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“Is there sound on this thing?” I question, wanting to hear what the man is saying.
Santiago hits a few buttons and the sound filters in.
“You were lucky this time, bitch. Here’s a present from my employer. Consider it a reminder of what’s coming.”
The man reaches into his suit jacket and places something on the shelf between them before backing out of the store, Santiago’s shotgun following him the entire way. Celia doesn’t say a word as she reaches for the box and opens it. I can’t make out what’s inside, but whatever it is upsets her. She looks up toward the camera, swiping at her cheek before smiling at Santiago and heading out the door.
“That’s everything?”
Santiago nods, not saying a word in response. Good idea. I’m barely hanging on by a thread. A ticking time bomb waiting for any excuse to explode. Good thing I have the perfect person to take my frustrations out on.
Grabbing a slip of paper sitting on the table, I scribble an email address across the paper, along with a dollar amount below it. “Send a copy of that video to this email address along with the numbers on that paper and they’ll take care of everything else.”
“What are thenúmeros?”What are the numbers?
“Call it a gift for keeping Celia safe.” I pat him on the back before heading directly toward my car, climbing in and peeling away from the curb, heading directly for Nocturne.
I don’t know how, but I have a feeling everything is connected. The man who attacked her at the club, the cameras and bugs in her apartment, and the man at the bodega this morning. If it were anyone else, I’d say she was a magnet for danger, which may be true, but there’s more. Couple all these coincidences together and add in her secrecy and the lack of background information, and it seems fishy. My heart tells me she’s a victim in this, a pawn in a chess game, but my head can’t help but wonder if there may be more to this story than we know. The one thing I know for certain is Celia needs us, even if she doesn’t know it.
I stroll into Nocturne and head directly to Luca’s office, which is tucked away in the back of the club. We purchased Nocturne about two years ago, needing another legitimate business to funnel our money through. Luca’s business was failing, so it was a win-win situation until he stole from us.
“I see you two got started without me,” I say with a smile before heading toward Luca’s beaten body tucked behind a large wooden desk at the back of the room.
They’ve done a number on him. Luca’s broken body is slumped down in a chair, only being held up by the bindings holding him to it. What looks to be a broken arm is lying limply at his side, and his chin is dropped to his chest. Bruises and cuts mar his once-flawless skin.
Antonio pats me on the back as I pass. “I told you I was itching for a fight. You never said what condition you wanted him in when you arrived.”
“I thought you said a quick stop. We’ve been waiting for over an hour,” Matteo complains as he leans against Luca’s desk.
“Fuck off,” I snarl, storming toward Luca. “No one is leaving this room until I have some answers.”
“You’ve been stealing from us, Luca. I want to know why.”
“I’d never be so stupid, Mr. Genovese.”
It seems the man has few brain cells left. “You’re up to something. The question is, does it have anything to do with the mysterious woman attempting to weasel her way into our lives?”
Antonio and Matteo’s eyes snap to mine, silently asking what I’m doing, but I pay them no mind. I need answers, and I’m tired of waiting.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Luca turns his head to the left, spitting blood on the ground, barely missing my shoes.
Matteo walks around the desk, resting both of his hands on Lucas’s shoulders, a bored expression covering his face. “You’re not a stupid man. Luca, we all know this. You’ve been stealing from us for a reason. Now tell us why.”
“If I tell you, they’ll kill me.”
I take a few steps toward him, stopping just short of stepping on his toes, and lean over so we’re at eye level with each other. “If you don’t tell us, we’ll kill every person you’ve ever known. Mother, father, wife, children. Hell, even the old lady you delivered the paper to when you were younger won’t be safe from us. You’ll watch every single one of them die. Begging us to put you out of your misery, but we won’t.”
“You never harm women and children; everyone knows that…” His voice trails off as my hand grips his neck tightly.
“You have no idea the lengths that I’ll go to protect my family.”
He claws at my hand, scratching me with his nails as he attempts to break free. I watch his face turn purple from a lack of oxygen. I feel a tap on my shoulder.
“He won’t be able to answer if he’s dead.” Antonio smirks at me as I release Lucas’s throat, and he gasps for air.
“Now talk,” I command, my patience wearing thin. “And make it quick. We have a meeting, and I don’t want to be late.”
“Your need to be on time is ruining all our fun,” Antonio mumbles just loud enough for Matteo and me to hear him.
