Page 30 of Wicked Bloodlines

When she no longer trembled, I pulled back slightly, catching her hands in mine when she let go of my arms, and bringing them to my lips to kiss each palm with reverent tenderness. Then I kissed her lips tenderly, needing to give her reassurance and hope and anything she needed and for the Goddamned life of me, I had no idea why. I only knew that I had to make everything right for Sofia. Regardless of the cost.

“I’ll bring her back,” I said. “Do you trust me?”

She nodded. “Yes. I trust you.”

“I’ll be back to get you in a couple of hours. Normally I wouldn’t want to bring you with us, but your sister might need you and I know you need her. So I really need you to rest as much as you can until I come back for you.”

“Thank you, Matteo.” She stood and hugged me tightly.

“Rest, honey.” I turned and walked to the door. Behind me, Sofia sat on the edge of my bed. My woman. Soon to be my wife by law. I’d keep my promise to her, and then we’d deal with her father. I closed the door and went to help my brothers plan a raid.

Chapter Eleven

Sofia

Ilasted twenty minutes on the edge of Matteo’s bed before I gave up on sleep. I pulled on black jeans and a long sleeved, form fitting shirt, laced up my boots, and knotted my hair at the base of my skull. The locket with the Luca crest was cool where it nestled between my breasts. I tried to convince myself I didn’t want it, but knowing Matteo had a tracker in it, that he could find me anywhere made me feel safe.

I wandered through the estate until I heard voices near the back of the west wing. I found the men in a large study. Gabriel hunched over a city map on the giant monitor, blue light casting shadows across the bruise blooming under his eye. Alessandro scrolled through permit records on his laptop, pausing only to shovel forkfuls of cold pasta into his mouth. He worked one-handed, his phone jammed between shoulder and ear, trading low, fast Italian with someone. On the far side of the room, Matteo watched it all from a perch on the windowsill, the lines around his mouth pronounced in his displeasure. No one said a word when I walked in. I took the empty chair at the table, folding my hands to stop them from shaking.

“Anything on the basement?” Gabriel’s voice cut through the room.

Alessandro jabbed at the screen. “Original permit shows a single level, but see this?” He expanded the plan and traced a faded line below the slab. “This old service tunnel, predates the structure by decades. Possibly Prohibition era. Runs under the street, comes out by the river. If Marchesi uses it, it’s for moving product without eyes on the street.”

Gabriel grunted. “That’s our door, then.”

“Won’t be unguarded,” Matteo said, his voice neutral but his eyes drilling holes in the pit of my stomach. “If Cesare expects a raid, he’ll have every stairwell rigged and the main floor set up for a kill box.”

He was right, but he was missing the point. “There’s a room in the lower level,” I said, and all three men looked at me. “He calls it the place he stores things no one needs to see. He told me about it when I was a kid and needed to be reminded how temporary safety could be.” My mouth was dry. “If Maria is here, she’ll be in that room. Not the main floor.”

Alessandro nodded, already updating the plan. “We blow the tunnel entrance, sweep the lower level, and retrieve the girl. Clean and quick.”

“Nothing is ever clean with my father,” I said.

Gabriel grinned, his mouth full of pasta. “Messy is our specialty.”

“Sofia,” Alessandro leveled a look on me, “you’ll be in the second vehicle with two guards. You guys will wait there until we bring Maria out. We don’t risk you getting caught in the crossfire.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but Gabriel beat me to it. “Much as I agree with you, Alessandro, we can keep the same two guys on Sofia and keep her safe. We might need her to keep the girl calm.”

Matteo’s hard gaze found mine. “You want in?”

“Yes,” I said. “You’ll need me to get Maria to move. Otherwise you’ll have to drag her out. My sister is a fighter and she absolutely will not go quietly with you if she doesn’t know you.”

Dario entered the room, wearing a suit with no tie, shirt unbuttoned at the throat. “You’ll have two guards,” he told me. “Once the way’s been secure, my men will take you in. Straight to your sister, nowhere else. Even if there are more women inside. My men will take care of everyone else. Are we clear?”

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

Dario turned to Gabriel. “We ready?”

“Yes. We leave in half an hour.”

Matteo slid off the windowsill and crossed the room. He paused at the door, waiting for me to catch up, and we walked the hallway in silence. I had to half-jog to keep up with his stride.

At the garage, he held the door for me. Inside, two SUVs idled, and four men in tactical gear clustered near the first vehicle. Matteo led me to the second SUV, opened the back door. I climbed in as he slid my knife from his pocket. I fastened my seatbelt and he handed it to me, hilt first. “Keep this close. Just in case.”

I sheathed the knife back inside my boot, feeling the pressure against my calf, heavy and reassuring. “Thank you.”

Matteo placed a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t do anything reckless. Do what your guards tell you without question.”