Chapter 64: I'll rip you apart

Chapter 64: I'll rip you apart
CHAPTER 64
LUCAS

"Where the hell are you going, and why won’t you stop?" I yelled.

I stepped out of the car with my jaw clenched and my nerves stretched thin, my hand instinctively reaching for my pistol as the figure ahead continued advancing toward me like he had nothing to lose. The damn lights from the vehicle flared into my eyes, casting the stranger’s silhouette in an irritating blur, and the air around me shifted, thick with tension and something else I couldn’t name.

"Stop moving or I’ll shoot," I said, my voice low and cold, edged with a warning I wasn’t bluffing about. But whoever this idiot was, he wasn’t interested in self-preservation, because he just kept coming like he hadn’t heard me or worse, didn’t give a damn.

My fingers tightened on the trigger, and for a split second I debated pulling out my phone to use the flashlight, but some instinct told me not to take my eyes off him for even a second. I squinted hard, lifting my hand to shield my eyes from the glare, and that was when I lost control of the moment. He lunged at me like a beast, his arms wrapping around my neck with brutal precision. We went down hard, my shoulder hitting the ground with a dull thud as I twisted and shoved with all my strength.

I rammed my elbow into his ribs, trying to break free, when a burst of laughter erupted right beside my ear.

“Riccardo?” I choked out, stunned beyond words.

He let go, practically doubled over with laughter, and I shoved him back with a sharp growl of frustration. My fists itched to knock him out right there.

“You sick bastard. That wasn’t funny. You almost got shot, you lunatic.”

“I know, I know,” Riccardo wheezed, still chuckling like a damn fool. “But the look on your face, Lucas, it was priceless. You were scared. Admit it.”

“I should’ve pulled the damn trigger,” I muttered, stepping back and glaring at him. “You’re insane. You can’t pull stunts like that and expect to live long.”

“I’ll take my chances,” he said with a wink, brushing the dust from his jacket and casually pulling out a cigarette. “Besides, it’s a good thing you brought the Escalade tonight.”

I raised a brow at him, still trying to decide if I wanted to punch him again. “Why?”

Without answering, he walked back to his motorbike and rolled it toward the car, the gravel crunching beneath the tires as he moved. He cut the engine, then turned to me, cigarette between his fingers.

“Because this thing needs to go into the trunk,” he said, grinning like a child who just got away with something. “Open it. We don’t have time to waste.”

I pressed the button on my key fob and watched as the trunk clicked open. Riccardo, with alarming ease, folded down the back seats and shoved the bike inside, slamming the trunk closed with a satisfying thud.

“You ready now?” he asked, still smiling, though his tone turned a little more serious.

“No. But let’s go,” I said, sliding back into the car and slamming the door shut. He joined me in the passenger seat, still smelling faintly of tobacco and mischief.

“My mother,” I said quietly, gripping the steering wheel. “Has the surgery started? "

Riccardo turned to me, his expression shifting into something softer. He placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently as he met my gaze.

“She’s in good hands, Lucas. You’ve done all you can. Let the doctors do their part.”

“I can’t just sit and wait,” I said, my voice cracking. “She’s my mother, Riccardo. You know how much she means to me.”

“I do,” he said with a small nod. “But right now, we have to trust that Rosetta will keep you updated. Let’s handle what we came out here for.”

I gave a slow nod and stared out through the windshield as he flicked his cigarette out the window. The smoke lingered for a second before vanishing into the night.

“Now,” he said, pulling out his phone and opening the GPS. “This is where the last ping came from. The call Diego made? It originated here.”

I studied the map, committing the location to memory, then handed the phone back to him. “He said he’s not with Sofia anymore. I don’t believe him, but we need to find her first before we deal with him.”

Riccardo let out a bitter chuckle, one without humor. “He lied to your face before. You think he wouldn’t do it again? Don’t fall for it, Lucas. He’s playing a game, and you need to stop giving him chances.”

“You’re right,” I said, my voice hardening. “He fooled me once. Not again.”

“Exactly. Drive. I’ll guide.”

I turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. As I stepped on the accelerator, the road stretched ahead like a tunnel of shadows, each turn directed by Riccardo’s calm voice beside me. We drove for almost forty minutes through isolated back roads, where trees loomed tall and the only sounds were our tires cutting through gravel and the occasional hoot of an owl.

Finally, we came upon a small, worn-out cabin nestled behind thick brush and barely visible from the road.

Riccardo leaned forward, staring hard at his screen. “This is it. The signal’s dead now. It hasn’t moved in ten minutes. Park the car.”

I pulled over slowly and killed the engine. Riccardo was already out before I’d even unbuckled my seatbelt. I grabbed my pistol from the glove compartment and tucked it into my waistband.

“You armed?” I asked as I stepped out.

He nodded once. “Always.”

He pointed across the road to the cabin, dimly lit and looking more like a hunter’s hideout than a place anyone would be hiding in.

“Go through the back,” I said, keeping my voice low. “I’ll take the front.”

He nodded again and melted into the trees, his footsteps silent. I approached the front, my senses sharpened, every creak of wood or rustle of wind a potential threat. The place was too quiet. I waited, listening, then—

A shout ripped through the air.

Riccardo.

I ran, muscles screaming as I sprinted toward the sound. I rounded the corner and there he was, locked in a scuffle with Diego, who was trying—and failing—to break free.

My vision went red.

I surged forward and slammed my fist into Diego’s jaw..He staggered and another blow landed in his ribs and he dropped to his knees.
I pounced on him, forcing him onto his back as I held his bloodied face in my grip.

“You took my wife,” I said with a cold smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “And now you’ve got the balls to show your face? I should rip you apart for what you’ve done.”

He gasped, his face a mess of blood and swelling, his lips forming words that didn’t matter anymore. I didn’t care. I drove my fist into his face again and again, until Riccardo’s voice finally cut through the fury.

“Lucas. Enough.”

But I wasn’t finished. Not yet.