Page 67 of Alessia
Luca opens it, and my heart drops as I read the words:
Villa Borghese. Midnight tomorrow.
You’ll find the answers you’re looking for.
I don’t have much time.
A photo is attached. My breath hitches as I click on it, a grainy but unmistakable image of Harper, her wrists bound and her face pale under harsh fluorescent light.
“Sh-… She’s alive…” I whisper, half in disbelief. My chest tightens, and I grip the edge of the desk, trying to steady myself.
Luca’s face hardens as he stares at the screen. “How do you know we can trust him?”
I turn to him, my voice trembling but resolute. “I don’t have a choice. I’m going!”
“Boss—” Luca starts, but I cut him off.
“No!” I say firmly. “Maybe he’s playing games, but if this is even the slightest of chances to get Harper back, I’m taking it.”
“Then we do it right. You can’t go in alone.” Luca’s gaze doesn’t waver.
“I know…”
“I’ll call in the guys.” Luca nods slowly, determination hardening his features.
We gather around the dining room table, the faces of my men tense. I sit at the head of the table, fingers tapping nervously on the surface. Luca, Elio, Lorenzo, Alex, and Vinnie sit around me, each of them lost in thought, trying to piece together the plan. The air is heavy with urgency, the gravity of the situation settling over us.
“I have to meet him tonight. It’s the only way we’ll find out where Harper is.”
Luca shakes his head, his expression tight with worry. “Alessia, this is a bad idea. We don’t even know who this guy is and if we can trust him?”
“We’ve been over this Luca, we don’t know! But I have to try. I’m grasping at straws here!”
Vinnie leans back in his chair and slides his hands into his pockets, his jaw set in a hard line. “I don’t like it either, Boss. But you’re right. We don’t have another choice. We need answers.”
Lorenzo leans in, his tone calm but firm. “You’re not going alone, Alessia. That’s non-negotiable.”
I look up at him, I know he’s right. Meeting up with Neck Tattoo Guy is dangerous but it’s a shot I’m willing to take.
“Alright, here’s the plan. We give him what he wants, but not what he expects.” Elio continues.
“What do you mean?” My brow furrows, confusion creeping in.
“We let him think you came alone, but you’ll have backup, obviously. Alex and Vinnie will be nearby, keeping watch from a distance. Luca will tap into the CCTV and I will be even closer, just in case.” Elio taps his fingers against the table, his tone more serious.
Alex raises an eyebrow. “You want us to be what, Elio? Ghosts in the shadows? What if he finds out?”
Elio shrugs, unbothered. “It’s subtle. Alessia walks in, just her, confident, like she’s in control of the situation. We’ll make sure she has a clear exit strategy, but we let him think she’s alone, no one else around, not even a hint of backup.”
I listen closely, weighing his words. I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm my heart pounding out of my chest.
I look up, my voice steady but doubtful. “And how do we keep him from getting suspicious? He could sense something’s off.”
Elio grins, “We give him the impression that we’re just a bunch of regular people. We don’t make a big show of it. No overt surveillance. Just a few subtle moves, make him think he’s in control while we’re always one step ahead.”
Luca leans forward, his tone now serious, no trace of humor. “What if things go sideways?”
Elio leans back in his chair, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Which is why we need to be smarter than him. We don’t show any fear, any weakness. And if it does go sideways, we’re ready to move. Alessia doesn’t stay at Villa Borghese longer than ten minutes. If things feel wrong, we get her out.”
