Maddie stayed that weekend and every other night since. I can’t get enough of her. Even the way she has to steal food off my plate every time we eat, just to taste. The way she sings to herself when she’s cooking. For a man that refused to kiss anyone for the past seven years, I’m certainly making up for that now. I don’t let a single opportunity pass by where I can’t have my lips on hers.
But reality calls. The past couple of weeks, we’ve been planning our retaliation. I warned Luca to keep his head; I know he’s broken about Nico. But we can’t act on emotions, not in this world.
Luca stares out the passenger window. Nico’s murder has erupted a new level of fury within him.I know war zones. I know the easiest way to get yourself killed is by letting your emotions rule you.
I glance into the rearview mirror, and Frankie mouths, Is he okay?
Nodding, I shrug my shoulders and let out a cough to try and snap Luca out of it. His focus is much needed in this predicament.
The kidnapping of Marco Falcones’ daughter. Rosa. His little princess.
It’s a bold move. Just showing we can access his family wasn’t enough.
If this operation goes to shit, not only are we in more danger, I might be dragging Maddie into this now too. If they know about her, they won’t think twice about hurting her. I know they’re capable of it. I saw what they did to Keller and Sienna. And I sure as shit am never letting one of those fuckers so much as breathe in the same space as my sunshine.
Every night for the past week, Rosa’s either been out drinking with her roommates or out for dinner. I could have taken her at any point. Two guards track her from a distance. My bet is that she’s whined to Daddy about wanting personal space.
Tonight, we’re going for a simple snatch and grab operation. It’s a Friday night. Of course she’s going out clubbing.
Enzo tapped into her phone. He runs the most prestigious security firm in the country. But that doesn’t stop him going rogue for us. He owes us after leaving his post with Sienna. He texts us the location and the names of the girls in the group chat she will be with. The same four she’s always with, two of which, Jasmine and Elsa’s parents are part of Falcones’ organization. Both with their own bodyguards. So, six guards and three of us.
Piece of cake.
Rosa’s long black hair bobs out of the white Mercedes. She waltzes toward the entrance of Trance. I roll my eyes at the thought of stepping foot in this pompous nightclub. Her bodyguards follow suit.
“Boss, she’s heading in.”
Luca nods, lighting another cigarette. He gives me a sadistic grin, blowing out the smoke.
I pull up to a slow stop at the rear of the club. Frankie scratches at the stubble on his jaw in the backseat.
“Let’s do this,” Luca says, flicking his cigarette out of the window. Gone is his usual cheeky demeanor.
All three of us exit the car. Frankie slips into the driver’s seat.
“Remember, we have twenty minutes max in here. Any longer and we risk alerting the Falcones and them accompanying us. The last thing we need is a bloodbath in a nightclub.”I say.
“Got it.”
I nod and close the driver’s door. Tapping my earpiece, I connect the call to Enzo. Turns out security firms can tap into just about any CCTV camera.
“Enzo, we’re entering now.” I eye Luca as he holsters another gun.
“Copy. The target is at the bar. A guard is stationed by the main entrance, the other by the bathroom. Remaining four positioned in the far left booth.”
“Got it.”
Fuck, the bathroom leads to the fire escape, and that’s our only route out. Rosa is a wild child. All Luca needs to do is dangle that little bag of white powder and she’ll follow him just about anywhere. To the bathroom mainly. However, she’s not a typical junkie. Maybe I’m reading more into the situation. Fuck, focus!
“Luca, stick to the plan. I’ll take out the guard by the bathrooms.”
He nods. “You ready, Grayson?”
My fingers lace around the knife in my pocket. It’s my first kill in a while, and I can’t fucking wait. Smirking, I say, “I was born ready.”
He heads toward the red door. As we approach, the door clicks, and Enzo says, “Fire escape now open and bathrooms clear.”
Luca creeps the heavy door open, the waft of sweat and cheap alcohol pouring out of the room. We walk along the corridor, past the bathrooms to my right. The music blares, pounding through my body.
I stop when we reach the men’s toilets and press my back into the door. Luca continues and swings open the double doors into the club, fiddling with his zipper. God, the guy could have been an actor. He nods to Rosa’s bodyguard and waltzes straight past him.
“Lights,” I whisper in my earpiece.
As soon as I mutter the words, the corridor goes pitch black. Now I just have to fucking pray that no one comes in or out of this bathroom in the next five minutes.
Showtime.
When I yank open the door, the guard, dressed in a black suit and tie, doesn’t even flinch. His eyes are focused only on Rosa and Luca. Her arm’s draped over his forearm at the bar as he whispers in her ear. The guard’s jaw clenches at the exchange. I take this window of opportunity. I bring my knife up in my right hand and sweep my left arm around his neck, using my forearm to press his chin up. I slice from left to right across his throat with pressure. He tries to grasp my arm in a poor attempt to free himself, but in vain. Tightening my grip around his neck, I drag him backward into the corridor.
His blood smothers my arm as I drag his lifeless body. His feet squeak against the flooring.
“Exit is clear.”
“Copy. Cleanup crew enroute,” Enzo replies.
My muscles burn as I hold the dead guard in one hand, opening the fire exit door with the other. Resting my weight on my left foot, I hold the door open with my right to maneuver us out of the building.As planned, I drop his body behind the blue dumpster outside the exit.
“Luca is exiting the building with the target.”
Immediately, I take my position back up against the brick wall. Rosa’s high-pitched voice gets closer and closer.
The Mercedes rumbles to life just a few yards away. As soon as the fire exit door swings open, I pounce. Her pale gray eyes widen in fear. I clamp my palm over her mouth and pull her petite frame into me. When I hold my hand over her nose and mouth, she flails frantically in my arms, her warm breath hitting my palm, until she goes limp.
I lift her into my arms and stride over to the car, then lay her across the backseat. Frankie grabs the rope and leans over between the front seats, binding her wrists.
Mission accomplished.
