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The weight of his words hits me. I’m grateful for our friendship and that there’s still people you can trust in this world filled with deceit and cutthroat betrayal.
"You remember that freezing winter night, man?" I ask, my voice heavy with the weight of the past.
Luca's eyes harden at the memory, his jaw tightening. "How could I fucking forget? That was one hell of a night."
"That fucking DiMarcos crew," I say, the name bringing back a flood of chilling memories. "They had us outnumbered in that alley. I thought we were done for."
Luca nods, his solemn gaze never leaving mine. "That was a close call. But we had each other's backs."
"You took a bullet for me," I say, still amazed by his bravery all those years ago.
Luca gives a humble half-smile. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat, Antonio. You know that."
With a quick gesture, I signal to my men and we exit the chaotic fight club. We pile into the large SUV and drive into the night, the darkness surrounding us like a veil as we head towards Station Road. In this cold stillness, I hold onto Luca's loyalty like a lifeline. It's the kind of bond that cannot be broken. I'm fucking grateful for it.
As we arrive at our destination, my men disperse around the run-down building after we park. There are no other vehicles in sight. We may be alone, but I know better than to let my guard down. The plan is for my team to split up and cover as much ground as possible. I make my way over to a side entrance, its door hanging off its hinges, and begin climbing up the few flights of stairs leading to the top level.
Marked as the sixth floor, I decide to start from the top and work my way down. With only my phone's flashlight to light my way, I carefully navigate through the maze of corridors and rooms.
Just as I reach the fifth floor, with barely enough light to see my surroundings, a shout from Rico echoes out from the stairwell at the end of the hall.
“What have you found?” I shout back, picking up my stride to follow him. The urgency in my voice is palpable as we continue our search for Natalia. “Did you find her?”
“It’s best if I show you, Boss,” Rico responds, his face grave and determined.
My chest constricts as we make our way down to the lower level of the building. I desperately want this to be the end of our search, to finally find Natalia safe and sound.
But my wishful thinking is shattered a second later. The stench hits me before I even enter the room, overpowering and putrid. As I shine my light around the space, I see that it’s empty and abandoned. But there are signs of life that once occupied this dingy room - a makeshift bed in the corner, consisting of nothing more than a worn-out mattress; a dirty tin cup and plate sitting on the floor; and notches carved into the wall above the bed, most likely used to keep track of time.
Someone was being held here.
Was it Natalia?
My blood boils at the thought.
If they kept her here like an animal, they'll fucking pay for it with their useless lives.
“Why do you think this has anything to do with us?” I ask Rico bitterly, not wanting to believe that Natalia endured such conditions.
“Because we found this halfway down the hall,” he answers, holding up an object that I can't quite make out in the dim light.
“What’s th--” I begin to ask, but as I shine my light onto it, my heart nearly stops.
It's encrusted with dirt and grime, but I recognize it immediately - it's Natalia's compact mirror.
She was here?
Fuck.
They kept my woman here.
I’ll fucking kill them.
Rage courses through me at the thought of them keeping her here against her will.
I’ll make them suffer for every minute she spent in this hellhole.
“Good work. We need to search every part of this building,” I bark at Rico, turning to face him. “Tell the men to set up camp here. Once it’s light enough, we'll comb through every inch of this place. Inside and out. Over in the woods too. We won't stop until we find where they took her from here.”
