Isabella
Who the fuck does he think he is? I even growl out loud as I storm out of the house, barely holding back the desire to kick or shoot or destroy something. My body is on fire, burning with pure fury and deep dark desire that I refuse to acknowledge.
So what if I got lost for a moment? So what if I almost gave up to him? I clench my fists and shake my head, coming to a halt in the middle of the parking lot. Raul is still a goddamn piece of shit, and I don’t care how handsome he is-I still fucking hate him!
I pause for a moment to take a deep breath and look around. Thank god my car is already here. A couple of Matteo’s recruits dropped by this morning to bring me my stuff and leave the car. If it wasn’t for them, I’d lose my goddamn mind right here and now.
Is Raul mad? Is he gonna follow me? I glance at the house before climbing into the car and driving away in a hurry. My mind is cold but my body is on fire, waves of heat running under my skin whenever I think
about him. It doesn’t matter if he wants to get back at me and show me how damn powerful he is-I’m ready to face him. I’m ready to fight him!
Why am I driving away, then? I purse my lips, staring at the lines of the road in front of me. Because I can’t stand seeing him right now. Because if I stayed in the house, I would get so damn pissed I would shoot him…or would I?
I shake my head with a wave of frustration and anger. I don’t even know what pisses me off more-the way he treats me or the way my body reacts to his closeness. Even just thinking about it makes my mind spin.
The way Raul held on to me, his fingers pressed against the frantic pulse in my wrists, his lips rough and demanding… He might’ve wanted to show me his power-instead, he showed me his desire, and now I can’t get it out of my head. My body reacts to the thought with a tight sensation at the pit of my stomach-but goddamnit, why am I still thinking about it?
Why am I allowing him to have such control over me?
Raul thinks I’m nobody, just a pawn in his big game, huh? I clench my jaw so hard I grit my teeth, resentment and hurt making my throat tight. Everything I planned for this marriage, everything I hoped for…is Raul going to just throw me out of the operation? Can he do that? Of course he can’t-but my heart still feels uneasy.
For a moment, I even consider calling Giovanni to tell him about
Raul’s refusal to share the details of the next operation with me. I am a part of it, after all. I have the right to know everything! But I quickly dismiss the idea. Giovanni doesn’t like Raul as it is. Telling him about the argument
will only make things worse for all of us.
Besides, I don’t want to admit to anyone-Giovanni, in particular- that my plan is breaking apart because I can’t handle my own goddamn husband! I huff out loud, unable to believe it, but well, that’s the truth. Is it normal? Is it weird? Should we be able to talk like adults instead of taunting each other every time we interact? I purse my lips. I don’t know, but I gotta solve it on my own.
For now, I’m going to pretend that everything’s going according to the plan.
I don’t really want to see anyone right now, so after driving around Chicago for a bit, I turn to the warehouse. Riccardo told me last week that I can take it easy after the wedding ceremony, but trust me, the last thing I want right now is to take it easy, especially with Raul by my side.
The sun is already high and bright somewhere behind the clouds enwrapping the city, and when I park next to the warehouse and get out of the car, I shiver and pull my leather jacket tighter around me. Late October in Chicago doesn’t go easy on anyone, but at least it’s not winter yet, and I can breathe without puffs of air escaping my lungs.
“How’s it going?” I ask Marco, one of the oldest members of the Messina clan, when I spot him smoking by the entrance to the warehouse.
He grimaces a little and shakes his head. “Could’ve been better. Are you here because of the Mexicans?”
Huh? I frown, tensing up. “What do you mean?”
“Oh.” Marco blinks and turns to face me with a look of confusion. “So you don’t know?”
As it turns out, less than an hour ago the Messinas received a report that the Escarras were spotted in the northern part of Chicago-and this time, they didn’t hold themselves back. They raided the streets of West Ridge, their old territory, presumably with some of their old members who were still hiding in the worst parts of the neighborhood. On top of wreaking havoc in a few post offices and grocery stores, they also emptied a goddamn gun store, replenishing whatever resources they have.
“Shit,” I grumble under my breath after Paolo explains the situation, pointing at the store and general area of the raid on the map. “This is bad.”
“Not the best day for sure,” Paolo huffs with a note of sarcasm, scrolling through his conversation with Matteo. We’re both at Riccardo’s office while Riccardo himself is keeping an eye on the situation from his house. “We’ve already sent two cars after them, Louis is following them on his own.”
“I don’t know if it’ll be enough, though,” I say in a low voice, gesturing for Paolo to open the map again and pointing at the beach a dozen blocks away from the gun store. “Tell Louis to search through Loyola Beach, here. I know that place. The Escarras have a big fishing boat there, I’m sure they’re gonna use it to escape.”
Paolo nods, knowing better than to question my word when it comes to the Escarras’ habits, and dials Louis’s number. Will they have enough time to catch them? I straighten up with my arms crossed over my chest. If the Mexicans are loaded with guns, it may be dangerous for such a small party to-
“Hey, guys?” Marco’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts, and I look up to see him standing in the doorway with a frown on his face. “The De Lugos are here.”
I blink and exchange a glance with Paolo who looks just as caught off guard as I am.
“Did you know they were supposed to arrive?” he asks, and I shake my head, turning to Marco with an idea rising in my head.
“No, but I’m pretty sure we can use it.”
I catch sight of Ruben as well as the rest of Raul’s entourage as soon as I get downstairs. Some of them only glance at me with a dismissive look when I walk closer, but Ruben and a couple of the others turn to me with a more or less respectful expression. Good.
“Senor Raul ordered us to wait for him here,” Ruben says with a calm look in his eyes, even as his gaze darts to the building behind me.
Wait for him here? While the Escarras are rampaging on the other side of the city? I purse my lips, steeling myself. No, that’s not what the deal was about. If Raul doesn’t want us to work as a team, fine. I’ll handle it without him.
“Just an hour ago, Gerardo showed up on the streets of West Ridge. Our men are there, but they need reinforcements.” I look from one man to another with a firm look in my eyes and a fire of determination in my heart until my gaze lands on Ruben. “The Escarras are headed toward Loyola Beach. Go there and make sure that those rats don’t escape.”
The look in Ruben’s eyes doesn’t change, but the tense pause that follows my words is louder than any protest.
“We’d like to wait for Senor Raul’s word,” Ruben says finally, and I quirk an eyebrow, adrenaline making my heart beat faster.
“Why?”
He seems to be caught off guard by my question because he frowns, replying with a half-questioning tone, “Because Senor Raul is our boss.”
“Well, I’m his wife now.” I narrow my eyes, stepping closer to him as my hand instinctively reaches for my gun. “Do you think you have the right to disobey my orders?”
For the first time, Ruben looks unsure. He glances at the men behind him-their confused gazes give him no answers-before turning back to me. I can still see the coldness in the depths of his eyes, but with a clear
sense of reluctance he shakes his head. “No, miss.”
“It’s Senora Isabella to you,” I almost bark at him. I look at the rest of his group, pulling out my gun. It makes them all tense up, an air of hostility spreading through them, but at this point, I don’t care if they like me or hate me. Raul doesn’t want to play nice and neither do I. “Does
anyone else want to question my order?”
A lot of them look like they do, but it seems that they’re used to following Ruben who grimaces slightly before turning away to his car. The De Lugos men follow them, and I watch them with my heart pounding and
my hands sweaty. I did it. I did it! I can’t help but smirk, watching them drive away. Do you see that, Raul? I know how to play too.
But, as with everything else with the De Lugo cartel, it goes down the drain.
Half an hour later, just as I’m driving into West Ridge, I receive a call from a rather frustrated Paolo. As it turns out, Raul has thrown a tantrum, called his men back, and because Louis was relying on their assistance, we’ve failed to catch the Escarras.
As soon as I hang up, a wave of rage almost blinds me and I have to pull to the side of the street to hit the steering wheel and yell out loud. This fucking asshole! Because of his stupid goddamn ego, we’ve lost our first
chance to catch Gerardo! I growl and lean back in my seat, pressing my fingers against my eyes in hopeless frustration. He was supposed to help us catch the Escarras, not help them to escape.
As soon as I get my emotions under control, I turn around in the middle of the street and drive back to the house twice as fast as I got here. I don’t care about Raul’s obsession with power, I don’t care if he deems himself to be cool enough to turn around and betray us like that. Someone has to clear this asshole’s brain, and if everyone else is too intimidated to do that, I will.
“Raul, where are you?” I yell out loud as soon as I open the door with a loud bang. I saw Raul’s car when I parked outside, so I know he hasn’t even gotten out of the house yet.
I look around, breathing heavily from the hurry and the tight grip of heavy feelings. The first floor looks empty, but I catch a noise upstairs so I run there without a second thought and barge into his bedroom.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? Why did-”
I freeze as the sight in front of me reaches my brain.