LUCIANO
I kicked the dirt beneath my feet as I let out a frustrated sigh, the sun had dipped and it was getting darker by each passing second. All my men had rounded up near the church.
“We searched the area to the best of our ability, there was no sign of her anywhere,” Petro said.
I stole one final glance at the cluster of houses in the distance. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a chance that she was inside one of these houses, tied up and scared.
I looked around and arched an eyebrow, “Where’s Jose?”
As if the universe could hear me, my phone rang in my pocket, he was the one calling.
“Hello, Luciano… You might want to see this,” his voice sounded over the line.
I stepped into the abandoned wooden house, cigar sticks were scattered all over the floor and it seemed like some people had been here.
Thuds met my ears as Jose descended from the stairs. We made eye contact and he tilted head upwards. “Upstairs, they left some things, it looks like Jade was here.”
I followed him up to a room, there was a chair in the center of the room with ropes which I assume we’re used to tie her down. I moved around the room, my eyes landing on an empty sedative bottle. I picked it up, scrutinizing it under my gaze.
Jose picked up a discarded syringe from the ground next to the chair. Our gazes met as we shared a knowing look.
“They sedated her and took her away,” I rasped. Suddenly, with feral rage coursing through my body. I flung the vial away forcefully as I grunted.
******
I could barely get any sleep last night, and now it is morning. Petro adviced against me calling the number Jade used to call, but I disregarded his concerns. Needless to say that the number was unreachable. It’s been three days, three days since she was kidnapped.
I grabbed my phone to check for any updates, but I was met with a text from my secretary asking if I was coming to work today.
“No, clear my schedule for this week,” I typed then sent. I entered the bathroom and freshened up.
As I made my way down the stairs, I could already see some of my men waiting, ready for the meeting as I had instructed them last night.
“Good morning Luciano,” Jose greeted.
“Morning, so how was it? Asking the locals questions?”
“Nothing much, they seemed clueless.”
“Elizabeth, please bring me some whiskey.”
She nodded and walked away.
“Isn’t it too early for alcohol?” Luca said, staring at me.
“Who said there had to be a particular time for alcohol?”
He sighed, letting go of the argument. “We have to work even harder, we have to cover more ground, search areas near that church.”
“We’re already on it, what about the police? Have you told them about her call?”
I scoffed, “fuck the police, it’s not like they care, whoever kidnapped her probably has insiders in the police. The cops are one of the most corrupt people I know.”
Elizabeth arrived with my bottle of whiskey in one hand and a glass cup on the other, she placed them on the table and excused herself.
“I thought I made myself clear when I said I wanted everyone to be present, where is Raffaele?” I questioned, suddenly registering his absence.
“We have no idea,” Luca responded as I poured myself a drink. Well, I’d ask him what he’s been up to when I see him personally.
His odd behavior these past few days has been nothing but irritating. The cup met with my lips as I took a swig of the whiskey. The hot drink stung my tongue and I swallowed, a familiar warmth trailing my gut.
I made a kiss sound with my teeth and nursed the rest of the drink I was holding. “I want her found no matter what it takes, what if I give out a reward to whoever can find her and bring her to me?”
“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea,” Petro started, when the ringing of my phone interrupted him. I gestured with my hands that he paused and he did.
It was Raffaele calling. I answered the call. “Hello, and just what excuse do you have for not showing up huh?”
“Luciano… your problem is that you already jump into conclusions,” he dragged, his voice carrying a low dangerous tone.
“Don’t listen to a word he’s saying!” A familiar voice screeched in the background. My face immediately twisted into a frown at my grip on the cup instantly grew weak.
The glass shattered into bits as it connected with the ground.
Raffaele chuckled. “It’s cute when she tries.”
“Where are you Raffaele and why the hell do you have my wife!?” I barked, holding myself back from squeezing the phone too hard.
“You’re not in the position to make demands. I am, and I want you to come to me or else, I’ll kill Jade.”
“What?” I whispered.
“I’ll send you an address, I want you to go to that address alone, no cops, no backup, no capo, just you and me. If you try to act funny, Jade gets it.”
I felt my heart skip a beat. I could tell be was not bluffing. He was literally damn serious from his murderous tone.
“You have 24 hours to show up before I do something you’ll regret.”
“Don’t do it Luciano, it’s a trap!” She yelled, her voice echoed like a desperate plea. The line cut.
Jose took a huge step forward, “What did he say?
“He has Jade, he wants me to turn myself in or he’ll hurt her.”
Luca huffed, “You know it’s a trick right? He wants you dead.”
“It all makes sense, if he kills you, he’ll become capo,” Petro muttered, his voice low.
I took a swig of the drink directly from the bottle, then swiped the corner of my lips with my sleeves.
“Not a chance” I grimaced.
******
The gun drawer creaked open like a rusty gate, groaning under the weight of its metallic burden. My fingers skimmed the collection. My gaze lingered on the Walther PPK. It was light, reliable, a ghost in the hand. Perfect.
Raffaele had already sent the address. I never thought he would because it was getting to seem like forever.
This was a well thought out plan. I’m sure he was fully prepared whilst giving me a short time to strategize.
With practiced ease, I loaded the clip, the metallic clicks a grim counterpoint to the pounding of my heart. Swiftly, I grabbed onto a pocket knife and slid it inside my pants. It always comes in handy.
The knock on the door, sharp and sudden, shattered the tense quiet. The knob yielded to my touch, revealing Petro, “Signora Greco is downstairs,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “She wants to see you.”
That was Raffaele’s mother, my stepmother, a woman who once held the warmth of a heart in her eyes. What could she possibly want after the inferno her son had unleashed?
Downstairs, she sat on the plush couch, a pale wraith amidst the vibrant decor. Her eyes, red-rimmed and swollen, met mine. “I heard… about Raffaele,” she rasped, her voice brittle like dry leaves. “Jose told me.”
“He went too far,” I said, my voice tight, each word a shard of ice scraping against my throat. “This… this isn’t about family anymore. It’s about Jade, about the life he’s trying to steal.”
Her apology, when it came, was a whimper, a broken melody of blame and regret. “I didn’t know,” she sobbed, her tears glistening like diamonds on her pale cheeks. “I never thought… I thought he was just lost, angry. I never thought he’d become this… this monster.”
The monster. My brother. This woman, broken and drowning in her son’s sins, was a victim too.
“We can fix this, Luciano,” she pleaded, reaching out a trembling hand. “We can go to him together, beg him. There has to be another way. Please, there has to be peace.”
My teeth gritted together, the sound like gravel grinding. “There’s no peace with monsters, mother,” I said, my voice low, laced with the bitter tang of finality. “Not when they threaten what I love.”
Her face crumpled, tears cascading down her cheeks. She looked at me, a woman stripped bare of her maternal armor, pleading for a miracle I couldn’t deliver. The sight of her pain, raw and unfiltered, was a gut punch, a reminder of the collateral damage in this war.
Giovanni joined me by the window. “Are you sure about this, Luciano? You know if you do this, one of you will die.”
“I have to do this,” I said. “Jade… the baby… they’re worth the risk.”
He nodded, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. “Then be careful,” he said, his voice gruff with concern.
Luca, his face etched with concern, intervened. “Be careful, Luciano. Take some men with you. We’ll hide, provide cover. You can’t just walk in there alone.”
“No,” I said, the word firm. “This is between us. I won’t endanger anyone else.”