The war with Viktor wasn't over.
It was just beginning.
CHAPTER 15
Paola
Twenty-four hours. Viktor was giving us twenty-four hours to surrender half of Cesare's empire or Piero died.
Giulio was already on the phone, coordinating teams, checking Piero's apartment building surveillance. Cesare stood beside me in the JFK parking garage, stock-still, jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscle jumping beneath the skin.
I touched his arm. "Cesare—"
"He has my brother." His voice was hollow. Destroyed. "I almost condemned Piero as a traitor, and now Viktor has him. Because I was chasing Matteo instead of protecting him."
"This isn't your fault."
"Isn't it? I should have seen this coming. Should have anticipated Viktor would move while we were distracted."
The guilt was eating him alive. I could see it in the set of his shoulders, the way his hands curled into fists.
Giulio approached, phone still pressed to his ear. "Boss. Surveillance confirms three men entered Piero's building at 6:47 a.m. They left at 7:03 with someone matching Piero's description. Unconscious, being carried."
While we were sleeping Viktor was taking his next piece off the board.
The drive back to the penthouse was silent, tense. I kept my hand on Cesare's arm, grounding him, keeping him from spiraling into the dark place I could see pulling at him.
His mind was clearly racing—strategy, contingencies, rage barely contained beneath the surface.
Back at the penthouse, Giulio and Rocco were already assembling the team. The dining table became a war room again. Maps. Laptops. Phones.
"Where would Viktor take him?" Cesare demanded.
Rocco pulled up locations on his laptop. "Viktor has three primary locations in New York: his Tribeca penthouse where we confronted him a few weeks ago, a warehouse in Red Hook, and a private estate in Westchester."
"He wouldn't use the penthouse. Too exposed after we were there last. My guess is the warehouse."
"We need confirmation before we move," Giulio cautioned. "If we hit the wrong location, Viktor kills Piero and disappears."
Cesare's fist slammed the table hard enough to make the laptops jump. "Then get confirmation! I want surveillance on all three locations. Heat signatures, vehicle movements, anything that tells us where my brother is."
Everyone moved with urgent purpose. I stood at the edge of the war room, feeling useless.
I wasn't tactical. Not trained for this. Couldn't contribute to the planning.
But watching Cesare fracture, watching the guilt consume him—I knew I needed to help somehow.
I found Cesare in his office an hour later, staring at security feeds, looking for any sign of Piero.
"You should eat something," I said quietly.
"Not hungry."
"Cesare—"
"I can't lose him, Paola. He's my brother. The only family I have left who matters."
I moved behind him, hands on his shoulders. "You won't lose him. We'll get him back."
