28. Carlito

Chapter 28

Carlito

The penthouse is eerily quiet as I step into the living room, my footsteps muted against the marble floor. A quick glance at the clock on the wall tells me it’s barely dawn, but something feels off. The air feels charged, a storm brewing just beneath the surface.

Leo’s voice crackles through the living room, cutting into my thoughts. “Carlito, we’ve got a problem.”

The knot in my chest tightens. “What now?” I snap.

“It’s Mia,” Leo says, his tone low but urgent. “She’s gone.”

The words stop me cold. “Gone?” I repeat, disbelief and anger mixing into a volatile cocktail.

“She left sometime during the night. We’ve traced her heading toward the inheritance property.”

Every muscle in my body coils tight, my mind racing. “How the hell did this happen? We have security everywhere!”

“She was careful,” Leo replies grimly. “There’s no sign of forced entry or alarms triggered. Looks like she slipped past us.”

Mia. Her determination is both maddening and admirable, but this time, it’s outright reckless.

I slam my fist onto the desk, the impact rattling the items on it. “Send men after her. Now.”

Leo hesitates. “She’s already got a head start, and Matteo’s forces are mobilizing near the property. We’ll need to act fast.”

“I’ll handle it,” I bark. “Assemble the team and prepare the vehicles. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

The call ends, leaving me in the suffocating silence of my own thoughts.

She left without telling me. Without trusting me.

The anger simmering beneath my skin flares into something sharper, but beneath it lies fear—a fear I can’t shake. If Matteo gets to her before I do...

I shake the thought away and head toward the bedroom. The bed is neatly made, the faintest trace of her perfume lingering in the air. On the nightstand, I spot a folded note. My stomach sinks as I pick it up, unfolding the paper to reveal Mia’s delicate handwriting:

“I’m sorry, Carlito. I have to do this. Trust me.”

The words blur as a thousand emotions collide within me. She’s brave, I’ll give her that. But bravery without caution is a death sentence.

I crumple the note in my hand, the paper biting into my palm as I leave the room.

---

In the vehicle, Leo sits across from me, his expression tight. “Matteo’s forces are scattered but closing in near the property. We estimate they’ll make their move within the next few hours.”

I nod, staring out the window as the cityscape blurs into the horizon beyond. The roads ahead are empty, but the weight in my chest feels anything but.

Mia’s resolve reminds me of her father’s. Bold, unyielding, and dangerously reckless. It’s what made him both a formidable ally and a challenging adversary.

But she’s not her father. She’s mine to protect. Mine to keep safe.

“Contact our men at the property,” I say, my voice cold and sharp. “Tell them to hold their ground until I get there.”

Leo nods, but there’s a flicker of unease in his eyes. “And Mia?”

I meet his gaze, my own unflinching. “She’s not going anywhere. Not while I’m alive.”

The car speeds down the empty road, the rising sun casting long shadows over the horizon. Each mile brings me closer to the property—and closer to whatever fate awaits us there.

The desert stretches endlessly, the barren landscape offering no solace. My thoughts churn as the car hums beneath me, each second ticking away like a bomb ready to explode.

“She’s smart,” Leo says, breaking the silence. “If Mia’s gone there, it’s because she thinks she can help.”

“Help?” I bite out the word like it’s poison. “Walking into Matteo’s crosshairs isn’t helping—it’s suicide.”

Leo leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “She knows about the ledger now. If she thinks she can get to it before Matteo, maybe she’s trying to end this her way.”

“That’s exactly the problem,” I snap. “She’s trying to do it alone. If Matteo finds her—”

I don’t finish the thought. The very idea twists in my chest, leaving a sharp ache behind.

“She doesn’t understand what he’s capable of,” I continue, more to myself than to Leo. “Matteo doesn’t negotiate. He takes what he wants, and he leaves destruction behind.”

“And you think she doesn’t see that?” Leo challenges gently. “She’s not blind, Carlito. She’s fighting for what she believes in, just like you.”

---

The convoy of black SUVs comes into view as we approach the property’s perimeter. Armed guards stand at attention, their faces grim under the early morning light.

I step out of the car, the desert air cool against my skin. Leo follows, a clipboard in hand as he begins coordinating with the men.

“Any signs of Matteo’s forces?” I ask one of the guards, my voice cutting through the hum of activity.

“Scouts spotted movement about three miles west,” the guard replies. “We’re tracking them, but they’re holding position for now.”

“They’re waiting for something,” I mutter.

Leo steps up beside me. “Or someone.”

My jaw tightens as I scan the horizon, the faint outlines of hills and scrubland offering little comfort. Somewhere out there, Mia is walking straight into danger, and every second she’s ahead feels like an eternity.

“Double the patrols,” I order. “I want eyes on every possible approach. If they make a move, we hit them hard and fast.”

The men nod and scatter to carry out my orders.

---

As the guards fan out, my thoughts return to Mia. I can almost see her, stubborn and determined, her hazel eyes alight with the fire that drew me to her in the first place. She’s not just brave—she’s relentless. And that’s what terrifies me the most.

“She’s more like her father than she realizes,” I repeat under my breath.

Leo glances at me, his expression unreadable. “You loved him once,” he says. “As an ally. Maybe even as a friend.”

I nod slowly, my gaze fixed on the distant horizon. “I did. But love isn’t enough to save someone from themselves.”

A sharp whistle cuts through the air, drawing my attention back to the guards. One of them jogs toward us, his face pale.

“We’ve got movement,” he says, his voice tight. “Multiple vehicles approaching from the west.”

My heart pounds as I pull my phone from my pocket, dialing Mia’s number for what seems like the hundredth time.

“Mia,” I murmur, my voice low and urgent as the call connects. “Where the hell are you?”

There’s a long pause before Mia’s voice comes through, quieter than I expected. “I’m almost there.”

The breath I didn’t realize I was holding escapes in a sharp exhale. “Turn around. Right now.”

“I can’t, Carlito,” she says, her tone firm despite the tremor I detect beneath it. “This is bigger than us. I need to do this.”

“No,” I growl, the edge in my voice cutting even to my own ears. “You think you’re protecting everyone, but all you’re doing is walking straight into Matteo’s hands.”

Her silence is answer enough.

I glance at Leo, who’s already gesturing for the convoy to prepare for immediate movement. “You’re not alone in this, Mia,” I say, lowering my voice. “Whatever you think you’ll find, it’s not worth your life. Let me help you.”

“You’ll try to stop me,” she says softly.

“Damn right I will,” I bite out.

She doesn’t respond, and the line goes dead.

---

“Track her phone,” I bark at Leo, my pulse pounding in my ears.

“She’s close,” Leo says, glancing at the digital map on his tablet. “If we move now, we can intercept her before Matteo does.”

“Then we move,” I say, climbing back into the SUV. The engine roars to life, and the convoy surges forward, dust rising in our wake.

---

As we near the property, the tension thickens. The landscape is eerily quiet, the distant hum of engines the only sound. My grip tightens on the steering wheel, every muscle in my body coiled and ready.

“She’s heading straight for the main entrance,” Leo says, his tone clipped. “Matteo’s men are approaching from the west. If we don’t cut them off—”

“We will,” I interrupt, my voice steel.

The road curves, and the property comes into view—a sprawling estate surrounded by high walls and a wrought-iron gate. My heart sinks when I spot Mia’s car parked near the entrance.

I slam the brakes, the SUV skidding to a stop. “Stay back,” I tell Leo, my tone sharper than intended, as I leap out. My eyes sweep the grounds, scanning for any sign of her. The silence presses against me.

“Mia!” I shout, the force of my voice ricocheting off the high walls. My pulse pounds in my ears, the uncertainty gnawing at my focus.

The creak of the front door snaps my attention forward, and there she is—standing in the doorway with an envelope clutched tightly in her hands. Relief wars with frustration as I close the distance between us.

“Carlito,” she says, her voice steady but her wide eyes betray her urgency. “I found it.”

“What did you find?” I demand, my tone harsher than I mean it to be.

Her grip on the envelope tightens. “Matteo’s ledger,” she breathes. “It’s real. It’s everything Dominic said it would be.”

Her words are a spark on dry timber. My thoughts whirl with the implications, but before I can process, the sharp crack of a gunshot cuts through the air.

“Down!” I roar, grabbing Mia and pulling her behind the cover of the SUV as dust explodes around us. More shots follow in rapid succession, the unmistakable sound of a coordinated assault.

“Mia, stay behind me!” I command, my tone leaving no room for argument.

Matteo’s men emerge from the horizon, their movements methodical and precise. My instincts take over as I draw my weapon, returning fire with deadly accuracy.