Текст книги "Blood & Loyalties"

Автор книги: Ryan Michele

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Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

Jag pulled a gun from somewhere and moved fast, slamming the butt into Damian’s head, stopping his wails instantly. Then he trained the gun on the guy who had Scraper while I put my gun on Damian, just in case he moved an inch.

“Back the fuck off, or I put a bullet in your fucking head.” Jag’s voice went beyond scary to the point of holy shit. Was that the same guy I had been sleeping with?

Ghost slipped in behind the man, and Jag’s body went taut.

I slid behind him and whispered in Jag’s ear, “That’s Ghost. He’s with me.”

Ghost easily removed the gun from the guy above Scraper, hitting him hard and knocking him out cold. His large body crashed to the floor.

“Tie him up,” Jag directed, and Ghost instantly got to work.

I could feel ice forming in my veins as I stared down at Damian, keeping my gun on him. He was younger than his voice suggested. With dark hair and brown eyes, he wasn’t a bad looking guy, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t shoot him between the eyes.

I heard Jag talking on the phone, though I only heard bits of his conversation.

Holy. Shit. I actually shot a man, really shot him. I didn’t kill him, but I actually pulled the trigger, and a bullet went inside this man’s body, cutting into his leg and another in his shoulder. I should be mortified. I should be scared. I should be, shouldn’t I? That feeling didn’t seem to want to come like it should.

“Yeah, she’s perfectly safe.” I glanced over to Jag, nodding and giving him a meek reassurance that I was sure he saw through.

“Scraper is unconscious; Ghost is on Damian; his guy is tied up; and I swear to Christ, if my fucking men don’t get in here in the next two minutes, I’ll put a bullet in them.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Blondie barreled through the door.

Jag scowled at him, still holding the phone to his ear, his eyes glaring. “Where the fuck have you been?”

“Sorry, boss. They had three guys out front, and they tried subduing me. With that guy’s”—he pointed to Ghost—“help, they’re all dead.”

“Shit,” Jag grumbled then relayed the information to either my father or uncle. “Where the hell is Dan?”

“He’s not in here with you?” Blondie asked, surprised.

“Does it look like he’s fucking in here?”

Blondie took off, and then minutes later, he was dragging the big hunk of a man into the restaurant.

“What the fuck happened?”

“Hit to the head. Not sure what else. He’s breathing, though.” Blondie tried to say as he heaved for air. I couldn’t blame him; Hulk was a big man.

“You two, help him tie these fuckers up. Blondie, find the owner and waiters; get it sorted.” Jag stopped and wrapped his arms around me, burying his face into my hair and breathing me in. I felt his hand come up to my neck and rest on my vein that thudded under his touch. He kissed me on the temple before he pulled back, a bit of relief on his face.

“Catarina, please go check on Scraper and Hulk.”

I didn’t think twice about the orders, just got to work immediately. I looked down at the guy who had protected me for the past six years and the other whom I kind of liked and quickly checked them over. Bumps on the head. They were gonna be so pissed they had gotten knocked out like that when they woke up.

“Ghost!” Jag yelled, making me jump.

“Yeah?”

“After you’re done, go out and make sure it’s clear then start the cleanup.”

Ghost disappeared quickly, I assumed getting to business.

I looked down at Scraper. His chest was rising and falling with each breath, and his color looked good. The large knot on the side of his head was gonna hurt like a bitch. Hulk was the same way. Whatever had hit them was gonna give them a horrible headache, but nothing looked too serious, as long as they woke the hell up.

A phone was pushed into my face, and I turned to look into Jag’s eyes.

“Your dad.”

I took the phone, still clutching the gun in the other. “Hey, Daddy.”

“Are you okay?” Concern laced my father’s voice, and I could almost hear a quiver of despair.

“I’m fine. Jag took great care of me.” Really, I had taken care of myself, but that was for another time.

He blew out a deep breath like he had been holding it for a while. “I expect nothing less from him. Are you really okay? Jag said you took the guy out, yeah?”

As I looked back over at the man on the floor, I didn’t feel fear. I didn’t feel anything except ice. The fucker deserved what he had gotten, and if he moved, I would put the bullet in his fucking head and not bat an eye. What did that make me? I wasn’t sure. I didn’t have time right then to piece that shit together, either.

“Really, Dad, I’m good. I promise.”

When he hesitated on the other end of the phone, I was sure he was contemplating whether I was telling him the truth. “You listen to everything Jag says, all right?”

I nodded and then shook my head at myself. He couldn’t freaking see me through the phone.

“Got it.”

“You still got your gun close?”

I looked at my hand, my knuckles white from clutching it so hard. “Yep.”

“Keep it. Your brothers and cousins are on their way. I’m heading over to your uncle’s house.”

“Yeah, Dad.” My veins were pumping hard like I was on some kind of drug, some high that I had never felt before. It rocked.

“Bye. Be safe.”

“Always.” I clicked the phone off.

“Their breathing is steady,” I told Jag, “but if they don’t wake up soon, you’ll need to take them to the hospital to get looked at for a concussion.”

Jag wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close. I breathed in the scent of him and wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my head in his chest.

“You kicked fucking ass, dolcezza. You made me so proud.” He pulled my lips to his in a scorching kiss.

“Not the fucking time for that shit.” Val growled.

When I looked over at him, he was seething mad. My first instinct was to go over and comfort him, but it wouldn’t help, not when he was that angry.

“Calm your ass down. Now.” Jag scowled. “You don’t talk to her like that.”

Val’s nostrils flared, and from the clenching of his fists, I could see that he was ready to throw down. It was because I got too close to the business. I knew it. He had never wanted me to be involved, and there I was, smack in the middle of it.

I turned, putting my back to Jag and getting in the middle of the two men.

“Val, I’m okay. There was no other option.” As I moved closer to my brother, I could see from the vein in his neck his heart was beating so fast it could pop out of his chest. “Val, look at me. I’m okay.” I moved to stand toe-to-toe with him, sensing Jag not too far behind me from the body heat radiating off him.

“You are not to be involved with this. Mom isn’t, so you aren’t.” He shook his head, his temper receding. If he wasn’t careful, he would have tears soon.

“I’m not involved in anything. You know that. We didn’t know this would happen.”

Once Val wrapped his beefy arm around my neck and pulled me to his body, I followed suit and wrapped mine around him. He was scared. Poor guy.

“When I heard you were here, I was scared to death. You can’t do that shit to me.” He kissed the side of my forehead.

I looked up and smiled. “I’m fine. See, perfect.” I stepped back and motioned to my body.

Jag walked up behind me, putting his arms around my waist. My brother growled but didn’t say anything.

A flurry of bodies came in and out quickly, so fast I wasn’t sure which end was up. I stayed close to Scraper and Hulk as some guy came in and checked them over. Then he put something under their noses that woke them up almost immediately.

“Catarina!” Scraper bellowed in a raspy voice as soon as his eyes opened.

I rushed to his side so he could see my face. His eyes were tormented, and confusion swirled in the depths of them.

“I’m right here. I’m fine. Everything’s gonna be fine.” I brushed his hair away from his eyes as he blinked repeatedly.

A doctor-type man started asking him a shit ton of questions then gave the green light that he would be okay, same with Hulk. I sighed in relief and sagged to the floor, the pressure of the night weighing on me.

What a fucking night.

***

After showering, I crawled into bed alone since Jag had said he had business to do. Kiera had already fussed all over me, and both Mom and Dad had called me twice. I was beyond exhausted. The adrenaline from before had completely dissipated, but I still felt no remorse for what I had done. It made me certain I would do it all over again in an instant.

I thought back through the night to before all hell had broken loose. Jag was the epitome of romantic. To say he had knocked my fucking socks off was a total understatement. As much as I hated to admit it, I was falling. Hard. I took that back. I had already fallen, and he was leaving soon.

I curled in a ball and let my heart ache before drifting off to sleep.

 

Chapter 9

UGH. I POUNDED my fist into Damian’s face, but it didn’t make my anger subside. I punched again and again. I kicked. Blood coated my hands, but I didn’t fucking care. Over and over, I punched the fucker finding zero release.

He could have killed Catarina. Flashes of nearly losing her kept rolling around in my head with each kick and hit I made, my anger not subsiding.

“All right, man, he’s passed out cold,” Matteo said, grabbing my arm.

Part of me wanted to swing at his ass for touching me. However, I pulled back, seething. Not at Matteo, but at Damian for possibly hurting Catarina.

“Do it,” I called, and then two shots went into the skulls of Damian and his guards.

“Clean it up, Dan. Brett, get the plane ready; we leave at dawn. My uncle’s getting an early wake up call.”

While I walked to the makeshift sink in the dingy warehouse and scrubbed my hands of the blood, my thoughts raced to Catarina. I didn’t want to fucking leave her, but I didn’t have a choice. I had to clean up this mess that Zan started or it would only escalate and that was not an option.

The drive back to her house was quiet. Brett, somehow sensing my mood, didn’t attempt to lighten it.

Walking into Catarina’s bedroom, she was burrowed under the covers, her dark hair floating across the pillow. She looked like an angel. Her flawless skin and curves carved to perfection just for me.

I stripped off my clothes and tossed them in my bag. Taking a quick shower, I climbed into bed and pulled her body to mine, feeling every curve adhere to mine. A perfect fit. She moaned then turned into me, entwining our legs together, and it felt so damn right. My damn heart thudded in my chest as I pulled her tighter to me, not wanting anything between us.

I lay for hours, just watching her sleep, memorizing the slight rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. I memorized her scent. I counted her heartbeats and imprinted the thumping into my head. I engraved each flicker of her eyes and smirk of her lips as she dreamed in my head.

Like a fucking sledgehammer hitting me, I knew I had to come back. In such a short time, this woman had embedded herself inside me, building a place in my heart that I knew I’d be empty without. I’d never needed a woman, but her I needed.

I pulled her back to my front, my cock hard as a brick as I positioned myself below her ass. I lifted her leg then slid slowly into her hot opening, her body already wet and ready even in sleep.

Wrapping my arms around her curvy body, I kissed her back and shoulders loving the taste of her on my lips. She moaned, turning her head, trying to look behind her, but her eyes were still closed in sleep. I pumped in and out of her slowly, loving the sensation of my cock wrapped in her silk and feeling that undeniable connection to her as I smiled down at my Catarina.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly, and she smiled back. I loved the beautiful, heart-shaped curve of her lips, and when she smiled, it was golden. Every burning feeling inside of me intensified.

“Morning,” her sexy as hell voice murmured.

“Morning, dolcezza.” I continued to pump in and out, building the friction between the two of us, my lips caressing her body, trying to explain without words the tsunami that was swarming inside of me.

For once, I thanked God I wasn’t facing her at the moment because everything I was feeling was pouring out of me and I couldn’t stop it.

“God, that feels good,” she moaned. “So fucking good.” Her hips woke up and started moving in time with my thrusts, which turned to slamming in and out of her tight heat.

I lifted her leg higher and moved down a bit more, getting in a better position. Then I guided my hand up from her waist, feeling her full breasts. I massaged them, staying away from her nipples.

My thrusts became desperate, and her moans became louder as I licked her neck along her pulse point, biting ever so slightly. It was just enough to send Catarina off, and I followed right behind.

As I spilled my seed inside of her, I closed my eyes and hoped my mark stayed on her until I returned.

I flipped her over and pulled her to my body. I stared in her eyes, seeing the unease swirling in her gaze as she pulled her brows together, seeming to look deeper inside me than I’d ever allowed any other woman to venture.

“You’re leaving,” she choked out in a whisper.

“I am. I have things I have to do.”

She tried to give a small smile, but it fell short. The tears welling up in the corner of her eyes were crushing my heart.

“I know.” Her voice was so soft I could barely hear her.

I broke. “We aren’t finished, Catarina.” I brushed her hair away from her face. “Tell me that you feel this. Tell me that I’m not alone in this.” I felt like a damn pussy, but I had to put myself out there. I had to know she felt the same way.

Her eyes widened and a small gasp left her luscious lips. A tear spilled from the corner of her eye and I brushed it away with the pad of my thumb. “I don’t want you to go.” She whispered and I felt crushed.

“Come with me.” The words spilled from my lips before I thought of any of the repercussions of the declaration.

Her hands clutched me tight. “I can’t, my life is here. My family, my job. I can’t just pick up and leave.”

I knew that and it was stupid of me to even say the words, but I didn’t know how long I’d be gone. Hell, I could be fifty and just getting back to her and that ate at me. I couldn’t imagine not waking up to this every morning and falling asleep with her wrapped in my arms. Fuck me.

“I know.” I said softly, brushing my lips against hers. “I’m coming back for you,” I promised.

She silently nodded. Her arms wrapped around my body, pulling me to her like she was silently begging me not to leave her. We lay like that until a slight tap came at the door.

“Yeah,” I answered, covering up Catarina’s body.

Brett opened the door. “It’s time, boss. The plane’s ready.”

I gave a chin lift, dismissing him, and then turned back to the woman in my arms.

“Be safe,” she whispered.

“I’m coming back for you,” I promised again.

She didn’t answer; instead, she kissed me hard and deep, sucking the breath out of me. I could feel her heart breaking with the kiss before she pulled away.

“I mean it. I’m coming back.”

She nodded this time, but no words came from her gorgeous lips.

Reluctantly, I rose from the bed and dressed. Catarina went to get up, but I halted her, holding up my hand. I needed my last vision of her to be in bed.

Opening the door, I chanced one last look at the woman who had captured my heart in such a short time. The misery was written all over her face, and I ached to make it go away.

“I’m coming back,” I tried to reassure her once more. To reassure myself.

A lone tear rolled down her face, and my heart shattered as I walked out the door.

Chapter 10

Nine Months Later

PULLING INTO THE driveway at my estate, I saw a small black car waiting, and my stomach plummeted. Fucking Maria. I did not want to deal with her shit today. Hell, I didn’t want to deal with her shit any day.

After I got out of the car, she followed suit. She was blonde and beautiful, but there was nothing between her ears and more dicks had been between her legs than humanly possible.

“Hey, baby, it’s been a long time. I missed you,” she purred, making me want to retch.

“I didn’t. What do you want?” I walked right past her to the front door. She wasn’t getting in, so she had better make this fast.

“Can I come in and talk?” Even her most seductive voice fell flat with me.

“No. Talk or go.” I turned, crossing my arms over my chest, ready to be done with this shit.

She sighed dramatically, like it would buy her some time with me. Nope.

“I need money.”

Anger rose. “I give you fucking money every damn month. Way more than I need to, by the way.”

“I need more. I got into some trouble with Mickey. It’s just a bit, and I promise I’ll pay it back.” Mickey was a loan shark who had ungodly rates. There was no reason she even needed to go to him with the cash I gave her every month to leave me the fuck alone.

I scoffed. “You won’t pay shit back. I’m the only money you have. What did you do this time?”

“I needed some new things and didn’t have the money, so he helped me out.”

My eyes turned cold. “Was that before or after you sucked his dick and fucked him?” I hated her, and I was getting damn tired of her shit. Her train was about to run the fuck out of track.

Her face turned red with anger. I didn’t care. “That is none of your business. I’ll make it up to you.” She approached me like a hyena ready to pounce on an antelope. Her fingernails came up, scraping my arm in a seductive dance meant to entice. It didn’t.

“Get your fucking hand off me.” She complied quickly at my tone. “How much?”

Her shoulders drooped in defeat. “Ten K.” Her eyes met mine, wincing. She was ready for the anger, but it didn’t come. I was done. This was it.

“I’ll take care of it, and then I’m done. No more money. No more coming by. No protection. I’m wiping myself clean.”

Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened just a hair to allow the gasp to escape as she stumbled back a bit. Good, I was glad I’d finally shocked her.

“You can’t do that. How will I live?” Her protests fell on deaf ears, and the screeching was giving me a headache. I had too much to do.

“Told you I’d handle it. From now on, you’re on your own. Divorce was final a long time ago. I helped you out for years so you’d get on your feet, but you can’t. Not my problem anymore. I’m done.” I turned to the door, unlocking it with my finger print, some technology the techie guy had installed for additional security.

An arm latched onto me, and I spun around. Before I could say a word, Maria dropped to her knees and hurriedly tried to unbuckle my pants. I jerked away.

“What the fuck are you doing?” The sound bounced through the night sky as she fell forward on her hands and knees in front of me.

“I’m sorry. I won’t screw up again. Please give me another chance.” Her pleas did nothing for her case except make her sound even more pathetic. Tears began streaming down her face, and once upon a time, I might have fallen for it. Not this time.

“Get up and leave, or Dan will make you. You are to stay away from everything I am a part of. If you come near me again, it will be the end.” I quickly walked through the door, locking it behind me. Dan could come in after he got rid of her.

***

I watched as Vinny grabbed the pliers from the metal drawer, his eyes full of hate. We had been in this dump of a warehouse for three hours, and our patience was wearing thin. Mine was nonexistent.

The building was right outside of town with enough acreage around it to hide all the screams this asshole was dishing out. Rats and spiders infested the place. Not that we had been on the ground, but having those huge-ass fuckers run across my feet wasn’t happening. After I’d shot four of the nasty things, they’d learned to move away and stay away.

The rain had torn part of the roof away before giving way to the sunlight shining on one of Zan’s enforcers who was kneeling on the ground. I didn’t even give a shit about his name. It was pointless. Either he had information on the whereabouts of Zan, or he was dead. Who was I kidding? He was dead either way.

Diego, my right hand, stood next me. His arms crossed over his body, watching Vinny work. He and I had been working on finding that fucking shit Zan since I had gotten back in town almost nine fucking months ago. Every time we got close, the fucker ran again. A huge feat considering how many men I had everywhere, looking for him. He seemed to be one step ahead every damn time.

That in itself pissed me off, and each day I was here in California and didn’t find that fucking piece of shit made me angrier. I took it out on my enforcers more than I should, but they should have found him by now. Even Vino and Sal couldn’t get a track on him, making the amount of time we had spent working on this astronomical. It was like he was a ghost, moving without a trace. I had even hired some top notch guys, ex-military, to help recently. They had been on the case a day and brought me the fucker now at my feet. Apparently, he was one of the last people to have seen my uncle before Zan had left.

I couldn’t give two shits at that point whether Zan was my father’s brother. He was dead. When I found him, I would gut him myself and enjoy every fucking cry of pain that came from his throat. This runaround was ending. I was done dealing with all this bullshit.

Not only was I having to chase the fucker, but Catarina had stopped taking my calls. For over six months we would talk on the phone and text daily, even started to use Skype back and forth. I had learned more about her than I probably would have if we had been alone together because I would have been balls deep in her instead of really talking.

I remembered when she had told me her favorite movie was Grease. I hadn’t been able to keep from laughing. All I could picture was John Travolta dancing and singing on a car. Such a travesty.

I knew her favorite color was teal because that was all over her room, but she also loved the color red. Said it made her feel sexy. Another thing, she loved to read, yet didn’t have much time to do it. She preferred those sappy romance bullshit stories. Whatever made her happy.

Then, as time slipped away and Zan kept slipping out of my grasp, Catarina added another blow by not accepting my calls out of the blue. I asked Val and Matteo, but they wouldn’t tell me much, just that if she had wanted to talk to me, she would have. I respected that because it was family, even though it pissed me off. Sal and Vino said they wouldn’t get involved and to leave her alone. Keira said she didn’t know what was going on either. I sent gifts to her house that got returned. If I had a single damn moment where I could have gone to her, I would have, but that didn’t happen because this fuckwad kept slipping through my fingers.

“Ahh…” The sound pulled my attention back to the moment.

Vinny had the pliers, grasping the asshole’s fingernail and pulling it hard, yanking it partially from the skin, droplets of blood splattering to the dirty floor. Vinny had already broken the guy’s fingers. This was simply a little more torture on his nerves.

“Tell me where to find him!” Vinny barked, tugging harder.

The man kneeling on the ground only grunted and yelled, so Vinny yanked harder, pulling the nail away from his finger completely. The man let out a piercing scream, his face coated in sweat as it dripped down to the floor, mixing with his blood. With a hard kick to his stomach, his eyes flew open and up, moving from side to side frantically.

“I … don’t know nothing.” He didn’t; it was written all over him. Enough of this shit.

I stepped forward slowly and tilted my head ever so slightly, taking in the man’s face. He was young, too young to be doing Zan’s bidding. The bruising around his face cut out his features.

I stood in front of him, looking down at his bowed head. I was surprised he was actually still up; I thought for sure he would have fallen by then with nothing holding him. Strong kid. What a shame.

“Pick him up,” I ordered to Vinny.

Diego, who instantly complied, held the man up by his arms. His head bobbed with their movements, but he didn’t fight them.

Picking up my fist, I clenched it hard, swinging and connecting with his jaw. There was no need for it except that I needed to hit something, and he was there. His eyes rolled back in his head. His head fell forward, his chin touching his chest. He was in total surrender.

“Last time. Give me something to find him, or I go after your family next.”

He looked up, his eyes widening. Gets them every time. Family was the most important thing. Every decision we made, every choice we were faced with was to better our family, to keep it strong, healthy. Secure. It was also the reason my ass didn’t hop on a plane every time I thought about Catarina.

I couldn’t, not until the threat was gone. She meant too much. She might not see it, but she would one day.

“Start talking.” Sounds came from his lips that I couldn’t understand, mostly gibberish, probably saying penance or something, but I continued to listen.

“Flynn,” he muttered softly.

Son of a fucking bitch. Anger pulsed through me like a tidal wave consuming my body. I couldn’t control my fists as they began swinging of their own accord. Hit after hit, I pummeled the motherfucker in front of me.

Grady fucking Flynn was helping him. Flynn was one of our major competitors, always trying to take over our lines. We had made many house calls to the stupid fucker and his associates over the years.

“Jag?” Diego’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts long enough for me to step back for a moment.

The guy lay limply on the floor, blood oozing out and his breaths shallow.

I heaved deep breaths in and out roughly, the rage still burning deep within, but I eventually reined myself in. This wasn’t helping.

“Do it,” I ordered to Vinny, moving quickly out the door with Diego at my heels. “Dig up everything on Flynn. We should have most of it already, but find out what he’s been doing lately, what he wants with Zan, and why the fuck he’s helping him,” I growled, not looking back at him, focusing on the car in front of me. “Meeting in two hours.”

I got in the car quickly, needing to get some air. Every nerve inside of me was coiled so damn tight it was about to burst at any moment. I needed to burn it off fast.

“Gym,” I barked at Dan in the front, who nodded. Looking at my hands, they were covered in blood. Shit. “Pull in from behind.”

Associates of ours owned the gym and gave us all free reign, including the private entrance to his back office. I needed to clean up before the law-abiding world saw me.

After an hour of pounding the bag and lots of cardio, the fury began to recede, and my mind began to clear. This was the best time for me, when my mind wasn’t stuck in a perpetual circle, feeling pissed off at the world.

Showering, my mind turned to Flynn. He was a conniving man, and the only reason he would help someone like Zan, besides the thrill, would be because he was working with him. Zan knew in the beginning the little stunt he had pulled with Damian would end him. He was either completely stupid—which I had little doubt of—or there was another angle here.

Jumping out of the shower, I grabbed my phone. Dialing Diego, he answered on the first ring.

“Need all of Flynn’s phone records, credit cards, passport, everything on him.”

“Boss, he more than likely didn’t use anything traceable.”

I grunted. “Are we not the Lambardoni’s? Do we not have the resources to dig up the dead? He’s no ghost yet, not until I make him one. I want everything: brothers, sisters, parents, everything on everyone. I want to know the nun who gave him his first rosary at catholic school if need be. Whomever he has in his pocket. There is a damn link somewhere.”

“Got it.”

“Have it when we meet.” I ended the call then called my ex-military lead. Rex grunted into the phone in greeting.

“Problem.” I relayed all the information, ordering him to be at my office in an hour to get the rest.

With another grunt from him, we disconnected.

One more call. I hovered over Vino’s name, knowing his patience was also at a breaking point. No one evaded Vino and lived to tell about it. I just got the brunt of the anger when it came down to it. I could handle that shit. It was the disappointment that gutted. No way did I want that shit.

I skimmed my finger over the name.

“What do you have?” he barked on the other end. Vino was as cut throat as they came. He hadn’t become the boss by sitting on his ass.

“Got a lead. Grady Flynn.” I waited.

“Fucking hell,” he snapped into the phone.

“Guess he’s helping Zan.”

Vino ground his teeth so loud I could hear it clearly.

“I’ve got information being gathered, and we’re having a meeting in an hour. Do you want to be on speaker, or do you want to know the highlights after?”

“Speaker. Sal and our boys are in on this, too. Calling them now.” The line went dead.

***

While I sat at the head of the table, Diego set up the speakerphone for Vino and the others. The room reminded me of the rush at Catarina’s home, only mine had a secure phone system that I’d made sure was untraceable.

After quick introductions on both ends so we knew who was listening, we cut to the chase. We hadn’t learned much. Techie was running more searches as we spoke, but he hadn’t had any hits. Another fucking wall.

“Jag!” Vino yelled on the other end, and all eyes went wide except for Rex’s and mine. I was used to this shit by now.

“Yes?” The best way to deal with Vino’s anger was to remain calm. Anything else would set him off ten times more.

“I want him,” he bit out, anger pulsating through the speaker. “Find him and bring him to me. Son, I know you will. I have no doubt, but make it fast.” His words were encouraging and demanding at the same time. He got his point across without a single indication that he was losing his shit.

“I’ll get him,” I said with conviction because I damn well would, and I would give him to Vino after I beat the living shit out of him.

“Done,” Vino announced then disconnected the call.

I sat back in the plush leather chair and stared at the men in front of me, all were men I had the utmost respect for. All were men I would lay down my life for. We were doing this.