Page 66 of One Savage Union

My father uncocks the gun and puts it away in his suit jacket like a favorite pen and shrugs before saying, “Another time then.”

He walks to his bar and pours a drink. He eyes me with derision before commanding Leo and his guards.

“Take her. The auction begins in four hours.”

My flailing arms and blood-curdling scream are cut off by a familiar prick to my neck.

Damn. Not Again.

23

ROCCO

“How the hell did you miss this? Aren’t you supposed to be the boy genius? The aloof fucker that keeps us safe?!”

The feel of bone breaking beneath my fist is music to my ears. It replaces the endless buzzing that’s plagued me since the moment I allowed Lucia to step off the Santa Anna. I know breaking Enzo’s nose won’t carry me to Lucia any quicker, but it sure as hell makes me feel better. It’s something to do until our contact give us the clear to fuck up Matteo Ricci and Leo’s entire world.

“What the fuck is wrong with you Rocco! You broke my nose! You’re paying to get it fixed!”

Enzo holds his crooked nose between his thumb and index finger as the blood continues to pour from his nostrils. The scene of his crushed flesh and flowing blood is like a red flag to a bull, and I’m ready to charge.

I can’t believe he dares to tell me I’m paying for his crushed cartilage; when my wife is God knows where with a madman because of his fuck up!

I’ll kill him.

I lunge, but I’m pulled back with a harsh jerk. I turn to punch whoever has the gall to touch me, but pause when I see it’s Mario in his fighter’s stance. He’s ready for battle, and although I can take him, I won’t walk away unscathed like I would with Enzo.

Enzo can hold his own, but he doesn't spend enough time in the gym or the ring, so he’s a lightweight compared to me. Besides that, Enzo is the weird type who thrives on pain and doesn’t mind taking a punch. He wouldn’t even think of hitting me back.

Mario, on the other hand, is as dedicated to boxing and Krav Maga as I am. We're an even match, and if it comes to it, he won’t pull any punches. I can't afford to nurse an injury while planning the most important rescue mission of my life.

“Mario, I know that’s your brother, but I’m his boss. If he needs to be fucked up then that’s what’s going to happen. He gave us valuable information thirty minutes too late, and now my wife is in the clutches of Matteo Ricci and my sadistic cousin. That can’t go unpunished.”

Mario exhales and crosses his arms. “Rocco, this is as much your fault as it is Enzo’s. Even more so. It’s your pride that got your wife stolen from under your nose.”

I see red.

I punch Mario across the jaw. His head turns with the impact, but his hands are quick as lightning. He returns a heavy punch to my face and two to the gut. When I wrap my arms around him, we both tumble to the ground.

“Get up!” I hear a hoarse but strong voice through my violent haze. “Both of you, get the fuck up!”

Iglance towards the door as I fight Mario off and see my uncle pointing at us. I give Mario a stiff elbow to the side, and he looks towards the door. When he sees the don, he lets me go with a curse and scrambles to his feet. When he reaches hishand down to help me, I shoot a glare in his direction as we lock hands.

My uncle has made quite the recovery. Four days ago, his home was blown up with him inside it. He sustained a head injury and some shrapnel in his leg. The fact that the man is talking to us as he leans on his cane is a testament to his strength. I see the pain edging at the corners of his eyes, but he ignores it. He remains the leader of our family, and he will rule with an iron fist until the day he dies.

He falls into a nearby chair and eyes us with disgust. “There’s no time for this. According to my sources, Lucia is on the east side of Manhattan at one of Matteo’s residences.”

I shoot a look at Enzo, and he nods. He knows he has about as much time as my uncle’s lecture to map out that home so that we can go.

“By now, I’m sure she’s met my ruthless son and is scared shitless. It won’t take very long for Matteo to get your marriage annulled and her tied to Leo or someone worse. You kidnapped her, and neither the commission, the church, or the law will respect it if that is brought to light.”

I shake my head. “She'll never agree to that. Lucia won’t sign another marriage certificate or submit her body to another man. She’d die first.”

Uncle Thomasso slowly shakes his head. “That’s what I’m afraid of. She’s headstrong, and those two stronzos will break her. Time is not on your side. What’s the plan? Why aren’t you already in your cars?”

“We’re leaving as soon as Enzo maps out Matteo’s Oak Park home and his two southside clubs,” Mario says. “He’s remotely disarming security at all three locations just in case he moves her. Matteo cut off all communication with us, and we can’t seem to track Lucia’s phone.”

My uncle snorts. “He probably confiscated and destroyed it the moment he got her off that boat.”

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