Chapter 82: A Hunting Game

Valle Astra, Italy.

MAXIMILIANO.

It was almost sunrise. The first faint light of dawn crept into the room and cast long, eerie shadows across my mother's oak table, reminding me of the hours I wasted in bed just tossing and turning. I was back in Mamma's house.

Not entirely by choice. Right now, it was more of a necessity. Dark thoughts wanted to consume me, their unforgiving grip chipping away at my peace of mind. I grabbed the cold steel of my handgun.

It glistened under the dim lights. Clean. Polished. Ready. Just waiting to be used.

I needed a distraction, so I took it apart. I cleaned every part meticulously, every disassembly and reassembly a ritual of focus and precision. It kept me preoccupied while I tried not to dwell on the anxious thoughts swirling in my sleepless mind.

The pistol lay half-assembled before me, a good reminder of my former life. Adreana was scared of what I might do with it, but I couldn't get rid of it. Not right now.

The barrel gleamed in the streaks of light creeping into my mother's pristine dining room. I was about to reassemble the parts when familiar footsteps disrupted the silence. I shifted in my seat.

Niccolo just walked out of the dim hall with his laptop. A hoodie and dark sweatpants covered him up, his tan face etched with worry, mirroring my own unease.

"What's up?"

"I just talked to Kel," he mumbled, his voice low and tense, his brown eyes darting around the room as if even the walls had ears.

"She called you?" I asked when he sat on one of the dining chairs.

"Yeah. One of Ilya's guys is in New York."

"What guy?" I gripped the barrel of my pistol.

"His oldest hitman."

Shit.

"The guy found her." Niccolo rubbed his palm onto his shaved head. A scowl drew small curves between his dark brows, his lips pouting.

"You talked to Lorenzio?" I held my breath. A knot tightened in my chest, but she could be unharmed. Fuck. I hoped so.

"No."

"Where's Mykaela?"

"She's fine. Just dealing with the shock."

"What did Enzo say?"

"Didn't get to talk to him." Niccolo sighed after his murmured reply, each word heavier than the last. "She's safe at his house, with his bodyguards. He's stuck in the hospital. Comatose."

"What?"

"You didn't know he's in the ICU?"

"She didn't tell me he's that sick." I covered my mouth and sat back. A pang of guilt forced my mind to focus on Mykaela.

On one hand, I could use my father's private jet, rush to New York, and be there for her like the good friend she thought I was. On the other hand, I shouldn't leave behind Adreana and my mother just to prove to Mykaela that I still cared, that I wanted her to be safe at all times.

"Where's the guy? You traced his location?" I stared at Niccolo's laptop on the dining table.

"Chilling in the morgue now."

I stared at my handgun on the table and breathed a sigh of relief. Good riddance.

"Pretty sure it's Vlad."

"You know the guy?"

"Met him twice. Moscow. I talked to Berto, Enzo's bodyguard. He remembers Vlad 'cause of his scar and the tattoos. She sent me a photo."

"Shit." I looked at Niccolo, matching his intent gaze, reeling in the shock that made me wish I could teleport to New York City right now.

"Kel's fine. Don't worry," he said with a faint shake of his head.

"How did he die? He died in the hospital?"

"Car crash, apparently. Enzo's other bodyguard took care of it. Gabriele. His dad's a Sicilian mercenary. Vlad was stalking her since yesterday, he said."

Dammit. "Who told him where she was?"

Sitting across from me, Niccolo shrugged weakly and let out a noisy sigh. "I dunno. I told you: Magnus could've paid some hackers."

As his words sank into my conscience, I gazed out of the bulletproof windows. Early sunlight continued to break through the clouds, a tentative reminder of a new day, the nice weather somewhat distracting me from the suspicions that loomed over me.

The gunman who was stalking Mykaela had met his untimely end, though it did little to quell the storm building up inside me. But Enzo's guys seemed to be doing their job. She was home and safe.

For now.

***

Time was running out. We needed actual, physical evidence now. Recent, high definition photos and video recordings. More cameras around the estate. Real-time updates and more definitive proof.

All the information we had right now wasn't enough. Far from it. And it would be in our best interest if the opposite were true. I didn't need a confirmation from the police to know that they'd been investigating my family since my father's disappearance.

I sighed, the sleep-deprivation whittling away my peace of mind, leaving me on edge all morning. For months now, I'd been trying to hide the fact that I was dealing with more anxiety than usual, constantly mulling over my family's fate. Not an easy task, but, I'd say I'd gotten better at it with daily practice.

"Hai il telefono rotto?" [Is your phone broken?]

I stopped beside my mother's rose bushes, the loud question distracting me from my train of thought. "No." I squared my shoulders and eyed Alessio as he approached me with a stoic expression.

Wearing a wrinkled button-down shirt and dark slacks, he looked like he did my taxes for a living and dabbled in share trading on the side, not someone who carried a deadly weapon all the time and who would take a bullet for me in case of a violent shootout. "Where is it?"

"Kitchen. Charging. Why?" Actually Niccolo was configuring the security and GPS settings, but my fairly paranoid bodyguard didn't need another thing to worry about.

Alessio faintly shook his head as he took a couple of steps forward. He stopped about five feet away from me, frowning at something on his phone screen, his cowlick bangs touching his scarred brow.

"Everything good?"

"So far," he muttered, glancing at me with a neutral expression.

"E Adreana, dove sta?" [And Adreana, where is she?]

"Back in the hotel." Alessio tilted his stubbled chin, his breathing calm, his gaze steady. But his deep-set eyes fleetingly showed a hint of concern. "Secure."

I gave him a slight nod and glanced around, my hand propped on my hip. My mother's ornate garden offered a moment of solace, the peace and quiet a stark contrast to the darkness that occupied my thoughts. "Che succede lì fuori?" [What’s going on out there?]

"Not much. I'm waiting for Elio's text."

"Ah."

Elio Angelis was one of Ricchar's most trusted and currently his head of security at the estate, also ex-military like Alessio.

"But I don't think they'll find anything out there," Alessio mumbled with a quick sigh.

Some relief silenced my negative thoughts, but it was short-lived. Not enough to ensure that our safety was no longer an issue. "And Ricchar? Is he with Cloe and Jules?"

"Yeah. Just checked in at the Grand. All safe." Alessio looked away, but his words held an air of confidence. "I just talked to his bodyguard. They're staying there until the weekend. Your wife was having lunch with them in the restaurant when I left."

I nodded. Same as Niccolo and Mamma, Ricchar and his family's safety was also critical. My cousin would be testifying against Ignazio and Leandro Tomassini next month, which was why I hired more security staff to make sure Ricchar and his family would stay unharmed.

"Any updates about the Russians?" After massaging the side of his neck, Alessio popped a piece of gum into his mouth before flinging a glance in Niccolo's direction.

"Just a new email."

"From?"

"Magnus," I replied, hesitant to elaborate. It was fucking annoying that he was acting like we were friends now, but Niccolo and I were starting to believe that Magnus wasn't lying the last time we talked on the phone.

Maybe he actually knew my father's current location. Magnus even offered to send his "contacts" in case we needed any outside help. I declined, of course. If he got any more involved, our whole clan might end up in the DEA and the Interpol's crosshairs.

Alessio's curious gaze held mine, his skepticism narrowing his eyes. "What did he send?"

I handed him my tablet.

The screen displayed an email from Magnus. The attachment included some 3D images, high-resolution photos he sent a few hours ago. If they were real and mostly unaltered like Niccolo said, either an expensive drone or a satellite captured the photos.

They pinpointed a section of Ricchar's maze that possibly led to an underground bunker. If any of the images were at least 50% accurate, the hidden passage to the bunker should be somewhere around our old family mausoleum.

"Think it's accurate?" I stared at Alei and gave him a questioning look.

His jaw tensed while he examined the images. His thick brows furrowed as if he found the photos interesting. "You showed this to Niccolo?"

"I just did. He said they're not fake."

Alessio cocked his head, still chewing his gum. "Could be risky."

Fine. It might be high-risk. We shouldn't lead a blind charge. Stefano Falco's shrewd, cunning ways had always put him one step ahead of his competition, and the whole thing might be a trap.

"You're sure it was Magnus who sent you these?"

"Mostly."

"Where did he get these photos? You said he's never been to the estate." Alessio held the tablet close to his face, his question only a notch louder than a tense whisper.

"Didn't care to ask."

"You trust that guy?"

Not really. I barely knew him and his wife. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the people around him thought Magnus was shady as fuck. Like his old-school mobster father.

I couldn't blame Alei for doubting Magnus. Alessio believed Kel's filthy rich half-brother was helping us due to selfish ulterior motives. Alei's doubts matched Ricchar's, and we shouldn't act on mere gut feelings. But something in the back of my mind told me to go with my instincts.

"Maybe it's all bullshit, maybe not." I shrugged. "But it won't hurt to double-check every inch."

Alessio returned my tablet, then crossed his muscular arms while squinting at me. "You sent this to Elio?"

"No."

"Perché no?" [Why not?]

I smirked, ignoring the aches in my legs. They felt like they're about to cramp, but I didn't have time for a good massage. Much less a nap. "Just in case Pappa bribed him."

"If he's actually there."

"You go ahead. Talk to Elio. Set up a team."

Alessio nodded slightly. "Stay here. Wait for my call."

"I'm not going anywhere." I glanced at Niccolo who seemed too busy with his laptop and was sitting alone in my mother's dining room. "They can't leave, either."

"Di che parlate?" [What're you talking about?] Alessio checked his phone after scowling at me.

"He's a key witness," I replied, staring at Niccolo who sat close to the windows. "Like Mamma, he can't go anywhere by himself."

"Right. Five guards will be on duty every shift. Take at least four guys with you."

"Tell Elio you need guns and ammo." I sighed. "Go back to the estate. Do a full sweep, but avoid the mausoleum."

"Copy."

"I'll be there tomorrow. I'm just waiting for a call from Teniente Levesque." If we did the job by ourselves, we might find Pappa in the maze, just hiding in that bunker with his stupid mistress. I'd leave no stone unturned.

But the possibility of a bloodshed had been haunting my thoughts. If we actually found Pappa out there, it wouldn't be a painless extraction. That I was sure of. I didn't want to involve the cops, but we still needed some help from the authorities in Umbria.

Alessio sighed, his face grim but determined. "Rest up. You're running on empty."

"I'll sleep on the way." I would only rest until I had the answers we needed. Fatigue and uncertainty were sapping my strength, but a flicker of hope kept pushing me. The urgency of the situation threatened our safety.

What we'd been planning was fraught with danger, but my family's survival depended on it. We had to find my father—dead or alive.