42. Renzo

42

Igrip the steering wheel tightly as I weave through the New York traffic, my mind racing about where Camila might have gone. Elio's voice breaks through my thoughts, asking where she could be heading. I glance over at him, my jaw clenched with determination.

"The only place she would think to go is Columbia University," I tell him, my tone leaving no room for argument. "She's going to try and find her brother, and then they'll probably try to flee back to Mexico."

The thought of losing Camila sends a surge of anger and desperation through me. I can't let that happen. I won't let her slip away from me, not after everything we've been through together. She's ours, and I'll be damned if I let anyone take her away from us.

Elio nods, his expression grim. "We need to get there before she flees," he says, his voice tense.

I press down on the accelerator, the car surging forward as we race toward Columbia University. My mind is a chaotic mess of emotions, but one thing is crystal clear - I love Camila. I love her with every fiber of my being and I'll do whatever it takes to keep her by my side.

As we speed through the streets, I can feel my heart pounding. The thought of losing Camila is almost too much to bear. She's become everything to me, the one bright spot in my otherwise dark and twisted world.

I glance over at Elio. "If she tries to flee, we're going to follow her," I tell him, my tone leaving no room for argument. "I don't care if we have to chase her back to Mexico. She belongs with us, and I won't let her go without a fight."

Elio nods, his expression mirroring my determination. We both know what's at stake here and we're willing to do whatever it takes to keep Camila in our lives.

I stride down the hallway of Hartley Hall, my heart pounding with a potent mix of anticipation and rage. Camila's little escape attempt has me on edge, and I can feel the familiar itch for violence thrumming beneath my skin.

We reach room 305, and I raise my fist, pounding on the door with a force that rattles the frame. There's a muffled sound of movement from inside, but no one comes to answer. I knock again, my patience wearing thin.

"Open up, Sergio," I call out, my voice a dangerous growl. "We know you're in there with Camila."

Still, there's no response. I can feel Elio and Dante's eyes on me, waiting to see what I'll do next. I grin and reach into my pocket, pulling out a set of lock picks.

"Looks like we're doing this the hard way," I mutter, kneeling to examine the lock.

It only takes a few seconds for me to crack the mechanism. The door swings open with a soft click, and I rise to my feet, the thrill of the hunt singing in my veins.

When I enter the room, my eyes immediately lock onto Camila's wide gaze. She's pressed against the far wall, and Sergio isn't there.

"Did you really think you could run from us, bookworm?" I ask, my voice a dangerous purr as I stalk toward her.

Elio places a hand on my chest. "I know you're pissed, brother, but let me handle this." The look in his eyes warns me he's not going to back down.

Clenching my jaw, I bow my head and step back.

"Where's your brother?" Elio asks.

Camila's lip wobbles as she keeps herself pressed against the far wall.

"I won't hurt you. Just talk to me, princess."

Dante clears his throat. "Maybe I'm the best one to speak to her, considering I'm the only one in this room who hasn't defiled her?"

Elio and I glare at him. "No, she needs to understand the danger she's in."

"Yeah, danger from you!" she says, glaring at us.

I shake my head. "No, bookworm. Our father has sent men to kidnap you and use you for ransom to make your father back down."

Her eyes narrow. "Back down from what?"

I sneer at Camila, my patience wearing thin. "You really think you can just run away from us? From me?" I step closer, my eyes locked on hers. "You belong to us, bookworm. There's no escape."

Suddenly, the door bursts open, and Sergio rushes in, his face twisted with rage. "Get away from my sister!" he shouts, lunging at me with his fists raised.

I laugh, easily sidestepping his clumsy attack. Elio and Dante are on him instantly, grabbing his arms and twisting them behind his back. Sergio struggles, but he's no match for their strength.

"Looks like we've got a family reunion," I chuckle, walking over to where Sergio is being held. "Now, why don't you listen to us?"

Elio and Dante force Sergio into a chair, their grips like iron. Camila watches, her eyes wide with fear.

"Your father is trying to move in on our turf," I tell them, my voice low and dangerous. "He thinks he can waltz into New York and take over? Not a chance."

Sergio scoffs, shaking his head. "That's bullshit," he spits out. "My father isn't trying to infiltrate New York. Your father has been moving in on Aguilar turf in Texas and Mexico."

I freeze, my mind racing. Could it be true? Has our father been keeping secrets from us? Lying to us.

Elio and Dante exchange a glance, their expressions grim. "If that's true, then we've got bigger problems than we thought," Elio announces.

I nod, my jaw clenched. "We need to get to the bottom of this," I growl, my eyes narrowing. "And you two are going to help us."

Camila and Sergio stare at us, their expressions a mix of fear and defiance. They know they don't have a choice. They're in this now, whether they like it or not.

"Start talking," I demand, leaning close to Sergio's face. "Tell us everything you know about the conflict between our fathers."

"A few months ago, your father started hitting our shipments from Mexico. Ever since we've been fighting a war with you guys down south."

Sergio's words hit me like a punch to the gut. I can feel my anger rising, my fists clenching at my sides. Father was trying to use us when he's the one fucking with the Aguilar Cartel. "You're telling me that my father, Amerigo Barone, has been stealing from the Aguilar cartel?" I growl, my eyes narrowing.

Sergio nods, his expression grim. "He's been intercepting our shipments, taking the supply for himself. He's trying to increase his profits by cutting us out."

I exchange glances with Elio and Dante, their faces mirroring my disbelief. "That fucking bastard," Elio mutters, shaking his head.

"He's always been greedy," Dante adds, "but this? This is a new low, even for him."

I turn back to Sergio, my mind racing with the implications of his revelation. "If you're telling the truth, we must stop this. Now."

Elio nods, his expression determined. "We can't let our father treat us like this. We've got to take him down."

Dante looks at Camila, who's been watching the exchange with wide, shocked eyes. "We're going to help you," he tells her, his voice softening slightly. "We're going to protect you and your family's business."

Camila stares at us, her mouth falling open in surprise. "You...you're going to help us? But why?"

I step closer to her, my eyes locking onto hers. "Because you're important to us, bookworm. More important than you realize."

She blinks, her cheeks flushing at my words. I can see the confusion and uncertainty in her eyes, but there's something else there, too—something that looks a lot like hope.

"We're not going to let anything happen to you or your family," Elio adds, his voice firm. "We'll do whatever it takes to stop our father and make this right."

Sergio looks at us, his expression still wary. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that?"

I grin, my eyes glinting with a dangerous light. "Oh, we have our ways. Trust me, when we're done with dear old dad, he won't know what hit him."