Page 51

Chapter 51

Constantine

Sorrento, Italy

“We can stand here as long as you need to.” Enzo lowered his shades down his nose. “We have all the time in the world.”

I kept my back to the black Mercedes van parked outside the safe house, continuing to shield my eyes with my Ray-Bans, from both the sun’s glare and my brother’s. “Short on time, I know, I know,” I remarked dryly, translating his sarcasm.

A chill darted up my body and bullseyed the back of my neck. I chased it away with my hand, gripping at the throbbing discomfort now pushing up the rest of my spine and into my temples.

Glasses concealing his eyes again, Enzo folded his arms and shifted around to my three o’clock, surveying the house with me. Based on the number of parked vehicles on the driveway, we had plenty of reinforcements for our mission.

“Had I known we’d be rolling up on a mafia compound during tanning hours, I’d have packed sunscreen. Or, you know, maybe stayed back home with my wife and kids.”

I slowly turned my head, unamused. “Your attempt at humor is going to get you killed in a second.”

“I gotta do something to snap you out of this mood and get your ass moving inside. Juliette will put together a search party and come looking for you if you stay out here much longer.” He nudged my side with his elbow. “And the reason you don’t want to go inside will probably head up that party himself.”

I rolled my eyes, grateful my shades hid my immature reaction. “Carter’s not why I’m still standing on the driveway.”

He laughed. The fucker. “Easton, then?”

“No, not him, either.” Realizing I might fatigue my shooting hand if I kept massaging the base of my skull, I relaxed my arm at my side. “My son. I don’t want to go in there because of Colin.”

Enzo, being a serious pain in my ass, came around to stand in front of me, blocking my view of the countryside villa. “What are you talking about?” He removed his sunglasses to scrutinize me. “Are you feeling guilty about Lennon again? You had no way of anticipating she’d been taken from that hotel in the first place, and we will get her back. She’s alive. She has to be.” His brows tightened. “We will win.”

“Yeah, and at what cost? There’s always one. A life for a life, I can feel it.” I shook my head. “One of us is going to die.” I’d never said words like that before, but a dark- something had come over me on our way here. “I can’t let it be one of you. Or Juliette’s brother.”

Enzo abruptly fisted my shirt and brought his face closer to mine, his jaw straining as he snarled, “I don’t know what weird voodoo shit got into your head on our way here, but that’s not happening.”

“I already got a lecture from Alessandro back home. The last thing I need is one from you, too.”

“You’re afraid. That’s what this is.” Enzo took his scolding up a notch. “You’re afraid this is all too good to be true. To have a woman and son who love you. That it’s impossible for you to be this happy.” He released my shirt so he could open his arms wide, his glasses dangling from one hand. “You think it’ll be taken from you. You’ve come so close to peace, so it’ll be stolen at the last minute.” He brought his free hand to the side of his head and pointed at his temple. “Whatever fear demons you’ve got inside you, kick them the fuck out. Because you’re not dying today. I know that’s what you think will happen, but it’s not. Do. You. Hear. Me?” His dark eyes tightened on me.

I looked up at the cloudless sky, taking a moment to recalibrate. We’d truly be rolling in with daylight kissing our asses for all of those mafiosi to see us. No choice. That didn’t make me feel any better.

Carmello had received a video message about his son being held hostage two hours ago. The ransom demand was the cyber wallet in exchange for his freedom. The drop was supposed to occur tonight—the location yet to be provided. We had to hit the Rizzos’ compound this afternoon before they knew we were onto them or had a chance to prepare for the trade.

So, there we were, five kilometers away from the Rizzos’ stronghold, about to prepare for infil, and I was getting laid into by my youngest brother.

But Enzo was right. Partially, at least. It wasn’t myself I was worried about. It was what my death would do to my son and Juliette. To just get me back in their lives, only to be taken from them . . .

I had no doubt we’d rescue Lennon, but something told me I’d be sacrificing my life for hers. I had a decision to make. Of course, I’d choose hers over mine. “Because that’s just the kind of man you are.” Colin’s words from yesterday echoed through my mind.

“Everything okay out here?” At Juliette’s voice, Enzo returned his shades in place, then stepped aside so I could put eyes on her.

She wasn’t alone. She had her brother with her as backup.

“I’m Lorenzo Costa. Easton, right?” Enzo made the first move, offering Easton his hand as Juliette maneuvered around their greeting to get to me.

“Are you all right?” She set her hand on my chest, where she’d find my battle-hardened heart raging beat for anxious beat.

I wrapped my hand around her wrist but couldn’t bring myself to remove her touch. “I need you to promise me something.”

She shook her head as if already knowing the question. “Absolutely not.”

“Juliette.” My shoulders fell, frustrated she was prepared to be as stubborn as Enzo.

“Nope, not happening.” She pulled her hand away, forcing me to let go of her, then faced her brother. “Easton, meet Constantine.”

I had no choice but to power through the demons trying to take me down to Hell. No way I could really be forgiven for everything I’d done, right? Too many skeletons in my closet. Too many times taking justice into my own hands.

“Hey.” Easton shook my hand, assessing me. Not sizing me up to see if I was good enough for his sister, more like he was getting the correct read on my current state of mind—FUBAR: fucked up beyond all repair.

“Hi,” I returned, a gruff breath settling between us, and I wasn’t even sure who it’d come from. “Thanks for meeting us here. For the assist today.”

“Thanks for keeping my sister and nephew safe back in New York,” he replied curtly and politely. Business as usual. Not like he was going to be my future brother-in-law.

I pulled my hand away from Easton’s calloused palm and brought it to the back of my head.

We both nodded through the awkwardness as Colin came over, saving us from more small talk. But now, with Colin out here, I’d have to look him in the eyes and promise him again I’d get Lennon back no matter what, even if that meant he’d lose me.

I’d be keeping my shades on for that conversation. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Lennon’s alive! That Lara Croft–looking Italian woman in there confirmed it.” Something told me he was referring to Emilia. “She said something about Ace’s satellite feeds showing Lennon being brought into the bad guy compound this morning . . .”

“Ah, you mean A-I-S-E.” Enzo patted Colin on the shoulder. “ Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Esterna. ”

“Sure, that sounds like whatever mumbo jumbo she said.” Colin shrugged, and with the Lennon-being-alive news, the color in his face and his personality had returned. “Italy’s version of the CIA, yada, yada, yada.”

Enzo smirked, then glanced at me. “Emilia must’ve hacked their feeds. I’m sure AISE has been monitoring the Rizzos’ compound for years, but they’ve not had the balls to strike them yet.”

“But y’all do, right, Uncle E?”

Enzo slapped a hand to his chest at Colin’s nickname for him, and I loved that my son had that effect on people. Enzo cleared his throat and nodded. “Hell yeah, we do.”

His remark earned another grin from Colin.

“Gwen hacked the feeds.” Easton expanded on Colin’s teenage version of relaying intel. “Emilia didn’t trust reaching out to AISE for assistance, so Gwen did it for her. She zoomed in and confirmed Lennon, Daniel, and Jamie were escorted to the target location this morning. Hands and mouths bound for all three. But alive.”

“You see, we’ll get her out in time,” I told Colin, pushing down the uncomfortable lump trying to obstruct my airway.

“Of course you will.” Colin patted my chest. “Because you’re Constantine Effing Costa.”

His faith in me was . . . well, maybe I needed to hear that. “She’ll be fine, I promise.”

“Let’s head in so they can catch us up on the plans,” Enzo suggested. “How many of us are there? Do we have enough for this last-minute infil?” he asked Easton as they began to walk ahead of us.

Colin and Juliette flanked my sides as we followed our brothers toward the villa Sebastian had secured for us at the last minute.

His team and the others had beaten us here by thirty minutes, even with our head start. From the sounds of it, they’d been busy strategizing in our absence.

“We’ll have four teams, which is more than enough,” I overheard Easton answer him. “But there is one issue I know you won’t like. Because I don’t.” He stopped outside the front door and faced me directly. “We can’t leave them here at the safe house”—he tipped his head toward Juliette and Colin—“while we hit the compound.”

My stomach dropped, and the hairs at the back of my neck stood. “What are you saying?”

“Gwen needs to hack their security cameras so we can have a better look around their property. They have some major firewalls or something like that. I can’t remember exactly what Gwen said, but she has to be within close range of the compound. With Gwen being out in the field like that, she’ll need a team with her for protection, which means we don’t have enough people to spare to leave at the safe house.” Easton frowned when he made eye contact with Juliette. “You and Colin will be on the yacht with her.” Focusing back on me, he continued, “Your sister will handle our comms from there as well.”

I removed my sunglasses and hooked them to the front of my shirt. “Who will be on the boat with them?”

“Gwen’s father was visiting her at The Sapphire when all of this went down, so Wyatt came with us to Dublin. And now he’s here. He’ll be on the yacht. Sebastian pulled in two former operators he trusts to round out Wyatt’s team. They’ll be anchored a safe distance away, but they have to be within range?—”

“For the security cameras, I got it,” I finished for Easton, resting my hands on my hips.

“We’ll be fine, Dad.” Colin tapped my arm, urging me to face him like he was a little kid, not a teenager. “Look at me.”

I slowly did as he asked, tensing up all over again in the process.

“It’s just like Call of Duty , right? We’re a team. We’ve got this.”

My son’s use of “we” and his video game references about a life-and-death operation would kill me before I even went into battle.

I refrained from reminding him I only had one life. We couldn’t restart like a game if I died. I needed him to stay hopeful and optimistic, so I forced myself to smile and nod. “You’re right. We do make one hell of a team.”