“One of my buildings. It’s empty. I have several men meeting us here.”
I’m stunned. John must see it in my expression when we come to a stop alongside several other cars. At least a half dozen men are standing around with rifles on their backs, cigarettes hanging out of their mouths. I put the car in park, cutting the engine. I grab the keys and go to open the door.
“Cain.”
John grabs my arm.
“You need to get your head on straight right the fuck now.”
We have a stare down. I know he’s right. I’ve never done anything like this before. I take a few calm breaths before speaking.
“Tell me what you want me to do. Just don’t tell me I have to wait out here. I need to see her just as badly as you do.”
“Fuck! You listen to me. I want Royal. Calla may be your wife, but she’s my little girl. And no matter how much blood has been lost between Salvatore and his son, he won’t kill him. But I will. I go in alone.”
I slump against the headrest. My heart explodes in my chest, bouncing around like a fucking ball.
“I know you want to see her. Hell, I know better than anyone the means you’ve gone to, to protect her. But Cain, this is not a job for you. I’m not saying you can’t pull the trigger on that sweet ass Glock of yours,” he adds wryly.
I chuckle. The motherfucker doesn’t miss a damn thing.
“What I’m saying is, I’m trained for this. I already have so much blood on my hands. I won’t allow you or Calla to have to live with the shit that runs through my head every day. I love the both of you too much. I have no clue where my daughter’s head will be at when I get her out of there. She’s going to need you to be strong for her. Be that man.”
Shit, he’s scaring the hell out of me. I know he means well, but fuck me if he’s not in a roundabout kind of way telling me he’s not sure if he will come out alive.
“What I need you to do is tell me exactly where in that warehouse they are.”
The faint smell of cigarette smoke fills my nostrils. John is the one man who I know will get her out alive, even if it costs him his own life. I recite two times exactly what I saw on that flash drive. His demeanor shifts from burning rage to the coldest of ice.
“I hope Salvatore and Lola will be able to forgive me for this. I’m not letting Royal off easily, not by a long shot. I’m going to make that piece of shit suffer. By the time I’m done with him, he’ll regret the day he caused this war against his father. No one touches my daughter.”
With that, John is gone. I sit in the car, my face looking up into the dark, clouded sky. I don’t know if John was trying to convince me or himself that he would come out of there alive. It’s the first time John has left me with any kind of doubt. Shit is about to be real, and son of a bitch if I’m not worried.
Salvatore turns from his position outside of the car, his eyes filled with regret and sadness. He knows what’s about to happen. How could he not? John works for him. He’s also very aware of the type of cold, hard killer his son is.
I run my hands through my hair. I need something, anything, to help me keep my mind from its negative thoughts. A cigarette. Smoke inhaling through my nose. Into my lungs. That’s what I need.