Page 35 of Cruel Redemption

I would keep trudging through this damn forest. Take every wrong turn. Wade through the bayou with the snakes and alligators, if I had to. I would keep stomping through the muck if it meant I could find him. I gripped on to that thought and took another step, ducking beneath a curtain of silver moss.

It was like seeing a mirage in the desert. I spotted the roof of the first barn. Beyond it I could see the weathervane for the stables. I exhaled. I had made it out.

The accomplishment of finding my way out of the woods was overrun by what happened with the next step forward on the farm. I crossed the invisible barrier into cell service. My phone lit up like a switchboard.

“Oh my God,” I whispered. I couldn’t read the texts or the headlines that scrolled across fast enough. I couldn’t open any of them until they were all downloaded on my phone. My hand went straight to the side of my head.

I might have been hidden away for the night, but the rest of New Orleans had been wide awake. The city never slept.

I immediately called Luka when the last message popped up. I was sent to his voicemail. Damn it. I tried again, even a third time. All my calls went straight to voicemail.

Next, I called Ciro as I walked with careful steps to the equipment barn. I hadn’t seen anyone yet, but I knew to keep close to the tree line and take my time to figure out what in the hell was going on.

“Hello.”

“Thank, God you answered. What’s going on? What’s happening?” I launched questions at him.

“Tell me where you are, and I’ll pick you up.”

“Why isn’t Luka here? When did you see him last?” My head spun faster than I could ask questions.

“Jail,” he answered.

My mouth dropped and I had to brace myself against the side of the barn. “Did you say jail?” I realized my shoulder was throbbing from the messenger bag. I lowered it in the tall grass.

“Cops picked him up a few hours ago in front of the Amato Compound.”

“I don’t understand. For what?” It didn’t make sense.

“Enzo’s parents are looking for him. Right now, Luka Novikov is the only suspect and they have him in custody for his kidnapping.”

My mouth went dry, and I stared into the woods. This wasn’t possible.

“On what grounds? That’s absurd.”

Ciro didn’t answer me.

“Get him out,” I snarled into the phone. “Now.”

“Where are you?” he repeated. “I need to get to you.”

“I can find a way out of here, but he can’t be in jail. No. No.” I shook my head, trying to fight the image in my head of Luka locked up behind cold metal bars. He was a lion never meant to be caged.

“I’m coming to you. We’ll get on this. Don’t move. Don’t let anyone see you,” he instructed. If only knew that he sounded exactly like Luka.

“All right. I’ll send you a pin.” I quickly told him the location of the stables and where I was lying low so no one would spot me on the property. It wasn’t as easy as just driving to the address. I hung up and started scrolling through the texts, missed calls, and the breaking news headlines on my phone.

None of it seemed real. The close-up pictures of Enzo next to Luka. The words were dark and ugly. The accusations ruthless. I closed my eyes, trying to think how we’d recover from this.

* * *

An hour later, Ciro pulled into a space in an alley near the police station. “I don’t think this is a good idea,” he grumbled.

“I knew you wouldn’t. But I have to see him.” I looked up at the building. He was in there. I needed him to know I was doing everything I could to free him.

I opened the passenger door of the SUV. I slid the sunglasses over my eyes and stepped out of the vehicle. Ciro was immediately next to me. I saw a glimmer of his gun when his jacket moved.

“You can’t go in with that.” I pointed at this chest. The metal detector would go off before he was ten feet near it.

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