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“We’re going to head straight to your stock warehouse here in New York, where you keep your weapons for shipping and trading. After we’ve met with your men there and confirmed all the finer details, we’ll head to the hotel. All while keeping off the radar, I might add. So, backstreet detours, long routes, and everything in between to avoid the Russians knowing we’re here. Which will make it all the better when we hit uptheirnightclub tonight and let the retaliation commence.”
With every word that falls from my mouth, the pitch of my voice gets higher and higher, a smirk forming on my lips as I open my eyes and look at Matteo once more.
His head is tilted to the left slightly, which somehow manages to enhance the depth of the scar down the right side of his mouth. “Are you always this excited?” he asks.
“Always.” I wink in his direction as he shakes his head at me in disbelief, at the same time as Vito and Enzo chuckle on either side of me.
We head around the outskirts of New York in silence then. I’m ready to get the meet over and done with. I’m ready to freshen up at the hotel, but most of all, I’m ready to have some Russian blood on my hands.
I tentatively rest my head on Enzo’s shoulder, watching the world go by outside the window as Vito places his hand on my thigh, and Matteo stretches his legs out so they’re tangled around mine.
Maybe what I’m most ready for is to have the three of them all to myself without any interruption, but I guess that’s going to have to wait as the vehicle rolls to a stop outside a large warehouse building.
It’s not discreet or derelict, or even remotely hideous enough to seem like it’s an inconsequential building. No, it looks completely brand new. Fresh gray walls cover the entire site, with shiny steel doors offering the only entrance.
A dozen or so vehicles are parked in the small adjoining lot, indicating their men are here already. Hopefully, this could be over quicker than I expected, and that feels like a win.
Enzo steps out of the SUV first, turning on the spot and offering his hand out to me, earning him a scoff and an eye roll from his brothers, but I take it nonetheless. Letting him pull me against his chest, he throws my arms over his shoulders as he grabs my waist, before spinning us around and placing my feet on the ground.
I look up at him with a grin, obsessed with this side of him as he leans down and presses a whisper of a kiss at the corner of my mouth. “Put her down, asshole, we have a job to do, and we can’t have any distractions or show weakness, no matter who is around,” Vito grumbles as he steps past us, but stops a few feet in front, waiting for the four of us to go in together.
Taking a step back, I run my fingers over the spare pair of leggings I packed, looking down at the ground as I take a deep breath and focus. Vito is right, now isn’t the time for any of that, no matter how much I fucking want it.
The SUV door is shut, and it draws my attention toward Matteo as he straightens his blazer and glances toward the door.
“Shall we?” His words are void of emotion and almost clipped as he nods in the direction of the warehouse.
I hold back a moment, my eyebrows knitting as I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
“Something doesn’t feel right,” I breathe the words without second thought as I glance up at the building before me. A building I’ve never been to before, didn’t even know existed, yet I get the sense that not all is as it should be.
“What do you mean?”
The question comes from Vito, but when I flick my gaze to his, I struggle to find the right way to describe it. So instead, I explain how my body feels.
“I don’t know, I just know my spine is stiff as fuck and I have zero clue why, but it’s not the norm for me. My instincts are kicking in.” I purse my lips, flexing my fingers at my sides as I look up at the building again.
Every window is blacked out, offering no insight inside, which is great for security purposes, but does nothing to help me right now when I’m the one on the outside.
“It’s all good,Bella, it’s just—”
I wave my hand to stop him from finishing whatever he’s going to say to pacify me, before striding past them. “I don’t know what it is, and I really don’t want to go inside, but there’s no other option. So… everyone, get inside… now.” I don’t waste a second to turn and check that they’re following, instead I keep placing one foot in front of the other until my hand wraps around the door handle.
Their presence is noticeable behind me, my body aware of their whereabouts without looking, but their shadows also loom above me in the late evening sun, confirming they’re right with me.
We’re drenched in complete silence as the four of us step through the doorway. Vito takes the handle from me once he’s inside, shutting it quietly behind us as we’re met with a dark entry hall.
I can barely see anything except for the flickering of a security camera in the top left corner of the room, and a hint of a light filtering under the doorway directly ahead. While the two other doors offer no clue what’s on the other side.
“How many men are supposed to be here?” I ask, running my tongue over my bottom lip as I focus on my hearing.
“If we’re being precise, forty-six,” Matteo replies just as quietly as I asked, making me shake my head even though none of them can see me.
“It’s far too quiet in here for there to be forty-six men waiting on our arrival, Matteo.” Adrenaline pumps through my body.
Not one of them offers me a verbal response, instead, I hear the telltale sound of them each drawing their guns, and I do the same, reaching for the one Vito gave me earlier.
“Vito, take the lead,” Matteo mutters, keeping his orders low and straight to the point. “Enzo, watch our backs. Wren, stay with me.”
