Chapter 95

Luca’s POV

My blood boiled hotter as I got closer to where Cal secured the guard. He had to be directly connected with Franky. I need to know who else follows him. How many other of my guards are traitors? I need to know. “Are you okay, Luca?”, Mara’s sweet voice broke my concentration.

I looked over at her, and shook my head slightly. “Not really”, I answered in a whisper. “I have traitors among my people. It’s a sickening feeling”, I explained. “We will figure this out together. Maybe we will get lucky, and they will be the only two”, she said enthusiastically. I smiled softly, loving her ability to always be positive.

“Maybe”, I agreed. I held the door open for Marabella to walk through first. Cal, Rex and two other soldatos stood guard inside the small room with my head guard tied to a chair in the middle. “Colin Greene, if that is even your real name”, I said in a deep growl, as I sat Mara down and unbuttoned my shirt.

“So tell me, have you always worked for Franky? Or did he get to you after joining my family?”, I asked. Colin chuckled darkly. “What family?”, he spit. “You only keep a select few close to you. The rest of us is left for dead”, he snarled. “You know that is not true”, Cal cut in. “Complete bullshit”, Rex agreed.

“You are all brainwashed”, Colin yelled. I drew back and punched him in the jaw. “You are brainwashed”, I said calmly. “How many others are with you?”, I asked, through gritted teeth. Colin laughed maliciously, “Wouldn’t you like to know?” I growled, feeling my anger surface through my veins and into my hands, as I drew back and hit him again.

“I’m really not in the mood to fucking play games with you today”, I growled. I laid hit after hit into his jaw, even as he fell unconscious. I don’t know why I am so angry. Oh wait, yes I do. I’ve been fucking betrayed. “Luca”, Mara’s voice called. I growled, knowing she was the only one with the ability to pull me from this trance.

“Luca”, her voice was closer and softer, her hand reaching out to touch my arm to stop me. “He’s unconscious, if you continue you will only kill him, and then you definitely end your chances at getting answers”, Mara whispered. I could see in her eyes that she was not trying to defy me or belittle me in front of my men, but show them that we were a team. And why they should respect her as well.

“You’re right”, I nodded, stepping away from him. I turned to Cal, “Wake him up”, I said. Cal nodded and grabbed a pail of water. He splashed it in Colin’s face, doing the trick. Colin grasped for air, as he came back to consciousness. “Colin, this could be a lot easier on you if you would only answer my questions”, I said solemnly.

“How long have you been working for Franky?”, I growled. “Since you and her married”, he answered tiredly, looking over at Marabella. “Eyes right here, Colin”, I snapped. “Why?”, I asked. “She’s special to him”, he answered. I growled. “Why?”, Mara asked. My head snapped to look at her. I could hear the fear in her voice.

“I’m not sure. He seems to be more obsessed with you than with Mr. Barello”, Colin seemed to be in thought, as if he was just now realizing this theory. “What the fuck does that mean?”, I snapped, my temper finally tipping over the edge. The last thing I want is for Franky to be obsessed with my wife.

He could try many things if that is the case, even try and take her from me. My eyes found her beautiful hazel ones. The pain in her eyes almost broke me. She is wondering why she is more of a target for a rival of mine than me. I can’t blame her, he’s my enemy, he’s not supposed to be hers.

“Where can I find him?”, I asked, turning back toward Colin. “I’m not sure”, he answered. “Don’t lie to me. I will not hesitate to kill”, I growled, wrapping my hand around his throat. “I am telling the truth”, he stuttered. “He would only ever send us a text”, he pleaded. “Who else is working with you?”, I asked, through gritted teeth.

“No one, I swear”, he answered, with honest eyes. “I’ll make a deal with you Colin Greene”, I said, standing straight and turning to walk towards my wife. I took my shirt from her and pulled it over my shoulders. “I will give you the opportunity to earn a bit of my trust back. You can either work with me to finally catch Franky once and for all. Or, I can kill you”, I said, buttoning the buttons.

“I will help you”, he said eagerly. “I bet you will”, I muttered. “You will stay in a cell until I feel you have earned my trust”, I instructed. “Yes sir”, he nodded, happy to walk away alive. “Cal, prepare the solitary cell for him. I don’t want to take any chances”, I demanded. “Yes boss”, Cal answered, leaving the cell.

“Rex, you three keep an eye on him until Cal comes back to collect him. You will accompany him during transport as well”, I said, keeping eye contact with Rex. “Yes boss”, Rex replied. “I am going to get cleaned up”, I told him, turning and nodding at Mara to walk ahead. Mara turned meekly and started to exit the room.

“I don’t feel like he is lying”, Marabella said softly, turning to look at me out the corner of her eye. “I don’t either”, I agreed. “So what do we do now?”, she asked, taking a hold of my hand. “We plan a meet up between the two of them. Then we can trap him”, I summed it up.

“Why is he obsessed with me?”, Mara muttered. “I’m not sure, bambina. But I would also like to know the answer to that question”, I replied, leading her up to my office. “Honestly though, I’m no one, other than your wife”, she said. “That’s enough for me”, I said. It seems like it’s enough for Franky as well.

“Where are we going?”, Mara whispered. I looked down at her beautiful face, instantly feeling some of my anger, and now anxiety, fading away. “I need to go to my office and get a few papers together for the business. I also need to get some files on Franky together for Trey, my tech guy, to go through and make sure they are up-to-date”, I answered her.

Mara nodded and walked quietly next to me. Marabella’s face told me that she was deep in thought. So deep that she needed to be pulled out of it. “Marabella”, I uttered. Mara looked up at me, “Yes?”, she muttered. “What’s on that beautiful mind of yours?”, I asked, as I opened my office door for her to enter it.

“Franky’s obsession with me. It has to be more than me just being your wife. It just has to be”, she vented, as she immediately walked to my bookshelves. “And why is that, amore?”, I asked. “It just doesn’t make sense otherwise. Maybe my mother had dealings with him as well. Owed him money or some shit. And she just so happened to marry me off to his number one enemy”, she theorized.

I nodded, taking her theory into consideration. She could very well be right. That would get right up his craw. “I’m not going to say that’s not a possibility, bambina. And I also agree that the sooner we figure it out, the better off we will be. It’ll help us keep from being sideswiped by unknown information”, I said, walking up to her, and stroking her cheek.

Marabella’s face blanked, as if my touch completely wiped her mind of her troubles. “How do you do that?”, she whispered, tearfully. “Do what, piccola?”, I murmured, confused. “Take all of my fears away”, she explained. I smiled as I leaned in and captured her lips with mine. I tangled my fingers in her hair, and pulled her close, so that her body was flush against mine.