41. Most Valuable Piece #2
“Oh, I’m sure he’ll find you. In fact,” he smirked, a little glint in his eyes. “I’m counting on it. But by the time he does, I’ll be far away, starting a new life.”
I frowned. This man was speaking in riddles, and none of it made any sense.
“Sometimes you have to burn down one empire to free another. It’s nothing personal.”
The van slowed to a stop. One of the men knocked twice on the metal door before it slid open.
Callum leaned forward and gagged my mouth before crouching in front of me and searching my face again.
“If it could have been any other way,” he whispered in a tone that almost sounded sincere and regretful. Hot tears sprang to my eyes. “Just remember, you’re stronger than you think.”
He climbed out of the van and threw me over his shoulder. As he started marching across the gravel, I felt the tracker slipping out of my bra. Shit, shit, shit. It dropped to the ground, rolling over the stones, and Callum paused, twisting around as one of his men picked it up.
Callum sighed. “Throw it in the sea. We’ll be gone in five minutes.”
I lifted my head to find we were walking through the narrow passages of shipping containers at Ostia port. Was he going to tie me up in one and ship me to another country? Or throw me off the next boat? Where the hell was he taking me?
I exited the police station with my arms wide open, head tilted back, and eyes shut. The last of the afternoon sun shone down on my face, and I smiled, breathing in the fresh air.
Freedom.
It was almost enough to consider this as a warning to change my lifestyle. To become a modest man earning a humble living. Almost.
“Please don’t break into song,” my brother shouted from across the car park. I opened my eyes and walked towards the two cars full of my soldiers waiting for me. But the one person I was desperate to see wasn’t among them.
“Where’s my wife?”
“Nice to see you too, fratello,” Giovanni scoffed, slapping his hand on my shoulder. “She’s waiting for you at home.”
Cazzo, that was music to my ears. My wife. At home. Waiting for me. The fact she played such a vital role in getting me released made me even more eager to get home as quickly as possible so I could thank her the way she deserved.
I climbed into the back with Gio, and we started to travel through the city.
“Okay, I’ll admit it now,” Gio said, rubbing his jaw and gazing at me. I smirked, knowing exactly what he was about to say. “You were right.”
“About?” I pushed because I loved to gloat and rub it in.
“Most of Callum’s security consisted of ex-Leone soldiers or low-level petty criminals.
None of them revealed who he truly was. I’m not even sure if they knew.
However, I believe your theory about him being a bastard Leone heir.
It makes the most sense given what we do know.
And that wife of yours… You were right. She is the one for you. ”
I folded my arms across my chest, grinning like a fool. “So you’ll listen to me now? Give me free rein to deal with Callum myself?”
“He’s positioned himself well. He’s made public statements, acting as the mayor’s confidant and closest friend. It will be hard to make him disappear without suspicion.”
“Surely that’s Alessio’s speciality; making people disappear without suspicion.”
We exchanged a knowing smile, and then my phone started ringing. Cristo. I’d only been handed it back five minutes ago, and already it was burning a hole in my pocket.
I frowned as I pulled it out, realising it wasn’t a call but an alert. A security alert at home. My heart stumbled over itself.
“What’s wrong?”
Knowing Aria wasn’t using her phone because Callum was tracking it, I immediately rang Max. He didn’t answer.
“Security breach at the apartment block. Max isn’t answering.” I looked out the window. We were still at least five minutes away, possibly longer in the rush-hour traffic.
I tried Belio next, but it rang and rang again.
“I’ll try Cami,” Gio said, pulling out his own phone. Her hysterical cries as she answered caused me to snap my arm across him and yank the phone from his hand.
“Camilla, it’s Sani. Where’s Aria?”
“Downstairs. In the garage. We were ambushed,” she whimpered between sobs.
“Is she alone?”
“No. Max shoved me into the lift and told me to alert your men. They won’t let me go back down. They locked me in your flat.”
“Who was it? Who attacked?”
“I don’t know. It all happened so quickly. Aria’s friend came to the gate, and then men just stormed in, shooting.”
I threw my trembling hand over my eyes and tried to breathe. The thought of Aria in danger made the darkness pulse through my veins with the need for destruction.
“We’re on our way.”
I hung up and threw the phone at Gio before closing my eyes and clenching my fists on my knees.
My body stiffened as I allowed the darkness to overtake me, atom by atom.
Gio knew not to speak to me and instead began shouting orders and faster routes to our men before calling for more backup at my place.
Only when the car turned down the ramp into my garage did I open my eyes. The gate was damaged, still partially open, but the lower part was bent from impact. Before the car had even stopped, I flung open the door and leapt out.
For a moment, the entire garage seemed to freeze when they spotted me.
Smoke still lingered in the air. Bullet casings littered all over the concrete, and several of my cars were damaged, with spiderwebs of shattered glass across the windshields.
And then there were the bodies and the blood.
I swept the entire scene once, my heart racing like a caged beast inside my chest while I remained deadly calm on the outside. He took her. I already knew.
Gio was crouching in front of Max, who was propped up against a car tyre with one hand pressed over his bleeding side. Gio held the shirt he’d just taken off against a gunshot wound.
I didn’t need to say anything. One look at my face and he knew what I wanted.
“Callum,” Max gritted through his teeth. “Van. Black transit. Brought eight men. Left with five.”
“Which way?”
“Turned right.”
Across the garage, Belio was being dragged upright by two soldiers, blood streaming down the side of his battered face. I walked towards him, resisting the need to take my anger out on him.
He straightened himself despite his injuries. Shame shadowed his face as he lowered his head slightly.
“Boss.”
“You let him take her.”
“She gave herself up, traded places with her friend.” He swallowed and nodded towards the small body huddled between two cars, sobbing. Allegra. Of course my little rebel would save her friend. “I tried to get her to hide under that car but she—”
“Which car?”
“The Porsche.”
I stormed towards it, crouching down. Knowing my girl was smart, I scanned the floor beneath, searching for anything she might have left behind as a clue.
I raised my hand and looked for the tracking device I had placed on all my most valuable possessions.
I’d have one fitted under her skin once I found her.
“Clever girl,” I whispered, rising to my feet and pulling out my phone. I opened my tracking app, and there it was—a small red dot moving across the city.
“Cars. Now,” I shouted at my men as I stormed towards my fastest motorbike and grabbed a knife, gun, and helmet. “Head towards Ostia port!”
I glanced up to see Gio helping Max to his feet; Cami was now at his side too, heading towards a car.
“I’ll follow you,” Gio said. “Let me just get this bastard on his way to the doc.”
I nodded, punched down my visor, and revved the hell out of my bike, the wheels screeching against the concrete as I tore onto the road.
I knew my men would take a bit longer to get there, but I wouldn’t wait for them. Aria needed me, and Callum was mine to deal with. I wanted to watch his blood spill and the light fade from his eyes with my face being the last thing he ever saw.
Frame me, get me locked up, mess with my business and money, but never lay a finger on my wife. For that, there would be no mercy for you.