I set my foot down in New York City, stepping into an alley near my hotel. Not wanting to take any chances, I arranged for a private entrance. In Tony’s territory, a place I swore I would never visit again. I do my best to swallow down the rage and nerves trying to consume me. I would have preferred to keep this in my territory. I have connections there, I have the cops in my back pocket. Here, everything is a wildcard. Wildcard. The word makes Kella come to mind, but I shove it down. Work first, always.

“You sure took your time getting here.” The words are promptly followed by a choking sound. I turn to see Jake’s hand around Alex’s throat. I smirk, I’ve seen this show before.

“Let go, Jake.” I keep my voice calm, even though there’s nothing more I’d love to do than let Jake finish him off. After I get the information I need. Greg moves instead, grabbing Alex by the collar of his dress shirt and shoving him against the brick wall of the hotel. My guys have a strong hatred for Bree’s fuckwad of an ex-boyfriend, Greg more than most.

“Where’s Tony?” he growls.

“Easy!” Alex begins, raising his hands before him. “Tony isn’t who you’re looking for and we all know it.”

“You’re right, we aren’t,” I reply, my agitation growing. “Where is Elizabeth?”

“At the old warehouse,” Alex said before Greg rammed him against the wall again for good measure but not before I see his eyes widen. I think his revelation was supposed to shock me.

“Why should we trust you?” Jake crosses his arms over his chest.

“What else do you have to go on?” Alex replies. I have to admit he’s right. We have no other lead and I need to find Kella,

“Take us there.” I cast a hard look at Alex daring him to test me, promising him more than a beating if he is lying.

“Yeah,” Alex replied. “But you need to have your boy,” he pauses, gesturing his head at a fuming Greg, “let me down. I can’t show you where to go when I’m stuck against a wall.” I nod to Greg who releases his captive with a dark look.

Righting his shirt and fixing his hair, Alex looks at me with a smirk knowing I am his only chance at saving Kella,

“Do know that while I won’t kill you, now,” I begin, giving him a hard look, “I can have my ‘boys’ rough you up on the way. So, wipe that smug look off of your face before I do it for you.” The harshness of my tone causes Alex’s smirk to disappear, I catch a brief flash of fear before his face goes neutral. It’s enough to make me want to smile at how much control I have; even outside of my own territory. Trapped between Jake and Greg, Alex sits in the backseat of my town car giving me directions as I drive. I dismissed our driver not wanting any extra witnesses.

“Stop here,” Alex says. “You don’t want to tip anyone off that you’re here.” I understand his thinking and park in a nearby alleyway. We all step out, Alex being pinned in to prevent escape or a potential tip-off.

“It’s up here,” Alex points, heading off down an alley.

“You better be telling the truth,” Greg warns.

“If not I’ll kill you myself,” I snarl, causing Jake to look at me in surprise. I don’t take matters personally anymore, at least not often. I relish the feeling of my gun tucked into my waistband. I haven’t much need to pack heat in my own backyard, but this is Tony’s space, and he has yet to accept or negotiate peace. There was no way in hell me and my guys would not be armed. Thank God for private jets.

We follow Alex for what feels like forever, only a few minutes feels like hours, a handful of streets feel like miles. My frustration only grows until we stand in front of a set of large warehouse doors. Somewhere along the way the hotels and apartments morphed into a warehouse district.

Anger rolls off of me in waves. The need to get my hands on Elizabeth for making Kella suffer; for involving her in a game she didn’t belong in rising to the surface.

“You have my back?” I ask Jake and Greg who both give a quick nod. I didn’t even need to ask. Moving to either side of the building, the two take their positions as I go in from the front, alone.

Hold on Kella, I’m coming for you.

I stop once I’m through the doors, cautiously looking around at my surroundings. I’m standing in a spacious, mostly empty room. Support pillars line either side, which could provide cover for me or someone else. At the other end of the space stands Elizabeth. She has a cocky grin on her face, but I can see the fear in her eyes. Two goons stand on either side of her. Judging by their cocky looks, I won’t even need my gun to take care of them. You never worry about the guys trying to show you how tough they are, you worry about the calm stoic ones.

“Where is Kella?” I growl, boring a hole into her skull with my eyes.

“No hello?” she asks me mockingly, brushing me off. “All in due time.”

I freeze as I hear a click beside my ear. My eyes follow the sound and I see a third man pointing a gun at my head, emerging from behind one of the columns.

“Move and die,” he says.

“You bitch.” I look at Elizabeth knowing she led me into a trap, but internally I smile. She doesn’t know about Jake and Greg. She wants to play, we can play.

“Just getting the upper hand, dear.” She wags her finger at me condescendingly. I growl deep in my chest, hoping my guys are already on it.

“Bring him,” Elizabeth commands, the two guards with her smile before heading down a hallway behind her.