“Want me to come in,” she teased.
I gave her a warning look and closed the door behind me, only then did I notice I was wearing sweats and a t-shirt. Wondering when she’d changed my clothes, I relieved myself, washed my hands and walked out to Alessia leaning against the wall.
“Who changed my clothes?” I asked as she led me back to the bed.
“Lorenzo did. He dropped by every evening to change y–”
“What do you mean every evening?” I cut her off, sitting.
“You’ve been out for five days, Remo. High fever and stuck in some dream we couldn’t get you out of.”
“What?” My frown deepened. “You’re talking shit.”
Rolling her eyes, she held out her phone. “Look at the date for yourself.”
I did, cursing. “Five fucking days.”
“Your fever broke this morning, but you wouldn’t wake, so doc instructed I let you sleep and wake when you were ready.”
As if my stomach agreed with her, it growled and Alessia chuckled. She moved away for bit, returning with a bowl of brown liquid and sat down beside me.
“Chicken broth.” When I tried to take the spoon, she shook her and proceeded to feed me.
Too hungry to complain, I let her. “Who made this?” I asked, enjoying the simple meal despite never having eaten it before.
“I’m not sure if Gian bought it or made it but he brought it this morning, insisting that it will help heal you.”
His thoughtfulness made me frown but I didn’t say anything further.
When Alessia was satisfied I’d had enough, she settled on a couch I hadn’t noticed before. Not crowding me but close enough that I could hear her gentle breathing.
twelve
. . .
Koro– 34 years old
For the last three weeks, I watched soldiers rotate around the warehouse like clockwork, Lorenzo arriving every night, sometimes with Dario at his side, sometimes with Gian trailing him, their voices low. Yet through all of it, there was no sign of Remo.
I’d killed every cartel man involved in taking him, carved through them without hesitation, regardless, one blinding fact remained: they took him under my watch.
My IT guy explained the satellite going offline, the impossible timing, the kind of failure no system could’ve anticipated. Only, the explanation didn’t erase the outcome, it just tightened the restraints.
I might’ve saved Remo, not knowing the extent of his injuries though, left me restless. It also didn’t help that there were too many men guarding that Godforsaken warehouse, a place I hadn’t expected Lorenzo to take Remo, for me to get closer. I could’ve if I wanted to, but a methodical killer knew when to push boundaries.
Each day that passed without knowing, tightened something inside me, and instead of narrowing my focus, it widened it. The deaths stopped being selective. Petty criminals who would’ve not met my blade under normal circumstances, earned quick ends.
I was on the verge of losing control until Uncle Haru’s call from Japan yesterday morning. Somehow, he always had a way of knowing when I needed guidance or to be steered back from the wrath that consumed me.
“Kiba o kakusu na, koro. Daga, ima wa nerai o sorasu na.” Don’t hide your fangs, lone wolf. But don’t shift your aim.
He ended the call with a simple redirection only he could achieve. His prompt worked. I felt the change in the air tonight and noticed the difference. Apart from the two men just outside the main door, and a lookout on the roof, the other men left, a distinct indication Remo had healed. Patient as always, I waited.
Dressed in a white tank and grey sweats, he emerged twenty minutes into me settling down. Cigarette in hand, arrogance back in his broad shoulders, nothing but a large band aid above one eye and a bandage around one arm, to signify he’d been hurt. I moved closer, inhaling his familiar cologne wafting through the night air.
“I’m good to move, bro,” he said into his phone. “Scott say anything about my stalker?” He listened for a moment then chuckled. “If I knew what the fuck she was after, she wouldn’t be a stalker, Renz.” He cut the call, staring out across the dark water.
Light spilled out as the doors opened behind him. He turned to face them, his smile not quite there but enough to show he cared. And a woman stepped out. I frowned, tilting my head having seen her twice with Lorenzo and Rayden never with Remo though.
