Page 13 of This Thing of Ours

But even knowing that, he still couldn’t help but think of Gabriella as his.

So, Marco stood against the wall, fists clenched, perfectly still for fear if he made the slightest move, he’d do something stupid like kill the fucker they had tied to a chair in the middle of the room before they got any useful information out of him.

They’d picked the guy up at a strip club less than a half-hour before. They’d gotten lucky when one of their men overheard him running his mouth. Marco just hoped he had the information they sought. It would suck for the guy if he didn’t. Hell, who was he kidding, after they were finished, it would suck to be him even if he did.

Frankie circled his prey, the hammer in his hand swinging freely at his side. The guy followed the movement, his eyes straining to keep the weapon in sight, but losing it when Frankie rounded the back of his chair.

Marco looked across the room at Nico who leaned on the opposite wall, arms folded over his chest and legs crossed at the ankle. They were in an abandoned warehouse. Well, one of the offices in the back to be precise. It was a good spot for wetwork—easy cleanup.

Frankie came to a halt, stopping right in front of the guy. He looked over his shoulder, and Nico took a few steps away from the wall, planting himself in a relaxed pose. “I suppose you know why you’re here. But in case you don’t, we’re looking for a woman. Taken three days ago. Ring any bells?”

Raising his chin defiantly, the guy didn’t answer.

Nico sighed, acting as though dealing with the fucker was growing tiresome. “Listen, you can make this easy on yourself and tell me what I want to know, or Frankie here, can make things very painful for you, and then you’ll tell me everything I want to know. What’s it gonna be?”

“Poshyel k chyertu,” the guy spat and struggled against his bonds.

Marco wasn’t sure what the fuck the guy had said, but he didn’t think it wasI’ll take the easy way.

Frankie looked over his shoulder again, and Nico gave him a small nod.

Lightning fast, the hammer came down, striking the fucker’s kneecap. Marco heard the crunch from where he was standing, right before he heard the guy’s screams.

Nico took a step closer. “Did that jog your memory?”

“Idi nahuey!”

Frankie didn’t wait for Nico’s approval that time. The hammer came down, shattering the guy’s other knee. The guy screamed again and then went mute, his chin falling to his chest, spittle coating his lips.

Losing patience, Marco moved for the first time since entering the room. Stepping behind the chair, he grabbed a fistful of the guy’s hair and pulled, stretching his neck back. He leaned down, getting close to the fucker’s ear, and growled, “You will tell us what we want to know.”

Sounding defeated, but it could’ve been the pain talking, the guy said, “If I tell you, they’ll kill me.”

Marco chuckled, a sound so evil the guy shuddered in his grip. “You’re dead either way, fucker. The question is, how do you want to go? You see, me, I don’t have much patience. All that screaming gives me a headache. You tell me what I want to know, I’ll kill you nice and quick. Now, my friend here,” he nodded Frankie’s direction, “he likes to drag shit out,” Marco leaned in closer, and whispered, “for days. So, what’s it gonna be? Quick… or slow?”

The guy talked.

“This place isin the fucking boonies,” Frankie rumbled from the back seat.

Marco grunted, his eyes falling to the Sat Nav on the dash. They were almost to their destination, and Frankie wasn’t wrong, there was nothing in sight but a few fucking Joshua trees.

“If that asshole played us for a fool, I’m going back and torturing that fucker nice and slow.”

Marco grunted again, but he silently agreed with Frankie. If that fucker gave them false information, his promise of a quick death was null and void.

Nico took a right, and in the distance, a house came into view. Thank fuck. Marco sent up a little prayer Gabriella was in it. He turned to Nico. “How’s this playing out? We storming through the front door or will it be a sneak attack?”

He saw Nico glance in the rearview mirror. They had three cars full of their men following them. His eyes found Marco’s again. “Neither. We draw them out. I don’t know where they’re holding Gabby, and I don’t want to take a chance of her getting hit in the crossfire.”

Marco leaned forward in his seat, pulling the gun from the small of his back and did a quick check, making sure it was fully loaded.

Nico stopped half a mile from the house. Marco noted two cars. One at the curb, one in the drive. He didn’t know whether any were in the garage. He hoped, as it was well past midnight, the place wouldn’t be heavily guarded.

“We sure this is the right place?”

Nico crawled forward, getting a little closer to the house then put the car in park before answering Frankie’s question. “No.” He opened his door and stepped out. Pulling his stiletto from his pocket, Nico flicked it open before leaning back in the car, eyeballing Frankie. “But we’ll know in a few minutes, yeah?”

“Hell, yeah,” Frankie growled, getting out of the car to join him.

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