Chapter 92: Missing Organs

Damien…

When I was about four years old, I used to run through the house with my arms wide open, pretending I was flying. My father hated that. It wasn’t proper behavior for an heir, even if that heir was nothing more than a fucking child.

He told me to stop. I didn’t. I knew the consequences. I’d be locked in the basement. But not that time.

Don Romero Moretti gave me a racing car as a gift. My mother hated the idea. I destroyed the entire garden, but I mastered the machine. It was the first time I saw my father proud of me.

I can count on my fingers how many times that happened.

Don Romero Moretti is no longer among the living, but he still haunts me.

I told Leonor to close the door, and I’m fully aware she’s probably trying to listen to what I’m saying. It’s stronger than her. I understand that. But I can’t allow it.

“We’ve got bigger problems here, Damien. The old man is coming back and he won’t like what you’ve been doing. What was that at dinner?” Dario asks.

I need to be careful with what I say. I have something planned for Leonor. She’ll be involved later, not eavesdropping behind a door.

“I’m in charge until further notice. The others need to start getting used to the new leadership,” I reply.

My brother looks far from pleased.

“Fuck, Damien, you’re not the Don yet. You can’t just do whatever the hell you want. He’s out there. He’s coming back, and everything you’re doing is just going to piss him off.”

I should laugh at my younger brother’s innocence in believing our father is still alive. He would never leave me in charge of his wife just to go on a trip. If it weren’t for that, I might even believe he came back from the dead.

“It’s just a matter of time, Dario. Now tell me what was so urgent.”

He hesitates for a moment, abandons whatever he was going to say, and hands me a folder.

“What’s this?” I ask.

My brother laughs.

“This is proof that the Don is watching us. He sent this little gift to his ‘wife.’ The car collection. She’s an heiress, Damien. It’s a symbol of union. We mean nothing. Nothing, do you hear me? The first kid he puts in that trophy whore and you’re done.”

I analyze the documents. Dario is right. Romero gave his car collection to Leonor. He must have done it before he died, in the short time he was married to her.

There’s no reason for him to have done that.

“He has plans to expand the racing business. The bets are high. He did this after going out with that girl. I’m telling you, we’re one step away from being discarded.”

Dario might be right. Maybe that was the Don’s plan. You don’t compare a wife like Leonor to our mother, the traitorous whore.

I toss the papers onto the table. I’ll deal with how to get rid of that later.

“Let’s focus on what’s at stake right now. When the Don decides to return, he’s going to get quite a surprise. We’ll deal with the pending issue of the organs,” I say.

“Some of them are still missing, but the search continues,” Dario points to the folder I discarded. “You’re playing with fire, Damien. What are you going to do about this?”

“That’s none of your business, brother. You’d better keep your head down if you want to keep receiving crumbs from our father.”

“Fuck, Damien, it is my business. I need to prepare myself for the shit that’s going to splash back on me.”

My brother is right. It’s going to splash back on everyone.

Romero loved those cars more than he ever loved any person in his life. If he ever loved anything, it was that collection.

“Send it to my house and stay alert. I’m considering dismantling this operation,” I say, and Dario doesn’t reply.

He takes the folder back, tells me to be careful, and leaves.

As if I were the one who needed to be careful around here. I wait until he’s fully gone before finding Leonor trying to spy.

“I told you to close the door, my love,” I say. She takes a step back, surprised and a little frightened, but then straightens up, full of courage.

“What did you receive?” she asks.

Insolent. Self-righteous. Just the way I like her. Without that aura of suffering. This one looks like my Nor, not the walking corpse she’s been these past few days.

“We have a mission to carry out, my love. We’re going to look for organ thieves.”

Leonor blinks a few times, confused. Her crossed arms slowly fall to her sides.

“What do you mean, organs? From people? You mean organs like the ones people have?”

I take her hands and kiss her knuckles, trying to calm her down. She’s still restless.

“There’s a shipment on this ship, Nor. That’s why we’re here. Some people paid a lot of money for those organs, and they’re missing. I need to find them before it’s too late.”

She stares at me, horrified.

“Mercy. Who would do something like that? Who steals organs, and what kind of person buys them? I don’t understand. That’s too much crime all at once.”

“That doesn’t matter. We need to find them for the recipients. We need to do it fast. The deadline gets shorter every hour.”

She looks at me suspiciously, but eventually nods. Good girl. I like it that way.

“And how are we going to do that? Are we going now? Is there some kind of search team?” she asks.

“Of course. There’s already a team handling it. But we’re going too.”

I guide Leonor outside, and right then I receive a message with the organs’ location. I can say this night has been full of victories for me.

Leonor stops me in the middle of the corridor.

“Wait. Is this some kind of punishment or a sick test you’re putting me through? Because if it is, Damien, I swear I’ll… You’re going to regret it.”

“What are you going to do, Leonor? Finish the sentence. I want to know what you have planned for me.”

She doesn’t finish. She just stares at me with that angry, threatening look, while still wanting me at the same time. I can’t resist her pull. Work can wait.

I take Leonor into a cabin without paying much attention to the machinery around us. She crosses her arms again, and the pose highlights the neckline of the outfit she chose.

“I’m capable of throwing you off this ship,” she finally says.

“Oh really? And you’d do that with your barely fifty kilos? It’d be easier to convince me to jump.”

I walk toward her slowly. Leonor backs up until she’s pressed against some machinery. She swallows hard and lifts her chin at me.

“Would you jump into the sea for me, Damien?”

“Let’s see your persuasive skills first.”

Leonor grabs me by the open collar, full of hunger.