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Chapter 4
While on their way to the police department, Neo received a text containing a countdown timer. He had five hours and twenty-five minutes to solve the riddle. He hadn’t even had time to process what that woman on the phone was saying let alone solve some stupid riddle. He could barely recall the clue she’d given him.
He searched his brain to try and recall the last bit of conversation with her, but the detective’s voice detailing the murder of his brother drowned out that. Neo felt overwhelmed. He wished he’d paid more attention to his father’s business instead of being such a playboy. He knew he was out of his depth but he would have to suck it up and do what was needed.
There was no way he could call anyone for assistance. His cousin Enzo was occupied with his own business. Moreover, he couldn’t let the DeLuca side of his family know how incompetent he was. Everyone his age was either working closely with the family or had already taken the helm. It wasn’t his name that would be put to disrepute if things went wrong on his watch, it would be the team MelAdri. He just made up that moniker of his parent’s names. In any case their reputation was on the line, so he had to show the world what he was made of. The trouble was, he wasn’t sure what the hell that was.
During the commute he caught the driver looking at him through the rearview mirror. This made him self-conscious that he shrunk back into the seat. He kept his eyes averted the rest of the journey, not wanting to see the disappointment in the eyes of his father’s team. Neo had never been one to cry, but at that moment all he wanted to was to have a good bawling at the dilemma that had unfolded.
Things were happening at lightning speed and he was not prepared for any of it. How could his brother die and his parents be abducted in the same day? Who was responsible?
“Neo Sir, we’ve arrived,” Frankie stated.
The car had come to a stop inside the police department parking lot and Frankie was getting out of the car. Neo’s eyes strayed back to the rear-view mirror and the driver was looking at him oddly. He didn’t have time to make anything of his expression as Frankie opened his door and stood aside. As he alit the car, Frankie beckoned him aside, a few steps away from the vehicle.
“May I address you informally?”
Neo was surprised that the captain asked him such a question. Was it a sign of respect?
“Sure,” he replied.
“Neo, I know you must be overwhelmed right now, but you have to pull yourself together … for your parents and the team as well as your brother.”
Being the cocky little brat that he was, he bristled at Frankie’s wisdom. “I can handle it. Don’t worry.”
Frankie brushed lint from his jacket and patted his cheek like his elders usually did whenever they met. His heart did a double take as he recalled his father doing something similar as well. Tonight was supposed to be father son bonding time and tomorrow would be his regular Sunday evening time with his mother.
“I’ve been serving your father since we were kids, so listen up. You’re a DeLuca, I know you can handle this but it will take all the strength you can muster. Right now, there is a disquiet in the camp as the soldiers are wondering if you can handle your father’s position in the family.”
He scoffed, “No need for them to be concerned. All they have to do is follow orders … as usual.”
He could see the wheels working behind Frankie’s eyes. The captain was around his father’s age, and was the one Neo respected the most of his father’s army. How could he tell him that he had no clue what he was doing? Instead, Neo continued to put on a brave face and tried to convince himself that he had everything under control.
“I’ll take care of my father’s business and you take care of the soldiers, okay?”
Frankie nodded slowly. “You’re the boss.”
“That’s right.” He started to move off when Frankie’s words stopped him.
“One more thing, Boss. Your uncle will be arriving tomorrow.”
Neo was confused. “Which uncle?”
“I figured you wouldn’t want your father’s associates thinking that you couldn’t handle the business while your father was … let’s say … otherwise indisposed. Therefore, I called your Uncle Robert from Jamaica. He’ll be here in two days with a crew to help with this fight.”
“I told you I can handle this,” he grated. “I don’t need outside forces to take care of DeLuca business.”
“Your uncle has assisted your father many times over the years. I think you need someone on your side right now and he has a team of very competent people.”
“We have a team right here of which you are supposed to captain,” Neo gritted. “Are you copping out on me?”
Frankie nodded again. “I’m not copping out. Sometimes it pays to have unfamiliar faces, especially in situations like these.”
For the first time since that morning, Neo felt adrenaline course through his veins. The news of his brother and parents’ circumstances had made him numb, but now Frankie stirred his anger. Doubling his fists, he gritted his teeth and willed himself to keep his emotions in check. This was not the place or time to allow his emotions to control him. This he would surely never forget, that his first task as head of his father’s empire was undermined by his captain.
“We’ll talk about this later,” he growled. “I have to see about this business first. But next time, it would bode well for you to check in with me first before making any decisions, understood?”
“Yes Boss.”
