Chapter 25Ari
Chapter Twenty-Fiv e
ARI
I pulled on my coat sleeve, and once again checked things off my mental list. My bow tie was straight. My cuff links were good. Everything was set and perfect.
“Not so easy to stand still when you’re the one in the hot seat, huh?” Lucas smirked.
He and Claire had returned from Brazil the day before. I never thought I’d ever see him truly fall for a woman, but I knew the second I saw him, something had changed while he was gone. His relationship started as an arranged marriage, but it’d morphed into happiness. It gave me hope that my relationship with Anna might have a chance.
“Shut up. I’m not nervous. I want things to be perfect.” Because I love her. I wasn’t telling anyone that until she’d heard it first. She’d hear the vows and I’d end it with those three words. If I heard them back, great. If not, I’d be patient and earn them. Whatever it took.
Several times, while I held her sleeping form, I wondered what I’d done to deserve her. The mysteries of the universe had twined our fates, and somehow, my arranged marriage had brought me the love of my life. To express my gratitude was beyond the scope of my vocabulary. Neither of us was perfect, but we were perfect for each other, in my opinion.
“Clair de Lune” began to play, but my thoughts were on the woman who would walk in last. I kept my eyes pinned to that entrance. Anna was going to be gorgeous, and I didn’t want to miss a minute of her.
Once the last bridesmaid was in position, the Bridal March began to play. When Anna didn’t appear, I thought maybe she was running a little late. She was upset about her father not giving his blessing. Maybe she was having a moment with Jason. Perhaps he was offering comfort.
As the music continued to play and her absence lengthened, my heart began to race. I knew she wouldn’t leave me. “I’m going to go find her.” I was halfway down the aisle when my siblings caught me.
“What’s going on?” Lucas asked, keeping pace with me.
“I don’t have a clue,” I answered.
As I passed the side entrance, I paused. Flower petals were scattered all over the floor. “Find Jason,” I barked.
Dimitris took one direction and Lex took the other.
I pushed open the door and scanned the area. Petals were strewn on the ground and the bouquet was lying in the middle of the alleyway.
“That’s a dead end and there’s no sign anyone’s been back there,” Dimitris said as he met us outside.
Lex loped to a stop next to Thea. “No one’s seen Jason anywhere. Thomas isn’t around either.”
“Where are they?” Thea looked from me to Lucas and then Dimitris .
Lucas’s hand came to my shoulder. “We’ll find her.”
Thea’s lips pinched together. “Yeah, we will.”
I strode inside and stopped. “Lex, let the guests know that the wedding is being postponed. We’ll update them as soon as we have a new date set. Dimitris, you’re with me. I’m going to pay a visit to Lorenzo. Thea…do your location thing. Lucas…” I looked at him and stopped short. I’d given orders like I was in charge.
“You heard him. Move.” Lucas nodded. “I’ll help Lex take care of things here and then we’ll meet up with Thea.”
“I’ll talk to you later.” I whirled around and realized I didn’t want to explain myself to anyone. Instead of heading back through the church, I walked back outside, straight to the limo.
“Ari?” Ares asked while opening the car door as Dimitris and I approached.
“Take me to the warehouse,” I replied as I got inside the car with my brother following behind.
“You got it.” Ares shut the door.
I didn’t talk. I stared out the window. Where had I failed her? I had guards everywhere.
“Don’t, Ari.” Dimitris’s calm voice pierced my thoughts. “You did everything you could.”
“Not enough.” I glanced at my brother. “Lorenzo will talk, or I’ll cut out his tongue and make him choke on it.”
The limo didn’t come to a complete stop before I had the door open and was out. I stormed through the building and stopped in front of Lorenzo’s cell. I knew the moment he looked at me they’d planned to take Anna today.
“Where is she?”
Lorenzo laughed. “I tell you, or what? You’ll cut my fingers off? My tongue? Other body parts? You still won’t have your information, and the entire time you’re working me over, Anna will be…getting the Moretti special treatment.”
Dimitris stopped next to me.
Holding eye contact with Lorenzo, I leaned closer to my brother, whispering, “Do you have the acid?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“Get it.”
I grinned. Acid wasn’t a quick slice. The pain didn’t stop. It would kill him, and it would hurt the entire time like being dropped in one of Yellowstone’s sulfur pits. If we lived closer, I’d take him there and do exactly that.
Dimitris nodded and left to get the chemical while I unlocked Lorenzo’s cell. He tried to take a swipe at me with one of his legs, and I brought my foot down on his knee. Bone crunched and he let out a bloodcurdling scream. I grabbed him by the hair and yanked him to his feet.
“If you think you can make me talk with a little pain, you’re kidding yourself,” he panted.
I dropped him in a chair and secured him to it. “You’ll talk.” I had every confidence he would. I’d seen a demonstration, and it made me sick to my stomach. We’d acquired some acid, but I’d never had any intention of using it. It was for extreme cases, and I was going to make sure we never got into a situation that called for it. So much for that.
Dimitris returned with two vials. “I didn’t want to make two trips,” he said and set them on the table in front of Lorenzo.
I walked to the table and leaned against it, crossing my feet at the ankles. Watching him, I noticed that broken knee was causing him way more pain than he was showing. It was commendable. I couldn’t—no, I could say I’d most likely be the same way. I wouldn’t rat on my family.
Lorenzo’s chest heaved in and out as sweat poured down his face. “I told you that I’m not talking.”
“Yeah, I heard you. I think you’ll change your mind.” I straightened and picked up one of the vials. “Lorenzo, this is acid. Do you know what acid does to the human body? It’s worse than fire. It burrows in and burns the entire way. I’ve seen it used on people. You will die in agony if you don’t tell me where Anna is.” I hated torture. I hated it, but I wouldn’t admit that weakness aloud.
His lips twisted. “I told you, Kalantzis, I’m not talking.” His eyes locked on mine. “I hope Marco’s got her and showing her what a real man can do. I bet that bangin’ body of…”
Somehow, I kept my cool. Maybe it was the thought that this stuff could spill on me, and I knew what it could do that kept my movements measured. I uncapped the vial, picked a spot on his leg, and let a few drops hit him.
At first, it seemed to stop at eating a hole in his pants, then worked his way down to his flesh. He clamped his lips together to keep himself from screaming.
I moved up his leg, and this time, my hand slipped a little and I dumped a good ten percent on him. He couldn’t hold back the wail. At first, acidic fumes gnawed through the cotton fibers of his jeans, the stench overwhelming. Hair and flesh were next, and lastly, a sickly-sweet odor filled the air.
“Tell me where Anna is, Lorenzo. I will keep pouring this on you until you are nothing but Swiss cheese if necessary.”
He gasped for breath. “No.”
With a grunt, I looked at Dimitris. “Hold his head, keep his eye open.” I approached him again and paused. “It hurts, doesn’t it?”
No answer.
“Where is Anna?”
I counted to three and tipped the vial. His feral scream sliced through the air, a guttural sound I’d never wish on my worst enemy. He thrashed violently against the restraints, tendons straining, eyes rolling back.
An acrid, meaty odor flooded my senses in an unstoppable wave—something reminiscent of grilled hamburger. My stomach roiled in protest, threatening to unleash its contents right then and there.
“If you tell me what I want to know, I’ll put you out of your misery. You have to the count of?—”
“Wicker Park,” he cried. “Jason’s office. Stop it. Please stop it!” Another ear-piercing wail, and more thrashing. “There’s no way in. He’s got the place completely covered.”
“Thank you,” I said and pulled my weapon. “One last question.”
“What?” he screeched.
“Is Gabriele the one in charge?”
Lorenzo didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Please! Please!”
I pulled the trigger and silence filled the warehouse.
As I holstered my weapon, I was already returning to the car.
“Gabriele?” Dimitris lit a cigarette as he kept pace with me.
“Yeah, we’ll talk more once I’ve got Anna and she’s safe.”
Ares pulled open the door as we approached.
“Lykos.” The word was barked as I entered the car.
Fear mixed with anxiety settled like a rock in my stomach. I needed to get to Anna. I wasn’t sure what Michael had planned, but I knew I didn’t have much time.