Amore Mio (#4)

Chapter 15: The Man In Black

(Leo's POV)

          Arie's thoughts and whereabouts had me restless and frustrated. My men had been looking as efficiently as they could in Dimo's territory, but we needed to be careful. I couldn't risk starting a war with the Bulgarian mob at the moment when it'd only impede on my search for Arie, so we waited.

          After Mike's consistent nagging, I finally heeded his advice and forced myself into a slumber after popping a few pain pills. My mind and heart were at odds. The logical part of me knew my body needed to rest in order to gain more strength if I wanted to get Arie back, but my heart was on edge and in shambles. I was afraid if I even blinked, I'd pass her and never get her back which was my worst fear.

          I put my trust in Mike and passed out. It was noon by the time I woke up, already feeling agitated. Eight hours was too long for me to sleep. Much too long even though I needed it.

          We had taken shelter in a house outside of the industrial area by the ocean. I examined my face in the bathroom mirror and removed the small bandage from beneath my cheekbone. A scar marred it and the stitches protruded. It wasn't a big one, but it was significant enough. I inspected the other bruises on my body. My broken rib was an annoying pain. The gunshot wound on my shoulder made it difficult to change the dressings for all the wounds that required them, but once I got them done, I walked out in a pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt.

My men had been huddled around laptops in the living room, trying to pinpoint any locations and hack the security cameras at the strip club where we were going to apprehend Luca Lumov. Their silence had been remarkable while I slept, but now their hushed whispers turned into chatter after they greeted me.

          Mike approached me, exhaustion taking a toll on him. He hadn't rested his eyes. One of us needed to stay awake if something dire required our attention.

          "You look much better," he remarked, handing me a cup of coffee.

          "And you look much worse. Go rest up before we have to leave. I'll keep watch."

The strip club was in Dobrich which was approximately an hour from where we were located. Luca was supposed to be there around midnight to deliver money for the services he bought from the goons, so we had a good amount of hours before we had to leave for the club.

          Mike ran a lazy hand through his dark hair then rubbed his face. "I had the guy call his crew and tell them he was going to meet with Luca Lumov and get the money himself."

The hooligan that we left alive was spared for this task only. He was my pawn in this game until he exhausted his purpose.

"Did you find out where his accomplices took Athena and the other girl?"

          Mike sighed uneasily and spared me a look that said it all. My grip on the cup of coffee tightened and my body tensed.

          "They were handed to Dimo Yordanov, weren't they?"

          Another deep exhale pushed past Mike's mouth. "Yordanov has a knack for buying sex slaves. The shit he does to them is spoken in hushed whispers even among his men. And considering the condition Athena was taken to him in, she may not get the chance to fight back. She doesn't have an upper-hand in this situation. She's most likely heavily drugged. She won't be able to fight off the effect, and they wouldn't make the mistake of not tying her up."

          While I portrayed a calm façade in front of everyone, my insides were in absolute chaos. The shit that Astor put Verona through began swimming in my head. I couldn't allow this to happen to another woman I cared for. No matter what, Athena was family.