Chapter 63: The devil never waits.
Chapter 63: The devil never waits.
CHAPTER 63
LUCAS
I just sat there, staring at nothing. My brain wasn’t working right. I kept hearing Diego’s voice in my head, over and over. The way he said it... like Sofia had been this close to being taken by Unit 13. And if that happened, God, I just couldn’t let it happen. I’d already fucked up enough.
I was about to lose my mind trying to figure out what to do next. When my phone began to ring again, jolting me out of my thoughts back to reality. It was Riccardo, and somehow, my heart skipped a beat, panic coursing through me.
“Riccardo?” I said, picking the call immediately. “What's up? How's my mother?
“Your mother just had another heart attack,” he said simultaneously as I mentioned his name. My heart began to race fast and I immediately turned on the ignition.
“What? How's she now? Is she okay?” I asked, glancing at my rearview mirror and turning the car around in panic.
“Relax, Lucas,” Riccardo said, trying to calm me down but I dismissed him.
“How can you tell me to calm down when my mother's life is literally hanging on a thin thread right now?” I snapped in anger. I felt my pulse spike and my head began to throb.
“Again Lucas, relax. Look, I honestly don't know how your mothet is doing right now,” Riccardo said, sounding sad. “She was rushed into the theater a few minutes ago and Rosetta had to sign the consent form alone.”
“Good,” I replied, pressing my foot down on the gas pedal. “I'll be there shortly.”
“What did Diego say to you?” Riccardo asked abruptly, shifting the conversation. I felt a fresh wave of anger wash over me as I gripped the steering firmly in frustrated anger.
“That son of a mother fucking bitch!” I cursed, growling angrily. “The idiot called to say Sofia wasn't with him anymore.”
“Sofia isn't with him?” Riccardo asked, surprised. “What's that supposed to mean?”
“He said he helped Sofia out of the penthouse because she pleaded with him to assist her get out of Italy, and that Collins had them ambushed on the way and then disappeared with Sofia. He said he believes Collins is taking her to Codice Oscuro, to deliver her to the hands of the members of Unit 13,” I explained at length. I honked loudly as I sped past cars on the highway, skilfully maneuvering the car with one hand as I held my phone with the other. “I mean, why would Collins want to hand Sofia over to Unit 13?”
“That's funny,” Riccardo said, chuckling lightly.
“And what's supposed to be funny about this, Riccardo?” I asked him sharply.
“Relax, Lucas,” Riccardo said, sounding casual. “I already tracked the number he used to call and I've been able to get his location. We have to get there fast, as we don't have much time.”
“But my mother—” I started to say.
“Forget about your mother for now, Lucas. Rosetta is there with her,” Riccardo said, cutting me short. “I'll send you an address via text, meet me there in the next fifteen minutes. I'll be parked at the junction.”
I glanced at my side mirrors again, checking to be sure there was no vehicle behind me and I looked ahead, slamming my foot hard on the gas pedal. The car lunged forward, and I exhaled sharply. “I'll be there in a jiffy.”
My phone beeped with a message as soon as the call ended and I sped down the highway, headed towards the location he'd sent. It was past midnight, and the roads suddenly became empty and quiet, but my heart felt heavy as it became filled with the thoughts of the first and only man I'd ever had a solid friendship with — Giovanni. I owed him everything, and yet I'd failed him by failing to keep Sofia safe. The thought of Sofia being in possible danger crept into my mind and I shook head rapidly, dismissing the thoughts.
“I'm going to find you, Sofia, and I'll keep your safe,” I muttered silently to myself, trying to suppress the guilt that pricked me continuously. If there was anything I was going to do to make things right, it was to make sure that Sofia was safe, even if my life had to be on the line for that singular reason.
I slowed down as I got to the junction Riccardo had told me about, bringing my car to a slow halt a little distance away from the junction and turning off the ignition. My eyes darted around frantically, scanning the empty street and I held my breath momentarily, bracing myself for whatever was to happen. A powerbike with a silent engine approached me slowly, its headlights tearing through the dark blanket of the night. I swallowed hard as the rider brought the bike and parked beside my car, suddenly shining a very bright flashlight on my face. I blinked repeatedly against the bright light, the rays of the flashlight blinding me as I struggled to maintain my vision on whoever the rider was.
"Riccardo?” I called out but got no response as the figure on the bike remained mute, still flashing the light on my face. I lifted my hands to my eyes in an attempt to block the rays of light, but it was still too bright to view who the rider was. A chill ran down my spine as my heart began beating faster and loudly against my chest in panic. Something didn't feel right, and once again, I felt like I'd been ambushed. Still maintaining my gaze on the rider, I quietly opened the glove compartment and pulled out my pistol, gripping it firmly as the rider alighted slowly from the bike, walking casually towards me without a word, the flashlight still steadily shone on my face. I watched silently as he stopped a few meters away from my car, getting myself ready for a battle if it ever got down to it. He took a few steps closer and my breath hitched.
“Who the hell are you?” I asked, my voice low and cold.