"We hunt." Michael
Francesca had all but disappeared. We had every airport, train, and bus station being watched, those on the inside ready in case there was an attempt to take her out of the state or the country. However, the battle that had been started wasn't over. Capturing Francesca was simply another piece of the puzzle.
Perhaps she would have disappeared after saying 'I do' to Vincenzo. At that point, the trust fund would have been released. Could she have prearranged her own abduction, my ploy disrupting a plan all along? A possibility. Did I believe it?
Not for a second.
Every soldier was already on the street, exacting revenge over those who'd been disloyal to the Cappalini organization, taking back what was rightfully ours. By night's end, there would be no trace of Saltori's operation anywhere. The capos had all been notified of Francesca's capture, Sasha's picture texted to every one of them. There was no place in the city where the assassin could hide out. Someone would talk.
Grinder managed to locate the owner of the phone. No surprise, the account was listed in Sasha Alessandro's name. However, from what he'd learned, the origin of the phone remained in Italy. I was aware of the various technologies that could throw anyone searching off, but my instinct was having a field day. Someone was fucking with us. That someone was going to die by my hands.
I'd realized not long after returning to the house that the photocopy of the picture taken outside of the restaurant was missing. I could only surmise that Francesca had found it prior to me leaving the house. Fortunately, I'd had it stored on my phone in a secure location. In all the destruction, the phone had remained intact. Maybe Francesca had been able to leave it for me to find.
Too many fucking maybe's.
I instructed Grinder to have my father moved. There were few places I could consider safe but Grinder had consulted Dominick, assuring me the location and the care provided were exactly what my father needed.
The rest I would do alone.
My first stop? A visit with Vincenzo.
The director's house was quiet, only a few lights on inside. There were no guards that I could detect, no real security of any kind. I found the French doors unlocked and walked inside easily. I had the distinct feeling that he'd been expecting my visit, a second empty glass positioned beside the already opened bottle of scotch.
Vincenzo didn't flinch when I walked in, merely took a sip of his drink, his eyes remaining glued to the muted television set in front of him.
I took the time to pour myself a drink after sliding my gun back into the holster. The liquor was almost as good as my father's.
Almost.
"I've been expecting you," Vincenzo said softly.
"Then you know why I've come. What did you do with Francesca?"
He tilted his head to the side and even in the dim lighting, I could see a look of confusion on his face. "What are you talking about? I assumed she was with you."
"She was but she made a call. To her sister. Her dead sister. Then she disappeared."
Snorting, Vincenzo leaned forward, moving the glass from one hand to the other. "Hell, I didn't even know she had a sister."
I'd always been a keen observer and knew when a man was telling lies. He had no knowledge of Sasha. "All right. Let's try this again." I took deliberate steps toward the leather chair opposite, sitting down slowly. "Where is Francesca?"
"I don't have her, Kelan. I swear to God I didn't know she was missing."
I took the opportunity to pull my weapon, easing it down onto the coffee table. To his credit, he didn't flinch. What I did notice was his sad expression, one full of exhaustion.
"My father called. He mentioned he's going out of town for a period of time." There was apprehension in his tone.
I was surprised the man had made good time hiking out of the countryside. Then again, Louis was resourceful. "At least he can follow directions. There's going to be some heat coming down."
He chuckled but in a resigned manner. "I actually cared for her; Francesca I mean. When my father all but insisted that I marry her, I laughed. Then he reminded me of my duties. I knew she couldn't tolerate me. Hell, there are times I can't tolerate myself. I might appreciate that darker side of sex, but I wouldn't hurt her in a permanent manner. I hope you can believe that."
"I don't have to believe anything." I purposely hesitated, savoring a full gulp of the expensive liquor. When I leaned forward, I placed my glass within an inch of the Glock. "Let's just say I believe you about Francesca; tell me what you do know regarding Dante Massimo. I suggest you don't leave out even the smallest detail."
I'd never thought of Vincenzo as anything but a useless piece of shit, but he appeared to come clean, providing limited details about Dante and the offer he'd made to Louis. It was obvious Vincenzo's father had purposely kept his son in the dark to protect him.
"From what my father told me, Dante Massimo is very dangerous, even given his health conditions," Vincenzo added.
"So I've heard. Would Dante have any reason to have a vendetta against my father?"
Vincenzo shrugged but he blinked more than once. There was something there. What could the Massimo family have over my father? The same threat that they'd issued to Antonio Alessandro? The plot was thickening.
I yanked out my phone, finding Sasha's picture. "Do you recognize this girl?"
Vincenzo took the phone out of my hand, enlarging the photo. "Not at all. Who is she?"
"Maybe nobody." I couldn't help but notice how clammy his hands were. Everyone was running scared.
I polished off my drink and left the glass on the table, keeping the gun in one hand as I stood. "As you might imagine, you will not tell anyone about my visit. If you hear anything about Francesca, you will call me."
"Of course."
He still couldn't look me in the eye.
Sighing, I headed for the door. Francesca had disappeared well over two hours before. While I didn't believe her abduction was about killing her, the more time that went on, the chances of finding her unharmed were slim. Someone was making a point.
"Kelan, be careful. My father can be a real asshole. He's wanted more control his entire life, even learning to hate your father; but he did respect your father and wouldn't have gone against him if he hadn't been forced. I doubt you'll ever believe me, but my father isn't a bad man, just a broken one. I'll give you the same warning he gave me. Stay away from the Massimo family at all costs."