Two days later
Antonio
After nearly two weeks of hell, I finally get to walk out of this shit hole. But, I don't get to walk out into the arms of my girl. No, instead, the first person I see is Sergio standing next to a black Lexus SUV. I hurriedly cross the carpark, I'm anxious to get home and find out where the fuck my girl is. Dominic rang again last night to let me know she is still missing, the papers for my release had been approved, and Sergio would be here to bring me home. It’s been the longest three fucking days of my life knowing Kat’s missing, and not fucking knowing anything is driving me fucking crazy.
“Capo Bastone," Sergio greets me.
“Si, brother, it’s good to see you." I shake his hand before getting into the front seat of the car. I’m still pissed he let Kat get away from him, but if I know my girl, which I do, nothing would have stopped her.
“So, do we know anything new?”
“Boss rang while I was waiting for you to come out, he said we may have a lead at an old warehouse not far from here.”
“In Sydney?" What the fuck? Why would there be a lead here?
He nods and I know he is thinking the same as me. “I don’t fucking know Capo Bastone, but we are going to find out. There’s a present for you in the glovebox."
Leaning forward in my seat, I pop it open and see my Colt Super 38's. Taking them out, I weigh them in my hands before slipping them into the back waistband of my jeans.
“Well let’s get this shit over and done with. I want my woman back, and God help the figlia di madre (motherfucker) who has her. They are going to wish they had never been born once I’m finished with them."
Sergio starts the car, and we fall silent as he weaves through the traffic on the way to the warehouse. I’m trying to work out why she would be in Sydney, nothing is making sense.
“Sergio, where is your phone?"
Pulling the phone from his jacket pocket, he passes it to me.
“Who are you calling?”
“Theo. Things aren’t adding up, it feels like we're missing something.”
“Si," Sergio nods.
Dialing the phone, I place it to my ear and listen as it rings.
“Si, Sergio," Theo answers.
“It’s me, why the fuck is there a lead in Sydney?”
“Capo bastone, Kat’s credit card was used at a garage to buy fuel. I had been monitoring her phone, but it had been switched off. When she stopped to use her credit card, I hoped she might have turned her phone on. The tracer you had installed, flashed up on my screen. It was moving before it finally stopped at an old warehouse on the outskirts of the city.”
The more he talks, the more I feel my anger growing and getting the better of me. “Let me know if the signal moves.”
“Si, Capo Bastone.”
I disconnect the call. “Sergio, we need to get there now. Fuck, the tracker on her phone is on and if it moves, Theo will let us know.”
Sergio eases his foot down on the accelerator and I feel the car increase speed. I grip the phone in my hand, praying we aren’t too late.
Sergio pulls the car to a stop at the kerb across the street from an old run down warehouse. A white van is parked on the other side, it doesn’t look like it’s been used in a long time. I’m on edge and feel the blood hammering in my veins. I can’t just sit here.
“What do you think, Capo Bastone?" Sergio asks.
“I don’t know, but we are wasting time sitting out here. Let's make a move.”
Nodding his agreement, we climb from the car and make our way over to the side of the warehouse where the van is parked. I pull one of the guns from my waistband as I squint to look through a filthy car window. The vehicle is empty, except for a backpack sitting on the passenger seat. I signal Sergio and nod toward the old rusted door on the side of the warehouse.
A high-pitched scream breaks through the silence, and echoes in my ears. Fuck, my girl! Gun raised, I kick through the door. I can't see a fucking thing through the darkness, the only light, two slivers from the dirty windows overhead, reveals nothing. Fuck, where is she? Adrenaline pumps through my body, I look toward Sergio, he's aiming his gun and searching as frantically as me. Signaling to him, I bring a finger to my lips so I can hear where the hell she is. I hear a slight whimper, then a man’s voice coming from the left, at the back of the building.
We hurry in the direction of the whimpers and I note the light illuminating the bottom of the door. Without wasting any time, I bring my foot back and kick in the door. I raise my gun, ready to shoot at the guy standing over my girl who is cowered in the corner. His hand is raised and he's holding a belt ready to hit her. He turns at the sound of the door crashing open, and I get a good look at his face. It's fucking Joey, the piece of shit.
My attention is drawn to a small fire in a fireplace in the corner, and an old desk and chair with dirt and dust covering everything. I bring my attention back to the cazzo in front of me, he looks like he hasn’t bathed in weeks. He's dressed in dirty clothes and unshaven.
“Sergio, get Kat out of here while I tie up this figlia di madre. The Boss has been looking for you, Joey, he has special plans for you." It’s taking everything in me not to pull the trigger, but I know the boss wants him alive.
His eyes dart around the room nervously, he's searching for a way out, but there’s none. And, he would have to get through me first. That’s not going to fucking happen. I watch Sergio crouch down, and start talking to my girl. It takes her a moment, but she finally allows him to pick her up.
“Antonio," Joey says, bringing my attention back to him. He raises his hands, I notice the blood on them. My anger spikes and my stomach churns. I point my gun at his leg and shoot. Fuck it, one hole won’t hurt. The piece of fucking shit screams his head off, and falls to the filthy ground clutching his leg. I’m lucky to hear Sergio yell my name over this piss ant's cries. Standing over him, I jam my foot on his leg and apply pressure as he screams out in pain.
“Shut the fuck up. This is nothing compared to what’s going to happen to you."
“Capo Bastone, it’s not Miss Katherine.”
What the fuck? That gets my attention. I look over and see a half-naked girl in Sergio’s arms. She's beaten, dirty, and covered in blood. I slowly approach the petite brown haired girl in Sergio’s arms, and watch as her eyes shift from me to Joey. There is so much fear in her deep brown eyes, I can only imagine what this piece of shit has done to her. I step in her line of sight, so she doesn’t have to look at Joey again. I place my hand on her.
“Shhh, it’s ok he can’t hurt you anymore. He'll never touch you again." She gazes at me while weighing my words. Then, she nods, grips Sergio tighter, and I notice her knuckles turn white. I need to know if Kat was here with her.
“Can you tell me if a redheaded woman was here”
She shakes her head, and I notice her trembling. I'm concerned she is in shock. Sergio must be too because he slips his coat off and wraps it around her. He pulls her a bit closer into his chest, and when we look at each other, I see the possessive glare in his eyes. Our attention is drawn back to the girl when she speaks. I have to lean in because her voice is soft, and raspy.
“No one e-e-else w-was here," She sobs out.
“Fuck," I growl. Fuck, where is she?
At the sound of my angry voice, the girl flinches in Sergio’s arms and huddles closer into his chest. I feel bad, but fuck it, I need to find my woman.
“I promise we won’t hurt you, what’s your name?”
“K-kirsty.”
“How old are you Kirsty?”
“Twenty-five." Her voice is a little stronger now, and she looks between me and Sergio.
Maybe she can give me some answers now she knows we won’t hurt her. I look toward Sergio and he nods in understanding.
“Tesoro mio, I need you to tell me what happened. How did you get here?" Sergio speaks softly and I raise an eyebrow at the endearment he used.
She opens her mouth to answer, when Joey screams out. Kirsty cowers in Sergio’s arms.
My attention is drawn back to the asshole.
“She won’t tell you shit if she knows what’s good for her."
“Sergio, we need to get home. Take her in the car with you and get Doc to meet you at the house. I’m going to tie this piece of shit up and throw him in the van. I'll take him to the docks, get Dom to meet me there."
Sergio nods, tightens his arms around the sobbing girl and whispers in her ear as he heads from the warehouse.
Once they have left, I turn and look at the piece of shit crying on the floor like a bitch. Fuck, I need answers, and I need to know where the fuck my girl is. NOW! Striding over to the fireplace, I grab an old rusted fire poker. I wonder if he used this on the girl, I noticed a couple of burn marks on her arms. Hmm, I wonder if he would like the same treatment? Placing the poker into the fire, I hold it there waiting for it to turn red hot. When I look over my shoulder, his eyes are wide with fear, and he tries to scurry back on his ass while holding his leg. I look back at the poker and watch as it glows red. When I think it’s hot enough to do what I want, I take it out, turn and stalk back toward him. He scampers away from me until his back hits the wall.
“Nowhere to go now, cazzo."I lower the hot poker to the gunshot wound on his leg, he screams, but no-one can hear him. I raise the poker and wait for him to stop screaming. “I can’t have you bleeding out before the boss has a chance to speak with you.”
“You may as well kill me now, I ain’t telling you shit," he spits out while gritting his teeth against the pain.
“Oh, trust me, you will die. But, like I said, the boss wants to speak to you first. You really fucked up when you went after his fiancé, and tried to kill his kids. There is no coming back from that, and then you fucked up again by coming after my girl.”
“I didn’t touch your girl. I wanted to, but Billy wanted her for himself and you don't argue with him.”
“Who the fuck is, Billy? And, where the fuck are they?”
His eyes widen when he realizes what he's let slip, but he doesn’t say another word.
“Fuck, time to go, you piece of shit. The Boss will be waiting for you." I see the fear in his eyes, when I mention the boss. Dragging him to his feet, I pull him out of the warehouse to the van and throw him into the back. One way or another, I will get the answers I want. I will find my woman.