Page 54 of The Enforcer's Possession
I set down my scotch glass and opened my laptop, pulling up maps of the university campus.Luca’s preferred parking area was in a corner lot that emptied out after eight p.m.The walk from the library to his car took approximately three minutes through an area with limited visibility from the main campus buildings.
Three minutes was more than enough time for things to go very wrong for a careless student.
My phone buzzed again.Another message from Ricci:Orders?
I stared at the question for a long moment.This would escalate things beyond repair.Taking Giuseppe’s son wasn’t a business negotiation or a political maneuver.It was the kind of thing that ended with bodies or exile or both.
But Dante had made me look weak at that dinner.Had humiliated me in front of Giuseppe, in front of his own sister, in front of Caterina.Had taken what should have been mine and flaunted it like a trophy.
And Caterina.Beautiful, defiant Caterina who’d looked at me with contempt.Who’d chosen a man ill-suited for someone like her over a man who would have worshipped her properly.Who’d probably let Dante fuck her that very night, let him claim her in ways I’d fantasized about for months.
They both needed to learn that I wasn’t someone to dismiss.That actions had consequences.That taking what was mine came with a price.
I looked at the photographs again.So many opportunities.So many vulnerabilities Giuseppe should have protected but hadn’t because he’d been too focused on his new alliance with the De Lucas.
My fingers moved across the phone keyboard.Proceed with acquisition.Target is the university library, next opportunity after 9pm.Clean operation, no witnesses.Transport to the warehouse on Via Dante-- I paused, appreciated the irony of the street name.I’d thought to leave this in someone else’s hands, but I wanted to see the look on Luca’s face when he realized he’d been kidnapped.I’ll meet you at the campus.
I sent the message and felt something like peace settle over my chest.The rage was still there but channeled now.Useful.Dante thought he’d won by marrying Caterina, by establishing his claim, by humiliating me at dinner.
He’d learn differently.
I picked up my scotch glass again and raised it toward the city below.Toward wherever Caterina was at this moment -- probably in Dante’s penthouse, probably in his bed, probably believing she was safe behind his protection.
“Let’s see how much your brother means to you, Caterina,” I said to the empty room, my voice steady and cold.“Let’s see if you’re willing to trade one cage for another to keep him alive.”
The glass caught the light from the city as I drank, amber liquid burning down my throat like a promise.By this time tomorrow, the game would change entirely.And this time, I’d be the one holding all the pieces that mattered.
* * *
The university library’s third floor cleared out predictably after nine-thirty.I sat in my Maserati two rows back from Luca’s Range Rover, and watched students trickle out in ones and twos.Most headed toward the main lot where security cameras actually functioned.Luca would come out the side entrance like he always did, taking the path that saved him ninety seconds and left him exposed for three minutes.Young people and their efficiency.
My phone showed 10:47 p.m.Ricci had texted fifteen minutes ago confirming the team was in position.Three men in the panel van at the lot’s far corner, positioned for quick extraction.Another man posed as a smoker near the library’s side entrance, there to signal if anyone followed Luca out.Clean, professional, the kind of operation I’d orchestrated dozens of times for business purposes.
That Luca was Giuseppe’s son rather than a business rival didn’t change the mechanics.It just raised the stakes.
The library’s side door opened and I straightened in my seat.But it was a girl.She headed toward the main lot.I settled back and waited, checking my watch.Luca typically left between ten-forty-five and eleven.Consistent.Predictable.The kind of pattern that got people killed or kidnapped depending on who was paying attention.
At 10:52, the door opened again and there he was.Dark curly hair in need of a cut.Backpack slung over one shoulder.He wore jeans and a university hoodie.He had Caterina’s bone structure -- the sharp jaw, the high cheekbones -- but his face still held that softness of youth that would harden in a few years.If he lived that long.
I watched from my car as my men approached him.They moved naturally, as if they were just passing by, making the encounter look completely normal to anyone else.The key to manipulation was making the target feel like they’d made their own choice.Force worked, but voluntary cooperation was always smoother.The earpiece in my ear crackled a little, but it would let me hear everything said.
“Luca Lombardi?”one of my men called out when he was close enough to be heard but not so close as to seem threatening.
He turned, wariness immediately evident in the way his body tensed.Smart boy.Giuseppe had taught him something about situational awareness at least.His eyes tracked my man, assessing -- expensive suit, confident posture, the kind of man who belonged in his world but wasn’t immediately recognizable.
He paused, his hand had moving subtly closer to his phone in his jacket pocket.
“Carlo Riva.”He’d used his real name when offering his hand.“We’ve met a few times before.I’m an associate of your father’s.“
He didn’t take Carlo’s hand.The wariness intensified into something closer to suspicion.“I know who you are.What do you want?”
Direct.I could respect that.I saw Carlo did as well by his overall posture and expression.“Your sister sent me.She needs to speak with you urgently.Asked me to bring you to her since she couldn’t come herself.”
“Caterina sent you.”His tone made it clear he didn’t believe that for a second.“You of all people?Why wouldn’t she call me herself?”
“Because she can’t risk Dante knowing she’s contacting family without his permission.”Carlo maintained the tone of someone sharing sensitive information.“I’m sure you’ve noticed the changes since the marriage.The control he exerts.She’s worried about being monitored.”
Something about Luca’s overall posture shifted, as if he were still suspicious, but now Carlo had hit on something that resonated.He’d probably seen evidence of Dante’s control over Caterina.Probably had concerns he couldn’t voice to Giuseppe without causing problems for the alliance.
