Page 76 of Inherting the Mafia

One the guard had run off, Luca turned back to me and Tony. "What else?"

I was amazed that the man was just taking our word for how things might go. "Why are you doing this without demanding to know why?"

"Because I've seen what Tony can do," Luca said, reminding me he had been standing outside with us the entire time. "If he says we got trouble, we got trouble."

I was glad for his belief in Tony, especially when Tony suddenly gasped and took off running toward the villa. Luca and I both took off after him. We reached the front doors at the same time.

"Tony!"

"I think Nico's in trouble."

That was all he needed to say for the three of us to run into the villa. Luca ran faster and got several feet in front of us. He started to race down the hallway when Tony suddenly put on a burst of speed and dove for his legs, tripping Luca.

They both went tumbling to the ground.

When Luca tried to get up, Tony held onto his legs, wrapping himself around the man.

"Tony, wha—"

We were all thrown back by a loud blast and a hot gust of wind that came from the direction of the safe room.

"Nico!" Luca cried out in a voice so filled with agony that it brought tears to my eyes. For someone to fill that level of anguish...It was something I prayed I never went through.

Tony had a tight hold on Luca, not letting him go. He was dragged along when the man started clawing at the marbled tiles trying to reach the exploded safe room.

"Nico!"

When Luca turned toward Tony with ravaged eyes and took a swing at him, I jumped forward and grabbed his arm, keeping him from hitting Tony again.

"Let me go!"

"Nico wasn't in there," Tony explained quickly, hanging onto Luca like an octopus.

Luca froze. "What?"

Tony shook his head. "I don't think Nico was in there, but I still feel like he's in danger. We need to find him."

"Let me go!" Luca shouted again.

This time, Tony let him go.

Luca scrambled to his feet and raced over to the area where the safe room had been located. I helped Tony up and then hurried over to join him. The blast had ripped a hole in the side of the steel walled room big enough for a man to step through, but with all the debris hanging from the ceiling, we didn't dare.

One thing was clear, Nico wasn't in there.

"Franco!" Luca shouted at the top of his lungs. When the man came running, Luca grabbed him by his suit jacket. "Nico is missing. I want him found now."

Franco stared at the blast scene with wide eyes. "Wasn't he in...?"

"He's missing!" Luca shouted with a frantic tone. "Find him."

"Yes, sir." Franco started shouting out orders to the guards in the area, demanding a full search of the villa.

I watched Tony as he rubbed his arms, his gaze going to the double doors at the end of the hallway. "Tony, what is it?"

Tony shook his head and started walking toward the doors.

I snapped my fingers to get Luca's attention and then started following Tony. When he reached the double doors, he didn't open them. He just stood there staring out through the glass.

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