My hands, my legs, my faith in anything good or worth fighting for.
But somewhere in the wreckage, a small flame refuses to die.
Shelby married me in a Vegas chapel to keep me safe from a monster.And even if he did betray me, he wouldn’t betray the fight.He’s in this war for those people who need to be saved.But he’s also hunting those responsible for Martha’s murder.He would never betray his mother.
I close my eyes, tears still streaming down my face, and whisper into the darkness.“Please prove them wrong, Shelby.”My voice cracks, but I push the words out anyway.“Find me and bring me home.”
27
Shelby
The war room hums with controlled chaos.
Dave stands at the head of the conference table, a digital map of Massachusetts glowing on the wall-mounted screens behind him.Red pins mark Giovanni’s known properties.Blue pins mark our staging positions.The space between them represents everything we don’t know, everything that could get Serena killed.
Twelve hours since they took her.
Twelve hours of dead leads, including the property in Widett Circle.That’s the kind of waiting that eats a man alive from the inside out.
“Ray’s team traced the vehicles to an industrial complex near Worcester,” Dave says, his voice carrying the calm authority of a man born to command.“The place was cleaned out.They must’ve gone there just as a decoy, to throw us off their trail.”
I study the map, forcing my mind into tactical mode despite the rage clawing at my chest.“What about the shell company properties?The ones linked to Varese Inc?”
“Nikolai’s cross-referencing them now.”Tommy shifts beside me, his shoulder brushing mine in silent support.“There are six locations within a hundred-mile radius that match the profile.”
“Six is too many to hit simultaneously.”I tap the screen, zooming in on the cluster near the coast.“We need to narrow it down.Giovanni’s arrogant, but he’s not stupid.He’ll keep her somewhere defensible.Somewhere with multiple exit routes.”
Dave nods.“Agreed.That eliminates the inland properties.Too isolated, too easy to corner.”
The door opens behind us.
Every head turns.Every hand moves toward a weapon.
Joe DiLorenzo stands in the doorway.
The room goes silent.Joe looks like he hasn’t slept in days.His jaw is tight, his deep-set brown eyes bloodshot, and there’s a tension in his shoulders that speaks to his state of mind.He’s always carried the weight of his family name like a crown of thorns.Right now, that crown is cutting deep.
“Before anyone draws on me,” he says, his voice rough, “I’m here to help get my sister back.”
Dave’s expression doesn’t change, but I catch the subtle shift in his posture.The calculation.Joe is Giovanni’s son.Blood of the man who took my wife.The man we’re hunting down and whose trafficking operation will burn to the ground.
Realizing Joe doesn’t know about his father’s involvement with the human trafficking, I step forward, putting a hand on his shoulder.“You shouldn’t be here.”
“The fuck I shouldn’t.”He crosses the threshold, letting the door swing shut behind him.“Serena is my sister.My blood.I know my father took her, but I’m here to bring her back.I can help.”
Dave interjects, “There’s a lot more you don’t know about your father.”
Joe shakes his head.“Words travel fast in our little world, my friend.I don’t have details, but I’ve heard people whispering about Giovanni DiLorenzo’s disgraceful crimes.I have nothing to do with what my father’s done.”
“We’re supposed to take your word for that?”Tommy’s voice is hard.
Joe’s eyes find mine.In them, I see something I recognize.The same betrayal I felt when we discovered the truth about Giovanni.The same rage at being played by someone you trusted.
“I didn’t know.”The words come out like they’re being torn from his chest.“When people talked, I thought...”He breaks off, dragging a hand through his dark hair.“I thought there had to be a mistake.My father is many things, but I never believed he’d trade in human lives.”
“And now?”Dave asks.
Joe meets his gaze squarely.“Now I’m here to help bring Serena home.Whatever comes after that, I’ll face it at the right time.”
