Page 34 of Sacrifice

Chapter Fifteen

My phone won't shut up. Rolling over, I reach for Aribella and come up empty-handed. Instantly, my eyes pop open and I grab my fucking phone. Twenty text messages and fifteen missed calls. I ignore them all and pull up the library camera, expecting to seemi reina. When I don't see her and Espresso isn't there, I switch to the kitchen cameras.

Hot boiling rage fills me at the sight of Miss Terrington and a guard laying on the floor in a pool of blood. Aribella isn't capable of murder. Who the fuck has been in my house? Pulling on a robe, I rush to my office and see a bloody Espresso sitting on my desk.

He jumps on me and I let him cling to me. "What happened?" I mutter to him. Taking him to the bathroom, I clean him up and realize this isn't his blood. He's not hurt at all, but what about Aribella?

"Good boy, Espresso. Where's your momma?” The poor cat looks at me and meows miserably. Once he's cleaned and wrapped in a towel, I take him back to my desk to hold him.

Sitting down, my mind races as I imagine different scenarios while I take care of the cat. My breathing gets harsher by the second and I know I'm going to have to watch the cameras. I'm not sure I want to.

"Stop this. You are not some little bitch. Get with it."I tell myself as I let Espresso lie on the desk. I watch the computer screen, seeing seven of my men are dead andmi reinahas been stolen. Taking my phone out, I finally look at the missed calls and texts.

Every single one is from Mossimo. Fuck me. I swipe through the texts.

Mossimo:There's something wrong here. More than I thought.

Mossimo:We have a fucking rat in our ranks.

Every time I read a new text message, my anger gets harder to control.

Mossimo...

Text after text, he explains what is going down in the casino and asks for backup. I have let him down.

Centering myself before I turn the cameras to the casino, I think about Aribella and who has taken her. The men had on half masks, which means I cannot identify them. Even if I were tolook into their eyes, there's no way I would be able to distinguish who was in my house.

"Mother fucker!" I bang my hand on my desk as I see hundreds of innocents dead. Mossimo's texts are urgent until they stop. It's not until I see the last text message that I know he's been taken. He wasn't a part of this betrayal.

A picture message comes through with Mossimo chained to a wall by his neck. He's bloody and beaten to the point he can't even hold his head up on his own. A masked figure holds it up by his hair for me to see.

Another text message from an unknown number comes through. A roar of agony leaves me as I see Aribella strung up by her arms, just as badly beaten as Mossimo. There’s so much blood caked on her. The skin around her stomach is mutilated and I feel myself getting sick.

There’s swelling in her face, but I would recognize those eyes anywhere. My God, they’ve done a number on her. As I look at the picture of Mossimo, I can see the broken nose, swollen eyes, and cuts all over his chest. A roar leaves me as another text message comes through.

Unknown:Your choice. Mossimo or the girl.

Getting up, I look at Espresso curled into a ball on my desk and think about the lives that have already been lost. I know I will save Aribella. My only saving grace is that Mossimo knows what my choice will be. Or at least I hope he will.

Strapping my guns to my chest and thighs, I put my jacket on. The families wantedThe Beast? They'll get him. Before I can leave, my office door opens and I quickly pull a gun, aiming it dead center.

My little brother, Leo, stumbles through the opening. His left arm is missing and there's blood seeping from the bullet holes in his chest. "Bro..." he sputters, blood spraying from his lips.Taking a step toward him, he falters. “They..." His body falls with a heavy thud and the paper he had a hold of floats around him.

"Fuck." Rushing over to him, I roll his body until he's on his back. Checking his pulse, it's barely there.

"They are closer than you think." Leo grabs my arm. "Save her." I watch the life fade from his eyes and I scream with rage and sorrow.

My youngest brother is dead. And for what? Who the fuck dared to do this? Whoever was stupid enough to do this, must want a war. I try to get up, but the pain of seeing my brother ridden with bullets has me paralyzed to the spot.

Leaning forward, I let my head drop to his, and I kiss Leo's forehead. "I'm sorry, Leo," the whisper isn't near enough. I know he knew the risks, but he was always stationed here at the house. Safe. Always fucking safe. Why the hell did I tell Mossimo to take him?

Picking up the paper, I see the address. Coldness sweeps through me as I think about where this address is. With one last touch on Leo's face to close his eyes, I stand and count to twenty. Stepping over my brother's body, I turn to look at the cat. "Espresso, come here."

The cat doesn't give me sass. Nope. He hops down from the desk and comes over to me. Picking him up, I make my way to the garage and cry out again. Espresso jumps, but curls deeper into me.

Getting into my Aston Martin, I hit the steering wheel. Who the fuck is stupid enough to start this shit with me? There's no way Diego would stoop this low. Besides, he's in a war with the Bianchi's right now. Driving as fast as I can, I make my way to the address, which is one of my storage facilities.

When I get there, cops are raiding the place. Not even stopping, I make my way to the casino. Someone's trying to teardown my world. Let them. They have no fucking clue who they are dealing with. I swear it will be their last goddamn mistake.

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