22. Aidan
My eyes flutteropen to the sound of my own groan and the pounding in my head. Damn it, that hurts.
My lungs feel like they are on fire, and my throat is scratchy from breathing in the gas. I blink away the haze and strain my eyes to look around, but the darkness hides everything from view. The air is damp, and the scent of mildew hangs in the air. Every movement I make causes the coarse rope around my wrists to dig deeper into my flesh. I feel movement beside me, and then a groan reaches my ears, indicating that Scott is starting to wake up. I open my mouth to speak, but my voice comes out raspy and dry.
Clearing my throat and turning to Scott, I say, my voice hoarse, “Hello, sleeping beauty.”
He grunts in response. “Fuck. I feel like my head is going to explode. Where are we?”
“My best bet is that we’re in the hangar in Linlithgow.” Trying to move to see if the ropes are loose enough for me to break free, I add, “Now, we wait. I’m pretty sure it won’t be long before someone comes.”
Scott’s voice holds a glimmer of hope. “Do you think they got Blakely out in time?”
“They know what they’re doing.” That’s all I dare to say. If she’s harmed, I’ll make them pay and give them no peace, even after their death, by burning this world to the ground.
He stirs and stops moving. “Fucking eejits.” I try to understand what’s happening before he continues. “They took our guns but left my knives.”
“What? How?” I check myself as much as I can until I feel the sharp point of my own knife pressing into my back.
“That doesn’t make any sense. Why would they do that?” I ask, my mind racing as I try to understand. It would be foolish of them to leave a weapon on us. They know how we operate. The two of us can handle taking most of them out without any difficulty.
“Wait. Someone gave Blakely information about Bailey, didn’t they? Do you think she’s planted a mole in their operation?” he questions. I never thought of it. I didn”t even question who called her. But that would make sense.
“I don’t know, man. But I’m not going to overthink it. If it’s him, great. If it’s not. We need to stay on our guard.”
We can hear muffled sounds from outside interrupting us before the door bursts open with a loud ‘bang.’
“Well, well. Looks like the two princesses are finally awake,” says one of the five men in front of us. Heavy boots echo as they approach, all dressed in black, with masks covering their faces.
His voice doesn’t sound familiar. But five men just for the two of us, I’m flattered.
“What the fuck do you want?” Scott spits out. “Where’s my fucking sister?”
“Tss tss. I don’t think you’re in any position to ask questions,” says one of the other guys.
“The boss wants to see you,” says the shabby one. As I study him, I can’t help but notice the scar on his throat - which makes me think that whoever wanted him dead missed his chance.
I wouldn’t have.
“Who is your boss?” As soon as the words leave my mouth, a discomfort begins buzzing in my ear. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Scott wincing, telling me he has the same discomfort.
What the fuck was that?
“You’ll meet him soon enough,” replies the man with the scar. “Move an inch, and I won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.” As they approach us, the buzzing starts again. “Let’s keep moving. The boss doesn’t like to wait.”
As we stand from the floor, the buzzing gets louder, followed by a “Good to see you’re still alive.” I stop dead in my tracks, and so does Scott. The earpieces. The fucking earpieces I forgot about. I guess the connection was lost before. Looking at Scott, I can see the small grin he’s giving me.
“Why did you stop? I told you not to do anything foolish.” The guard pushes me forwards to keep walking.
“Oopsy. My bad. I never wanted to put you in danger,” says Tim with a smile in his voice. “Okay, so now that we got the connection back, I’ll answer the question I know both of you are dying to know. Aye, Princess is safe. She’s not happy, and she’ll probably have you both by the balls once you’re out.” I let out a sigh of relief. “Fusco and his son plan to kill you, but no surprise there. I have a team set up in case something happens. They’re going to take you both to where they’re keeping Bailey. They want Blakely, and they won’t kill you until she is in front of them.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I don’t know how he has all this information, but that won’t do. They’ll be dead before they ever lay a finger on her.
Before I notice it, we stop in front of a dark, heavy door and we’re pushed inside. I recognise this door. This is where we found the first women. The smell of blood still lingers inside the space. There are two chairs in the middle of the room, waiting for us.
They don’t bother to shackle us with handcuffs.
“Sit,” says one of them. “The boss will be here shortly.” With that, they leave, locking the door behind them.
Checking on Scott, I start to whisper. “Tim, what else do we know? Do we know where Bailey is?”His answer is quick.
“We do. She’s still alive. They won’t touch her. They don’t want her. Unless she gives them too much trouble.”
“How many guys are waiting, and how did you know where we were?”
“Ohhhh, boss. I don’t know how I should take this lack of confidence you have in me. Really, I’m hurt.”
“Not the time.”I grit my teeth.
“We don’t really have a team, per se. I couldn’t trust them. But we have Blakely’s team.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” Scott shouts silently.
“I am not. I’ve been working with them for years, so believe me when I say that these women are better than most of the men you have on your team. At least we can trust them.”
I nod because there’s not much to say. He’s right. I cannot trust my team at the moment, and she is the best option we’ve got.
The door opens once again with Fusco’s face hiding behind his mask. I could recognise his posture anywhere.
“Well, hello there. I hope my guys didn’t give you too much trouble?”
“What the fuck do you want, Fusco?” I spit out.
“You got me,” he says dramatically, lifting his hands in the air. “I’m not surprised. You’ve always been a smart man, Aidan.”
“What the fuck do you want from us, and where’s my fucking sister?” asks Scott angrily.
“One question at the time. For your first question, the answer is easy,” he replies as he turns to face me. “Your father didn’t really let me make any choices. I’ve been at his side for almost 20 years, and he never once mentioned that I would get to take over his business. It has always been ‘Aidan this and Aidan that. He is my biggest accomplishment.’ I’ve watched you two destroy what your grandfather built. And for what? The only thing he’s doing is making us lose money, making us lose profit.”
“So this is all because of money? Seriously? You went through all this…. kidnapping us, kidnapping Bailey, just for money?” I don’t know why I expected more from him. Power is his only goal in life.
“Bailey was a mistake that my men paid for,” he answers, leaning against the wall.
“So why, if it was a mistake?” I need to confirm if Blakely”s suspicion was correct.
“It was supposed to be Blakely. But apparently, they don’t know how to distinguish between two different human beings,” he says nonchalantly.
Feeling the rage consume me, I ask through gritted teeth. “Why do you want Blakely?” Her intuition has been right from the beginning.
“I don’t have any issues with her, but she was becoming too intrusive. And she is the most precious thing you possess, so it was only fair that you watch her die before I kill you.” I’m going to kill this fucker.
He turns to Scott and answers, “As far as Bailey’s current state… she is alive… for now. I need her to lure Blakely. You’ll see her shortly.” He moves towards the door and says before leaving. “Don’t do anything stupid, or you won’t live a minute past that decision.”
One of his guys stays a bit longer, fixated on me intensively. I can only see his eyes through his mask, but I don’t miss the slight nod he gives me before closing the door behind him.
“What was that?” asks Scott. So he saw it as well.
Before I have time to answer, Tim speaks into our earpieces. “Sooo, that was fun. Have you seen his piece of shit son yet?”
“No. Not yet. What are they waiting for? What kind of game are they playing?”I ask no one in particular.
“Dunno. Should we break free now, or are we waiting for something? Because I’m kinda bored right now,” asks Scott. I thought about it, but I don’t want to risk Bailey’s life.
“We wait for now.” Leaning against the back of the chair, my eyes dart around, searching for any clues. We are bound tightly to the chair, making it almost impossible to move, but we know we can free ourselves in seconds with the knives we have.
Loud noises sound behind the door once again. It has been maybe ten minutes since Fusco left, and we didn’t expect his men to be back this soon.
The door opens once again.
“Change of plans. You’re moving now,” says one of the guys walking towards us. Our hands are briefly freed from their restraints before being bound together again. The knots pulled even tighter. I’m sure I’m bleeding at this point.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“Someone has some questions for you.” That’s all he says. Pulling out their guns, one of them is walking in front while the two others are in the back. I can sense the weight of a gun against my spine. “Move.”
I recognise the room we enter. It’s the second room we found the girls in. The odour is overpowering, a sickening combination of decay and the metallic tang of fresh blood.
They push us towards the centre of the space and make us sit on the chairs arranged there, following the same pattern as before. The sound of rope being twisted and tied echoes through the room as they secure our hands and legs to the chairs. Once they’re done, they leave us, leaving the door open.
Scott and I exchange a glance, waiting for the person to come. We don’t dare speak since the door is wide open. I have an idea of what’s about to happen. Following Fusco’s appearance, it’s only logical for his son to make an appearance as well. As we wait for a few minutes, I can hear the sound of Shaan’s footsteps getting closer until he appears with a devious smile on his face.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here? I’d say thank you for joining us, but I don’t think you had a choice in the matter.”
Little prick thinks he’s smarter than us.
“What do you want from us?” I ask.
“Where the fuck is my sister?” spits Scott.
“Tss tss, that’s a lot of questions, and I think my father already answered one of your questions. Oh yes, because Fusco is my father. Surprise, surprise.”
Does this guy seriously think we’re dumb? He’s been with me for years, but it’s becoming clear that he doesn’t have a deep understanding of who we are.
His attention shifts to Scott, and he adds, “As for your sister, she’ll be joining you soon.”
As I look around, I feel the weight of the third chair joining us.
“Here, see. I told you it wouldn’t take long.” Before us stands a weakened version of Bailey. Her clothes are covered in dirt and some blood stains. The physical abuse is evident as I observe the discoloured bruises on her cheeks, which have now started to turn a dark shade of purple. Her eyes are surrounded by dark circles, and tears are threatening to spill over. I can sense Scott’s anger building up inside him.
She lets out a sob when she sees us. “Scott.”
Through gritted teeth, Scott promises, looking straight into Shaan’s eyes. “You motherfucker, your death will be slow and painful. You can take my fucking word for it.” The bastard laughs. He doesn’t know that when Scott promises, he delivers. And I’ll be the one holding him to it if I have to.
They place her in the chair, and she winces as they proceed to tighten the rope around her wrists. They refrain from binding her legs, possibly under the impression that she won’t be able to flee.
Mistake number one.
“Now, behave.” The sound of their departure fades, and we are left with a hush of silence. The darkness in the room is punctuated only by the faint light of a small window.
“Bai. Are you okay?” asks Scott, worried. “What did the bastard do to you?”
“I’m alright.” She looks over to me. “Blakely? Is she okay? What are you doing here? Tell me you have a plan?” she asks breathlessly.
“Okay, just breathe for me, will you?” I say.
She tries to focus on her breathing, which calms her down. “That’s it. Now. Blakely is safe. Not happy, but alive. And we do have a plan. Do you think you can handle it a bit longer for us?”
She sighs and nods her head. “You’re doing good.” Before I have time to add anything else, our earpieces buzz once again.
“Boss. I have someone who wants to speak with you,” says Tim on the other side. “You can speak freely. It’s safe.”
“How do you know it’s safe?” I whisper. I catch Bailey’s confused expression as I realise it looks like I’m talking to myself. Scott gestures towards his ear as much as he can with his hands bound, indicating that we are able to communicate with the outside world through the thin black plastic in our ears.
“I’ll act as if your question wasn’t directed towards me,” he says. “We put cameras everywhere. We can monitor their movements at all times.” I don’t bother to ask him how he did it, knowing he always finds a way to get things done. In addition to being one of my most trusted guys, Tim is a genius. “Now, I’ll leave you with?—”
“I swear to God, if you two are not dead yet, I’m going to kill you both.” A wave of relief washes over me as I hear Blakely’s angry voice through the earpiece.
“Tink.”I pause for a moment. Hearing her voice, unexpectedly, I feel a lump form in my throat. Ensuring her safety was my top priority, even if it meant dealing with her anger. “We’re all good,” I reassure her with a smile in my voice. “Bailey is fine as well.”
“Aidan Preston.” I hear her take a deep breath. Her voice is trembling.
“Did you think we would die that easily?” I’m trying to ease the situation.
“Why didn’t you say anything instead of keeping me in the dark? I could have helped.”
“Baby,”I start, but she cuts me off.
“If your opening line is ‘it was to keep you safe,’ you might want to reconsider before speaking. Do I need to remind you it is my team outside waiting for my signal instead of yours?”
“I won’t say I’m sorry for wanting to keep you out of harm’s way,” I say with a sigh.“You’re more than capable of protecting yourself, but you need to understand that if something happens to you, I’ll tear this world apart. Losing you was a temporary setback because I knew you were always meant to be mine. You may not have forgiven me completely, but mark my words, baby. Never. Again. Even for a day.” It’s like I can feel the breath of her gasp touch my face.
Scott’s voice drips with disgust, while Bailey’s “aww” is a gentle, sympathetic sound.
“You’re an arsehole.”I can sense the smile in her voice as she speaks.
“Yeah. But I’m your arsehole.”
Scott starts, “Seriously, mate. Not like we’re here, unable to move and listening to your cheesy shit.”
“You’re just jealous.” I playfully blow Scott a kiss and let out a laugh.
“Okay, okay, kids. Love all the love, but they’re coming back. Get ready,” Tim says before cutting the connection.
As soon as he finishes talking, the door creaks open, and six men burst into the room. Each of us gets two men, I suppose. Like six of them would actually stop us if we wanted to break free.
Laughable.
“The clock is ticking, it’s time to go.” As they approach us, I can feel the rough fibres of the ropes being loosened before being tightened again.
“Hey, dickhead. Be careful with my sister,” shouts Scott.
The guy gives him a dirty look before completely ignoring him. As soon as they finish, two men surround each of us and direct us towards what I’m guessing is the main room.
It’s exactly how I remember it. The room is in disarray, with chairs lining up in the centre and a nauseating smell that seems to be a mixture of sweat and blood. At least twenty men are gathered in the room, with Fusco and Shaan in the centre. The glint of their holsters and guns catches my eye, making them impossible to miss. As I scan the crowd, I can’t put a name to any face, but I can feel eyes following my every move. I turn my head to take in my surroundings, and my eyes rest on a guy who looks familiar from earlier.
“Sit,” Fusco orders.
We do as he says, waiting to see what he will do next. Scott’s anger is palpable as he glares at those who have mistreated his sister while Bailey shivers beside him. The tension is palpable as two men trail us from behind while the rest of the group stands stoically in front, anticipating their boss’ instructions.
“Now that almost all of us are here, I propose we should begin,” Fusco announces, walking towards us. “So. You’ve been quite the challenge to catch,” he says, with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
“Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like you didn’t give it your all,” I say with a smirk. “I noticed no one wanted my head.” His fist connects with my face, sending a sharp sting through my cheek. The taste of blood in my mouth is like a penny on my tongue. Well, it took him long enough to lay a hand on one of us.
I spit the blood with a forceful stream, staining his shoes.
“You think you’re smart. And yet, you’re here. Ready to die.”
“If you die, I’ll bring you back to life to kill you myself.” Blakely’s voice crackles through the earpiece, and I can’t help but smile while Scott unsuccessfully tries to suppress a laugh.
“You think this is funny?” asks an unhappy Fusco.
“Not at all. But what do you want from us?” I ask. “I have to say, I’m not quite sure I understand. You want my family business, and yet, here I am. Still alive. It just doesn’t make any sense.”
Some of the men remove their masks, and I recognise some of the Snakes and some of The Twelve. I don’t know if he’s waiting for a particular reaction from me, but he won’t get any. We saw them at the gala,
“What? Am I supposed to be shocked?” I laugh.
“You and your da’ led us to bankruptcy. We were left with nothing, as some of The Twelve chose to prioritise their profits by switching sides,” says one of my da’s closest friends.
I’ll leave him for my da’.
“And you?” I turn towards Python, the leader of the Snakes.
“Most of my guys are in prison because of you. We’ve been waiting a long time to see all your possessions burn to ashes, and now is the time.”
“Seriously? One, it’s not our fault your men landed in prison. Two, you’re all greedy wee fucks. Are you aware you’re all fighting for our business? How is that going to work? Are you going to divide everything by three? Between some of The Twelve, the Snakes and you?” I can feel my irritation building.
Their blank expressions make it clear that they hadn’t thought it through before I pointed it out. For fuck’s sake, they’re a group of amateurs. That’s why we’re the head of the underground and not these fucking jokers. My patience with their nonsense has run out, so I give Scott a nod, signalling that it’s time to act, all the while making sure the guys behind us aren’t watching. Slowly retrieving my knife from my back, I feel a hand press it flat against my spine, stopping me in my tracks. My body tenses up, and I refrain from moving or exhaling. As he leans in close to me, I feel his warm breath on my ear and hear him say something.
“Don’t. Not yet.” I freeze like a statue. Glancing to see Scott, he’s in the same position as me. As for Bailey, she has tears dripping down her face.
What the fuck was that?
“Now. Let’s move on, shall we? We’re still waiting on some people to join the party,” says Fusco.
What is he talking about?
My mind suddenly jolts as the main door opens, drawing my attention away from my thoughts.
“What the fuck?” Scott says, reflecting exactly what I was thinking.
“Glad you two could make it,” says Fusco.
“I wouldn’t have missed it,” replies Riccardo Valentino.
Is this a joke?I don’t understand what is happening right now. The bastard. He looks at us right in the eyes, but I can’t detect any emotion. Anger boils in my veins.
The person following him is dressed in a suit, a mask on his face, looking me dead in the eyes. A feeling of unease settles inside me.
“This was long overdue,” he answers.
I catch a glimpse of Shaan, who has been quiet until then, reaching for his phone.
“Preston.” I’m ready to answer until I hear my father’s voice on the phone.
I don’t understand what is happening.
“Shaan,” he answers. I can hear the anger in his voice.
“I have a deal for you.”
“Which is?”
“We want the girl and you. If you both come to us, we will spare their lives.”
Scott and I scream at the same time. “Nooo. They’re lying. They want us dead.” The provocation triggers their aggression, resulting in punches to our faces and stomachs. The pain takes my breath away, leaving me gasping.
Bloody hell.
More blood pools in my mouth, making it difficult to breathe. Bailey’s screams pierce the silence, filling the room with her agony.
“So. As I was saying. We will spare their lives if you both come.” I hear a muffle through the line before someone speaks again.
“Give me the address. And what I’m about to say is important, so listen closely. If you even think about touching even a single hair on my sister’s head. God save you from my wrath.”
What is she doing?
Is she out of her mind?
I whisper as quietly as possible, knowing that her earpiece can pick up even a slight sound.
“Baby. I’m begging you. Don’t do this. Let us handle it.”
“I’ll text you all the details. You have an hour to get here. After that, they all die.” And the line goes dead.
“Trust me,” she answers through my earpiece.
I don’t have any other choice but to trust her.
She has a plan.
She has to have one.