Page 98 of Captured Innocence
“What are you talking about?”
“Where is my phone?”
“I think Joy has it. What is going on, Lucia?”
Lucia continued to shake her head as she moved toward the doorway.
“Talk to me. Hold on. Here it is.” I grabbed it, walking closer. She was white as a ghost, her breathing far too labored. “Come on. You need to sit down.”
“No. It’s not possible he’s alive. It can’t be.” As she continued to become more hysterical, I became more and more concerned.
I wrapped my arm around her, trying to guide her toward the couch. Then I heard a pinging sound indicating the bastard had been found. “Just breathe, Lucia. Come on. Sit down.” Thank God she listened to me, but her hands were shaking as she tried to dial a number. I backed away, returning to the computer.
When I glanced at the screen, I was in shock and in disbelief. There wasn’t a chance in hell the asshole was on this property.
Yet a horrible feeling pooled in the pit of my stomach. We’d been played. Who would have known we would be here instead?
“Dar. Listen to me. I know this sounds crazy…”
I hit a couple of buttons refreshing the screen, but the information came back the same. Oh, dear God. Grabbing my phone, I backed away, terror racing through me. I quickly tried to dial Mattia’s number, only to misdial the first time. Then I took a deep breath, trying it again as I reached for one of the weapons that I’d insisted be left. Then I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.
As I turned slightly, I let out an intense scream seconds before the window exploded.
“No!”
CHAPTER 27
Five minutes before…
Mattia
“There’s nothing going on here, boss,” Luis said, checking in as he’d done several times over the last few hours.
We’d set up camp in one of the warehouses bridging the distance between the old DeLuca and Lazarro estates, which were almost forty miles apart. The warehouse was perfect not only because of the location but also because the bait of having diamonds shipped in through Sicily, Don Romano’s territory was too enticing to pass up.
Or so we hoped.
It was a gamble, one highlighted by bogus emails between Dar and the other member of the famiglia. If the Ghost was in close proximity, which we suspected, then he wouldn’t resist attempting to muscle in since it was our only order of business at this point. At minimum, we believed the fucker would try to derail the ‘trucking’ shipment that was supposed to arrive within the hour.
It had been a formidable plan to establish, using far too many resources but at least we were in position. At least Sophia’s last text had indicated the bogus emails had been tracked. Whether or not the Ghost would show his ugly face remained to be seen, but something seemed to be working given the heightened level of interest. It was only a matter of time before she was able to track the asshole’s exact location.
“No movement?” I confirmed as I paced the area outside the warehouse. I wasn’t thrilled with how much time had gone by, my patience running thin.
“Nothing. I’d had the men drive the roads around the house. Everything is quiet.”
“Just remember what we went through in Paris. Don’t underestimate the fucker.”
Luis laughed. “I have a score to settle, boss. Don’t worry.”
I ended the call, holding the phone to my head as D’Artagnan walked out of the warehouse. “Nothing new.”
“I don’t like this any more than you do, brother.”
“Yeah, I know. You have an entire family on the line.”
“So do you, which is something I never thought I’d see.” He chuckled, his gaze one of amusement.
“Why? Because I’m not lovable?” I was surprised I could tease given everything that was going on.