“You’re there?” he asked in surprise.
In this day of surveillance cameras in every damn doorway, my father, or brother would never be caught dead where the shit was going to go down.
But I was willing to risk being placed at the scene. Nothing was more important to me than saving Bianca. “Yeah, I’m here,” I replied calmly.
“How does it look?”
“Uneventful. A couple of guys by the corner smoking … a few bikes in the driveway … and minimal movement.”
“We’ll be there soon.”
Twenty minutes later, I heard the blast of sirens in the distance.
Soon, five patrol cars zoomed past us and screeched to a halt on the driveway of the house. About twenty officers jumped out of their vehicles fully armed. With precision, most of them moved to surround the premises while a few ran towards the door to demand entry.
My hands clenched and released around my cellphone. Once the boy was found and in our custody, I could take care of Bogdan. I dialed one of my men who was stationed at the back of the house. “Any movement, Alex?” I asked.
“No, boss. I can hear loud voices and panic all around, but no one’s trying to escape the house. Maybe they found the boy and got them?”
Maybe, I responded in my head, but it sounded hollow. Something didn’t feel right.
Soon, the cops began to exit the house and I sat up and put my hand out. “Binoculars?”
The device was placed on my palm, I held it to my eyes, and trained my sight on a bunch of bikers in handcuffs being escorted out of the house.
About twelve of them were brought kicking and screaming blue murder. They were thrown into the patrol cars. There was no child with them.
The blood was pounding in my ears. I knew there was no child even as I called the detective and he picked up on the first ring. “The boy?”
“We’re still searching, but it doesn’t look good. We’ve already done the cellar and attic and searched the garden for any trapdoors.”
I cursed under my breath.
“Well, we’ll keep on looking around for any clues of where they might have hidden the boy. Fortunately, there are other offenses lying around, so we’ll get them for these, at least.”
“Thanks, Thompson,” I said and ended the call. My fist slammed onto the dashboard, cracking it and making pain radiate up my hand. The pain was welcomed. It was easier to handle than the intense frustration I felt. We had failed and worse—and worse, we had shown our hand to Bogdan. As we were driving away from the scene, my phone began to ring.
It was Bogdan. “You cheated, Prince. I thought you had more honor than that,” he spoke the words without anger or emotion.
“Where’s the boy?” I snarled.
“Safe, for now, but he is definitely going to pay for your mistake.”
I heard the thrill of excitement running through his voice as he realized how deeply affected and out of control I was. He was right. I was so furious, so frustrated, and so fucking tied up in knots I couldn’t even think straight anymore. Actually, from the moment I saw him with Bianca, I lost my head and started making erratic, highly emotional decisions. Each one compounding the situation … making it more and more volatile.
I heard a loud smack through the phone and the child crying out in pain.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and tried not to overreact. He was not going to hurt the child. Jacob was his Ace card. He would guard it with his life.
“Pull that trick just once more, and I’m going to start delivering pieces of him to you. I will start with his fingers. His grandmother will have you to keep providing for him, won’t she? Which means he won’t need them.”
“Bogdan!” I roared, in spite of my better judgment.
“You’re wet for me,” he gloated with satisfaction. “Finally … that’s how I like my whores. Willing … ready … obedient.”
“Bogdan, if you put your hands on that child, there will be no deal to be had. From anyone.”
“Take a chill pill, kid,” he said patronizingly.
His tone twisted my stomach into knots.
“I won’t damage him too much. I wouldn’t feel too good about it seeing that his grandmother was the one who called me to report what you were planning.”
I stilled.
“Looks like you need to learn to keep the whores in your bed happy, Prince,” he spat. “And to stay the fuck away from mine, otherwise I will make you bleed from the heart. I won’t say this again!” He ended the call.
I instantly placed one to Sarah. “Why would you do that? Why would you tell Bogdan we were coming?” I asked incredulously, furiously.
“I told you not to try anything risky,” she said, her voice shaking. “What if something had gone wrong and they had killed my grandson? And all over some stupid fight over some woman between the both of you. I am not taking that chance.”