Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 100332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
One year later
I glanced at my watch. Flavio should arrive with Sara any moment. Since Sara had returned to college last semester to further pursue her degree in art history, either Flavio or Romero had picked her up in the afternoon and taken her home in addition to the bodyguard who watched her while she was there. Too many bad memories were connected to me picking her up. I wasn’t usually home at the time, as I’d started to work a lot again, but today was our first wedding anniversary. One entire year as husband and wife, at least on paper, but we were roommates, not more. I doubted we even qualified as friends. We rarely spent time together and when we did it was often loaded with awkwardness. I was fairly sure Sara didn’t enjoy being near me and so I tried to stay out of her way as much as possible. The two darkest days of her life were directly connected to me, so I couldn’t blame her for wanting some distance.
We only had dinner together about twice a week. The rest of the time, she ate with her parents and siblings. We did what was necessary to keep up appearances but not more. When I’d suggested we go to dinner for our anniversary, she had agreed at once. But even that was probably only for appearance’s sake.
I blew out a breath, annoyed at my train of thoughts. I glanced at my watch again and reached for my phone in my pants pocket, ready to call Flavio. The hum of the elevator made me stop.
The beep of the code being entered into the keypad sounded, and the door opened. My phone rang as Flavio and Sara entered the apartment.
I gave Flavio a nod in greeting and Sara a brief smile before I answered the phone. It was Maddox.
“We have a lead on where they are,” he said as a form of greeting.
I froze. “Jabba?”
“Yes, and the bald one, Yevgeny or what was his name.”
“Where?”
Flavio came closer, his eyes eager.
“In a warehouse in Newark. We don’t know the exact location yet but should be able to narrow it down soon.”
Sara was frozen in the dirtroom, in the process of removing her coat.
After more than a year of searching and questioning Bratva assholes, I finally had a hot trail for the men who had captured Sara and me. I’d killed many of Jabba’s acquaintances and family members, but he’d always escaped capture. He’d gladly pushed everyone into the path of the oncoming bus, the filthy coward. He wouldn’t escape this time.
“Send me the details. I’m coming as fast as I can. We’ll find him.”
“You should wait for backup. I’m too far away to join you in time. Romero is on his way too.”
“I’ll handle it,” I clipped. “Send me the details.” I hung up. Jabba would be mine today even if I had to search every fucking warehouse in Newark by myself.
Sara watched me with wide eyes, still wrapped in her scarf and one arm in her coat. “Our attackers?”
I nodded. She swallowed hard.
“I’m coming too,” Flavio said immediately.
“No. You have to watch Sara.”
Flavio stepped in front of me. “Let someone else do that.”
“Last time someone other than you watched her, she was kidnapped, remember?”
Flavio shook his head, but he finally stepped out of my way so I could grab my guns and the bag with my knives and torture utensils.
I grabbed the door handle and turned to Sara.
“I know today’s our anniversary…”
She gave me a shaky smile. “It doesn’t matter. Go.”
“I’ll make them pay for what’s been done to you.”
For what they made me do…
Sara nodded then she turned away and removed her coat.
I left and as soon as I was out of the apartment, I sent Amo a text. I wanted him by my side. Then I began running, I wanted to get to Port Newark as soon as possible. The marine terminal was huge and it would take some time to find the right warehouse. What if another Made Man found them first and decided to give them a quick end. I wanted to be the one to capture and kill them, and I’d make sure it wasn’t a quick ending.
I took my old Ford truck instead of my new truck. It reeked of wet dog and the remnants of blood. I only ever used it for shelter or torture jobs.
My blood was rushing in my veins at the prospect of getting my hands on Jabba and his men tonight. Nothing else mattered. I’d get revenge for Sara. I had bought her an anniversary gift which was in a box on the kitchen table, but today’s revenge would be the true gift, one that I was sure would mean far more to her.
We had never discussed what happened, never discussed my search of our capturers. We’d let silence rein.