Chapter 56 Chapter 56
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
Dimitri
Mikhail was pacing the office like a caged animal, his footsteps heavy on the marble floor.
I sat in the leather chair, staring at nothing, feeling like a ghost.
My life was a complete mess.
Just a few weeks ago, I was the one searching for answers, desperately trying to figure out who I was.
And now that I had found out, I wished I never did.
I wished I had just stayed at the farm with Maria and Luna, living that simple peaceful life.
Being a mafia lord, having enemies everywhere, being responsible for so many lives was too much.
"What if it was Alexei who kidnapped Carlo?" Mikhail spoke suddenly, cutting through my thoughts.
I looked up at him. "What?"
"Think about it," Mikhail said, stopping his pacing. "Roberto is my brother, Carlo is technically your nephew, what if Alexei took the boy to get to us?"
I shook my head. "No, Alexei does not have the means. He has no guards, no weapons, no resources after you burned down his safe house."
"Unless Don Salvatore gave him resources," Mikhail suggested, looking intently at me. "Unless they are working together."
Before I could respond, Mikhail picked up his phone and called Roberto's house.
It rang once, twice, three times, but no one picked up.
Mikhail tried again, his expression was tense.
This time someone answered.
Mikhail quickly put the phone on speaker so I could hear.
"Roberto," Mikhail said firmly.
But it was not Roberto's voice that came through, it was a woman crying hysterically.
“Marina?” Mikhail asked, shock written over his face. “What happened?”
"Mikhail!" Marina sobbed. "Roberto... took her! He is taking Irina back to Alexei!"
My blood ran cold.
"What?" Mikhail demanded. "Slow down, Marina, what happened?"
"It was Alexei!" Marina cried. "Alexei called! He is the one who took Carlo! He said he would only return our son if we gave him Irina!"
"Where are they now?" Mikhail asked urgently.
"Roberto took her by force," Marina sobbed. "I tried to stop him but he would not listen, he threw her in the car and drove off. She was barefoot, and still in her nightgown!"
"When did they leave?" Mikhail pressed.
"Maybe twenty minutes ago," Marina said. "Please, Mikhail, you have to stop him, he is going to give that poor girl to that monster!"
Mikhail hung up immediately and turned to me. "I have to go, now!"
"Where?" I asked, standing up quickly.
"I placed a tracking chip in Roberto's phone," Mikhail explained. "It's a standard procedure for anyone connected to us so we can follow them to know their wrote about."
He pulled out a tablet and opened an app. A red dot was moving on the map.
"They are heading east," Mikhail said. "Towards the old factory district."
"Let me come with you," I said.
"No," Mikhail said firmly. "It is too dangerous. You should stay here."
"That is not happening," I said. "Irina is in danger because of me, because of my family. I am coming with you, amd that's final."
Mikhail looked like he wanted to argue but there was no time.
"Fine," he said. "But you follow my orders, understood?"
"Understood," I said.
We rushed out of the office. Mikhail shouted orders to the guards. "Get the cars ready! Now!"
Within minutes, three black cars were lined up at the front entrance. Armed guards were loading weapons.
Mikhail and I got into the lead car, and the driver immediately floored the gas pedal.
We sped through the dark streets, other cars followed close behind us.
I watched the tablet as the red dot moved. Roberto was driving fast but we were driving faster.
"How long until we catch them?" I asked.
"Maybe fifteen, twenty minutes," Mikhail said, checking the screen.
My hands were shaking, my heart was racing. Irina was being taken to Alexei, to the man who had hurt her and imprisoned her. To the very am who was the reason for the chaos in her life.
And it was my fault, if I had insisted we bring her back to the estate, if I had protected her better, this would not be happening.
"It is not your fault," Mikhail said, as if he was reading my mind.
"Yes it is," I said. "I should have fought harder to bring her back."
"I made the call to keep her away," Mikhail said. "If anyone is to blame, it is me."
We drove in silence after that, just watching the red dot get closer and closer.
Finally, after what felt like forever, I saw taillights ahead.
"That is them!" I said, pointing.
"Driver, go faster!" Mikhail ordered.
Our car accelerated. The engine roared, we were gaining on them quickly.
Roberto's car was just ahead now, maybe fifty meters away.
"We are almost there," I said.
But then something happened.
Out of nowhere, another car appeared from a side street, it came from the opposite direction, speeding directly towards Roberto's car.
"What the..." Mikhail started to say.
Men in black masks leaned out of the windows, they had guns, automatic weapons.
And they started shooting.
The sound was deafening. Gunshots erupted into the night like fireworks.
They were shooting directly at Roberto's car. The bullets hit the metal, shattered the windows, and tore through the doors.
"No!" I shouted.
I tried to open my door, tried to get out and help, but Mikhail grabbed me and pinned me down against the seat.
"Stay down!" Mikhail roared.
"Let me go!" I fought against him. "Irina is in that car!"
"You will get killed!" Mikhail said, holding me down with surprising strength for an old man.
I struggled, trying to push him off, but he was stronger than he looked.
"Mikhail, please!" I begged. "She is going to die!"
Through the window, I watched in horror as the attacking car got closer, the gunmen were relentless, they kept shooting and shooting.
Who were they?
I saw the windows of Roberto's car completely shatter. Glass exploded everywhere.
The car swerved wildly, Roberto must have been hit, because the car veered off the road and crashed into a barrier.
"Irina!" I screamed.
The attacking car stopped next to Roberto's vehicle, the gunmen got out and approached on foot.
They surrounded the crashed car, their weapons aimed inside.
"We have to help her!" I shouted at Mikhail.
"Our men are movin
g in," Mikhail said, still holding me down.
I watched as our cars pulled up. But before they could even get close, the attackers rained bullets inside.
And all I could think about was Irina trapped in that destroyed car.
"There is no way Irina would survive that," I whispered. The words tasted like ash in my mouth.
Then I heard her scream. Raw and desperate, echoing through the night.