Dead By Sundown

Chapter Fifty-Four: Our Girl

Chapter fifty-four

  No one moved, all of them waiting for the blond to say something, to either damn himself or save himself. It didn't seem fair, or even true that Nico would betray Lorenzo. But Nadia knew it was always the one you trusted the most that ended up betraying you in the end. Still, all that this man had been through and they call him a traitor? She wondered what in the unholy gods' name did he do.

  "They have Jade," came Nico's quiet response.

  Nadia's heart stopped. The small assassin forced herself not to recoil at the sound of his voice, the harsh gravel of it, the heartbreak in every syllable. "What?" She whispered in shock, eyes snapping up to Lorenzo for an explanation only to see the colour drain from his face.

  Lorenzo's attention turned directly to his underboss and weapons master, an eery calm setting over him. "Explain."

  Giovanni swallowed, distress clear as day on his features. "The compound has been compromised. It was in total chaos when we arrived back..." his shoulders stiffened, face going blank, completely removing himself from his mind, "and Jade was nowhere to be found."

  It was only a split second, but Nadia saw the way Lorenzo's eyes widened a fraction, shock rolling in. "Why wasn't I informed of this right away?" He queried, cocking his head in question.

  "Because we didn't know," Giovanni deflected.

  Lorenzo took a breath, "You didn't know." Nodding his head in understanding while the storm grew, brewing behind his eyes.

  He was calm, too calm. It set everyone on edge.

  "Didn't you hear me, Leo?" Nico goaded, spitting at the Don. "They fucking have Jade!"

  "I heard you, Nico." Again, his voice too still, too empty of emotion. "What's the damage?" He asked, steadily walking towards the drinks cabinet and pouring himself a scotch with the same ease as someone who had just been to a damn spa, not a man who had just been told his world was falling to shit.

  Giovanni pursed his lips, clearly aware that Lorenzo's reaction was far from a stable one."Bad. Most of the men made it out, casualties were minimum, deaths too. But the actual compound itself is pretty much rubble at this point."

  "Why the fuck didn't you say anything?" Nadia hissed to Giovanni and Piero, suddenly enraged with their insolence.

  Giovanni flinched at her tone whilst Piero gave nothing away, arms crossed as he watched her through his brow.

  "Facile lo fa, passerotta," take it easy, little sparrow. Lorenzo settled her quickly, drawing her to his side and placing a kiss on her hair. She felt the shudder in his breath with his hands resting on her hips, the rage simmering beneath the cool exterior. "perhaps there is a good reason for their incompetence. After all, who would I be if I didn't give them a chance to explain what the hell is going on."

  It was a thinly veiled threat. Very thinly veiled. They understood every implication Lorenzo was making. Piero continued to glare, jaw clenching and unclenching every so often, almost in time with Nico's struggling breaths. Giovani looked Lorenzo dead in the eye, not afraid of his brother, or his threats. No, Giovani looked into Lorenzo's eyes and Nadia understood just how much shit they were in.

  "We did what we had to do," came the scarred man's answer.

  "No more riddles, Gio," Lorenzo levelled with him, "I need to know."

  None of them moved, barely even dared to breathe.

  "This is it then," Nadia whispered, "he's attacked."