Diego
"Diego, they kidnapped my sister-in-law. Of course I'm going with you," Camila protests.
After finally telling her what happened, my sister appears on my doorstep dressed and ready in tactical gear. I don't know where the hell she thinks she's going though because if it's anywhere near Nathan and Celeste, she's got me fucked up.
I fix her with a firm glare. "No. It's too dangerous."
She glances behind me as my men scurry around the house, preparing to infiltrate Celeste and Nathan's hideout. A large, abandoned warehouse about an hour from here.
Apart from Camila, my family are a bunch of slithering snakes, but I'm about to chop off their damn heads and leave them for dead in the dessert.
"Good, looks like we're all set. I'll meet you in the car." She pivots on her heels to head to the driveway, but I grab her bicep, stopping her in her tracks.
"You're. Not. Going."
She returns my glare with equal intensity. "I wasn't asking for your permission," she snaps, tearing her arm from my grasp.
Damn it. Women are so stubborn.
As my men load into the waiting vehicles, I sink into the seat beside my sister wearing my own tactical gear. Nathan won't be able to shoot me in the chest again with this thick ass bulletproof vest on.
"Ready to stop being a controlling asshole?" Camila murmurs.
I emit a low growl. "Camila, I'm not playing games. This is too dangerous. Even if I have backup, this is still a trap. I'm willing to fucking die for her tonight. Are you?"
Her gaze snaps to mine with unwavering determination. "Yes, I am."
My eyes widen at her sheer fucking audacity. "Well, too damn bad. I won't lose another woman I care about!"
She regards me skeptically, shaking her head. "I never thought I'd see my brother as such a big softy," she teases. But then her features shift with concern. "Seriously though, Diego, you look like shit. When was the last time you slept or ate?"
A bitter laugh escapes me. "So I've been told. When my wife is okay, I'll worry about myself."
I know I wouldn't let Vanessa make excuses for why she isn't taking care of herself, but it's not like I haven't tried. It's just hard when your heart has been ripped out of your fucking chest, and you can't find it because your stepmother is an evil bitch and stole it from you.
Camila's features soften, and she gently takes my hand. "Well, let me help you get her back," she nearly whispers.
"You don't get it. I just lost one of my closest men. Nathan won't hesitate to kill you either."
Guilt surges through me as vivid images of Luis's mutilated body, barely recognizable, invade my thoughts. We found him in the desert, and we were only able to identify him by the clan symbol tattooed next to the hole where his ear should've been.
This ends tonight. I will get my revenge. For Luis. For my wife.
We pull into a lot across from the fenced warehouse, my other men poised nearby, awaiting my instructions. The entire street is lined with industrial buildings, masking the hideout in plain sight. With Celeste's meticulous nature, I know it's locked down like a military base.
Viktor should be arriving soon with his men. After convincing him that Celeste and Nathan would undoubtedly target the empire he's built once they kill me, Viktor agreed to assist in eliminating them.
Rescuing my woman is a mission I intend to handle alone. I don't want him or anyone else near her after the hell she's been through. I don't know how I'll even begin to apologize for how long it's taken me to find her.
What if it's too late? What if she hates me because of it?
"Is that Russian bastard really going to show up?" Leo's voice rings out through the earpiece nestled in my ear. He's on foot, maintaining surveillance from inside of the building adjacent to the warehouse.
"He better," I growl, clenching my jaw. "We had an agreement."
"What's the plan? You do have a plan, right?" Camila asks.
I roll my eyes. What a stupid fucking question. "Of course I do. There are two guards posted by the gate. We couldn't risk spooking them with a drone, so we're uncertain of the exact number of men inside, but that shouldn't matter. Leo and Leroy will lead their teams of three in through the front, while Danny and I...and I guess now you will go through the gate in the back. Once Viktor and his men arrive, they'll follow in behind us."
As I speak, a black SUV passes from the fence. If they're aware that we're here, it could be a diversion. But in the unlikely case that it's not, Nathan or Celeste might be inside. Of course, it couldn't be both of them; they wouldn't leave Vanessa unguarded. We need to follow it.
"Sal, do you have eyes on the SUV?" I ask, my voice tight with urgency.
"Following them now," he responds at once. "Should I kill everyone inside?"
"If it's Celeste and Nathan, capture them for now. I plan to kill them slowly later, once I get my answers," I reply menacingly.
This time, I won't involve Vanessa. She has seen enough violence for one lifetime.
"Understood," Sal acknowledges.
As much as I want to storm in that warehouse and find Vanessa, I know we must be vigilant. I don't plan on losing anyone else tonight. At least, no one that matters to me.
Camila and I advance on foot, maneuvering through the shadows of the night until we reach the rear of the warehouse, where Danny is waiting. The razer cutter in his hand glints in the moonlight.
"Go ahead," I command in a low whisper. After swiftly cutting the hole in the fence, Danny retrieves the AK47 from the strap on his back, and crouches down beside me. He cracks his neck, the muscles tense beneath his skin, a silent oath of determination gleaming in his eyes.
I nod. "Get into position. It's time to move."
Adrenaline pumps through my veins, my heart thudding against my ribcage.
I'm here, Mama.