Chapter 34
Marco
"I'll be back," I tell Vito, already heading for the door.
"Where are you going?"
"To have a conversation with Elio. Make sure he understands what cooperation looks like."
Vito doesn't stop me.
I take the stairs down to the basement two at a time. Elio is zip-tied to a chair in the corner, his head hanging low. When he hears my footsteps, he looks up with fearful eyes.
"Marco, please—"
I don't let him finish. My fist connects with his jaw. His head snaps back.
"That's for putting your daughter in danger."
Another hit. "That's for being a coward."
I grab him by the collar, forcing him to look at me. "And if anything happens to Elena because of you, there won't be enough of you left for the Irish to identify."
"I didn't want this!" he sputters, blood trickling from his split lip. "I never wanted Elena involved—"
"But she is involved. Because you're a selfish bastard who sold out the Rossos and then ran like a rat when it got hot." I release him and he slumps in the chair. "Now you're going to fix this. You're going to help us get Elena back. Understood?"
"How? They won't listen to me—"
"Then you better be convincing." I lean down to his eye level. "Because if we don't get Elena back alive and unharmed, you won't live to see tomorrow. Are we clear?"
He nods frantically. "Yes. Yes, I'll do whatever you need."
"Good." I cut the zip ties and haul him to his feet. "Let's go."
Back upstairs, I drag Elio into Vito's office. Dante's there now, his shoulder bandaged, arm in a sling.
"You should be in a hospital," I tell him.
"Fuck that. Elena's out there." He grimaces but stands straight. "Medical patched me up. I'm good to go."
I shove Elio into a chair. "He's ready to cooperate."
Vito looks at Elio's bloody face but doesn't comment. "Good. Because we need to move now."
"I'm taking Elio and going after Elena," I say. "Now."
"Marco, we need a plan—"
"The plan is I take this piece of shit, trade him for Elena, and bring her home. That's the plan."
"You can't go in alone—"
"I'm going with him," Dante interrupts.
I turn to him. "You've been shot. You're out of your mind."
"This is minor compared to what I've worked through before." Dante's jaw is set. "She was my responsibility when they took her. I'm getting her back."
"Dante—" Vito starts.
"With all due respect, boss, we can't wait. Every hour Elena's with them..." He doesn't finish. Doesn't need to.
Vito's silent for a long moment. "Rafa, pull up those warehouse locations."
Rafa brings up the map on his laptop. "The active warehouse here. Power's been consistent for three days."
"That's where she is." I'm already checking my weapons. "We go in, we get her out."
"You'll need backup—" Vito says.
"No time. Backup means coordinating, planning, waiting. Elena doesn't have that time." I meet his eyes. "I know you want this done strategically. But every instinct I have is screaming that we need to move. Now."
Vito studies me. Then nods slowly. "Take the earpieces. Stay in contact. Rafa will monitor from here and guide you through the building layout."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet. Just bring her home." He looks at Elio with disgust. "And make sure he's useful, or put a bullet in him."
Twenty minutes later, Dante and I are geared up in an SUV with Elio zip-tied in the back. The drive to the East River warehouse district is tense.
"You think she's okay?" Dante asks quietly.
"She has to be." Because the alternative isn't something I can process right now.
We park a block away from the target warehouse. Rafa's voice crackles through our earpieces. "Thermal shows approximately twelve heat signatures. Four outside perimeter, rest scattered inside on two floors."
"Copy that," I respond.
Dante and I are dressed in all black with bulletproof vests and multiple weapons. Elio sits in the backseat, his eyes wide with fear despite the bruises already forming on his face.
"Please," he whimpers. "They'll kill me."
"Then you better hope they want you alive enough to trade for your daughter," I say coldly, hauling him out of the vehicle.
We move through the shadows toward the warehouse. The structure looms ahead—old brick, broken windows, the smell of rust and river water.
"Two guards at nine o'clock," Dante whispers.
I nod. We move in sync, silencers raised. Two shots. Both guards drop.
"Nice shot with one arm," I murmur.
"Told you I'm good."
We take out the remaining perimeter guards efficiently. Four down. Eight to go.
At the entrance, we position Elio in front of us like a human shield. "You're going to knock on that door," I tell him. "And when they open it, you're going to tell them you've come to make a trade."
"They'll shoot me the moment they see me—"
"Then talk fast." I shove him forward.
Elio knocks with a shaking fist. The door creaks open. A man peers out, sees Elio, and his eyes widen.
"I'm here to trade," Elio says quickly. "Me for my daughter. That was the deal."
The man hesitates, then opens the door wider. "Boss is going to want to see this. Come in."
We push Elio through, following close behind. The moment we're inside, Dante and I raise our weapons.
The guard reaches for his gun but I'm faster. He drops.
"Move," I tell Elio. "Where would they keep prisoners?"
"I don't know! I've never been here!"
"Basement level," Rafa's voice comes through. "Thermal shows a single heat signature isolated in the basement. Southeast corner."
"That's her," Dante says.
We move through the warehouse, using huge generators as cover. The sound of footsteps makes us freeze. Dante takes out another guard silently.
We find the stairs leading down. The stairwell is dark, lit only by emergency lighting. At the bottom, two guards sit in chairs, talking.
Two shots. They slump over.
Suddenly the lights cut out completely. We activate night vision.
"Someone knows you're here," Rafa warns through the comm.
"Then we move faster," I respond.
We clear rooms methodically. Then I hear movement at the end of the hallway. Gunfire erupts. Dante and I return fire. A man drops.
At the end of the hall, we find a heavy iron door. It's locked.
"Elena!" I shout. "Elena, can you hear me?"
No response.
I kick the door. It doesn't budge.
"We need the key," Dante says.
We backtrack, searching bodies. Nothing.
"Remaining heat signatures are on the upper level," Rafa informs us. "One room, northeast corner."
We head back upstairs, moving quickly now. I can hear voices as we approach.
"—can't wait to fuck that pussy—"
"—that ass is mine—"
"Will you both shut up? Neither of you get anything until I'm done with her."
Rage explodes through me. I burst through the door, already firing.
Two men drop, grabbing their legs where I've shot them. Femoral arteries. They'll bleed out fast.
The third man fires back. I count his shots. When he clicks empty, I step out and shoot him in both shoulders. He drops his gun, falling back into the chair.
Dante enters behind me, checking the two bleeding men. "Dead."
I walk up to the man in the chair. He's smirking despite the pain, blood soaking through his expensive suit. "Marco! How wonderful. We were just talking about you."
I recognize Ronan immediately and I punch him in the face. He laughs.
"Where's the key to Elena's cell?"
"A key? I don't know anything about a key." He leans forward. "What I do know is how sweet Elena's whimpers were when I touched her—"
I shoot him in the knee. He screams.
"The. Key."
"Check his pockets," Dante suggests, holstering his weapon and holding Ronan’s arms.
I search him roughly, finding it in his jacket. "Got it."
"Go," Dante says. "I'll handle this piece of shit."
I run. Down the hall, down the stairs, around the corner—
Pain explodes in my shoulder. I duck back as a shot rings out. I check my shoulder. Bullet caught the vest but it still hurts like hell.
I charge out from behind the wall, gun raised. The guy fires. I fire back.
His bullets hit my vest. Mine hits his forehead.
He drops.
I kick him aside and rush through the iron door.
The corridor of cells is lit dimly by a small window. And there, in the last cell, I see her.
Elena lies on the stone floor. Soaking wet. Naked. Hands and ankles bound.
Not moving.
"Elena!" I shout, fumbling with the key. "Elena, baby, wake up!"
The lock clicks. I wrench the door open and drop to my knees beside her.
Her skin is ice cold. Her lips have a blue tinge.
"Elena, please. Please wake up." My hands shake as I check for a pulse.
There. Faint but there.
"Dante!" I yell into my comm. "I need you down here now! She's alive but barely!"
I cut the ropes binding her wrists and ankles. Pull off my jacket and wrap it around her over the shirt she's wearing.
"Come on, baby. Come on. You're safe now. I've got you. Just wake up for me."
Her eyelids flutter.
"That's it. That's my girl. Open those eyes."
She makes a sound. Barely a whisper.
"Marco?"
"I'm here. I'm right here. I've got you."
Her eyes open slightly, unfocused. Then they find mine.
"You came," she breathes.
"Of course I came. Did you really think I wouldn't?" I gather her into my arms, holding her close. "I'm never letting you go again. Never."
Dante appears in the doorway. "Jesus. We need to get her out of here. Now."
"Can you walk?" I ask Elena.
She tries but her legs won't support her. I lift her into my arms.
"I've got you, little fox. Just hold on to me."
As we make our way out of that hell, Elena's arms wrap weakly around my neck. She's shivering violently but she's alive.
She's alive, and she's mine, and I'm bringing her home.