Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
GINO
NOVEMBER
I’ve asked everyone I can think of for help.
I’ve asked old contacts of my father, his friends, my friends, and we are no closer to finding Mateo.
It’s been months, and I don’t know what to do anymore.
It’s November, and he’s been missing for over six months.
I've tried everything I can think of without going over there myself.
My sister is almost through her pregnancy, and my goal was to get Mateo home before she gives birth.
She’s still texting him every day, and the only reason I know is because she’s told Juliet and Alonso about it.
And I haven’t turned it on because I don’t want Mateo to miss a single thing she’s sent him.
I know it’s one of the few ways she’s been dealing with this.
She believes his phone is with him, and he just can’t respond.
But I know better; his phone is still in my office, turned off in a drawer. Only Gabe, Juliet, and Alonso know I’ve kept it. I think everyone else is none the wiser.
I know my lying and secrets are catching up to me.
I’m fully expecting that when Mateo gets back, I’ll probably be punched in the face at least five times for the secrets and lies I told Vanessa regarding his kidnapping.
He’s more loyal to her than to me, and we’ve known each other our whole lives.
That’s what I get for letting their arranged marriage happen.
The other big secret, that Juliet and I are dating. I’m pretty sure everyone now is under the impression that we’ve been secretly sleeping together for years and never said anything until we got caught. But we technically didn’t get caught; they all just assumed.
Juliet has been working overtime making sure our business plans still go through. She’s become the lead negotiator on all real estate and business transactions. I know she’ll take her job as Chief Financial Officer seriously if we ever get the chance to have the business.
If Mateo isn’t here, I won’t want to build this business. He’s my best friend. We were raised like brothers, and it just feels wrong not having him here.
Breaking me from my thoughts, my phone rings. I can see it’s Lorenzo.
“Hello,” I say, answering while also texting Drew to come upstairs.
“Gino, I just want to tell you, your man, he's a strong one. He’s a fighter. I wonder why that is?” Lorenzo replies.
Did Mateo say something about Vanessa? I know he wouldn’t, but Lorenzo is making it sound like he knows something.
“I don’t know. But why don’t you send me proof of life? I don’t want to keep negotiating with you if I don’t know if my man is alive,” I say.
Drew walks into the room and immediately opens his laptop.
“Fine, I’ll send you that, but I think you should also send something in return,” he says, sounding excited.
“What’s that?”I ask irritably.
“I want twenty kilos of the best on the market.”
“How do you expect me to get that for you?” I ask.
“I don’t know, figure it out, maybe ask your man who's been snooping around Rome the last few months,” he says.
Gabe’s been in Italy for months, and he’s been questioning everyone we can find.
From associates to enemies. He’s also been tailing almost everyone we can think of to see if they’ll lead us to Mateo, and nothing has worked.
He’s tried to be discreet, but I guess it’s not working how we thought it would.
Shit.
Then he hangs up. Right away, we see the proof of life. Mateo looks like shit. Broken, bruised, battered.
I look at Drew. “Anything?”
“Not yet.”
I dial Gabe.
“Yeah?” He says.
“Get on the next flight back; they spotted you,” I say quickly.
“Got it,” he replies.
I give my phone to Drew.
“See if you can get anything from that photo he just sent,” I say.
“Got it,” he replies immediately, putting his head down.
I watch him as he works.
“Gino, this is bad,” he says solemnly.
“I know.”
The photo shows Mateo on his knees, chained to a wall. The room is plain; there’s nothing we can identify from it. He’s injured and bleeding, and thinner than before.
I know if we don’t find him soon, he’ll die.
Drew continues clicking on his computer.
“Did Mateo say anything to help us?” he asks.
“He said something to Lorenzo about Roman and the take,” I reply.
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means that, from what he can see, Rome is far away, but he can still see it,” I say.
“And you got that, how?” he asks.
“Because it’s Mateo,” I say.
He looks at me, and his eyes do all the talking, screaming at me to explain.
“When we were kids, we used to create code words and names. So he probably did that to get us a message,” I say.
“I have so many questions.”
Before he can say anything else, his computer pings. He looks down and frowns. “They spoofed us. He's at his father’s compound when he called, and we know Mateo isn’t there. They must know we’re on to them,” he says.
“Keep digging; there has to be something.”
He nods and leaves my office.
I sit down at my desk, close my eyes, and let out a long breath.
“Gino,” I hear Juliet’s voice call out.
Her voice is perfect; it's always been perfect. I open my eyes, and I look at her. I just stare. She’s wearing leggings and an oversized T-shirt that’s been tucked in.
I clear my throat.
“Hey, is everything okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, are you okay?” she counters.
“I’m fine,” I grumble.
“Gino,” she sighs. “Drew just told me about the photo Lorenzo just sent. Don’t lie to me.”
“If you’re asking to see it. That’s not happening,” I tell her firmly.
No way in hell I’m letting her see that.
“I’m not asking to see it; I’m asking if you’re okay,” she says.
She wants me to be honest.
“Shut the door,” I tell her.
She quickly turns and closes the door.
“What I’m about to tell you doesn’t leave this room. I know I shouldn’t be keeping secrets, but this is life or death,” I say seriously.
She swallows and nods.
“This is bad, very bad,” I admit. “Nothing we’ve done has worked, and I’m scared, terrified.
I’ve tried old contacts; I’ve tried negotiating with them.
Gabe has been made, so he’s coming back.
But Lorenzo keeps finding ways to evade us.
If we don’t get him back soon, Vanessa is going to have those kids without their father around.
And I don’t think I can live with myself if he’s not here.
I know you’ve told me this isn’t my fault, and I haven’t failed anyone.
But Lorenzo clearly has a personal issue with me.
I get that he’s pissed about the raid, but there’s more to it. There has to be.”
“Gino, he could just be an asshole and is taking this opportunity to get his own piece of the pie. I’ve looked over everything; that's all it is. He’s not set to inherit much; he's not the oldest son,” she says.
“You’re probably right, but how do we get him back?” I ask.
“We do what we do best, which is using our brains, not your guns or your fists.”
“That sounds like a very good plan.” I smile at her.
She smiles back. “I’ll see if Drew or Ryan has anything I haven’t looked over.”
Then she leaves the office, and I know Mateo was right years ago that Juliet is going to run this place better than any of us can.