Page 136 of The Best of Us

If he’d just answer, I could reason with him. Talk him off this hero ledge he was trying to jump from. Which was precisely why I knew my hardheaded son wasn’t picking up.

Just. Like. Me.

Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I glanced at my brothers in the backseat of the Suburban.

Alessandro had my laptop, studying the location sent to Colin, already devising our GTFOF (get the fuck out fast), full-throttle infil plan to pull my son out before it was too late.

We were minutes from catching up to him.

Hudson had called in a favor from his governor father, gave him our plate number, and told him to ensure the NYPD didn’t pull us over for blowing past every speed limit and traffic law in the city.

We couldn’t risk sending officers to the location. Too many variables. Too many things that could go wrong. Colin could get caught in the crossfire, for one. No, this had to be us.

“I was right. It’s him.” Izzy’s voice cut through the tension with tight certainty. “I’ve triple-checked. The fake cop from the parking garage was at the place where you guys are headed now. I have a clear shot of him on the security cameras at the warehouse, leaving an hour before he showed up at the garage.”

The mercenaries had been tracking Colin’s phone, which was how they found us at the mall. That’s why I hadn’t detected a tail. I hadn’t missed it because I’d been distracted, but because wehadn’tbeen followed. We’d been hunted.

“Giuseppe Messina left that same location shortly after the mercenary did,” Izzy added.

A muscle jumped in my jaw.

“And Vinegar Hill on the East River Waterfront between Dumbo and the Navy Yard, is the base of the Sicilians’ operation,” Alessandro said, backing up Izzy’s intel.

I shook my head, refusing to believe what was being suggested. “I talked to Giuseppe tonight, and he confirmed the Sicilians’ hands are clean of everything. They’re not involved, I’m telling you.”

I faced forward, catching Hudson’s eyes, and I knew that look. He was concerned about me. And well, fuck, he had good reason to be.My son is out there alone, heading into enemy territory. New driving skills and no idea what he was up against.

“There’s no way the Sicilians are in league with those mercenaries,” I said with conviction.

“Listen to Constantine. I just got off the phone with Giuseppe myself.” My father joined in, having my back. And if he was listening in, was Juliette as well? “I can assure you he’s not involved. He’d never cross us. Think outside the box.”

“Dad, this can’t be a coincidence,” Izzy told him, and I took a deep breath as the pieces clicked into place.

“It’s not a coincidence,” I confirmed. “Someone wanted us to see that footage, and those men from the garage were unknowing sacrificial lambs. That’s why they sent amateurs.” Taking my father’s advice to broaden our horizons, I unloaded the rest of my theory: “The mercenaries knew they’d never be able to get Colin away from me out in the open. They couldn’t send a small army to a public place. It was all a setup for tonight. A diversion. Pitting us against the Sicilians. They’re hoping we show up and start a war with them. And while we’re distracted with them, Colin will wind up a million miles away from me.” The blood drained from my face as it hit me. “Because Colin won’t make it to the location they sent to him. They’re going to intercept him.”

“What?” Juliette shot out in panic, confirming she was listening.

Before I could say anything to comfort or reassure her, I overheard my mom urging her from the room and out of earshot of our call.

Tension coiled tight beneath the surface, and bile rose in my dry throat.

“They don’t need you alive for their plan with Sebastian to succeed as long as Easton’s still involved,” Izzy added, following along, and I wished I wasn’t right this time. “He was their original target for the deal. You were an unexpected issue for them.”

“He’s stopped moving,” Alessandro gritted out.

Despite my best efforts not to, I couldn’t help but fall back into parent mode, terror grabbing hold of me.

“We’re right on the ass of the SUV. He’s a block away,” Alessandro alerted as Hudson slowed down so we could locate the Suburban Colin stole. “It’s parked somewhere here, but . . . fuck. His phone went offline.”

I secured a firm grip of the Ruger on my lap, as if its lethal familiarity would keep me from getting sick. “Whoever baited Colin must assume we’re not far behind. They won’t risk us seeing his abandoned SUV. They want us to reach that final location where the Sicilians are.”

“They had to have already boxed him in and taken him,” Enzo said in a low voice, his words dredging up a brutalif only.

If only I hadn’t taught my son to drive, he’d never have been able to take off on me.

“They have to be close by,” I snarled, surveying the area as I fought with everything I had in me to switch back to operator mode.

“Wait, I think I know where Colin’s being taken!” Izzy yelled out. “The Brooklyn Navy Yard. Our facial recognition software got a hit. The fake cop was also there today, and based on the timestamp, it was right after he left that warehouse in Vinegar Hill. He went through the security checkpoint alone, then he drove out with another guy—the same asshole with him in that garage today.”

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