Chapter 37
ENZO
I’m wound tight by the time I return to my parents’ place. I see some of my men have already made it over here, milling around outside.
I want to kill the fucking bastards for having the audacity to take my wife. The asshole I already killed earlier did not slake my bloodlust one bit. I’m itching to get my fucking hands on Salvatore and her father, but I know I have to be patient for just a little while longer.
Letting out a whistle to get everyone’s attention, my men all stop what they’re doing and focus on me. “Get something to eat, boys. It’s going to be a long night,” I tell him, and they all nod, making their way inside.
I sent Dad a text earlier, asking him to get food for all of our men since we’d be coming over. I also told him I’d explain what was going on once I got here.
When I step into the house, a small smile tips up at the corner of my lips when I see my mother in her element, trying to feed everyone.
“Let’s head to my office,” my dad says, walking over to me and clapping me on the shoulder. When we walk into the room, he takes a seat behind his desk while I plop down on the chair, exhaling a sigh. “How are you doing, son?”
“Salvatore and Bernardo took my wife. How do you think I’m doing?” I mutter.
“Yeah, Xander told us what happened when he got here. What the fuck are those assholes playing at?” he questions, anger coating his words.
“I have no clue. But their days as the head of their family are done. They’re no longer welcome in Chicago. I’m going to kill them when I find out where they’re hiding,” I tell him.
“Obviously.” My father scoffs. “They had no right. We can’t let an attack like this against us go unpunished. You have my full support, son.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I tell him. I love the fact that he always has my back. Though even if he didn’t support me on this, I’d still be killing Salvatore and Bernardo even if it causes a war with the Messinas, since I’ll be taking out the heads of two families.
“Did you eat something yet?” my father asks after a beat.
“No. I’m good. I can’t think about eating right now, since I have no idea whether my wife has even eaten anything in the last few hours.
“I know this is hard, son. But you need to eat something to keep your strength up. You’re no good to her if you starve yourself because you think that’s what’s happening to her,” he tells me.
“Fuck,” I mutter. “I’m fucking worried about her. She’s so close to her due date, and it’s killing me that I let this happen.”
I’m fucking pissed to hell and back. I didn’t protect my wife well enough, and now she’s gone.
When I find her, I’m putting a damn tracker in her, and I’m saddling her with twenty guards whenever she leaves the house.
I can just imagine the shit she’s going to give me when she learns about my new plans to keep her safe from now on after I get her back.
She’s my lifeline and I can’t—no… I won’t fucking do this life without her. She’s the best damn thing that’s ever happened to me.
“You didn’t let anything happen. I heard about what transpired earlier, so I know you were busy dealing with that situation,” Dad says, trying to make me feel better, but nothing is going to work until she’s standing in front of me again.
“It was a damn setup which led them right to her,” I tell him, still pissed off.
“You know this is the risk involved with being a high-ranking member of the family. And just so you know, you did everything right. She had eight guards with her to protect her. The only thing that really matters now is knowing that we will find her and bring her home. And we won’t stop until we do,” he says, certainty in his voice.
His words help a little, but not by much. I know what he’s trying to do. He’s trying to keep my head in the game because if I think about the what-ifs, then I’ll drive myself crazy. Though it isn’t easy to let go of the guilt of not protecting my wife better.
“Thanks, Dad. I know we’re going to find her because I won’t stop hunting the assholes until I do,” I vow.
“That’s right. We make them pay for daring to cross us,” he agrees.
“Did Xander tell you about the women and the couple of household staff we found at Salvatore’s?”
“Yeah. Sick fuck!” he grunts. “I had no idea he was into sex trafficking. Then again, I never liked the man, so I didn’t really deal with him much.”
“When this is all done, we’re going to check our city since most of it will belong to us. I don’t want any of that shit in Chicago.”
“I’m with you on that,” he tells me.
“I’m going to go check and see if Xander’s found anything yet,” I tell him a moment later as I stand to my feet. He stands up as well and follows me out the door, heading toward the kitchen.
I’m about to walk past the kitchen and head to the tech room when my mom hands me a plate with some food on it. “Thanks, Ma.”
“We’re going to find her,” she tells me, steel determination in her voice as she places a kiss on my cheek. I nod my head before walking away to check on Xander.
When I step into his tech room, I see he’s busy typing away at his computer. The wall is covered in screens, and all of them show shit, plus code running on them. Some of which I don’t even understand.
The man is a genius when it comes to computers. Which is why there’s a room like this on every property and safe house we own, since you never really know which one you’ll be at in any given situation. So, I make sure he has everything he’ll ever need if we have to hide out somewhere.
“Found anything yet?” I ask. His head pops up, and he does a little stretch before responding.
“Not yet. But I’m close, I can feel it,” he tells me. I see him eyeing my food, and I roll my eyes before handing him my plate. This ass is always hungry. “Thanks!” he says with a huge smile.
Before I can even say anything, my phone rings, and when I take it out of my pocket, I see it’s Aldo calling.
“Are you still alive?” I joke.
“Yes. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” He snickers. “But I did run into something unexpected…”
“What?”
“Well, two things really. One, we found some girls who are being trafficked in one of Salvatore’s and one of Bernardo’s warehouses,” he says.
“What the fuck?! So they’re both a part of that shit?” I yell in surprise and anger. “Call Paulie and tell him to get his team and another over to both warehouses. He’s already handling getting some of the girls to safety that we found in Salvatore’s house.”
“On it, boss. And by the way, the second thing… it’ll be better if I show you. I’m on my way over to you now,” he says.
“Okay… I’m in the tech room with Xander,” I say to his cagey ass.
“Got it.”
“I guess I’ll see you when you get here then,” I murmur.
“Yeah,” he says, hanging up.
“What’s going on?” Xander asks, while chewing, and I slap him on the back of his head.
“Ow! What was that for?” he grumbles.
“Don’t talk with food in your mouth,” I admonish.
“Damn, you already sound like a dad, old man,” he grins.
“The fuck? I’m only three years older than you, dumbass. Besides, I don’t want you to choke and die.”
“Yeah, because that’ll be the thing to kill me,” he rolls his eyes. “Also, three years older than me is like ancient in this life. And by the way, I knew you freaking loved me. You can’t deny it now,” he jokes.
“Gesù Cristo. Shut the fuck up!”
“Testy, I see. Fine, I won’t tell Aldo you love me more than him. What did he say, anyway?” he asks.
“He said he ran into something unexpected when he was at Bernardo’s and that it’ll be better if he shows me what it is,” I tell him.
“What? That cryptic fucker is always going on and on with his stupid guessing games,” Xander grumbles. The two of them are like little fucking kids sometimes.
We keep chatting while he continues to work, and it’s about fifteen minutes later when Aldo walks through the door.
I lift my head to look at him, and that’s when I see the man who has stepped into the room right behind him.
“What the fuck?!” I ask, my jaw dropping. At my words, Xander spins around to see what’s going on and even his jaw has dropped at the sight in front of us.
“I come in peace,” he says, lifting both his hands up in a surrender motion, a grin on his face. I’m literally in shock as I stare at Luca fucking Bellucci in the flesh.
“Where the hell have you been, man?” I ask the million-dollar question. “Everyone thought you were dead. How long have you been back? And by the way, this is suspicious as fuck timing,” I mutter.
“You’re fucking telling me! Trust me, this is not at all what I had in mind when I came back here.
It’s a long fucking story; one we don’t have time for right now, but I’ll fill you in soon.
I’m sorry that I wasn’t here sooner, but it was out of my control.
I’ve only been here for two days, lying low to see what was happening.
Aldo filled me in on what’s going on… I was looking for her when he told me she’d been taken and was married to you.
You married my sister?!” He growls that last part out.
“Yes. And I’d marry her a thousand times and in every lifetime,” I say, staring at him head-on.
“Did she agree to it?” he questions.
“Of course, she did. What the hell type of man do you take me for?” I grunt.
“Well, forgive me, but when we find her, I’m going to have to ask her if she wants to be married to you.
I have no idea what went down, so I need to know whether she’s happy or was forced into this marriage.
If I don’t like what I hear, then I’m taking my sister with me.
What are you doing to find her, anyway?” he demands.
“No one is taking my wife from me,” I growl. “Your dumb fuck of a father basically sold her to Salvatore after you disappeared. And Xander is still looking since she wasn’t at Salvatore’s or your father’s house.”
“What the fuck? Salvatore could be her fucking grandfather,” he spits, anger coating his every word.
“You’re telling me,” I scoff.
“Well, that makes things interesting as fuck now,” he muses to himself.