“We’re going to be okay, mijo. Your papá will come and get us.” I say softly.
He looks up as me as he wipes his face.
“How you know?” he sniffles.
“I know because your papá loves you so much. He would never stop looking for you.”
“And you.” He says as he holds me tighter.
As we sit there, I realize something. I have my phone. I lay down on the bed with Carlo and put the phone between us. He watches me quietly as we lay there.
Gabriela: Yakov has us. I’m sure you know this by now. And he’s going to realize I have my phone at some point. I wish I could tell you where we’re being held. But I don’t know. It’s a house that’s all I know. It looks like all the other houses we passed. But maybe you cantrack my phone? God I hope so. I love you, Gianluca and I’ll protect Giancarlo with my last breath
Gianluca
It’s been almost an hour now and Ivan still won’t give us any addresses.
“I’ll give you some addresses that he could be at. But you need to give my your word that he’ll be taken alive.”
Zio Enea looks over at me and I nod. I’m done playing games with this fuck. I just want my family back and if we have to agree to that? Fine. But just because we agree to it, doesn’t mean that’s what’s going to happen.
“If we agree to that, you’ll give us real addresses? If you fuck with us and send us on false trails, our deal is gone. And if you contact Yakov and let him know we’re coming? Our deals off.”
Ivan hesitates for a minute, then he nods.
“Da. So we have a deal?”
“Sì. We won’t kill him when we find him.”
I keep my face as neutral as I can. My Zio didn’t say we won’t kill him, he said we won’t kill him when we find him. Just as I’m about to signal to my Zio Enea that I need to talk to him, I see a text come in. I see Gabriela’s name and my heart starts racing. I open the text and read it. Thank god they’re both okay. I still signal to my Zio that I need to talk to him. He excuses both of us to Ivan, who nods at us.
When we get out of the conference room, I show him the text. Then he texts Sebastiano and Francesco to come out here.
“That Ivan is a fucking shitbag.” Sebastiano growls as he joins us.
“Please tell us we’re going to kill all of them.” Francesco adds.
“Not yet. But in time.” Zio nods.
He shows them Gabriela’s text.
“Her phone wasn’t transmitting anything earlier. But if she sent a text, now it is. I’m on it.” Francesco says as he grabs his laptop and gets to work.
Sebastiano and Francesco are the best IT guys in our family and I have no doubt they’ll find where they’re being kept. For once I’m glad someone is stupid. Yakov was probably so wrapped up in what he was doing that he didn’t think to take her cell phone. Little victories.
“I need to get back in there. Text me with updates.”
“Sì, Papà.” Sebastiano nods as he helps Francesco.
I head back into the conference room with my Zio.
“Ivan was just about to give us the addresses.” My papà says to us.
We look up at the screen and Ivan starts giving us addresses. There are five of them total. I write them down and take them outside. He knows we need to look them up and make sure they’re actual places. When I get out, I hand the list to Sebastiano. And wait. I fucking hate waiting. Luckily my cugino and Franco are geniuses.
“This address is closest to where the signal’s coming from her phone. It’s in Joliet. Text my papà so they can end the call with Ivan.”
Gianluca: We found her
