4. Ezra

Chapter four

Ezra

Russo is the mole. Not Raven.

The slow music of the club hits me as I stare at the small board laid on my office desk. Their names are boldly written on it. Out of the names, two remain unsolved. It has proven difficult to piece Russo and anything together, whether his appearance at my club was for a different cause or is related to the mole.

It didn't make any sense. If his agenda was to intercept my shipment, why not do it behind shadows? Why risk your freedom for nothing?

My men are still on his case. They’re searching for him, but it seems like he’s disappeared from the face of the earth. Like he never existed. The cops don't know his whereabouts either. No one does.

After scanning the shipment, Elio found out nothing was missing. Not a single gram of meth. Which brings me to one thing.

Russo has an agenda. A reasonable drug dealer doesn’t intercept a shipment and not steal anything. He doesn't just vanish after causing chaos.

The mole, too, hasn’t been found. Elio and I have been keeping a close eye on all the men who had tangible information on the shipment. There’s no suspicious activity. Everyone seems to be acting as usual.

But I know it won’t be for long. Once I get hold of the bastard, he’ll die by my wrath.

Trust is a sacred concept in this mafia. Trust and not taking the lives of innocents. Innocents like Raven.

After digging into her life, I realized she is exactly who she says she is. A twenty-six-year-old medical resident, just starting out in her career. One best friend, a late mother, and an absent father. She has no connections to my world, no ties to Russo or any cartel.

We’d found that she was mundane after Elio went through her phone. But spies are becoming increasingly creative. We needed to fact-check.

Michael, the head police officer, also swears that she’s a diligent lady. Michael is on my payroll and the reason the police won’t ever declare her missing. And thanks to my influence, she has a leave of absence at her hospital. An emergency she needed to attend to has come up. It was easy enough.

But that does not change the fact that now she knows too much. The logical move would be to get rid of her. It’s what anyone in my position would do.

But every time I think about it, something stops me. Killing her feels… wrong. Which puts me in an impossible situation. I can’t let her walk away, not now. But I can’t kill her either.

Fuck .

I should’ve known all along. A part of me had always been in doubt about her involvement in this. It just didn’t make sense, but it was a matter of principle. Any names mentioned should be thoroughly investigated… by any means.

She did not look like the type to plan something so calculated. Her mouth—though sexy, was careless, always speaking before she thought. Definitely no trait of an informant.

Plus, if she knew something, she’d have said something...meaningful. She’d thought I went through all this trouble because of oils. Oils . As if the weight of what I dealt in could ever be reduced to something so simple.

Granted, Raven was now vindicated. But why had her name come up as the informant? That question haunts me. Whoever is behind this had known about her—known about us. Someone close enough to be aware that I’d spent one night with her. They used that against me—distracted me from the actual mole.

They’d been watching me, tracking every step, waiting for the right moment to strike. So calculated.

Whoever set this up knows how to play me, knows how to make me question the wrong things. And for a second, I’d fallen for it.

Perhaps a rival family? The last real conflict I’d had with the American cartel was years ago. But that doesn’t mean they are out of the picture.

My hand clenches around the marker in my grip as memories rush back. Memories I’ve spent years burying deep.

Fifteen years ago. That’s when everything changed for me. That’s when I lost more than just a fight. I lost a piece of myself. After that, nothing has ever been the same.

I glance down at my hand and realize I’ve snapped the marker clean in half.

The Americans .

I haven’t had any dealings with them since the incident. They’re Marino’s archnemesis, but it doesn’t make sense for them to strike now. For what? Messing with me will lead to a bloodbath, one I don’t think they’re ready for.

I release a breath before tossing the broken marker onto the desk. I need an update. I need to lay all my cards on the table.

Quickly, I dial Elio, “My office. Ora (Now).”

A knock on the door soon pulls me from my thoughts. The heavy wooden doors block out most of the noise, but I can still hear the faint hum of jazz from the club.

“Enter,” I respond.

With long, curt strides, Elio steps in, his expression as steady as always. If anyone could help me get through this mess, it’s him. It’s always him.

“Boss,” he greets, nodding, before his gaze flits to the board on my desk. “You called?”

I motion for him to sit, though I stay on my feet.

“ Dammi un aggiornamento (Give me an update). Hai scoperto qualcosa di più sulla talpa (Did you found out more about the mole)?”

He shakes his head. “Not yet. But I’m still keeping a close eye on every man involved in the operation. It’s only a matter of time before someone acts out of the ordinary.”

Time. I can’t help but think if that’s a luxury we can afford. If Russo is truly involved in this like we suspect, then we do not have much time.

“We may not have much time, Elio. We need to get to the bottom of this.”

What are we not doing right? What am I missing?

He nods. “I understand, Boss.”

My office is silent for a while until Elio speaks again. “Raven.” Elio brings me back to the most pressing issue. “Now that we know she’s not involved, what’s your plan for her?”

Bringing my eyes from him, I place them on the board. Her name is scribbled on the side, along with everything my men uncovered about her. Nothing but an innocent woman who has no idea what she has walked into.

The smart move would be to kill her. I know that. Elio knows that. He’s waiting for me to give the order. She knows too much about my world now, about me. Letting her live is a risk, and I’m in no position to take more risks.

But I can’t bring myself to say the words. “I’m still deciding,” I mutter. “She knows too much, but she’s not a threat.”

He raises an eyebrow. “ Non puoi lasciarla andare, capo (You can’t let her go, Boss). Ha visto troppe cose. Estremità sciolte come la su — (She’s seen too many things. Loose ends like her—).”

“ Lo so (I know),” I grit, cutting him off.

His expression stiffens. My voice lowers. “I know.”

I don’t need Elio to remind me of the consequences. Raven is a complication I don’t need, not right now. But no innocent life should be at stake. It’s the family’s policy.

Elio watches me for a moment before he leans forward. “ A un rischio, capo (She’s a risk, Boss). We’re not in a position to leave loose ends hanging around. If you don’t want to do it, I will.”

Of course he will. It was his willingness to act swiftly and independently that had drawn my attention to him five years ago. He had been an ordinary guard involved in mundane operations until I promoted him to be my right-hand man.

“No innocent life should be at stake.” I return my attention to the board. “But right now, I want you focused on finding the mole. Questa a¨ la nostra priorita (This is our priority).” With that, Elio nods, and turns to leave.

I busy myself with other activities until nightfall, then drive to the mansion. A few guards greet me as I make my way through the entrance and past the stairs.

Usually, I’d go to the dining room, eat and retire for the day, especially if I was hungry. But tonight, instead of heading to the dining room, I find myself walking towards the tunnel— the part of the mansion where Raven is being held. This is not right, I think to myself; still, I continue my way to her place. Perhaps a certain part of me is hungry… for her.

My feet carry me in fast strides as I push open the door that leads there, my steps echoing until I reach the entrance. Tightening my jaw, I open the door and walk towards her.

My heart skips a beat as I take in her form. A few tendrils of hair stroke her face, and her plump lower lip is tucked between her teeth. Though exhausted, she still looks as beautiful as she’d looked that night. Not many women have had this lingering effect on me? none that I can remember, actually.

I intentionally clear my throat and she quickly scrambles up when she sees me.

“So have you finally realized I’m not the one you’re looking for?” she sneers, gripping the iron bars tightly. A ghost of a smile plays on my lips at her posture? tense and defiant. It’s not bad, but it’s a funny attempt at challenging someone like me.

“So have you finally decided to tell the truth?” I take a single step closer but still keep myself out of her arms reach.

She trails and attempts to yank my shirt. “You asshole… how dare y?”

“How dare I what? You need to be more specific for me, Princess,” I interrupt her.

She breaks into a bitter chuckle.

The way her breasts press against the bars of the jail makes it hard to focus. Like this, I can see her nipples standing at attention for me. Fuck .

“Don’t you ‘princess’ me now, alright. I’ve told you I’m innocent. What more do you want from me?” More strands of hair fall onto her face and I’m tempted to tuck them behind her ears.

“What more do I want?” I arch a brow and shove my hands in my pockets in an attempt to avoid doing something I’d regret later on… like pulling her face terribly close to mine through the iron bars and crashing my lips on hers.

Her warm brown orbs follow my movement and I can’t help but notice the flecks of gold or the slight tinge of red on her cheeks.

“Let’s see…” I tilt my head. “How about the truth?” I say, despite now knowing she’s not the mole. “But you know what else I want?” I want to fuck you till your legs go numb and you scream my name at the top of your lungs. “I want you to know your fucking place and watch your mouth for the rest of the time you’ll be here.”

She narrows her eyes at me, her expression a raging shade of fury. Her palms clench in half-wide fists and she points them at me as if wanting to strangle me.

I chuckle. It’s amusing how she thinks she can intimidate me. The only thing those petite hands can fit around is my dick, not my neck, and right now that’s the only thing I want from her.

She lets out another dry chuckle, “You’re one of those psychopaths. Aren’t you? You intentionally framed me just to have me here to do what? To torture me for fun? To kill me?”

“Trust me, if I wanted you dead, you’d already be dead,” I shrug, casually, angling my head at her.

“I know your game… you want to mess with my mind and make me one of your puppets. But news flash, I’m not scared of you and when they fin—”

“Oh, you should be,” I cut her off, stepping closer to her. “You can’t even begin to imagine how dangerous I can be, especially when some na?ve baby girl keeps defying me. I kidnapped you and there is not a single word about you as a missing person from the force. You’re at my mercy, Princess,” I respond, amused, emphasizing the word ‘princess’.

She gives me another glare and raises her voice, “Let me go, you moron.” She lifts her nostrils and grits her teeth at me. My eyes flit to her long, slender neck. Then down to her chest and her wide, sumptuous hips.

“Now where’s the fun in that?” I respond, sarcastically.

I hate that my attention can’t stay on her face for long. That my eyes snap to her chest as she takes in a deep breath. I hate that my dick is responding to her despite my head being angry at her.

“I swear if I?”

“If you what?” I cut her off again. “Escape? Or if I’m gracious enough to let you go?”

“Fuck you,” she spits, emphasizing each word and I smile. The glint of resentment I see in her eyes is enough to fuel my fire. I’m enjoying how I rile her up. How I have the upper hand yet she thinks she’s doing something.

But then a wave of anger brews in me, pulsing through my veins and culminating in my dick. Did she have no survival instinct? How could she be talking so recklessly to someone like me?

“Better watch your mouth now, Princess,” I warn.

“Or what? Do you really think your threats will make me drop to my knees and beg you for my freedom?” she sneers, through gritted teeth.

“Oh, I’ll have you on your knees in no time, if that’s what I please.”

I smirk at the heat that creeps up her neck and how she bites her lips furiously.

“Tell me, is this usually what you do? Find vulnerable women to exploit instead of picking on someone your own size?”

My heart slashes at the weight of her words. If it were someone else, they’d be dead. She’s lucky I want her ass in my hands and not her blood.

“Don’t test me, Raven,” I growl.

“Seems like I hurt your ego.” There’s a hint of pride on her face but her expression falls when I sneer.

“You’d better think very carefully about what comes out of that smart mouth of yours next. You might just make me bend you over and fuck your brains out,” I snap. “And no, it’ll take more than a few sentences from my little prisoner to hurt my ego.” Then, turning around, I leave the place, slamming the door shut behind me.

Fuck! The woman strikes a nerve.