Chapter 32

Emiliano

It was near five o’clock on the West Coast, and I still hadn’t received an answer from the capo.

Since Isabella’s and my secret relationship wasn’t a secret, after a day of assessing our chiefs, I decided to detour to the apartments, hoping to catch Isabella before she left. The image of her beautiful face mouthing ‘faith’ played on repeat in my thoughts.

As I neared my exit, the alarms began to sound. The blaring wasn’t cautioning me of an incoming tsunami, rapidly growing wildfire, or any other natural disaster. The sound was my phone exploding with messages.

Andros Ivanov’s men are here.

Volkov knows they’re in San Diego.

Volkov is in San Diego

We have to move NOW.

Fuck.

Taking the first exit I came to, I reentered the interstate, changing directions and heading south toward the large warehouse.

As I fought traffic on the 5, new concerns filled my mind. We weren’t ready. Moving now was too early. The raid was scheduled for Monday on the bratva hideout we’d learned about through Adrian—Andros Ivanov’s man. We needed time to strategize with our Detroit bratva counterparts. My thoughts raced back to Isabella.

I called Horace.

He answered on the second ring. “Lieutenant?”

“Have you seen the messages?”

“Sí. I’m waiting on word what to do with Miss Luciano.”

Rage boiled within me. If anything happened to her…

She wouldn’t be top of mind to anyone but me. I gripped my phone tighter. “Don’t leave the apartments. You and José spend the night, increasing the guards. Call trusted soldiers. Don’t tell them what’s happening. Just get more outside coverage.”

“Sí, jefe.”

“I’m also closing Wanderland for the night.”

“Miss Izzy, what should I tell her?”

Almost every fiber of my being wanted to pacify her and not increase her fright. One small voice reminded me that we’d promised to always be honest. “Tell her the truth. Emphasize that she cannot tell a soul.”

“Sí. I’ll talk to her. I’ll also inform Señora Ruiz about the change in schedule regarding Wanderland. She’ll let the whores know.”

Another call was ringing in. A glance at my screen told me it was el Patrόn.

Without another word, I disconnected the call with Horace and answered the incoming call. “Jefe.”

“Meet us at the distribution center in Midtown.”

“Midtown?” I questioned, looking for another exit so I could turn around again. “The warehouse south is bigger.”

“Midtown,” Jano repeated forcibly. “This operation is only a need-to-know basis. I’m not trusting this job to fucking soldiers and very few chiefs. Nick’s on his way. There’s a stockpile of weapons, vests, and whatever we’ll need in Midtown. Adrian will arrive shortly with Ivanov’s men. Three of the famiglia’s men are there as well. We don’t need any more.”

Shit was getting real.

“I called Horace,” I volunteered. “He’s keeping Isabella and Liliana at the apartments. I’m also about to close Wanderland.”

“No. If Wanderland doesn’t operate as usual, the uniforms will come to us first when Volkov is found. The chiquitas can stay in the apartments. They’re not on Volkov’s radar. That also leaves José and Horace there to help guard the tenants.”

Fuck.

He was right about Wanderland.

“Has my father been notified?”

“No,” he answered definitively. “Don’t call him or your uncle. Understand?”

Well, that didn’t bode well for my father or Uncle Nicolas. “Jano, my father isn’t a traitor.”

“His fighting days are behind him. Tonight, we need the best. That’s not old men.”

“I understand. Is there anyone else to contact?” I asked as I again took an exit off of the 5. Fucking traffic.”

“Silas is on it,” Jano said. “Rei is en route, but we need to move fast before Volkov has a chance to organize or hide.”

“Are we hitting their hideout?”

“We’ll discuss in Midtown.”

“I’m on my way.” As soon as the damn light turns green. I pounded the base of my palm against the steering wheel. Reaching for the glove compartment, I pulled out my stash of cigarettes and a lighter.

I had just enough time to light it and take a soothing drag before the light changed.

As soon as I began moving again, I called Horace back. “El patrόn wants business as usual at Wanderland. Liliana and Isabella are to stay—”

“I will not move them.”

“You have my authority to bring in extra security at Wanderland, tell them there’s a VIP guest coming. No more information on the streets.”

“Sí, Teniente.”

The Midtown distribution center was near the airport in a sea of warehouses and shipping containers coming from the port. I pulled my Mercedes into one of the loading docks. When I opened the door to the interior, I heard the echoes of things being moved in the back. Throwing the butt of the cigarette on the cement, I smashed it with my boot.

Unholstering my gun and releasing the thumb safety, I made my way through a series of hallways and doors. Nick, Piero and Lorenzo from the famiglia, Adrian, and two other Russians from Ivanov’s bratva were opening wooden crates of weapons. I holstered the Beretta.

Nick met me at the doorway. “El Patrόn wants to lead this mission.”

My eyes opened wide. “Fuck no. He and Silas can stay here and monitor us through cameras and headsets.”

My cousin shook his head. “No cameras. Jano won’t take a chance of the video falling into the wrong hands.”

“He still shouldn’t go.” I inhaled. “We won’t survive if we lose him. It’s not worth the risk.”

Nick clenched his jaw and the tendons in his neck pulled taut. “I tried to reason with him. It’s fucking impossible. He’s spent the last six months planning his revenge on Volkov and Herrera. He’s not going to sit back and watch.”