“It’s a solid plan, man. Sorry I snapped,” Falcon apologizes again, raking a hand through his hair.
“Is something else bothering you?” Falcon’s been edgy lately, like he’s got a lot on his mind. “And don’t say nothing, because we’ve all seen it and we’re here for you, just like you’ve been there for us. We want to help if we can.”
I can see he’s conflicted about telling me what’s going on in his head. He opens his mouth only to close it again. Then he spits out, “Archer was supposed to call last week. The call never came. It’s been a solid week with no word from him.”
“That doesn’t mean anything. You know that sometimes it could be weeks before we ever had a chance to get to a phone when we were deep in a mission. Archer’s smart, and he’s a survivor. He’s coming home,” I insist.
Shit! It makes sense now. We’ve been waiting for Archer to join the team, and the time is almost here. Falcon wanted him home and was against Archer reenlisting, but it was Archer’s decision, and we all supported him, although begrudgingly. We’ve already lost a good man, and Falcon’s not keen on losing another brother.
“You make sense, but it doesn’t ease my mind. He should be home any time now and he’ll be walking through the door to join Storm. Now he’s radio silent, and I can help thinking that something’s wrong,” Falcon says.
“We know people in the system. Make some inquiries,” I urge.
“If he’s on a mission, they won’t say jack shit to protect that mission.” He sighs. “Best thing I can do is wait, but in the meantime, let’s see if we can get Maria and Franco out of the safe house and get them started on a new life free and clear of fear. How can I help?”
I hand Falcon a stack of cell phone bills with the numbers dialed out from Atilio’s phone. “Let’s see if any number comes up repeatedly. I’ll do the search on who it belongs to, and we can either rule it out or dig deeper.”
“I’ll get the others to help out with this. Run down the car and see if you can find out where he’s staying.”
“On it,” I answer.
Several hours later, while the guys are still working on the phone logs, I get a trace on Atilio Capone’s car with an address. The car is located in South London, in a town called Sutton. It’s an hour away from where Maria was hiding.
After searching into Atilio, I discover the deceased had three sons and four grandsons. He has a son who is his namesake. I start with him, which turns out to be a bust, but I find I’m on to something when I research the other sons and grandsons.
I rush to Falcon’s office. “I think I’ve got something,” I declare. He gets up from behind his desk and comes back to my office and computer. “Luke Capone is Atilio’s son. He has two other brothers, and all the men have a rap sheet. Nothing more than grand theft auto. Kidnapping would be new to them, but when I look closer at his finances, he’s deep in debt.” I flash the picture I took of the driver in the car. “Not exact, but it could be him. What do you think?” I ask.
Falcon scrutinizes the two screens, moving his head back and forth. “Why didn’t he come up on facial recognition?”
“Because he’s done time, but not in England. All his time was served in New York and Florida. Immediately after being released from prison, he disappeared from the country. I guess he landed in England. The Capone family runs a mechanic shop and a restaurant in Sutton.” I pause and turn to Falcon. “I think this is worth a look.”
“I agree.” He nods. “I’m doing it myself. I’ll have Kailyn book a flight out.”
“You shouldn’t go alone.” Falcon raises his brow, but I persist. “It’s your rule, brother. No man goes on his own,” I remind him. “Book two seats. I’m coming with you.”
“Remmi—”
“The guys will look after her. I’ll tell her tonight, and we’ll leave in the evening. Okay?”
“Works for me,” Falcon answers.
Leaving Remmi is going to suck, but this is part of what we need to manage as a couple. The guys will make sure that they check in, and my house is a fortress. Wolfie is well trained, and he’ll stick to her like glue.
A couple of days is going to seem like an eternity now that I have Remmi in my bed. There’s nothing she does that doesn’t make me hot for her delicious body. She squirms in my arms in the middle of the night, making these tiny sighs. Sometimes I want to wake her up just so I can hear her make those sexy noises while I fuck her senseless. She hums anytime she’s in the kitchen; she doesn’t even know she’s doing it. But what I love most of all is how she tosses the blanket over her legs and snuggles into me when we’re watching television, always making sure that she covers me up too.
“Where’d you go, man?” Falcon asks, pulling me back to reality.
“Sorry, just thinking of Remmi.”
“If you want to stay?—”
“No. This is what we do. Remmi’s doing great, and this is part of Storm. She knows this and accepts it. It’ll give her plenty of time with Kailyn, Maya, and Sadie. I’m sure those women will congregate.” I chuckle.
“I can’t argue with you there. Those women have bonded as tightly as we have,” Falcon agrees with a laugh.
My phone rings, and when I glance down, I see Remmi is calling. “She knows we’re talking about her,” I joke before I pick up. “Hey, babe, is everything all right?”
“Hi, honey, we have guests,” Remmi says excitedly. “When will you be home?”
