Page 97 of Dark Breaker

I stare at him in disbelief.

No.

Rosa. Kidnapped? My Rosa?

“What are you talking about?” I say slowly. “I didn’t kidnap her.” Though I wanted to…

She can’t be gone.

“You’re lying,” Massimo says.

“I’m not,” I tell him, feeling like my heart has been ripped out of my chest. “If I had Rosa, I’d fucking give her to you.”

I told myself I wouldn’t fall for her.

Yet I have, I realize that now.

And now I’ll never be able to tell her.

No. I’ll find her. No matter where she is.

I imagine the Jackal torturing her, and it kills me inside.

Massimo stares at me for several seconds, and then nods. “I believe you.”

I’m not sure why he believes me. Is the distress so obvious in my eyes?

“But if it wasn’t you…” Massimo gazes off into the distance, as if considering the possibilities.

But we both know who did it.

“You’re lucky I need you or you’d be dead right now.” He lowers his weapon and steps away from Nicolo. “The Jackal is still having a meeting tomorrow?”

“Yes,” I reply. “But if he has Rosa, by then it’ll be too late. We have to strike today.”

“I’m of agreement, but we don’t know where he is,” he tells me.

“I have a way to find him,” I reply. “But first, would you mind?” I beckon at my men who are lying on the floor, and the Moretti men who stand above them.

“Stand down,” he orders the men. They lower their weapons and step back.

I give a similar command to my own men, and repeat it over the comm for the benefit of my snipers.

Half an hour later I’m sitting in the backseat of one of those Moretti SUVs with Nicolo beside me. Luciano is driving, and Massimo is in the front passenger seat. Neither Nicolo nor myself have any weapons, but if we really wanted to kill Luciano and Massimo, we wouldn’t need any.

We’re headed toward Gina’s apartment. I gave her a call, told her to expect me. She thinks we’re having sex. It’s going to be fun to see the expression on her face when the four of us barge inside and interrogate her instead.

None of us have said a word since entering the SUV.

I break the silence. “She never wanted us to kill each other. And we did it anyway. She tried to save us, I see that now. And we let her down.” I exhale in regret.

“You’re damn right you did,” Luciano glances at me in the rearview mirror. “She trusted you, we all did, and you violated that trust.”

“I’m sorry,” I tell him, and mean it. “I’ll call the prison, have my man release your brother.”

“No need,” Massimo interjects. “We already have a guy helping us. My brother will be a free man any time now.” On cue his phone buzzes. “That’s probably him now.”

Massimo picks up. “CiaoRoberto… good… not quite, we’ve put our war on hold for the moment… the Jackal has Rosa… I’ll have someone pick you up. I’ll call you later. Take care,fratello.” Brother.