The door barely clicked shut before Addi asked, “Daniel?”
5
Addi
Luca’s absence didn’t settle the tenseness in the room for a single moment. While I’d told them what had happened from what I could remember, I hadn’t missed the ring of fury circling Jaxon’s eyes or the anger in Luca’s. Next to me, Shawn’s body pulsed with it.
Retribution was coming for those who’d hurt me. I wasn’t entirely certain if it made me as evil as the men who’d taken me, but in a sick kind of way, I was looking forward to them receiving what was coming to them. I also wanted to know what was going on. Based on the looks and whispers I’d been privy to over the last couple of hours, they knew a whole lot more than they’d said. Staying in the dark wouldn’t help me.
“Where’s Daniel?” I asked, pushing off Shawn. I placed my hand on his thigh as I readjusted myself to give me leverage, and his closed over mine, clamping both of our hands to his thigh. I’d curled up to him on instinct, needing his warmth and calmness.
Now, I needed a level head.
I didn’t miss the looks the men flashed again. I’d lived with those looks, men silently debating how much truth a woman could handle, but I refused to let that happen this time. Not when it was my life at risk. Not when I’d already lived through enough.
“Tell me,” I stated. “I need to know the truth, and I need to know everything.”
Next to me, Shawn sighed, and it was one of giving in, allowing me to relax back into the couch. Despite my hands quivering with nerves, I brought my wine glass to my mouth and found strength in Shawn’s hand still gripping my other one.
“Daniel was able to escape the tail we had on him. We have no idea where he is, but last we knew, he’d taken off from Raleigh once you were taken and headed south.” Jaxon’s voice was a firm, consistent rumble. Somehow, the lack of emotion in him for the first time brought me comfort. I needed the facts. My own emotions would no doubt be enough for all of us. “We assumed he was headed back to Charleston, so Shawn and I headed there, certain you’d be taken to him. We were wrong,” Jaxon finished, his jaw tightening.
Shawn spoke up. “That’s why it took us so long to get back to you. The teams split, and by the time we realized it, we were too far south.”
His tone carried an apology and regret. Neither was necessary, but it also didn’t lessen the spike in my veins at reliving what had happened in the time I missed.
My wine sloshed in my stomach. “So, Daniel is missing. What happened to MaryAnne?”
He flinched, giving Jaxon a quick glance like he didn’t want to tell me what was next. “We believe she headed to New York to her family.”
Her family. She was related to the Mancussos, which meant she’d gone back to hide with some mob family? Until when?
I spun toward the kitchen, remembering what Luca had said, as if he was still at his perch against the wall. “Who’s Luca? And what does he have to do with all of this?” Besides scaring the crap out of me and saving me at the same time. “And is that why he left? Because of MaryAnne?”
My pulsed race. I needed to move. There were too many sensations prickling at my skin. I jumped off the couch and spun, shoving my hands through my hair.
“Is that why Luca took off?”
Shawn hesitated, and I almost growled in frustration. I was freaking out, and it was obvious, but I desperately needed to know the truth and not have him hide it from me.
Most likely sensing I was at my breaking point, Shawn finally nodded.
“Partly. The man Luca killed was Antonio Mancusso. From what I’ve learned, they’ve been quickly picking up territory in New York, and some of what they’re trying to take is businesses Luca Gibraldi’s family has protected for decades. Luca’s involvement essentially threw the families into an all-out mob war. He needs to get back to protect his own.”
“A mob war?” That same shivering sensation I’d felt around Luca returned full force. I grabbed my wine from the table and drained it as I started pacing in the small living area. I needed to calm down, but how in the hell was I supposed to do that? I’d not only recently learned my asshole ex-fiancé was related to a mob family, but now, my involvement had somehow started a war?
Good freaking gracious.
“Tell me more.” I held out my empty glass, not surprised at all Shawn was holding out the bottle for me. Maybe getting completely trashed would help me sleep later.
God knew I wasn’t going to have good, peaceful dreams for a while.
How could I when so much of my world still didn’t make sense?
“Luca is second in line to take over for his family. Right now, he still reports to his father, but yes, mafia, mob, crime families—whatever you want to call them, you won’t be too far off.”
Jaxon stepped toward me and took a seat on the chair close by. His movements were full of stealth, that of a man trained for battle. I imagined him in the military, sneaking up on enemies, slitting throats and vanishing before anyone knew he was ever there.
His presence usually unsettled me, but now I was damn glad he was on my side. And to have men like Luca owing him favors? What had he done for Luca to deserve that?
I shook my head and blew out a breath. I was probably better off not knowing, even if he would tell me.
Once seated, he clasped his hands, elbows at his knees. His relaxed posture did nothing to relieve the tightness around his eyes or help relax all my muscles that felt tight and dry.
“In a few minutes, we’ll give you a safe phone so you can call your mom.”
“Why?” I croaked. I reached out and steadied myself against the back of the chair. “Did something happen?”
He shook his head. “No, but your dad was taken while we were looking for you. We suspect Daniel might have him, but your dad has arrest warrants out for embezzlement charges and as an accomplice to the Johannsens’ sex trafficking connection. As for Matthew, he’s been arrested.”
“What?” I gasped, almost throwing my wine glass across the room in surprise. Shawn caught my flailing hand, gently pulled the glass out of it, and set it on the coffee table. “He’s been arrested? Holy shit.”
“He was found at a container at the shipping ports. Thanks to Brenna’s help and talking to Connor, my team informed the FBI earlier this week, and they were ready to move.” He leaned incrementally closer. It felt like he was right up in my face as his growly voice softened and quieted. “There were women in that container, Addi, and we believe eventually, that’s where you would have ended up. The warehouse where you were found in Virginia was only temporary.”
A shudder racked my body and made my head spin. “Women?”
“And girls, honey, at least a dozen, and we believe they were being held in there until you could join them. They were set to be loaded in the morning. Had Luca not gotten involved and had I not called the FBI, you might have been on that.”
Tears swelled in my throat, and I squeezed my eyes closed. It took several moments before I could shake off the fear, the overwhelming gratitude. “Thank you,” I said, opening my eyes. “Thank you for everything.”