Page 53 of Rescued By the Mafia

Iris squeezed Dante’s hand, just in case his focus was elsewhere, and silently pointed to the wall in front of them. She saw her hand tremble, but she didn’t care.

She saw Dante nod, and simultaneously two of the men nearest them stepped up to the wall. Dante urged her back, giving them room in the hall, and everyone held still as the two men ran their hands over the wall. Iris bit her lips when the wall gave beneath the touch.

Every man other than Dante and the one whose hand remained on the shouldn’t-be-mobile wall raised their weapon.

He slid it back with no visible effort, another strangled, muffled scream pouring out from inside. Despite the old, dusty, unkempt condition of the home, it struck Iris that no paint or dust fell with the movement of the wall. Whatever was inside remained a mystery for a few more seconds, as the space beneath the stairs was pitch black and the hallway itself too dark to offer lighting.

Something, someone, whimpered from inside.

Tears pricked Iris’s eyes. It felt like a sob, like a plea.

Carlo lifted his flashlight high, aiming the beam in and angled slightly down.

Megan squinted out against the light, rolled up fabric wrapped around the lower half of her face and shoved into her mouth. Her hair was matted and even with the horrible angle, Iris could see bruising on her face. But she was alive.

A relieved gasp escaped her.

“Get her out of there, gently,” Dante said, his words contradictorily sharp.

The guns went down, flashlights adjusted, and the two men ducked into the compartment.

Wait, what about—

“The boy’s not here,” one of the men said.

Megan was helped out of the veritable closet, the gag pulled from her face and her arms cut free of the bindings Iris hadn’t been able to see. She clung to one of the men’s shoulders, choking and gasping for breath, barely able to stand. “P-Parker,” she rasped. Her eyes were wild as she looked around. “Where— Where is my son?”

Iris looked up at Dante, her own emotions clogging her throat.

He moved his hand to her nape. “You three, stay with her and get her some clean water,” he said to the men in front of them. Then he raised his voice. “The rest of you, keep searching. Check everywhere.”

Iris finally caught Megan’s gaze. “We’ll find him, Megan,” she said. “I swear we will.”

Tears rolled down Megan’s cheeks. “That bastard, he—” She licked her lips. “I understand now.”

Paul had taken his temper out on her, that much was clear. But another realization struck Iris then. Megan wasn’t like her. Megan was stronger, had some experience fighting for herself, and if there was anything at all Iris knew about the woman, it was that Megan would never allow her son to hurt. She would fight like a wild, rabid beast—become something entirely different—to protect him. But instead, Megan stood across from her, beaten and searching without direction for the life most precious to her. So Paul had to have done something to give himself leverage over her, and that something had to involve Parker.

The reassigned trio of men attempted to move Megan down the hall, toward the nearest exit. She reared away awkwardly, her head twisting around, neck craning. “No, Parker…” But her eyes were everywhere, never aiming in any one direction for long.

“He’s not here,” Iris whispered. She looked up at Dante. “Parker’s not here.” Paul had separated them, and used their separation to keep Megan complicit. That was the only thing she could think of.

Dante inclined his head and tapped the earpiece he’d slipped on in the SUV. “You still there?”

Iris had so thoroughly forgotten he’d given her one, too, that she startled when something crackled and Mikey’s voice came through her ear.

“All in one piece.”

“I was just about to call you,” Romeo said. “We found the boy, but so far, no sign of the mother.”

Iris clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out.

“The mother’s with us,” Dante said. He gave her neck a gentle squeeze as he spoke, once again offering her a wordless comfort. “Split your team to finish clearing the location and we’ll meet you at the rendezvous. Mikey?”

“Got it,” Romeo said.

“Yeah?” Mikey asked.

“Be careful.” Dante disconnected, signaled the men around them, and barked orders Iris only half listened to. She held herself still, hoping against hope that since Romeo hadn’t said anything to the contrary, Parker was at least mostly okay. Traumatized, undoubtedly, but alive and in a condition he would survive. It was the best outcome they could hope for.

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