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The guilt is eating Edo alive. He keeps replaying that fateful day in his mind, berating himself for not doing more to protect Alexis. “I should have been faster, stronger, more vigilant,” he tells me, his face twisted in anguish. “I failed her.”
It’s hard to not blame Edo for Alexis’s disappearance. His only goal was to protect her and he failed. He allowed her to be captured.
But Nat doesn’t allow me to pin the blame solely on Edo. “If you had only been more careful, more proactive, maybe you could have prevented this,” she hisses at me after I snarl at Edo.
But I can’t help it. Alexis’s disappearance weighs on me. The not knowing where she is or whether she’s even alive torments me endlessly.
As I pore over maps of Chicago, trying to figure out more Brotherhood safehouses, Nat slams her hands down on the table, startling me.
“What the fuck, Nat?” I snarl, looking up at my sister. “I’m busy.”
“We need help to find Alexis,” she insists. “We have to swallow our pride and call in Invicta.”
“Fuck no,” I snap. “They tried to fucking kill us not too long ago, Nat. Or do you not remember that?”
She scowls at me, dark circles under her eyes indicating she also has not been sleeping. “Don’t fucking patronize me, Damian. I’m trying to get you to think as the Boss again, instead of a wet behind the ears idiot. But think of their resources—the weapons, the military-grade tech, the extensive network. If anyone can track Alexis down, it’ll be them.”
As much as it pains me to admit it, Nat is right. We’re out of options, our own efforts proving futile. I’ve reached the end of my patience. I need to find Alexis now.
The phone feels heavy in my hand as I dial Bobby’s number. I can practically feel the loathing rising in my chest, the memory of him ruthlessly murdering my parents and sister still haunting me. But I swallow my pride and bitterness because Alexis is all that matters now. When Bobby answers, I don’t beat around the bush, asking to meet with him.
“Why the fuck should I meet with you?” Bobby’s gruff voice cuts through the line, laced with disdain.
I take a steadying breath, steeling myself. “It’s about Alexis Hartley.”
The line goes silent, and for a moment, I wonder if he’s hung up on me. But then his voice returns, clipped and devoid of emotion. “The Ballroom. One hour.”
The call ends, and I let out a heavy sigh. Nat and Edo watch me with concern, knowing the weight of what I’m about to do.
“He agreed to meet us,” I say. “The Ballroom, one hour.”
They nod solemnly, understanding the risks we’re about to take. Aligning ourselves with the Invicta Boss, our sworn enemy—it goes against every fiber of our being.
But for Alexis, there is no choice.
We soon arrive at The Ballroom, a lounge deep in Invicta territory. The message is clear—play nice or die.
As Nat, Edo, and I enter the dimly lit establishment, the tension is palpable. Invicta’s men watch our every move, hands hovering near concealed weapons. I keep my own team close, ready to react at the slightest provocation.
This is Invicta’s domain, and we are mere guests here at their sufferance.
As Bobby Shields emerges from the back, flanked by his most trusted lieutenants, I can’t help but study him closely. He’s a towering, muscular figure, every inch the quintessential Mafia Don. His hazel eyes bore into me with a piercing, calculating gaze, and I have to stamp down the loathing I feel when I look at the man who ruthlessly murdered my parents and sister.
His expression hardens as he approaches, sizing us up with a calculating gaze. “Damian,” he greets, his voice even as he sits down, motioning for us to sit as well. “What do the Iacopellis want with Alexis Hartley?”
His tone makes me bristle, but I stamp it down. Alexis’s safety depends on it.
“We need your help, Bobby. Alexis has been taken by The Brotherhood, and we’ve exhausted every other avenue. You have resources, connections—things we desperately need right now.”
Bobby’s brow furrows, and for a moment he looks… almost concerned. “Alexis Hartley,” he repeats slowly. “Why are you keeping that girl safe?”
I meet his gaze unflinchingly, determined not to show any weakness. “Because I’ve fallen in love with her.”
Nat and Edo’s eyes widen at my admission, though I know they’ve suspected as much for some time.
“The Brotherhood is going to sell her to the highest bidder, and I’ll be damned if I let them take her from me forever.”
Bobby is silent for a moment, his penetrating stare seemingly boring into my very soul. Then, he speaks again. “Let me see a picture of her.”
