Getting to destroy the place Mazur calls home doesn’t do anything to lessen the frustration swirling inside me.
Fucking, bastard! You can run, but I swear I will find you – if it’s the last thing I do.
While my men get to work destroying every piece of furniture, a wooden box grabs my attention. Thinking it’s a cigar holder, I flip the lid up, then stare at the rows of bullets. Taking one out, I see a name inscribed on the side.
Agnes.
I check another one.
Nikodem.
So the rumor is true. Mazur keeps a bullet for each of his employees.
Where he uses fear to inspire loyalty, I chose a different method. There’s only one thing that overrules fear. Money. People will do a lot of dumb shit for the right amount.
“The staff are gathered in the basement,” Kerem, one of my soldiers, informs me.
Nodding, my lip curls in distaste, and with one last hateful glance around the sitting room, I follow Kerem to where the staff are waiting to be questioned.
The basement is dimly lit, eight beds lined against the walls. I only count seven people and assume the girl I shot is number eight.
“Where’s Mazur?” I ask, my sharp gaze checking each of their faces for any sign of emotion.
They remain silent, their eyes trained on the concrete floor.
“The sooner you talk, the quicker you can get back to your lives,” Emre adds.
The oldest, a man who looks like a butler, says, “We don’t know. There’s a tunnel beneath the house. Mr. Mazur probably left via it.”
“Where’s the entrance to the tunnel?” I ask, glad they’re not making this hard for themselves. I get no pleasure from torturing innocent people.
“It’s in the garage,” the elderly man answers.
“You have no idea where Mazur will go to hide?” Emre asks.
The man shakes his head. “We know nothing about his business. We only work here.”
Glancing at Daniel, who joined us during the questioning, I say, “Find the tunnel, and check where it goes.”
“Yes, boss.”
I gesture for Emre to take care of the staff, then head toward the stairs.
“Pack up and leave,” Emre instructs Mazur’s staff. He also gives orders to some of our soldiers, and when he catches up to me, he asks, “What now?”
“Now we fucking start over and find out where the bastard is,” I growl, unhappy as fuck that tonight didn’t go as planned.
“Mazur will probably hear that you’re out for his blood. We’ve lost the advantage of a surprise attack.”
Leaving the mansion, we get into the back of the SUV. Mirac slides behind the steering wheel. “Home?”
“Evet.”
That woman better survive. She might have information that will make the hunt for Mazur easier. It can’t be a coincidence that she bumped into me today.
I start to check my clothes for any kind of tracking device she might’ve planted on me, but not finding any, I relax back against the seat.
Sucking in a deep breath of air, I exhale slowly, then mutter, “It’s fine if Mazur knows I’m coming for him. Let him fucking scurry around like a rat trying to figure out why I attacked.”
I fucking hope he’s consumed by fear and confusion.
When I get home, I shrug out of my jacket and hand it to Nisa, my housekeeper. “Selam,” I greet her.
Nisa makes sure the entire household runs smoothly, and she provides company for my grandmother.
“Selam, Gabriel Bey.” Her words are accompanied by a relieved smile.
I head up the grand staircase, making my way to the east wing of the mansion. The moment I step into my grandmother’s private sitting room, her eyes scan every inch of my body, relief washing over her wrinkled features.
“I’m fine,” I murmur to set her at ease.
“Good. And Emre?” She asks, her eyebrows drawing together again.
“He’s in good health,” I assure her.
“Tanriya sükür.” She murmurs her thanks to God.
Reaching the armchair she’s sitting on, I drop down to one knee and take hold of her hand. With my head lowered, I swallow hard on the bitterness as I admit, “Mazur got away. I failed.”
She lifts her other hand to my head, her touch loving and forgiving. “You’ll find out where he ran to.”
I nod, and lifting my eyes, I look at the woman who raised me. She’s only worn black since my father died. Over the past thirty years, not a day has passed where she didn’t mourn her son.
“I will.” Steel laces my words.
Climbing to my feet, I bend over her and press a kiss to the top of her head. “Söz veriyorum.” (I promise.)
Chapter 5
Gabriel
There’s no fucking sign of Mazur. It makes my blood boil, knowing I was so close, but he managed to slip away.
Walking down the cobbled path, the landscaped garden bathing the grounds with green ferns and rose bushes forms an oasis around me. My grandmother has always loved gardening. Whenever she’s pruning a bush or strolling through the greenery, she’s truly at peace.