by Soraya Naomi
“What did you do with my child? And where’s Maxim?”
“Well, Medlov and Maxim took something of value from me – my girlfriend, so I returned the favor by capturing you.” I unhurriedly unbutton my sleeves. “Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.” I catch her eyes and start rolling up one of my sleeves to the elbow. “Where is Camilla Guillermo?”
“I have no idea,” she retorts.
“But you didn’t flinch at all when I said I have your husband, so please don’t insult me by playing ignorant.”
My office door opens, and Maxim is pushed inside with his hands cuffed in front of him.
“Oh my god, Maxim...” His wife sobs when she’s confronted with his injured state. His thigh has been bandaged over his shredded, bloodied pants.
Maxim’s expression hardens, and he stalks forward but is held back by James.
“Let her go! She’s innocent,” Maxim grinds out.
“No one is innocent.” Drumming my fingers against my biceps, I say to Luca, “Plastic?”
“I think we’ll need it,” he replies threateningly and instructs a guard to fetch it from the security room.
“What do you want?” Maxim’s tone is hesitant.
“Now you want to talk?” I finish my other sleeve and leisurely lean back as emotions battle inside me. “It’s too late. You take one of mine; I take your entire family. I warned you not to cross me!”
“Fuck you!” the wife yells. “You probably deserved it.”
“You’re making it quite easy for me to torture you,” I hiss at her.
“Don’t touch her, Montesi.” Maxim attempts to break free, but James smashes the butt of his gun against the back of his head, causing him to sway dizzily.
“I only want to hear the location of where Cam’s being held coming out of your mouth, Maxim,” I comment as a guard hands me a roll of blue plastic, which Luca and I spread out in the shape of a square on the floor.
Then I retrieve my gun from my desk and fists his wife’s hair, forcing her onto her knees in the center of the plastic rug, not thinking about the excruciating pain in my shoulder.
“Ow!” Her hands fly to mine, but I control her easily.
“Yakiv will kill Camilla if you hurt any of us.” Maxim’s face is completely ashen.
Forcefully, I release her as one of my guards takes my position, and I move to Maxim in two long steps and hit him with my fist, knocking him back against James, who holds him upright.
“Don’t you fucking dare threaten Cam again! I’ve been patient so far, but you’re pushing me. Where’s Cam?”
He licks the blood from his lips. “I’ll never tell. You’re not going to kill a woman.”
Slowly, I tilt my head to the side, eyes boring into his. “Execute her.”
His brows hit his hairline. “Nooo!”
I turn sideways, and the guard centers the barrel of his gun on her temple and pulls the trigger. Her body sags to the ground. And I spin around as Maxim shouts profanities while sobbing, but my next statement has him gaping at me in astonishment.
“Your child is next,” I comment.
“You fucking bastard! You’re lying.” His head whips around, trying to locate his daughter.
I stroll into the security room and pick up the toddler, who surprises me by placing her tiny arms around my neck and gleaming widely.
Damn, she’s innocent.
But, I’m over the brink of sanity; rational thoughts are being overridden by my fear. And I return to Maxim.
“Please don’t hurt my child,” he begs, observing her with terror.
My gun is dangling in my hand while I cuddle his kid. “Then speak. Tell me where Cam is, because I’m positive that your boss has her.” I look him straight in the eye. “You underestimate the lengths I would go to in order to find Cam.”
The baby smiles and coos, and I smile back to make her feel at ease, as if nothing out of the ordinary is going on.
“Okay...okay!” Maxim says in a rush. “If he has Camilla, then she’s probably being held at his estate.”
I immediately glance at Luca with an I told you so expression.
“Don’t hurt my baby. Please! You’re fucking insane!”
I ignore his pathetic pleas. “Which estate? The mansion in Ukrainian Village?”
“Yes. That’s the one.”
“Where in that mansion does he hold captives?”
“T-there are rooms on the second floor that have mirrored windows, and there are also cottages on the estate.”
“Where are the cottages?”
“Behind the garden in a small forest.”
“How many guards are posted at that estate in total?”
He glances at his baby and confesses with gritted teeth, “Seventy-five.”
Fuck, that’s an army.
“Why did he take Cam?” I ask.
“He knows Cam is important, and he wants to buy Club 7. He wants you out of this area.”
“Why?”
“He was supposed to get Club 7 when Sal died.”
“But how can Cam help him?” Luca adds.
“She’s the most valuable leverage he could have against you.”
He’s not telling the entire story, but I have enough intel for now. “I believe it’s time the Ukrainians learn how insane I truly am. Because I vow to you that I’ll eliminate each and every one of you.” I smirk at his toddler. “But not the innocent.” And I hand her over to another soldier. “Return the child home safely. And take two girls with you to help.”
“What if no one’s there?” the soldier inquires.
Luca replies, “Then you take her to an orphanage.”
“Yes, sir.”
Maxim’s quiet as his stare follows his daughter out of the room.
“That was the last time you’ll ever see your child,” I explain to Maxim cruelly, and I tell my team, “Clean up the body, and take any Ukrainians you catch to the warehouse. They’ll be killed there.” Then I address Maxim again, “Medlov wanted a war? He’s going to get a war.”
Right before the members of the Syndicate disbar, I can’t refrain from reproving my men. “By the way, my Capi and guards, don’t think you’re indispensable. If we don’t get Cam back soon, I’ll replace all of you. Get out of my sight!”
They rustle around and set off through the now-empty dance club to dispose of the body.
James, Luca, Carmine, and I are left, and I agitatedly light a cigarette. The smoke burns down my throat as I drop down into my desk chair. Exhaustion pulls at me, but I shake it off because I can’t waste a second.
“I need to know the layout of that estate,” I start, but James cuts me off.
“And then what? We have niente, not enough soldiers working right at this moment to attack that mansion.” He leans forward opposite me with both palms on my desk. “What the fuck happened? I made you Capo crimine because I thought you could protect her.”
I take a drag of the cig and place it in the ashtray. “Don’t—”
“Don’t what?” James waves his hands in the air in pure annoyance and rounds the desk, so I surge to my feet. “You were supposed to keep her safe!” And he grabs my collar.
“Remember your rank! I am your boss,” I retort.
Both of us have lost grip on our emotions as our angry stares clash.
“Stop this.” Luca forces us apart, pressing a palm against both of our chests. “Fighting one another isn’t helping Cam at all. We don’t have much time. James, stand down. And Adriano, for fuck’s sake, breathe. You haven’t taken a normal breath since we left Ukrainian Village.”
I reclaim my seat and lean my elbows on the desk, dropping my head in my hands and running them through my hair. A calming breath is out of reach. “Where’s Wade?”
“He’s on the way,” Carmine answers. “Why?”
“Is anyone else wondering why Wade’s doing so much for us? He’s an associate, but we treat him like a member, and he’s kept up-to-date about us a
t all times nowadays. I want to make him a first Capo. We can use his connections as long as he agrees to stay in the CIA; however, the CIA can’t know he’s defected to us. I need to expand the team anyway, and he’s a good fit. This will save me and Luca a lot of work. Wade is authoritative and influential and can instruct the captains.”
“Good choice. I trust him, and we need his connections on a government level. The liaison can only aid us, provided he isn’t playing us.” Luca pins me with a questioning gaze.
“He’s not. He’s mentioned in passing how he has grievances with his employer. It was probably a hint.”
“I vote to bring him in right now,” Carmine advises. “Maybe he has the means to get us into that mansion. Henry and Wade work well together.”
The door swings open, and the person I’ve been waiting for arrives.
“Update?” Wade asks.
“Cam’s being held at Medlov’s highly-secured estate. We just don’t know where exactly. Luca and I and some of our soldiers went there to take her back, and his men granted us access easily, so he obviously had it all planned out. We weren’t able to find her, and of course, he denied having her, and now they have faces and license plate numbers for those of us who went there. We came back here to regroup, so I bet he’s amping up security right about now.”
“And Rosalia?”
“She’s fine,” Luca fills Wade in. “She wanted to stay with Fallon instead of going home because Alessa doesn’t know what’s happening and Rosalia doesn’t want her to know.”
A wrinkle creases Wade’s forehead, but he drops the subject. “What do you need from me? Are you going to the estate again?” He motions to my bandaged shoulder. “Looks like it didn’t end well the last time.”
“I don’t have a choice. She’s there, and I want her back! And I need you on this team, officially.”
Wade grins. “So you’ve noticed my insinuations?”
“Yes, I’ve noticed. I’ll make it official when we have Cam back. But you’re my new first Capo, Wade. I want you and Henry to work with us to help me get Cam out of there. You do realize you still have to stay with the CIA?”
“Of course. I have interesting connections with powerful people that you need, and I need you. I accept. But, regarding Cam, I’m not sure we can take action without a bit more intel. We need information about their security systems and their guard schedules, anything Henry might be able to find by hacking into the estate’s computer system.”
“He’s right, Adriano. It’s too risky,” Luca backs Wade. “We need to wait until Henry can get us something useful. I can’t let you go on a suicide mission.”
“This is Cam we’re talking about!”
“I know. And I’m your underboss, and I’m giving you the same advice you’d give me if it was Fallon. Nothing will stop us from bringing Cam home, alive and well. Nothing, amico. But being weak is not an option. This is wartime, and we will strike back once we have Cam again.”
“How the fuck am I supposed to sit around and wait? She’s there! I felt it in my bones. I told you...”
“But getting back inside before we have more information is impossible,” he defends.
“Then call Henry right now,” I instruct, and Luca instantly fishes out his phone.
Luca and Henry talk while the rest of us are lost in our own thoughts. I can’t get Cam out of my head – I see her when I close my eyes, and I think of her when my eyes are open.
“It’s going to take a while. Henry doesn’t know how long,” Luca informs after he finishes his call.
“Ballpark?”
“Could be a couple of hours.”
“Hours!” I leap to my feet. “I don’t have fucking hours. The thought of her being hurt or tortured...it’s killing me.”
Luca’s gaze is filled with sympathy. “Listen, Adriano, Medlov isn’t hurting Cam. He’s going to use her as leverage or bait, so he won’t touch her. This can’t be just about kidnapping Cam. He has to have another endgame in mind.”
“My thoughts exactly; Maxim held something back...” I pinch the bridge of my nose, uselessly trying to regain some calm. “I’m not going to take all of you down with me and possibly lose Cam forever, so I’ll take your advice and wait. But Henry better drop everything else and get me some worthwhile info soon.”
“Let’s all go home and rest for a few hours and then meet back here,” Luca suggests. “If Henry’s got information for us before that time, then we’ll meet earlier.”
“Fine. Everyone be back here at six a.m.” I dismiss them with a flick of my wrist, but Luca doesn’t leave.
“What am I supposed to do now?” I grumble.
“Why don’t you come with me?”
I exhale a heavy sigh. “I need to go home. Hopefully that will relax me.”
“Call me if you need me, and Henry is calling you first if he has news. You promise not to do anything on your own?”
“Si.” I nod, realizing I’m cornered.
“I’ll give you a ride home,” Luca offers.
***
My loft feels cold. My stomach rumbles, but I can’t get a bite of food to go down my throat. From the kitchen bar, I get a glass and a bottle of whiskey. After uncapping it, I tip the bottle and pour a generous amount into the glass.
Then I trudge to my sofa and sit down, thighs spread wide, taking a long swig and letting the beverage dangle from my hand between my legs. I study the expanse of the loft with emotional detachment. Without her, the colors are muted.
I rotate my drink in a slow swirl. Helplessness is a bitter pill to swallow. It’s pure hell sitting here and knowing she’s out there, alone, but there’s nothing I can do about it right now. This is what I tried so hard to prevent from happening, and now, my biggest fear has become reality. Because she’s lost to me, and that means that I’m lost as well since she’s my compass. The center of my life.
The urge to trash the apartment is tamped down only because I need to stay focused, so I slide the glass onto the table. No more alcohol in case Henry calls. Resting back on the couch, I fish out my phone, slide open the screen, and stare at a picture of Cam and me. My fingers trace the contours of her face, hoping that my phone lights up any second with an update.
Sadly, my hope is in vain as I watch the black sky take on a blueish hue.
CHAPTER 27
Camilla
My glare is fixated on the ceiling as I lie here on this freaking bed with no sense of time. The waiting is excruciating, and I have no idea how Adriano is.
What happened after he left here with a gunshot wound? What did he and Medlov discuss that made him leave me behind?
No one knows about the tape – I’m sure of that, but I need my team to be informed. If the Syndicate just comes back and kills everyone, we’re screwed; that tape will go to the DA. I need to get my hands on it and find out the name of Medlov’s contact with the DA. And who is this supposed trustworthy DA? Many politicians are on our payroll. Could Medlov be trying to trick me? He didn’t let me listen to the tape, so who says it even really exists? Maybe it’s just a ruse.
But I receive my answer sooner than expected when a guard enters the room and points his semi-automatic at me. “Come with me.”
I get up, eager to be out of this place. It must be early morning by now. I’m led from the room without being cuffed, which I find strange at first, but when I walk through the house, I observe that it’s being guarded like a fortress. Many armed security men walk around in this cold, immaculate mansion.
The guard pushes me inside a library where Medlov greets me, “Good morning, Camilla.”
I answer him with silence and scope out my surroundings. There’s a window in here, and when I look outside, I guess that this must be some kind of estate because I only see a stretch of lawn. If I do manage to escape this house, I’m probably going to encounter a gated perimeter. Furthermore, I can’t just escape without knowing anything about that tape.
To my surprise, Medlov offers me the
evidence I seek without any pressure from me. “I have here the tape I was referring to.” He presses play, and I get to hear a conversation I had with Santino almost four months ago when he was imprisoned at the warehouse.
Me: “Who are you, Santino?”
Santino: “What do you mean?”
Me: “If I release you, what life do you go back to?”
Santino: “Are you letting me go? I would go back home, to the Loop. But what about you? You helped me, Camilla, but now you’re here among my captors. Are you one of them? Are you part of the Chicago Syndicate?”
Me: “If we let you go, how can I be assured that you won’t turn us in?”
Santino: “Because I know it would get me killed.”
Me: “That’s right. You’ll never escape us if you talk.”
Santino: “I realize that you’re everywhere. The Syndicate took over Sal’s entire establishment in one night. I’m not stupid enough to fight that. I know how powerful you are.”
Me: “Then you also know we can, and will, find you again if you do betray us.”
Santino: “I get that. So are you planning to release me? Because I overheard that they’re taking me back to Club 7 tonight.”
Me: “I’m not making any promises, but I’ll talk to the boss and let you know. However, if any of the soldiers uncover information you’ve withheld, it’s completely out of my hands.”
Santino: “Why? Are you protecting yourself, the Syndicate, or Adriano Montesi, Camilla? You need to realize what you’re involved in. He is the boss, and you are his lover. But when he’s had enough of you, what will happen to you?”
Me: “Don’t talk to me about Adriano.”
Me: “Lock it.”
Medlov seems to examine my reaction.
“That’s circumstantial evidence,” I say.
“Is it? You blatantly admit that you’ll talk to the boss of the Chicago Syndicate. Santino mentions your name and Adriano’s full name. Are you sure this isn’t incriminating?”
Shit, I’m not. Carmine, our Consigliere, hasn’t explained that to me yet. And either way, it’s evidence that I had Santino locked up. If this gets into government hands, then my life is over. I’ll go to prison. I’m tied to a mafia, and they’ll have proof.