Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

V incenzo

I snatched my phone out of my pocket, my eyes narrowing when I saw the caller ID.

It was Ricci's old number.

"What the hell do you want, Ricci?" I growled, answering the call.

"Vincenzo, I have something you might be interested in. Or rather, someone," he said. His voice was smooth and mocking, grating on my already frayed nerves.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I asked.

There was a pause, and then Ricci's voice oozed with a dangerous sense of satisfaction. My hackles rose immediately.

"Jenna Michaels."

My blood ran cold, and my heart stopped. Every muscle in my body tensed and rage coiled from the very pit of my bones. I nearly growled into the phone.

"What have you done with her?" I demanded, my voice trembling with barely contained fury.

If he was here in front of me, I'd rip his head from his neck with my bare hands.

Ricci chuckled, clearly enjoying this. "Ah, I see. So, she does mean something to you." He paused, his next words dripping with menace. "You really should have been more honest with me, Jenna."

I could hear Jenna's muffled cries in the background, and it took everything in me not to lose control. I needed to keep a level head for her right now. Her life depended on it. If I made the wrong move, Ricci could kill her and then I'd never get her back.

"If you touch her, I swear I will kill you," I snarled. "This is between you and me, Ricci. Let her go. I'm warning you. If you harm her, there will be nowhere on this earth you can hide from me. I will hunt you down and make you pay."

Ricci's laugh was cold and unfeeling. "I'd like to see you try."

With that, the line went dead.

I stared at the phone, a mixture of fear and rage boiling inside me. I had to find her, and I had to do it fast.

I rushed back down into the basement, my mind already forming a plan. Tony was waiting for me, his expression grim.

"It's Ricci," I said, my voice tight with anger. "He has Jenna. We need to move now."

"Fuck. What's the plan?" Tony exclaimed, his concern written all over his face.

"Logan's working on getting Ricci's whereabouts," I said, pulling out my phone and dialing Logan's number. "But we don't have time to wait. We need to hit Ricci where it hurts and make him show his hand."

As the phone rang, I looked at Tony, determination hardening my resolve. "We're going to end this once and for all."

Tony nodded, his eyes cold and focused. "Let's do it."

When Logan picked up, I quickly filled him in on the situation. "Logan, we need everything you've got on Ricci's current location. Right now."

"Give me a few more minutes," Logan replied, urgency in his voice. "I'll get you the intel you need."

I ended the call and I looked at Tony. "Get the men ready. We're going in as soon as we have a location."

After a few tense minutes, my phone buzzed again, and I quickly answered, seeing Logan's name flash on the screen.

"Logan, tell me you have something," I said quickly.

"I traced the number Ricci called from," Logan said, his voice tense but steady. "It's coming from a warehouse in the industrial district. 523 Carson Street. I'm sending you the coordinates now."

My heart pounded as I memorized the address. "Got it. Thanks, Logan."

"Be careful, Vincenzo," Logan added. "Ricci's not going to make this easy. He's going to be expecting you."

"I know," I replied, my voice grim. "But he has no idea what's coming for him. Stay by your phone. We might need backup."

"Will do," Logan said before hanging up.

I turned back to Tony. The look of fury on his face matched my own.

"523 Carson Street. Ricci's holed up in a warehouse there. Call the men. Let's move. Now."

Tony and I stood at the edge of the industrial district, staring at the imposing warehouse. My mind raced with thoughts of my Jenna. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come. Her life depended on me making all the right moves. I couldn't be careless right now. I had to be smart.

"Remember, silent and fast," I whispered to Tony. "We can't afford any mistakes."

Tony nodded, his expression grim. "Let's do this."

We moved in, sticking to the shadows as we approached the warehouse. The building loomed ahead, dark and foreboding, with only a few grimy lights illuminating the exterior. I could see two guards patrolling near the entrance, their movements lazy and un-alert.

Perfect.

Tony and I split up, each taking a different side of the warehouse. I crept toward the first guard, my heart pounding in my chest. As I got closer, I could see the outline of his gun holstered at his side. I waited for the right moment, then lunged forward, wrapping my arm around his neck and pulling him into the shadows. He struggled briefly before going limp in my grasp.

I dragged him out of sight, took his gun, and signaled to Tony, who was doing the same with the second guard. We regrouped at the entrance, exchanging a quick nod before slipping inside.

The warehouse was a maze of crates and machinery. We moved silently, every sense on high alert. I could hear the faint murmur of voices coming from deeper within the building as we continued on.

As we navigated through the maze, we encountered more guards. Each one fell silently to our swift, precise attacks. My mind was laser-focused on one thing: getting to Jenna as quickly as I could.

We reached a narrow corridor, and I signaled for Tony to stop. I peered around the corner and saw a group of guards huddled together, their backs to us. I motioned for Tony to follow me as we crept closer. Just as we were about to strike, one of the guards turned around, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Shit!" he shouted, reaching for his gun.

Tony and I sprang into action, taking out the guards in a burst of punches and kicks. The sounds of the struggle echoed through the corridor, and I knew we had to move quickly before reinforcements arrived. There would be no time to hide the bodies, so we were just going to have to leave them.

"Go!" I shouted to Tony, who nodded once quickly and then bolted down the corridor. I followed him as swiftly as I dared.

The warehouse seemed to stretch on forever. The voices grew louder, and I knew we were getting closer.

Finally, we reached a large open area in the center of the warehouse and Tony held out his hand, giving me pause. There, surrounded by a few more guards, was Ricci. He stood with his back to us, talking to one of his men. And there, tied to a chair, was Jenna. Her head was down, her hair obscuring her face. She looked alright, but I couldn't be certain.

Rage surged through me, but I forced it back down. I couldn't let my emotions get the best of me. I needed to be smart for Jenna.

I signaled to Tony, and we moved into position, taking out the guards one by one. Soon enough, the other guards noticed, and the room erupted into chaos, the sounds of fighting filling the air. I fought my way through, my eyes never leaving Jenna.

Just as I reached her, a guard tackled me from behind, sending us both crashing to the floor. We rolled, grappling for control. He landed a punch to my ribs, knocking the wind out of me, but I retaliated with a sharp elbow to his face. Blood spattered from his nose as he fell backwards, and I scrambled to my feet.

Tony was engaged in his own fight, taking down two guards at once with swift, brutal efficiency. I turned my attention back to Jenna, but Ricci had already noticed the commotion.

Roughly, he knelt behind her and grabbed her, using her as a shield and I gritted my teeth as my rage burned inside of me.

I was going to kill him.

"Vincenzo!" he shouted, his voice filled with amusement. "Just the man I wanted to see."

"Let her go, Ricci!" I growled, my gun trained on him.

Ricci laughed, the sound cool and calculated.

"Not today, old friend," he said with a smirk.

Jenna's eyes met mine. Her gaze was filled with fear. I had to save her, no matter the cost.

Suddenly, more guards burst into the room, and the fight resumed with renewed intensity. I exchanged blows with one of Ricci's men, the sound of fists hitting flesh echoing around us. I managed to disarm him, but another guard tackled me from behind, slamming me into a stack of crates.

Tony fought his way through the guards, but there were too many. He took a hit to the head, staggering back, blood trickling down his face. We were outnumbered, and I could feel the situation quickly slipping out of control.

Panic surged through me as I struggled to get back on my feet. The sounds of the fight were deafening, and I could barely hear Tony shouting over the chaos.

Just as I managed to stand, a heavy blow to the back of my head sent me crashing to the floor. My vision blurred, the world spinning around me. I fought to stay conscious, my thoughts solely focused on my baby girl.

Just as the darkness closed in, I caught a glimpse of Ricci standing over her with a gun in his hand, his sinister smile the last thing I saw before everything went black.