29
GIOVANN I
M y phone is filled with missed calls and messages. Each one more daunting and threatening than the last. I’ve managed to avoid them for the last week, but I can only put it off for so long.
My phone starts to ring for the fifteenth time today. I stare at it, willing it to stop and after a few more rings, it does. I know I can’t keep ignoring it forever, but the prospect of answering it and having another awkward conversation fills me with dread. Avoidance is the only solution right now, until I can wrap my head around what I’m going to do. I knew this job wasn’t going to be easy. There’s a lot at stake when it comes to protecting Bianchi, and while I’m not prepared to let anything happen to her, I’m also battling with the other threat, the one I have no control over. The one that cements everything for me. Of course, nobody besides me knows what lurks in the shadows, the threats that linger over not only me, but Bianchi and her crew. It’s my job to ensure everything runs smoothly.
While Bianchi is insistent on finding the gang leader’s daughter, I need to ensure her safety. I caught a glimpse of the picture that was handed to her by the leader of the gang, and to say I’m shook is an understatement. I could make out the fear in the girl’s eyes, her bedraggled state serving as a warning to the gang that they can and will do anything unless they follow the rules.
I shudder at the thought, because like so many others, I’m aware of what the Verdis are capable of. It’s only a matter of time before that girl becomes less of a bargaining chip and more of a toy. And we all know what happens to broken toys.
Refocusing my attention, I watch Sera, who has been sitting quietly at her desk all morning in the den. Exhaustion and stress weigh her features down. I know she’s struggling with the turn of events from a few days ago, but she’s pushing past it for the sake of her position.
Since Luca and Levi threw it down in the courtyard, Levi has been walking around silently—giving me a run for my money—while Luca just grunts at everything. They’re both sporting some cuts and bruises to their faces, but that’s not what seems to bother Sera the most. She always told me that the silence bothered her. Now, the only people to fill the void are the twins and Raf.
The room has been silent for the better part of half an hour now. Raf and the twins are checking out maps and floor plans, matching up areas that could be a possibility of where the Verdis are keeping Zeke’s daughter.
She had asked Levi to run this meeting with Luca, in an effort to put their differences aside. You can imagine how that went down. They’re currently sitting across from each other, staring each other out. It would be funny if it weren’t for the fact they’ve already pulled guns on one another twice today.
Such a pair of assholes. It doesn’t take a genius to work out how much they like Bianchi. If I were in their shoes, it wouldn’t matter to me whose dick went where and when. Having a woman like Sera before you is a gift in itself. She’s fiercely independent, yet unafraid to show a more vulnerable side. Sometimes I wonder if that’s what makes a great leader. Compassion and power go hand in hand, and she reminds me so much of …
I push that thought to the back of my mind. I hate going to that place. Reliving the past isn’t going to change my present or future. It isn’t going to bring her back to me. Focusing on the now and putting one foot in front of the other is all I know, all I can do.
“I think this is where they’re keeping her,” Raf states aloud, pointing at a gray area on his computer screen.
“You think?” Sera questions abruptly from her desk.
I watch Raf lift his gaze to meet Bianchi’s. It’s still evident how much Sera doesn’t trust Mancini. But the fact he’s still doing everything within his power to prove his loyalty to her is a testament to his perseverance.
“I’ve sent drones all over the place. I couldn’t get a good look, but there has been a lot of activity.” Raf pulls up surveillance footage on his laptop. A moving image skates across the scene, zooming in on certain areas of a compound until it reaches men patrolling the perimeter. “I wouldn’t recommend infiltrating just yet.”
“How many men?” Marco asks.
“I’ve counted fifteen, but that’s just the perimeter. There’s no way for me to get a look inside. But if the Verdis have Zeke’s daughter, my bet is she’s going to be there.” Raf finishes by closing his laptop with a soft click.
“So let’s do some recon,” Matteo suggests.
Sera nods in agreement. “Where is it?”
“A compound out in the Valley.”
My attention snaps to Raf, who is focused intently on his screen. Compounds in the Valley only spell one thing when it comes to businesses and corporations that people like Bianchi and the Verdis’ are involved in. There’s only one reason the Valleys are good for, and that’s to hide precious cargo or illegal shit. I’m opting for the latter.
“One of three,” Raf supplies, forcing me to shudder.
My thoughts go nowhere positive after that. All I can think about is what the Verdis are hiding up there.
Sera sighs, perching on the edge of the couch. She looks like she’s warring with the same conflicting thoughts I am. Maybe she knows what the Verdis are up to, what they’re keeping up there. I’d be surprised if she didn’t. She’s a smart woman. In her line of business, she must be aware of what the Valley is used for.
“So all your intel points to this one?” she asks.
Raf nods, sitting back in his seat. “I’ve been keeping tabs on the compound for the last two days. Aside from the movements outside, nobody has been or gone from the place. It’s completely locked down.”
“Which means we’re on borrowed time,” Sera states. She turns her attention to Marco who seems to be her point of contact in leading this mission.
“We can check it out tonight,” he answers.
Sera nods gratefully, though I think she’s more bothered about the fact her enforcer and second in command are being moody assholes.
I wish I could knock sense into them. I wish I could tell them to be grateful that at least Bianchi was honest about everything instead of hiding what she wanted from them, or worse. She could have just played them against one another. But no, she put herself out there and this is what she gets. Sure, she didn’t exactly get the response she wanted but I’m pretty sure it’s the one she expected. Though, I was certain it would be Luca putting a fight up first and not the other way around. I don’t think I’ve ever seen chaos like this in my line of work before. Usually, it’s the men cheating on their wives, placing blame elsewhere. Not Bianchi, though. She wears her shit proudly, and even though I saw how hurt she was from Levi’s words, she stands strong in an effort to show the world she can be a leader.
“Can I trust you two to behave?” she asks Levi and Luca.
I half expect Levi to jump to her command, but all he does is nod. As for Luca, the best response Sera gets from him is his usual grunt.
“Great,” she beams. “Marco, we need a plan.”
“The compound is lined by trees before it hits the Valley water,” Marco starts, falling into the role of leader seamlessly. “Our best approach is to start here,” he says, pointing to an area on a map. “We hike up. We don’t need many men. Just enough to cover us if shit goes down. ”
“We can use Greco’s men,” Matteo suggests with a smirk. “They’re dispensable.”
But Sera doesn’t seem to like that idea. She smacks him over the back of he head, causing him to laugh and scowl at the same time. ”None of you are dispensable,” she admonishes. “Safety first, recon only. We need to know what we’re working with before we take anyone out. We need to be sure the girl is in there.”
Marco nods in agreement, giving his brother a warning look. “Recon only. We take some of Greco’s men, Matteo and I, and these two,” he gestures to Levi and Luca, “If they can handle it.”
Levi stands, dusting his trousers of imaginary fluff. “I’m staying.”
“Pussy,” Luca mutters under his breath, though it’s loud for all of us to hear.
Without warning, Levi lunges at him. But he barely makes it halfway across before Sera intercepts, pressing her palm against his chest. For a split second I’m wondering what is going through both of their heads. What I walked in on the other day wasn’t nothing. And I can see in Levi’s eyes how much he wants to relish her touch. Instead, he brushes her off like her touch burns him.
“I’ll be fine,” she reassures.
“And leave you on your own?”
“I won’t be alone. I have Gio, remember?” Sera smiles weakly, turning to me for reassurance.
I respond with a nod. She doesn’t even have to question where I’ll be.
“Fine,” Levi relents before turning to the rest of the group. “But I’m not riding with him. ”
Matteo wraps an arm around Levi’s shoulders playfully. The entire room seems to relax around Matteo’s lighthearted attitude. “You can ride with me,” he grins.
Eventually Levi submits, giving Sera a nod. Though I don’t think he’s in total agreement, I understand his reluctance. The last time he left Sera alone was when we returned one of Zeke’s men to the gang. That’s where it all started, and I’m pretty sure Levi is never going to forget that .
“Make a clear plan,” Sera orders Marco. “I don’t want any casualties tonight.”
With a swift nod, Marco and Raf begin to make plans, while Luca sits silently listening in. It won’t be long before they’re all hitting the road to the Valley.
I just really hope they find the girl.