And Massimo, the one who told me to trust him, made me trust him with my body and soul, didn’t trust me?It was a test?Dammit, I know it makes sense from Jimmy’s perspective.If he’s looking for rats in the family how can he overlook their worst enemy’s daughter, who now sits in the middle of their circle, with the boss no less.Fucking mafia families.I may know how we work but that doesn’t make it feel one bit better.
I tap Delz on the shoulder, ignoring the heat of Massimo’s stare.Delz turns, at least giving me the eye to eye contact I deserve.“How long have you been on the Roselli’s payroll?You at least owe me an honest answer.”
He didn’t lie to me growing up, always told it to me straight and he does the same thing now.“Since your father decided that Barcelo should take over and let one of the most ruthless bastards alive start giving our men orders, and orders that put you and your sister in jeopardy.Sophia, my duty was always to keeping you safe.I promised your mother many, many years ago, and that’s a promise I plan to take to the grave no matter what I have to do to keep it.”
My eyes narrow at the man who’s taken care of me for years.“And making me jump out the window?What was that?”
He looks at Jimmy, who’s intent on the road as he follows it down to the water, then at Massimo, and finally me.“Let’s say it was a test all the way around.I wanted to make sure you were as safe as they professed you to be and I needed time with you alone to make sure of that.”
Massimo slides his arm around me, but I scoot closer to the window, shrugging off his touch.Keeping a vigilant eye and ear out for the sound and sight of a helicopter.I’ll recognize the sound after the last time they sent the bird in to rescue me, but this time I won’t be in a warehouse with a tin roof when they fly over.“Delz?”
“Yes?”
“You think my dad sold me and Anna out?Did he know that Barcelo ordered the hit on the Rosellis’ trucks?”I know it’s putting him on the spot, but I also know that if he’s working for the Rosellis and has been since Barcelo started running things unofficially that everyone in the car already knows the answer to the question, it’s just that no one has bothered to tell me.
Delz looks to Massimo for confirmation, and he nods, but that just pisses me off even more.“I thought your allegiance was to me.From where I sit, it looks like it’s to Massimo.”
He has the good grace to let out a long sigh.“Sophia, you know how this works.I work for the Rosellis but my job is to protect you.I’ll continue doing that.”
“As long as you keep your fucking hands off her, otherwise you’ll be no good to anyone walking around with no hands or legs,” Massimo says calmly, causing Delz to give me a look I’ve long since become used to.The same one that he gave me when I was trying to do something Papa would not like.Getting him into trouble for something frivolous with danger implications, he called it.
“No need to cut off his hands, Massimo.I just might blow off his head if he doesn’t tell me what I want to know.Delz, I mean it, I want to know.Tell me because regardless of what Massimo thinks, I’m old enough to decide and you work for me.”
A loud noise overhead causes Massimo to lean into the front seat.“The fuckers will be scrambling after we raided them last time.Have our men move in now,” Massimo orders gruffly, all thought of our conversation gone in a second as we focus on a hell storm in the sky.
The sounds of the whirring blades get closer.Two huge helicopters fly right over us in the darkness of the sky.Delz points up ahead.“There!”he shouts.“See the light.They’re making a beeline to the fucking cars in the distance.”
“Move in faster,” Massimo growls.Leandro barks orders into his cell as quick as they come from his older brother and tires squeal in the night.
My whole body tenses as the light from the helicopter shines down into the abandoned docks and a shadow I’d recognize anywhere races from the building, quickly ducking behind another.My breath catches.“Barcelo.”
“I see the fucker,” Massimo says but his soldiers up front have already seen him and gunfire lights the sky all around us as we drive full speed into the periphery of a turf war that’s exploded into so much more and with so much at stake.
Shot after shot, and ricocheting bullets from above spray the terrain as the helicopters swoop in clearing the way.Gunfire explodes all around us, shot after shot, me squinting from the back seat as we inch forward in the car, Jimmy keeping us far from the direct line of fire.Still not one sign of Massimo’s mother, my sister, or father.
As if reading my mind Massimo leans toward the front.“Go in for them, Delz.Leandro will have the men covering you compagno.Keep in contact.”Without hesitation the front right car door opens long enough for Delz to roll out and for Jimmy to lean over and pull the door closed.
Leandro lets out an exaggerated breath as he types out another message on his phone.“The men are following Barcelo, but he went into another warehouse.Delz is the only one who knows the warehouses and tunnels along the dock.Barcelo could have a boat moored anywhere along the fucking coast, Massimo,” Leandro says.
“Let Delz follow him.See what they can find.We keep our eye on the ball right now.”He squeezes my hand in reassurance.“Mom and Anna first, then her dad, and then we go after the bastards.
7
Sophia
Jimmy pulls over, off the muddy road, secluded by another building as the helicopters fly in low and hard again trying to shake whoever’s left in that building out while sparing the lives of the Roselli men.And it works.Another ten or so men come hauling ass out with guns raised to shoot and kill whoever is in their way, but the Roselli soldiers mow them down instead of being shot themselves.
Leandro puts his cell on speaker as it rings.Delztalks softly.“I’ve got your mother, Massimo.She’s alive but in really fucking bad shape.Anna was fucking here.The sweater she wore all the time is here.There’s quite a few cots and rooms set up in this place.Looks like they may have either been holed up here for a while or planned to use it for a length of time.Lots of food and water, but no sign of Anna or Sophia’s father.”
“How many are left inside?”
“None.We flushed all of them out.You’re going to need to get close to the door so I can bring your mom out, and Massimo, have a physician on standby.I’d take another look around, but I can’t take my hand off your mom.Keep an eye on that door for me.I don’t need anyone back tracking to get the drop on me as we come out.”
My mind races with every single possibility.We were so close to finding Anna.It’s like she’s slipped right between our fingers.Only Barcelo will be able to tell us now.Unless the Roselli soldiers are lucky enough to capture one of his men instead of gunning them down to keep from being killed themselves.
Massimo draws me close, whispering in my ear.“We’ll find your sister, kitten.”I want to believe, so badly, but the ache in the pit of my stomach just won’t let up.“I can’t lose her,” I croak, trying to think of any other places, old Cassoneplaces the family used to use.“Let’s get your mom, Massimo.She’s here right now and she needs us.”
Damn it all to hell for my dad keeping the females in the dark.I should know where all these locations are, be able to remember if he’d not sheltered us so much.Right up to the point that he no longer sheltered or protected us at all.
