He has my attention at that. He looks like that fucker that plays Aquaman. I nod and unlock my doors by pushing the button on my key fob. Maybe I’m being stupid for letting a stranger in my car, but there’s a part of me that’s hoping he might know what happened with Cas.
He slides into the passenger seat and Edward and Emery climb in the back.
“Name is Raz.” He points to Emery and then Edward. “Emery and Edward.”
“You’re Ash. I know because I’ve been watching you since the night you performed at the WreckRoom and you and AJ couldn’t keep your eyes off of who I now know as Cas.” He breathes.
“There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m going to cut to the chase. Your grandfather took my girl. I found out through a co-worker that worked with Madz that it was your fiancé that was snooping around her job and asking questions she had no business asking. It was on the same day, yours was murdered. I wasn’t sure I could trust you, Ash, but Giovanni reassured me I could. I have information from a reliable source, and I need to know we are in this together.” Raz’s eyes roam to ours.
Emery and Edward look at me. Normally I’m reserved about this type of shit and trust no-fucking-body, but I’m in no position to turn down the possibility of some kind of help at finding Cas.
“All right. We’ll need to talk somewhere private.” My words cause him to relax. He leans back in his seat, nodding and staring out the window. It occurs to me he looks as broken as the rest of us.
We pull up to the woods, and Raz looks skeptical. “Isn’t this where the body was found?” He asks as he follows us through the trees.
“Yeah, but it was our spot with her, so we feel closest to her here.” Edward’s words are strained, the pain in his voice clear.
We stop at the angel. Raz has a brow cocked as he takes in the small graveyard, but holds onto whatever he’s about to say.
“I talked to Giovanni today. He was going to deliver this message, but he doesn’t want to raise suspicion. Francesco sent him to place a tracker on one of his girls. It was Cas.”
We already know she’s alive, which hinders what I think he expected our reaction to be. “Where is she?” We ask together but not in unison.
“You knew she was alive?” We nod and he continues.
“Giovanni wasn’t sure at first, but he found out through a guy on the inside that Madz will be shipped with Cas to Barcelona. Once they are there, they’ll disappear without a trace, so we need to act fast. I don’t have time to go into detail, but Madz is Giovanni’s granddaughter. He left Cas a note and an escape plan for them, but she was in bad shape and he isn’t sure she can do it.”
“She can do it.” Edward echoes my thoughts. My stomach knots up. This information should relieve me. We know where she is and where she’s going, but I won’t feel better until she’s safe in my arms.
Raz nods at Edward. “Here’s the plan. It’s normally only a twenty-hour boat ride, but they have cargo to hide. Giovanni found out it takes them longer with the route they take to remain unseen, going back and forth. We are going to wait for that ship to dock and ambush them when they get off.” His face is red, and he looks as if he hasn’t slept in ages.
“We can’t go to the police for help because most of them are waiting for property to come off that ship. And some operations and stings could help, but it would take longer. I think we need to move fast and I don’t plan on waiting for not one fucking soul.” He folds his arms over his wide chest and leans his backside against the angel tombstone.
“So?” He looks each of us in the eye. “Are you coming with?” His question enrages me and for a split second, I see red.
“What kind of fucking question is that?” Raz stares at me like I’m insane. Which I am. “Yes, we are going,” Edward says calmly as Emery grabs me.
“Good. We are getting a jet ready and leaving tomorrow around three in the afternoon. We need to be waiting for them to dock by three a.m. I want to be early just in case. We can’t afford for them to get there before we do.” Collectively, we let out a sigh. Knowing we are so close to having our black widow back.
Raz gives us a few more details about what he plans to do to make sure our trip to Barcelona is successful. AJ isn’t going to like it. It’s fucked up, but it will also put the odds in our favor. I call AJ on my burner phone. Before I can tell him the full plan, he’s in his truck and on the way.
It’s for the best because he isn’t going to like what I’m about to tell him. I’ll have a better shot at convincing him in person.
There’s small talk as we take Raz back to his truck. Apparently, Raz fights at the Hole and somehow, we’ve missed each other. Probably because he’s a big motherfucker and not in my weight class. I’m big, but I can admit he’s bigger.
Francesco
“I ’m in the middle of something. This better be important.” I grunt at Oscar through the phone. Today’s a busy day. I need to make sure that the three incoming shipments of cargo that are supposed to be here in Buffalo City NY around midnight, remain out of sight. My patience is wearing thin, last night alone, I had to kill five men for trying to help the cargo escape. They were a bunch of nobodies, just some of the Sinners. Gangster thugs that no one will miss, which made disposing of them easier.
“Your grandson’s talking to that big fuck you’ve been having me follow around. I think they’re planning something.”
“Fuck.” I roar, running my hands over my hair.
“Can’t have that. Grab the fucker. I’ll deal with my piece-a-shit grandson.” The betrayal of Ash slices at my chest as I end the call.
AJ
M y nerves are all over the place and I’m driving with my pedal to the floor. I’m pushing this truck to the limit, in a hurry to get to Ash’s. He wouldn’t tell me over the phone, but it’s something big if I had to ask my cousin to watch my sister and grandma for two weeks. He couldn’t give me a specific timeline. That’s just what he came up with to buy time.
On the phone, he said it was good and bad news. And every memory of Cas plays on repeat. The need to have her back has grown into a deep ache. What hurts the most is wondering if this is an unattainable dream. I won’t let myself think about that. I’m getting my fucking girl back and I don’t care how many bodies I have to lay out to do it.
That video of her has been tormenting my thoughts and nightmares. Beatrice, that fucking bitch, knew what the fuck she was doing, showing us her like that. My stomach churns and I have to think about something else, like about how fucking strong she is and how determined we are. One hour, it’s what stands between finding out what the others know.
Cas
Z ane tried to get on the ship with me, but every attempt he made he was questioned, and he started to draw suspicion. Unfortunately, he had to give up. I’m getting ready to board and I’m supposed to act drugged. Instead of giving me the shot like he was instructed, Zane placed it in my hands. The tricky part is trying to keep the syringe hidden until it’s time to use it. For now it’s tucked under my armpit. Every time I shut my eyes; I see the boys’ faces. And the longer I’m away from them, the more I believe I’ll never see them again. I see my dad’s face too, but there will be no seeing him again. The ache in my chest spreads and I try to breathe around it.