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I shrug. “It’s not connected to my account. So I couldn’t tell you.”
“Fine.” Sophie turns and heads inside. “You two get going. I’m going to call Leandro and find out all I can about Carlos’ debt to Alexei.”
“Leandro is my cousin,” Luca says, following her around the pool.
“And you're busy finding my friend.”
He stops in his tracks. Her eyes are burning. She’s more pissed off and as driven as me. It fires me up. I bet she can’t believe something like this is happening again in this family, and neither can I. Why the hell didn’t Mimi just stay with Luca and Sophie to be protected? Why didn’t I force it?
Luca pulls on a shirt and picks up his phone and wallet. He gestures for me to follow, and we head around to the side gate and are soon sitting down in my car. As we drive out of the gate and hit the main road that leaves their community, Luca turns to me. “There are things you don’t know about your friend Carlos. Things that you’re going to need to know to understand what is about to happen going forward…”
Chapter 24
Mimi
Icometoinan instant, my body jolting from the last memories I have of being awake.
We were driving along, and then this rag was over my mouth. I can still smell remnants of it on my hood. I can't see anything, but there's a light source somewhere in the corner. My heart rate jumps up into triple figures, and I can only think of my mom. “Mom?” I call.
My hood is ripped off, and then the heart rate that had just doubled stops.
Carlos is kneeling in front of me.
Alive.
“What are you doing alive?”
The Russians burst out laughing, and I look about the room. The Russian who was in charge in the house shrugs. “Mom is not here,” he grins. “She’s probably dead.”
I highly doubt that. She’s probably with Sebastian right now. But it’s Carlos who flinches at that news.
We’re in this tiny office that’s been transformed into a holding cell. There's a spring bed in the corner and no mattress. A bucket that reeks of piss. Carlos looks absolutely horrible. He smells like he hasn’t showered or eaten anything decent for—
Probably about two weeks.
The bratva are still laughing, and the one who was the leader during our kidnapping takes out his cigarette. He points at Carlos and then at me. “We had a bet together. All of us thought that you wouldn’t be happy to see Carlos. I guess we won. But we’ll get to what that means—”
“More fire than you, this one,” the man says to Carlos while gesturing toward me. Carlos still hasn’t looked me directly in the eye yet.
“Sis, just chill—”
“Don’t you dare speak to me,” I hiss at Carlos. “What the fuck is your problem?” My blood is boiling, and I’m so angry at him. So angry that he’s dragged us into his bullshit.
“Heh!” The man smiles and points his cigarette at me. “I like you. You got balls .”
“Fuck off!” I scream. “I’m gonna kill you.” I strain at the bonds in my frustration.
The man laughs, then, realizing that I’m not joking, becomes serious. “I wouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,” the bratva utters. “Then again, I suppose that runs in your family.” He walks toward Carlos and then slaps him.
I flinch. I’m pissed off at my brother. Infuriated. But I don’t wish pain on him. “Leave him alone.”
“You’re very confident,” the man says. “I’m going to enjoy breaking you.” He grins at the other two men, who are standing there with their hands in their pockets. They look as if they’re standing around at a bar. Not in front of two hostages.
“I take it you work for Alexei’s men?”
He shakes his head like it’s a funny story. “Really, I think your brother should tell you. It’s a great story. And he’s so integral to it all.”
Carlos looks at him with eyes of hatred, then they flash at me, and shame floods into them. He’s a shadow of the man I’ve always known him to be.Or is this who he really is?The thought flashes across my mind before I can suppress it.
