, we’re almost to the building. It’s just a few steps away, almost within our grasp.
And then we hear it— a blood curdling scream that pierces the darkness surrounding us, rippling through the air.
On instinct, Marco and I pull our weapons out, slamming our bodies against the side of a vehicle as the guard comes into sight, carrying a girl over his shoulder. My heartbeat picks up, my entire body tensely coiled like a viper preparing to strike. We’re in the open now, vulnerable, a perfect target for anyone. It would only take a single look in the right direction to see exactly where we are.
On the other side of the compound, Matteo and Levi move carefully, nodding when they’re ready. Any minute now.
It happens so quickly.
A whistle sounds through the air; the snap of a bullet as it hits the guard. He drops to the ground with a thud, taking the girl with him. She scampers away, Matteo chasing after her as a chorus of gunfire ensues around us.
It’s chaos. Controlled chaos. One by one, guards spill from the warehouse, surrounding the compound we’ve lined ourselves between.
And one by one, they drop like flies.
My eyes widen, my mouth suddenly dry. I look at Levi but he’s shrugging his shoulders.
“What the fuck?” Marco mutters behind me, but I don’t have time to question what the hell is happening, all I know is that these shots didn’t come from this crew.
Bullets whiz past us, snapping me out of my thoughts. Our cover is blown. It’s time to spring into action. I aim my gun and shoot effortlessly, taking out three guards in quick succession. It’s easy when you know where they are, but that’s all about to change.
The darkness grows thicker. The lights of the compound illuminate the way and we only have the sparse shadows to conceal us.
Footfalls grow louder, forcing me to spin around. I grip my gun tightly as one of Verdi’s men comes into view.
He spots me first, shooting and failing to hit me at the same time my bullet hits him square in the chest. He drops like a lead balloon, blood pooling out in the spotlight of dirt.
“Move!” I order Marco.
He pushes past me, slinking into the shadows, lining his body against the wall of the warehouse again.
Another man falls into my line of sight, and with one easy squeeze of the trigger, he drops. Then we’re back to pushing forward again, evading the men filtering out from the warehouse. There can’t be more than twenty—not counting the ones lying in the dirt with holes in their bodies. But that’s not what concerns me anymore.
“We’re not alone,” I whisper to Marco as we watch the last two men hang back in the doorway of the warehouse.
“What do you mean?”
I mute my comms before turning to Marco, doing the same to him. I don’t know how much Sera and Raf can see or hear, but the last thing I want to do is worry them. “There’s someone else here. Maybe for the same thing.”
Marco narrows his eyes, casting a wary look around the compound. Try as he might, there’s no way we’ll be able to spot whoever is out here with us. They won’t show their face, that’s for sure, so I only hope they’re on our side.
“Find Matteo,” I order him. “He needs to get that girl.”
With that command, Marco pushes off the wall, darting off in the direction Matteo ran after the girl. Luckily, there are more shadows he can hide in, more coverage so I won’t need to worry about him being seen. When I’m sure he’s far enough away, I push forward.
My pulse pounds excitedly in my ears. This is what I live for, this is what I was raised by my father to do. Enforce and protect .
Bullets are still firing in all directions, a cacophony of gunfire that pierces the air as more men drop. Whoever is taking them out is an expert, but I’m not one to shy away from assistance. If they were here for us, we’d be dead already.
“On your left!” Levi shouts out to me.
I spin around, gun already aimed out. But before I can fire, the guard drops.
I look to my left, but Greco’s guard to my right is down too. Dead.
Cazzo.
I aim my weapon just as another guard comes into view.
My finger squeezes lightly. One shot to the left leg.
The man falls, writhing on the ground in agony. I take the second shot. Between the eyes.
I swing around, gun aimed as more bullets fly past me—some belonging to our mystery sniper, more belonging to Verdi’s guards. Whatever they’re guarding, the girl is no longer their concern.
I line up my sight just as another asshole pokes his head out from behind a vehicle.
On one breath, I pull the trigger. It’s effortless and streamlined, hitting the guy right between the eyes. He doesn’t even see it coming.
Blood sprays, splattering crimson all over the guy beside him. I take him out next, aiming once more. He drops to the ground, and then we march forward. It’s almost synchronized as Levi and I sneak further towards the warehouse, using the shadows as cover.
A guy comes out from my right. I go to pull the trigger, but it malfunctions. I swing my arm out before the guy can aim, pushing his own gun away. It fires, the sound slamming into my eardrums. With the gun in my other hand, I punch my hand forward, slamming the back of the barrel into his throat.
He clutches his neck with his free hand, staggering backwards. I kick his legs out from under him, his weight crashing to the ground. I don’t waste a second re-cocking my weapon. A stray bullet flies out sideways. Damn thing always jamming.
Another whistle glides past me.
Another thud follows .
Not wasting time, I slam my foot into my assailant's face.
Once. Twice. Then I pull my knife out, grabbing the guy by his hair and slicing his throat.
I spin around again, adrenaline surging through me. I’m on a high. Action like this always brings me greater satisfaction than anything else, especially when assholes like the Verdis are at the end of my gun or knife.
Another guard comes into my sight, but Levi takes him out, a bullet going through the man’s neck. Blood spurts out as he slips sideways, landing with a thud in the dirt.
More gunfire rains down around us, but the odds are better—thanks to our sniper. Judging from the amount of men we’ve collectively taken down so far, I’d say we’re almost there. I dart behind the next vehicle.
“Luca?” Sera’s worried voice floats through my ear.
“I’m here,” I reply, just as I watch Levi slip around the side of a vehicle.
“Levi?”
Cazzo.
Someone quickly disarms him, his gun flying to the ground beside me.
I lunge forward, slamming my body to the ground and twisting over to take aim.
A scarlet spray suddenly coats Levi before his attacker drops. In the pale moonlight, I see the sickening smile of satisfaction spreading across Levi’s lips. He nods at me subtly, acknowledgment and respect flowing between us.
But it wasn’t me.
I tap my ear, gesturing for Levi to speak up. Our leader needs to hear he’s ok.
“I’m here, beautiful.”
Sera lets out a sigh of relief. I don’t know what she can see, but I’m certain she’s watching with bated breath. She’ll be kicking herself for not being out here, but we just can’t risk it. After what happened the night of the wedding, I know she can handle herself. Her safety is too important though, and the last thing we all need is to keep an eye on her as well as each other tonight.
Eventually, the gunfire grinds to a halt. I look around to see the final numbers; Two of the four guards we brought with us, Levi and myself. Not bad considering we were outnumbered.
“Where are the twins?” I ask.
“Here!”
I spin around to find Matteo carrying the girl towards us. She’s curled in his arms, covering her face, but we know who she is. She can’t be more than seventeen years old, with white blonde hair and dirt marring her pale skin. The poor girl looks like she hasn’t slept or eaten in weeks. She’s also sporting a black eye, which makes my blood boil, but that’s a problem for another day. Tonight, these assholes got what they deserved.
“It’s all clear,” Marco announces, standing in the doorway of the compound. “Nothing but crates.
“They were moving us,” the girl says from behind us.
“Us?” I ask.
The tiny girl shivers. I see the fear coiling her body, the shudder of terror keeping her from saying anything else. She looks at Matteo, her eyes softening while her arms wrap tighter around his neck. “I was the last one.”
“Bianchi?” I say over the comms. “We’ve got her. The compound is clear.”
Another sigh brushes through the earpiece. “Good,” she says calmly.
“What do you want us to do with the warehouse?” Levi asks.
The tone that comes through the ear piece is resolute and void of emotion. “Send them a message.”