Page 14 of Charity's Torment

“It’s my brother,” I lied.

I mean, I am worried about my brother, but it isn’t the cause for my nervous tick. I had so much running through my head I didn’t know how to slow it down.

“We’ll find him.” He pats my hand, reassuring me. Another thing I noticed him doing recently.

“Thanks. I know you have other things you should be doing right now.”

Max ran his own men and had operations to look after. For him to take time out of his day to help me was a sacrifice I appreciated.

“I couldn’t let you lay waste to all those men out there in search of your brother. It would be irresponsible. Besides, someone’s gotta watch out for you.”

“Giovanni could have come with me—”

“—Giovanni? You would rather be out with that brute than me?”

“God, no. I was just saying if you were busy, he could be my chaperone.”

“Luca wouldn’t let him be responsible for you.”

“But Giovanni is good enough to be his bodyguard?”

“Don’t take offense to it. It’s a compliment. He doesn’t just trust anyone to take care of you.”

“Pull over here.”

He pulled to the side of the road across from the high school. The bells rang for the end of the day to be over, and teens filed out the door faster than my eyes could scan. Why was I looking for Jose inside the school? He was too old to be going there.

One gray, beat-up, rusted hunk of shit Oldsmobile caught my attention, parked on the corner, just out of view from the school. A teen climbed in the front passenger seat.

I pointed it out to Max. “Do a quick drive-by.”

Max pulled away, and sure enough, sitting in the driver’s seat was Mr. Devil Worshiper himself, and tucked in next to him was the girl I saw get inside. A little too cozy for how young she looked.

“It’s him.”

“You sure?” Max asked as he pulled back over to the side of the road.

“Can’t mistake him.”

The car passed us, and Max pulled in behind to follow him home. I whipped out my phone and sent Luca a message while Max stayed back to avoid detection.

Me: Found the dealer. Not ours. Fair game?

Tap. Tap. Tap. I waited for his reply that seemed to take ages.

Luca: Go crazy. Never say I don’t let you have fun.

I grinned from ear to ear, and Max noticed. “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”

“Luca just gave me the all-clear.”

“Oh, shit.”

“Depending on how loud he squeals, we might need to take this elsewhere.”

“If that is the case, we should wait for dark then.”

Tap-tap-tap.If we waited until dark, which was another five or so hours, it would be hours that I could spend finding my brother or cleaning him up.

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