Chapter 88
LUCA
After we landed in Key West, Marcello joined the members of Alpha Command.
They boarded the scuba boat beside us and readied themselves for their mission.
My brother shouted orders to his men, trained soldiers who were damn good at their jobs.
They would anchor their boat a few miles from the island and swim the rest of the way.
With guards surrounding the property, they couldn’t be too careful.
On the books, his team handled security for Salvatore Global.
But off the books, they were mercenaries, an army of trained men for hire, like a Navy SEAL team, but for the criminal underworld.
The extraction of Alex and Rhiannon was no sweat for Alpha Command.
They had pulled off far riskier jobs in the past. I had every faith that they would help us bring her home.
We headed toward an island between the Florida Keys and the Dry Tortugas.
As we sped toward the island, The Knights gathered around me on leather couches in the saloon.
I ran our plan past the Knights. Everyone was on board with the dual-prong attack on the island.
We would arrive as expected, while Marcello and his men would eliminate the guards on the island’s West side, working around the perimeter until we had control.
“We’ll only get one shot at taking Alex and Rhiannon off the island,” Sonny said, his voice rougher than usual.
None of us had slept much in the last few days. If it weren’t for the adrenaline coursing through my veins, I would have passed out. Knowing Alex was in the hands of more sick fucks twisted my stomach into knots. I had feared nothing in my life, not until now.
“The Italians are our best chance of extracting the girls from the auction,” I confirmed. “I spoke with the DeLucas before we left the port. My cousins have a crew ready to work with Marcello and his team. No one will suspect them of trying to take Alex and Rhiannon.”
“So we’re supposed to sit at the auction and drink scotch and pretend like those assholes didn’t steal our queen?” Drake said with a sneer.
“Our queen and my cousin,” Sonny snapped. “If anything happens to Rhiannon and Alex...”
I held up my hand to silence him. “We’ll get them back.”
“Yeah,” Sonny shot back. “But in what condition? After Marcello brought Alex back to Devil’s Creek, it took a miracle to snap her back to reality.”
I gritted my teeth as I stared across the room at him. “You don’t think I know this, Cormac?”
“And how about Rhi? She’s just as fucking crazy as Alex.” Sonny sighed. “My uncle had to send her away to keep her from going off the deep end. This will set her over the edge again.”
“One problem at a time,” Drake said to him. “We have to get the girls back before we can worry about their mental state.”
I was confident Alex would return eventually, even if it took longer than the last time. My girl always found her way back to me.
“When we get to the island,” I said as I rose from the couch, “we need to split up. They’re going to pick us off one by one.”
“Kinda hard to know your enemy when we don’t know who we’re fighting,” Cole pointed out.
“No, we don’t,” I agreed. “Keep your ears and eyes open. Look for anything out of the ordinary.”
“We’re going to a private auction for the world’s richest deviants,” Finn said with laughter in his tone. “What exactly counts as ordinary?”
Drake shook his head and laughed. “He has a point.”
I waved my hand to dismiss him. “We’re at a disadvantage on the island. Without proper planning, we’re going into this mission blind. Marcello and his team could be walking into an ambush.”
“Someone wants us dead,” Sonny growled. “And we won’t make it past security with our weapons.”
“That’s where Marcello and his men come into play,” I assured him.
“We’ve gone through every possibility, worked out every angle.
Alpha Command trains for situations like this one.
” I pushed my hands to my hips, my gaze traveling between them.
“We dock in twenty minutes. Get ready to take these motherfuckers down.”
We arrived at Isola del Diavolo , also known as Devil Island.
The irony was not lost on me. Whoever was pulling strings for the event had a sick sense of humor.
This was a carefully curated scheme to lure all of us to the island.
I had faith in the Knights and Alpha Command but was pragmatic.
Our chances of getting off the island without getting shot and killed were slim.
Bright lights posted around the property illuminated the dock.
I stepped off the boat and admired the seaside fortress that could withstand an attack.
It reminded me of the Salvatore Estate but with more security.
I thought I’d hired enough men to guard my house.
This place had ten times the number. I wondered for a moment if our plan would work.
Marcello and his men had more threats to address than we had initially anticipated.
As we walked toward the gate surrounding the Tuscan-style mansion, Marcello texted me. His team survived the swim.
Marcello
We took out the guards on the West side of the island.
Luca
We’re approaching the entrance. They’re taking everyone’s guns.
I watched as the men in front of us argued with the guards when they patted them down for weapons and stripped their pieces from them. Only the island owner and those coordinating the event would have access to their guns.
Marcello
I’ll hide a bag at the South entrance.
I shoved my cell phone into the inner pocket of my suit jacket as we approached the gate. A dark-haired man about the same height as me ran his hands over my shoulders, down my arms, and down my legs.
I handed over my guns. The Knights followed suit. We were fucked and at the mercy of the monsters who stole my girl. Someone went to great lengths to get us here.
Sonny moved to my right as Drake clung to my left side. We walked through the gates and into the busy courtyard as a team. I recognized a few men we’d given loans to for their shady businesses. A few men nodded while others glared at us.
At a place like this, we had just as many allies as enemies. It was impossible to know who was working with the Kurti crime family. Drake searched for the identity of the man who owned the island. His results returned the name of a shell company and another dead end.
The sprawling seaside palace looked like a classic Italian-style home with a courtyard. Men smoked cigars and sipped from snifters as we passed them and headed toward the house. Before we reached the front doors, a man I recognized strolled through them.
“Luca.” He extended his hand. “Glad you could join us for the main event.”
I met his cold, hard stare and shook his hand. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
At that moment, it all made sense. This was his island, his auction, and he was the one who brought us here.