Chapter 26
Dmitri
I thread through the upscale bar Sean chose. I hate being here. I hate that I’m desperate enough to come.
Finally, I spot Sean seated in one of the booths with a drink already in his hand. I didn’t expect us to meet this much, but circumstances are dire. Especially now.
I sit across from him and check the time on my watch.
I’ve got barely twenty-four hours left. The fear sits in my throat like bile.
“Please tell me that you have something,” I say to him.
Sean opens his mouth to talk, but a waitress materializes at my elbow.
“What can I get you, sir?” she asks me with a big, red-lipped smile.
“Vodka,” I reply before giving Sean an impatient look. “Did you look over that list of people that I sent you?”
Sean motions for me to relax. “Yes, I looked at the list. You’ve been quite busy working with so many people.”
“If you fuck me over because I gave you that list, I’ll burn you alive,” I warn him. I was wary about sending business contacts over to an enemy, but he knows even more people than I do. It’s a chance that I was willing to take for Cara.
Sean chuckles and waves his hand dismissively. “You’ll be thanking me in a minute and eating your words.”
“You found something,” I say, my heart rate spiking.
Sean nods. “I caught wind of some rumors about Luca Leonetti. The Italians despise him. They’re saying he betrayed them and his own family in New York and that he’s hiding in Vegas under Russian protection.”
Luca’s name sparks a few memories in my mind. “Cara and I met him once together to discuss using his vans and we were able to reach an agreement.”
“Would you say he’s an ally of yours? If the Italians found out that you were working with him, they could be especially pissed off,” Sean remarks.
I wait for the waitress to drop off my drink before answering. “He’s not exactly a close friend, but I would call him an ally. I’m paying him to use his trucks. I remember him saying they kicked him out of the family.”
Sean shrugs. “Could be a lead. I couldn’t find much on anyone else on your list.”
“Luca said he liked working with the enemy now,” I reply. “I’m sure his family is furious.”
“Maybe even furious enough to go after you for working with him,” Sean points out.
I’m willing to follow any lead at this point, and I don’t have enough time to be picky. This will have to do.
“I still have his number. I’ll meet with him,” I say before knocking back my drink.
“When?”
“Tonight,” I reply before getting out of the booth. “Thanks.”
Sean scoffs at my abrupt exit, but I’m out of earshot before he can say anything else.
I stride out of the bar and out into the night, a slight chill lingering in the air from the night breeze. I find Luca in my contacts and hit the call button, hoping with everything that I have that he actually picks up the phone.
“Come on,” I mutter as I listen to each ring.
“Ciao!” Luca’s voice pops through the speaker.
“Luca, we need to meet. Right fucking now,” I tell him as I head farther down the sidewalk away from other people.
“Woah, slow down,” Luca says with a chuckle. “Are you drunk dialing me, Ivanov? It’s late.”
I huff in frustration. “This is serious. I need you to meet me somewhere. I don’t have a lot of time.”
“What is this about?” Luca questions me, his voice becoming more serious.
“It’s Cara,” I tell him as I slip into nearby shadows between two buildings. “Someone has taken her.”
“Cazzo…” Luca murmurs. “Where should I meet you?”
“I’ll send you the location. Come immediately,” I reply before hanging up the phone. As I hurry down the sidewalk, I send him the name and address of the small park that I’m heading to. It’ll be dark, quiet, and secluded.
When I arrive, there’s no one around. Only a few nearby lights illuminate the small walking path that circles the patch of grass, the small gazebo, and a handful of benches.
I make my way to one of the benches that face the street so that I can see him coming and take a seat, my heart still slamming against my ribcage. I’ve kept in contact with Luca a little throughout the past several weeks for business. His trucks have come in handy.
But is our partnership enough for his family to lash out at me?
Finally, I see a shadow crossing the street and heading my way. I sit up straighter as the streetlights illuminate the figure enough for me to make out Luca’s dark, wavy hair and designer jacket and pants.
“What the hell, Ivanov?” Luca says as he sits down next to me, keeping his voice low. “What happened?”
“Cara was driving out of town, and someone ran her off the road. They kidnapped her, and they’re keeping her somewhere. Some coward has called me twice, saying they’ll release her if I trade someone I’ve aligned myself with, someone bad for business.”
Luca nods slowly, confusion filling his face. “And this has something to do with me?”
“We’re in business together. I’ve been paying you for your trucks,” I tell him, watching his eyes widen a degree.
“What? Me?” he questions me.
“Your family is angry with you,” I explain. “If they found out that we were working together, how do you think they would react?”
Luca considers it for a moment before cursing under his breath. “They wouldn’t be happy. I’m the black sheep. The betrayer. They want me to suffer without a penny to my name.”
A little bit of the weight on my chest lifts. He sees where I’m coming from.
“Do you think they would do something like this?” I ask him.
Luca’s expression turns grave. “They’d rather hurt me through someone innocent than come at me clean.”
“I didn’t realize they were that angry with you,” I say after a long exhale.
Luca leans back and crosses his arms over his chest, clicking his tongue. “Well, that’s what happens when you have a mind of your own and you’re not a drone. They hate you for it. They want to kill you for it.”
I understand that more than he realizes. I don’t have time to bond with him over family issues, though.
“There are a lot of Italians in Vegas. I only have around twenty-four hours left to figure out who is keeping Cara captive before I lose her,” I tell him. “I need you to help me figure out who is doing this.”
A cheeky smile crosses Luca’s face as he nudges me with his shoulder. “You’re not just going to give me up, amico? That would be so much simpler.”
I give him a pointed look. “People like this don’t keep promises. There’s no guarantee that they’ll even give her to me if I give you up. I’d rather take down the bastards.”
Luca nods, his eyes narrowing in determination. “Then, I would be happy to help you find Cara and rescue her.”
I release a relieved breath. “It could be dangerous, especially if we come face to face with your family.”
Luca waves his hands dismissively. “I’m not scared of them. In fact, I have a running list of them that I’d like to punch in the face.”
“It’ll be worse than punching,” I tell him. I know that he has already turned his back on his family, but things could still get complicated if the situation becomes life or death. I need to know that he has my back no matter what.
“I’m not backing down from any fight, Dmitri. If they did take Cara, I’ll fight for her. For you.”
Before I can thank him, a grin pops up on his face.
“I liked meeting her that one time at lunch,” Luca tells me, his eyes glinting with interest.
I immediately glare at him. “When we get her back, she’s mine. And she’ll be my wife.”
Luca chuckles and pats me on the shoulder. “Congratulations! I had a feeling you two were a little closer than boss and employee.”
I hold my hand out to him. “Thank you for helping me with this. We need to move quickly.”
Luca shakes my hand and nods. “Let’s meet early in the morning. I’ll have a list of names for you, and we’ll find your bride to be.”
I don’t even like the thought of waiting that long, but I need to give him time to work, and some sleep wouldn’t hurt me. Tomorrow, no matter what happens, is going to be chaotic, and I need to be on top of my game.
Cara is relying on me, and I can’t let her down again.
“No later than seven,” I say as I stand from the bench. “You can meet me at my place.”
“I’m honored, amico,” Luca replies, placing his hand over his heart before disappearing into the shadows.
I draw in a deep breath through my nose, but I can’t shake the nerves digging into every muscle in my body.
I feel like I’m finally getting close to finding her, but I also feel so far away.
I haven’t laid my eyes on her in weeks. Haven’t held her in my arms. Haven’t heard her voice or felt her lips against mine.
Tomorrow ends that.
If I fail, the city burns.