“Sophia. Calm down. What about my brother? What about Marco?”
As she tried to put the words together, alternating between English and Italian, I slowly fell onto the stool, dropping my head into my hand.
Another knock.
“Ms. Scavo. We’re ready for you.”
Just as the tears began to fall.
CHAPTER 25
Jaxon
Zorro refused to leave my side. I was lucky he hadn’t been hurt in the accident. In truth, I was thankful the three of us had remained alive.
I’d heard from one of the cops that Zorro hadn’t wanted anyone to get close to us. Only with Donatello’s arrival had he finally allowed the EMTs to intervene.
“Answer the phone,” I said, willing my sweet angel even before I hopped out of the vehicle. That wasn’t happening. My first thought had been Anastasia. She’d been on a call before. Now she wasn’t answering.
“Take your time,” Donatello growled as soon as he flanked my side.
“We don’t have time. The motherfuckers are here. I can feel them,” I barked. Zorro nuzzled my leg, a reminder to calm my ass down, but at this point, it was impossible. Not that I knew who was planning on taking her. Russians? Italians?
“You were almost killed, for fuck’s sake. You were out of it for over two fucking hours. And you look like shit.”
“I don’t give a shit about me. Where the hell are the men watching Anastasia? Why haven’t they checked in?” I’d never been so furious in my life. Even as I headed toward the theater, I yanked out my weapon, slapping in a fresh magazine. I couldn’t care less if I was terrifying anyone else.
“Calm the fuck down, boss. I don’t know. I was thinking about you when I heard the news. Two of my men are searching for them. Okay?”
“I’ll put a bullet in their brains for not getting her away.”
He could barely keep up with me as I ran up the stairs.
Yeah, my suit was scorched, my face one fucking bloody mess and my entire body ached. But I was fucking alive. So was my brother.
And Zorro was insistent on being with me.
The hit had been bold, especially for Carmine. He would fucking learn what fear was like.
This wasn’t about a weakness. This had been a masterful coup. What pissed me off was that I should have known the shit with the drugs had been to keep our attention elsewhere.
What bothered me more than anything was that Irina had orchestrated bringing Anastasia to New Orleans. For which fucking family? She’d known my father, but she’d also known Vitelli. That much I’d already deciphered since the Russos were friends to the ballet. Maybe she’d been some informant for Vitelli for all these years. God, I was so furious I couldn’t think straight at this point.
There were soldiers scouring the city in search of both Carmine and Sergio. Both had managed to disappear. Why hadn’t I followed my instinct, convinced my brother the Russos were against us and taken them out. Then the hit wouldn’t have been ordered.
Thank fucking God we were alive, but two of our best men were gone, toast. “You do have the goddamn family secure. Right?”
“They’re surrounded, boss. Stop worrying.”
Even before I threw open the door, I could hear the music. The fucking ballet had already started.
I’d been taken to the hospital, forced to endure tests I hadn’t wanted. When people noticed the weapon in my hand, they scattered quickly. I’d lost precious time.
I turned in a circle until I figured out the way to get backstage.
Donatello and two of my men followed, others attempting to surround the theater, which was two blocks long.
“I think Anastasia is on stage.”
