Page 19 of Ivory Sins
“Atta girl. You're listening. I like that.” He chuckles. “Manipulating Hunter was as easy as orchestrating this kidnapping to serve as cover for my larger scheme.”
I squint my eyes, seeing how it's all adding up. “So, you're the one who sent me the tape…and the bloodied dolls and toys?”
“The tape, yes. The dolls, that's Hunter. Although, I may or may not have chipped in on the idea, just so it'll tally with what happened seven years ago,” he says. “You gotta admit, that's genius.” He chuckles. “Anyway, I plan to sell the information about Enzo's death to the highest bidder—perhaps the Chinese triad. It'll be fun having to watch these powerful organizations take each other out.” He looks at me and adds. “The DiMartinos, in particular, will be pissed. It'll be an all out war.”
Seriously, this guy's a deranged psychopath.
“And then, when the dust settles, you, my dear Olivia, will work for me. You'll use your expertise to facilitate my information trade.”
I shake my head. “You're not getting away with this—my family will find me, they'll come for me.”
“I admire your faith in them, I really do,” he says. “But you see, strategists like us think ahead. We see every outcome and deal with them.”
My brows furrow and I wonder what he's getting at.
“As we speak, your family thinks you're a traitor.” He draws closer to me, his eyes fixated on me. “Hunter left a little something at your penthouse—a little evidence that suggests you're working with me to bring down your family's empire.”
“No.” I shake my head in denial.
“No one's coming for a traitor, Olivia. Not a single soul.” His lips curl into a sly smirk.
This man has it all figured out—he's manipulated this entire thing in his favor. Now, I'm trapped.
10
Marco
Petrovmightbeagreedy motherfucker, but the man sure is good at his job. His intelligence finds Nova's hideout—an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town.
They spot him real quick and now I'm wondering why they hadn't found him yet if they're this good. I guess Matteo's offer was more mouthwatering than I thought.
Just before we set out, the Bellanti and the Bratva assemble for a small pep talk. Petrov's lieutenant reveals Nova keeps records of the crimes committed by almost all the powerful families in the city. He says it's Nova's insurance, his weakness, and also reveals the exact location of the safe where Nova keeps all these files.
I can't deny how good these guys are. The Bratva Intelligence is indeed intelligent. Once done, both forces arm themselves, ready for a fierce battle as we all storm out of the building.
We locate the warehouse and there, war breaks out. Rapid gunfire fills the air as we take down Nova's men. It helps that we take them off guard, but those fuckers are highly trained mercenaries, so the fight is quite intense.
The Bellanti brothers and I spread across the building, guns held up before us as we shoot the enemies in our eye sights. Splitting up is the only way to cover more grounds and efficiently find Olivia.
Alone, I shoot my way up metal steps, my shots sharp and precise. My victims' bodies thud to the floor. Some roll down the steps as I ascend.
I get to a hallway from the blueprint of the warehouse registered in my head. I know the location of Nova's files is the room across the hallway.
Just as I'm about to take a step forward, I hear a muffled noise from the room to my right. My eyes narrow and my gun points toward the room. I'm almost certain that's where Olivia is being holed up.
I glance at the room up ahead, but the files aren't why I'm here—she is. So, fuck the files. I kick the door open and barge into the dimly lit room, my gun pointing ahead of me.
“Olivia!” I call out when I see her sitting strapped to a chair with a gag over her mouth.
My instincts kick in and I raise my head, only to find an enemy aiming down at me from the staircase above. I pull my trigger a lot faster than him, and his lifeless body falls off the staircase. I shoot down a couple more men before my gun clicks empty
This entire time, Olivia's shuddering in her seat, her hands strapped to the chair, gagged. I drop my empty gun and run to her, dropping to my knees at her feet. My fingers tug down her gag and a gasp comes forth.
Before I can ask if she's okay, her eyes widen in horror and she screams, “Behind you!”
I turn around, deflecting a powerful punch and retaliating with mine. The impact forces Hunter to stumble backwards, spitting blood.
His eyes blaze with fury. “You'll pay for that.”
