Chapter 41
Chapter forty-one
All I know is if I have to bury my sister, Elio is a dead man.
Please Lord, let us find her alive.
Let us get to her in time.
If anyone has to die, take me instead.
My fingers touch each bead of the wooden rosary hanging from the rearview mirror.
The city blurs past as I speed through the south side of Chicago.
Thank God for multiple cars.
One blows up, I already have another one waiting.
These fuckers don’t know who they’re messing with.
A text from Enzo appears on the dashboard.
We got him. We won’t touch him until you get here.
Good.
I want him in one piece so I can be the one to break him.
I don’t care if he’s the one behind the killings. My sister is missing on his watch and it’s not accidental.
He knows something.
And I’m going to be the one to drag the truth out of him, one broken limb at a time.
Everyone is about to know how I operate in a man’s world.
I’m not queen for nothing.
During the ride, Enzo had called me to give me the details on what exactly happened.
Gigi had left the compound early and gone to Elio’s townhouse.
They had taken his car and gone to breakfast. The guards who tailed them saw them both enter the cafe, but after an hour only Elio came out.
He was nervous and looking all around. Then he got into his car and left.
When the guards went inside, Gigi was gone.
The owner told them she had been escorted out the back door by men in suits and dragged into a black SUV.
After hanging up with Enzo. I called her phone a thousand times but it went straight to voicemail. Her last location pinged a mile from the cafe.
Panic wraps around my heart as I try not to think about Gigi being held prisoner somewhere alone, possibly being tortured.
Why hadn’t Elio put up a fight and saved her?
He just let the men take her. Then he didn’t even tell anyone.
That’s not a man. That’s a coward.
A pussy.
A wimp.
A bitch.
I’m going to kill him.
Pulling behind one of our buildings, I throw the car into park.
The three story brick building looms before me. The paint peels like old skin and ivy snakes up the sides. It’s an abandoned eyesore at the edge of our territory. Forgotten by the city but perfect for keeping hostages.
I slam the car door harder than I mean to. Cold air slaps my face, stealing the heat from my cheeks, but doing nothing to quell the fire that burns in my soul. My boots strike against the cracked asphalt as I march to the building.
No fancy clothes and heels today.
It’s leather and vengeance.
Pulling out my phone, I call Lucia. She picks up on the first ring.
“I heard about Gigi,” is the first thing she says. “Are you okay?”
“No. They found Elio as soon as I sent out the word but Gigi is still missing.” My voice shakes with anger.
“Shit.”
“She was last seen at the cafe on Fourth Street. Apparently she was apprehended by men in suits and dragged into an SUV. I feel like the owners of the place are leaving something out. Go there with Enzo, Luca, and the enforcers. Get me some answers. I don’t care if you have to rip the cafe apart.
I don’t care who you have to hurt. I need to find my sister. ”
“I’m on the way.” Lucia replies. “Did you track her phone?”
“It last pinged a mile down from the cafe then it went dead.”
“Okay. Don’t worry, we’ll find her.”
The line goes dead.
I call Dominic, but it goes straight to voicemail.
Shoving the phone back into my jacket pocket, I walk up the cracked steps to the back door of the old building.
The entrance is already ajar. I push it open with one hand, the hinges shriek like a dying animal.
The temperature drops as soon as I step inside.
Water damage decorates the walls along with graffiti. Floorboards creak beneath my boots. A few of our guards stand against the wall. They nod as I enter.
I’m about to ask them where the prisoner is when I catch sight of Matteo sitting at the bottom of the staircase.
I stop short. I’m shocked to see him here.
He stands up. “Hello, Cipi.” He shoves his hands into his pockets and walks to me.
“Hello, Matteo. What are you doing here?”
“Sal told me about Gigi. I found Elio’s location and went with the guards to bring him here.” Worry lines his face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I just found out and I don’t have time for you to criticize my role as capo. I’m more worried about my sister.” Shaking my head, I attempt to walk past him, but he blocks my path.
“I’m sorry, Cipi.” He looks down at the floor. “You and Gigi aren’t just my cousins, you’re my siblings. You’re the only family I have. I don’t want to fight with you. I shouldn’t have doubted you, and I shouldn’t have made any decisions without running it by you.”
I stare at him for a moment. He wilts beneath my gaze.
“I just thought things with Dominic were moving too fast. I didn’t want him to hurt you again.
But after hearing how he pulled you from the burning car, I know he really cares for you.
” He takes a deep breath. “And the truth is I was a little jealous seeing you and Gigi with someone. My luck with women has been complete shit. I wish I could find someone who gives a damn about me.”
My shoulders slump. “I was wrong too. I shouldn’t have gotten so mad at you in the warehouse. That wasn’t the sign of a leader. I should have been more focused on the case instead of reliving past memories.”
“I think Salvatore got in my head too. He kept mentioning that you weren’t yourself after the shooting and maybe I should take on more responsibility to ease the load off of you.”
“Salvatore said that?”
Matteo nods.
“I’ll have to have a talk with him later.” I take his arm and we start walking down the hall. “It’s okay Matteo. I’m not mad at you. You will always be a brother to me.”
He smiles, relief spreading across his face. “I’m glad. I didn’t want to get on your bad side.”
“Now what’s the update with the piece of shit?” I ask.
“The guys and I brought Elio in a little while ago. He’s in the boiler room.” Matteo smirks. “His face might have accidentally ran into the wall while I was bringing him in here.”
We round the corner and I see two more of the guards posted up outside a steel door.
“Boss.” One of the men nods to me. “We have him tied inside. He’s not talking and won’t tell us where Gigi is.”
Matteo turns to me. “We ran his car off the road and he hit a tree. That's how we were able to grab him. Apparently he was trying to flee town. He had two suitcases filled with money.”
“Two suitcases? Do we know what the money was for?”
Matteo shakes his head.
“Well, then, I think I need to have a chat with him.”
Matteo gives me a wink. “I’ll wait here until you give me the word. Do what you need to do. Go get the bastard.”
The first guard opens the door and I step across the threshold ready to make Elio pay.
Rust, mildew, and rot fill my nostrils. The damp air clings to my skin as my boots echo against the cracked concrete. Wooden beams stretch across the low ceiling thick with cobwebs. Brick walls are chipped and rust decorates the busted pipes.
On the far side of the room stands the boiler.
It’s massive with corroded pipes branching out the top.
Next to it a battered navy tank leans in the corner.
Dents puncture the sides. An old fuse box clings to the wall covered in dust. A single flickering bulb casts crazy shadows around the space.
Everything in the room is tinged in amber and decay.
Beneath the light is a chair bolted to the concrete floor.
Elio sits in it.
His wrists are zip-tied to the arms of the chair and his ankles are bound to the legs.
His head jerks up when the door slams behind me.
A faint plum-colored bruise blooms beneath the skin of his cheek like a rotten spot on fruit. A shallow cut slices through the center of his lip.
Obviously the results of the car accident.
Matteo did good.
It’s a start.
But it’s not enough.
“Elio, Elio, Elio…” I fold my arms and glare at him.
“Cipriani why the fuck am I here?” Elio snarls.
This motherfucker. He’s really going to play dumb with me.
“You’re here because Gigi is missing. Where is she?”
He glares at me. “I don’t know.”
Now this motherfucker is going to play confused. Why did I leave my gun at home? All these attacks against my family have me going soft. I’ll show his ass.
Glancing around the room I catch sight of a rusted pipe wrench near the boiler. It’s about as long as my forearm. Walking over I snatch it up.
“She was last seen in your presence.” My fingers curl around the metal. “Which means you were responsible for her safety. She’s missing and you’re at fault.”
“I didn’t see her today. We went out yesterday.”
“Elio, don’t play dumb with me.”
“You’re going to look dumb when I press charges against you for kidnapping,” Elio huffs.
I step forward and slam the wrench into the back chair leg. The sound of metal against metal is deafening.
“How are you going to press charges if you’re dead?” I snarl.
His eyes widen for a moment.
“Where’s Gigi?” I repeat.
“I don’t know,” Elio snaps.
I swing the wrench again, this time it connects with the side of the armrest, inches from his forearm.
“Elio. I swear to god if you don’t start talking, my next swing won’t miss.” I glare at him.
“I didn’t do anything to Gigi,” he protests.
This motherfucker is really going to play dumb. I grip the metal tight and swing. It connects with his gut.
He doubles over as much as the restraints allow and groans.
“Then why is she missing, dumbass?”
I’m being too nice.
My feelings for Dominic have me acting soft.
I need to show him I’m not one to fuck with.
“You let her get kidnapped. How dare you! You claim you care for her. She could be dead.” I swing the wrench hard and it connects with his kneecap.
Elio screams as a sickening crack fills the room.
He thrashes in the chair, sweat beading on his forehead.
“She’s not fucking dead!” he wails. “He told me she wouldn’t be hurt if I kept my mouth shut.”
I freeze. “Who is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“Wrong answer.” I slam the wrench into his shin.
He screams, his teeth bared in pain. “Stop it Cipriani!” he snarls.
“No. You never gave a fuck about my sister. You used her and now she could be dead!” I raise the wrench again.
“Alright! Alright!” He screams, his face contorted in pain. “Yes. I set Gigi up, but I really don’t know who it was.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? You’re working for Valerio Neri. You let him kidnap her.”
“No, it’s not like that.” Elio groans. “I have a gambling addiction. I got into a lot of debt playing blackjack at one of the Bianchi’s casinos.”
“Really?” I stare at him. The Bianchi’s are another one of the families that run this city.
“Yes and the boss Biagio has been breathing down my neck about paying it back. He’s been threatening my life left and right.”
“Your grandma is rich, she couldn’t just give you the money.”
He rolls his eyes. “My grandmother values money over anything else. She isn’t going to give it away without a detailed explanation.
A guy at the bar put me in contact with Valerio.
The Neri Family is always desperate for information, so I struck a deal with them.
Every time I brought Valerio dirt about the other families, he would pay me.
I’ve been using that money to get The Bianchi Family off my back. ”
That explains the wiring of money to a secret bank account.
I glare at him. “That’s why you started dating Gigi, to get dirt on our family.”
He nods. “Yes. Don’t get me wrong, your sister is a nice girl just not my type. But your Gigi is so gullible and she loves to talk. She was an easy target.”
I smack him. “You son of a bitch. How dare you use my sister.”
“I know it was wrong and trust me, I felt guilty afterwards. I really do care about Gigi and I wanted to stop, but I owe the Bianchi Family too much money. Then yesterday I got a call from an unknown number.”
“Who was it?”
He winces. “I don’t know. It was muffled, but it was a man’s voice. He told me if I brought Gigi to the cafe, I would be given the rest of the money I owe the Bianchi Family.”
“You didn’t even question what they wanted with her?” I grip the pipe.
“I did. I did. The man said that Gigi was the rook to the queen and it was a checkmate. He assured me that Gigi wouldn’t be killed and I just needed to do as he said.
I had to bring her to the cafe and then I would get the money.
The next day, out of the blue, she showed up on the doorstep of my townhouse.
She was crying because you told her that she couldn’t see me anymore. ”
“I should have killed you first then forbid her from seeing you,” I mutter.
He glares at me. “I suggested we go to breakfast. I took her to the cafe. We were seated at a table in the back like I had been told. A few minutes later, Gigi said she had to go to the bathroom. I followed her and saw her get apprehended just outside the bathroom by two men in suits. They gagged her and dragged her out the back door into a black SUV. I ran back to my car and found two suitcases filled with money on the front seat. I started driving to the Bianchi Mansion to give Biagio the money when your dumbass cousin and goons ran me off the road then kidnapped me.”
Anger strangles my words.
What did my sister ever see in this inconsiderate self-centered brat.
“You motherfucker!”
I hit his shoulders.
“How dare you sell my sister out for money.”
Arms.
“Dumbass gambling imbecil.”
Thighs.
He lets out a scream and jerks against the bonds as the iron pipe connects with every part of his body.
“You didn’t even care about her wellbeing. She could be dead.”
Blood trickles down Elio’s face and he looks like he’s about to pass out.
“Stop Cipriani. Please. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done it. That was wrong of me. Don’t kill me. I swear I’ll never go near your sister again.”
My phone rings. It’s Lucia.
“Cipi!” She cries. “I was able to locate Gigi’s burner. It’s showing she could be in the abandoned rail yard near Cicero Ave.”
“I’m on my way.” I throw open the boiler room door. The guards and Matteo are in the hall.
“Cosimo and Gaddo untie Elio and drop him off at the hospital.” I grab Matteo’s arm. “We need to go.”
“You’re not going to kill me?” Elio gasps.
“Not yet.” I reply. “You better pray we find her and she’s unharmed.
Because if we don’t there’s nowhere in this entire world where you can hide that I won’t find you.
If you thought this was bad, I’ll be sure to kill you in the most painful way possible.
I want to make sure it’s my face you see when you die. ”