Page 163 of Savage Don

I’ve barely gone out with Francesca, let alone introduced her to the crew.

Nodding over my shoulder, Aiden gestures towards Leonid and Maksim.

“According to our Russian prince over there, you’ve been acting like a man drunk on something no alcohol could ever top.”

“I mean…”

“Hey, we’ve all been there,” Nolan shrugs.

“Yeah, it’s about time you catch up, old man,” Shane teases. “How can you be the oldest one here and still be the last to get hitched?”

“Woah, who said anything about marriage?”

“You’re Irish Catholic, Ray,” Aiden points out. “Even if you are the devil himself, we don’t get our women pregnant before we put a ring on their finger. And we all know your plan by now.”

My aching heart stirs as an unexpected image crosse my mind.

Francesca in a bright white wedding dress. God, she would look so beautiful…

But then a thick plume of black smoke engulfs that perfect image and replaces it with another, more morbid one.

Francesca’s corpse.

No. Fuck that. I won’t let it happen.

“Domenico and Sonia Galli have her,” growl, charred fingers clenching into a fist.

“Do you know where they are?” Aiden asks.

“… Or where they might have taken her?” Shane continues.

Before I can answer, Maksim speaks up.

“I just might!” he says, limping forward.

“God, what happened to you three?” Nolan says, shaking his head. “We turn our backs for a couple of months and you’ve all fallen apart.”

“Sometimes you’ve got to break a few bones to build an empire,” I remind him.

“Isn’t that the truth.”

“What did you hear?” I ask, turning around to face Maksim.

He’s looking down at his phone. “I just got an update from some of our assassins. They’ve given me four different possible locations.”

“Name them.”

“There’s an empty warehouse down by the docks that belongs to the Gallis. Apparently, there are more guards patrolling the area than usual. There’s also a Galli cabin up in the Catskills. The lights have been on since last night.”

“And the last two?”

“There were reports of gunshots fired at the Galli mansion. And a car just peeled out of the driveway. I’ve got eyes on both.”

“What should we do, boss?” Leonid asks, limping up to join the action.

My mind races as I consider all of the possibilities. But even in the whirlwind, my gut tells me I know where Francesca is.

She’s in the car.