Sold to Moretti Mafia

Markus

Two fucking weeks and still not a damn word from Timothy. Every day I grow angrier, and Fallon more worried. I don’t tell her what I’m thinking, but the truth is her sister is most likely dead… or she wishes she was.

Leaning back in my chair, I click through Amelie Brice’s social media again, looking for some clues I might have missed the first twenty times I checked. Fuck, I’m not good at this shit. I don’t do research and find people like Felix. I just kill them. We would be the perfect team… if it wasn’t for that one thing keeping us separated… there are things Felix won’t do, lines he won’t cross. I think back to the last time he worked with Julian.

“Felix, find out where she is hiding, hack into whatever database you need to find her. As soon as we get an address, bring Sophia in for questioning, Markus. Her husband hasn’t spilled the beans yet on where he hid our last shipment of guns. Perhaps a little encouragement will help…” Julian grinned like the devil. All that was missing was his pitchfork and devil horns, and he would have the image down pat.

“I’m not doing it. I’m not helping you bring in an innocent woman,” Felix piped up.

All I could do was shake my head. It seemed like he was fighting with Julian on everything, every step of the way. He was going to get us both killed. It was only a matter of time.

Julian snarled, “You’ll do whatever the fuck I tell you to do. I’m the boss. Not you.”

Anger was seeping from his pores. Julian was unhinged often, one second away from losing control. If I didn’t get Felix out of here soon, he’d end up buried in the ground.

“I’m not doing it, boss… you can kill me if you want, but I’m not hurting an innocent woman.” Felix shook his head with a determined scowl on his face.

Julian turned toward me. His dark eyes were vicious and promised pain. “Get your brother out of here and talk some sense into him before I kill him.”

“Of course, boss.” I did as I was told, knowing that Julian really would kill him. Grabbing Felix by the back of the neck, I dragged him out of the office. Felix was just as big and strong as me, but he didn’t even struggle. It was like he didn’t care what happened.

“Do you have a death wish? He could’ve killed both of us,” I scolded as soon as we were outside. Felix stared at me for a long moment; his dark eyes seemed to look right through me.

“I’m not doing it, Markus. I’m not killing a woman. I’m not hurting one either. I have boundaries and shit I won’t do. Unlike the rest of you, I have a moral compass. I’m not doing it.”

I gritted my teeth. “You are, or we will both die.”

Felix never even tried to find her. That was the night we were forced to go our separate ways. He knew making that choice meant he could no longer stay in the city.

I was sure Julian would kill me that night when I returned to the mansion without the woman, but he directed all his anger to Felix instead.

I pull from the memory of that night. The day my brother chose to be a better man than me. My finger stops, hovering over the mouse as I direct my attention to the image on the screen. Amelie is only a few years older than Fallon, but they couldn’t be any more different. They don’t look alike. Amelie is tan with dark hair and hazel eyes, and from what I’m seeing on her profile, they don’t act alike either.

But in this picture, the one posted most recently, Fallon and Amelie have one thing in common. A sense of deep, radiating sadness in their eyes.

I flip through the pictures again, paying more attention to her facial expression instead of the people and places surrounding her. I notice that even ones she smiles in, it never reaches her eyes. In some of them, I can see more than sadness… fear. She was scared of something, even before she was kidnapped. Is it possible someone was watching her before? How long has Timothy been planning this?

So many fucking questions. I still don’t understand how Timothy got caught up with these men. He wasn’t involved in anything criminal when I was with Victoria.

In fact, it was the opposite. He hated that I was in the mob. He pushed her to break up with me and find someone else.

A good guy like himself.

Apparently, her death changed not only my soul but his as well.

My phone buzzing in my pocket pulls me out of my dreadful thoughts. I grab it, expecting to find another update from Felix. Julie has been doing well, considering everything. She’s been eating and started talking a few days ago. I knew Felix would take good care of her; he’s always been more caring than me.

Checking the phone, I’m surprised to see a text from Lucca.

Even more surprising is what it says: I’m sorry. I had to.

What the hell is he talking about?

I’m about to text him back when my phone rings in my hand. This time, it is Felix calling. I push the green answer button and lift the device to my ear.

“Hey, any news?”

“Yes, I got a solid lead on Timothy.” Felix gets straight to the point.

I sit up straighter. “Spit it out.”

“Looks like he is in France, close to where the sister used to live. They never left the area. He is holding her there.”

“Fuck, I figured they would have moved her by now. They could have been anywhere in Europe. Why stay?”

“I was wondering the same. Are you going to send someone to get her?”

I almost laugh. “No, I’m going by myself.”

“You sure about this? Those men he is working with are hired guns but well trained. I’ve got a bunch of intel on them, and it’s not good. You definitely shouldn’t go in alone.”

“I’ll figure something out. You have a location?”

“Yes, I’ll email you everything I have. I would offer to come with you, but…” I already know what he’s going to say.

“You can’t leave Julie alone. I get it. Don’t worry, you’ve done enough. Thank you again.”

“No problem, I’m glad you called me for help.”

“Yeah, me too. Talk soon,” I end the call just as I feel Fallon’s presence enter the room. When I turn around, I find her standing at the entrance of the room.

“Was that Felix? How is Julie?”

“Yes, that was him, and she is doing better. Also, Felix found your sister.”

“What!” Fallon squeals while running toward me. “How? Where? When can we get her?” Questions shoot from her mouth like bullets from a machine gun.

“She is still in France, close to where she used to live with her boyfriend,” I explain. Fallon moves next to my chair, her hand landing on my shoulder like she is trying to hold me here, so I can’t get up and run off.

“She was there the whole time? So, wait, that means those guys lied. They said that they… they hurt her. If she was in France this whole time, then there is no way that’s true. I mean, unless they were there in Europe, but that’s unlikely, right?”

“Fallon, I don’t know. I want you to be prepared for the worst. Even if those guys didn’t hurt her, she has still been their prisoner for two months.”Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

Fallon takes in a sharp breath. “I know.” She nods, turning her head away to hide the pain etched into her features. Grabbing her wrist, I pull her down onto my lap and wrap my arms around her. The motion feels both foreign and natural. Two opposite emotions that shouldn’t go together, but somehow, they do.

I know she isn’t going to like what I say next, but I can’t risk her getting hurt. Her safety is my biggest priority, and I can’t focus on both her and her sister.

“I’m going to make some calls and get a plane to France. I’ll find her and deal with the rest.”

She pulls back from me, her eyes wide with shock. “What do you mean you? Wasn’t the plan all along for us to go together?”

“Fallon.” I sigh. How can I say this to her without her getting the wrong idea? Without her thinking deeper into things?

“Don’t Fallon me,” she growls, and it kind of reminds me of an angry kitten. “I’m going. She is my sister, and I want to be there when she is rescued. I didn’t come this far just to sit on the couch while you finish the job.”

I can tell she isn’t going to let this go, and I guess I never expected her to. If I’ve learned one thing about Fallon during our time together, it’s that she cares and loves with her whole heart, and she is going to see this through whether I want her to or not.

“I’m only taking you if you’ll listen to every single thing I say. I can’t be worried about you following my commands while we’re doing shit like this.”

“I swear, I’ll do whatever you say.”

Giving up, I pull her back into my chest. “Fine. Pack some clothes, the essentials only. We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.”

The smile that graces her lips makes me want to kiss her until the world around us fades away. “Okay…” Straight white teeth sink into her bottom lip. “Thank you for doing all of this.”

“Don’t thank me yet. Wait until we bring Amelie home.”

If we bring her home. I add in my head. Fuck, I really hope we bring her home. I hope that I can be Fallon’s hero for once, even if it will only ever be this one time.