by Ginger Ring
“Good, I like when the Doc visits. She’s a looker.” Oscar nodded to Layla. “Hi, ma’am.”
“Oscar, Layla. Layla, Oscar.” Arlo made introductions. “What’s going on with the prisoner?”
“I’m not sure but there’s been a change in him. He’s almost normal. The Doc’s been doing tests and trying different drugs. It seems to be working, at least it seems so to me.”
“How so?” Layla spoke up.
“When he first got here, the guy acted like he was on something. Breathing hard, but never seemed to notice things. Like he was stoned. I once watched him repeatedly slam his head against the wall and never feel a thing. The other day, he stubbed his toe on the edge of a table and hopped around like he’d broken his leg.”
That was interesting. “What else?”
“He was never sociable. Never noticed who was here or seemed to care. Now he greets us, thanks us for the meals, and even seems to want to talk. It’s fuc—I mean, freakin’ weird.” He glanced at Layla. “Sorry about the language.”
“I’ve heard worse but thank you.” Layla put the man at ease.
“Well, the Doc’s almost done.” Oscar barely got out before a woman who looked to be around thirty came into the room.
“Hello, Carrie,” Arlo greeted.
“Arlo, you’re looking well.” She was a medium height woman with a slight frame and straight dark hair.
“Doing well. I’d like you to meet Layla Rinaldi.” They exchanged greetings and Carrie invited them to take a seat.
“I alerted Roman of the modifications in the patient’s behavior. It’s my diagnosis that Alexander has been suffering with undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenia for years. He has the right family history, an older father, drug use in his teens, and both he and his brother were born premature.” She leafed through a file that had been lying on the table. “Thanks to your tech guys, we were able to get all his medical records. From interviewing Alex, it’s my suspicion that he was being fed various drugs in low doses, which increased the paranoia. Either in food or drink, it doesn’t really matter. Who knows, his brother may have been putting thoughts in his mind as well to encourage his erratic behavior. Alex was psychotic when he first came here, he had no empathy and felt no pain or remorse for what he’d done. I’ve been monitoring his blood work. I wasn’t able to identify everything that was in his system, but there were traces of LSD, which Alex denies taking. I’ve been giving him clozapine. It helps with paranoia and seems to be working. He’s actually behaving quite normal now, or what you would consider normal for those in his profession.”
Arlo and Layla exchanged glances.
“You don’t think he’s acting?” Layla rested a finger on her chin.
“No one’s that good.” She laughed. “I heard what you did to him, Arlo, and the guy didn’t budge. The lack of response can only be attributed to some kind of nerve or a mental issue. He flinched when I drew blood last week, that’s the first time he’s done that and we’ve been poking him ever since he’s been here.”
“Interesting.” Arlo mulled it over in his head. It was starting to make sense. Fedor wanted control but couldn’t kill his brother and remain the head of the Bratva. He had to eliminate him some other way. His intent was probably to have him declared insane but the guy took off with Tonya first. “Can we see him?”
“Of course.” Carrie stood up. “Please follow me.”
Arlo hadn’t been there many times. He’d worked Alexander over pretty good right after they’d saved Jackie, but he hadn’t touched him since.
Once they got into the main part of the house, Layla could clearly see what he meant when he’d said Alex was under glass, or technically behind glass. The place was one big room, divided by heavy plated panels, the guards on one side and Alexander on the other. It was almost like a scene from Silence of the Lambs. There was a heavy door in the middle where they could go back and forth. If the doctor needed to go in, the guards could belt Alexander’s arms and legs to a chair so she could work on him.
Alexander was sitting in a chair watching TV. When he turned toward his visitors, he picked up the remote and turned it off. Rising, the tall man approached the glass. “I know you.” His attention was on Layla and she stepped closer to the glass. Alexander snapped his fingers a few times. “You are…hmm.” He frowned and then smiled. “I got it. You’re Layla Rinaldi.”
“And how do you know me?” She placed one hand on the divider. “I don’t believe we’ve met before.”
“We haven’t, but once my brother saw a photo of you in the newspaper. He was obsessed after that. Said he was going to marry you and rule the city.”
Arlo noticed her face turn red.
“I thought you ruled the city,” she responded.
“Ha, we ruled together but then he wanted more. Didn’t want my say in anything anymore.”
“So, why didn’t you take him out?” Arlo dug for more info.
“He’s my brother and it’s part of the code. If I kill him, I lose everything.”
“So, you took his girlfriend instead?”
Alex rubbed his hand over his face. “The past year’s a bit fuzzy. He said he was trying to protect me, that others wanted me dead. That Tonya wanted to destroy me even. I don’t remember all that was said. Just that I had so much rage and nowhere to get rid of it.” The man exhaled and took a seat at the small table in his room. “You have to tell me. Is she okay?”
“Who?” Arlo wondered.
“Tonya. I have these visions of what I did to her and I can’t imagine doing that. It’s like a dream.”
This was not at all the man he’d captured months ago, about to do unspeakable things to Jackie as she was strapped to a table. “You torture a woman, beat her almost beyond recognition, and now you want to know how she is?” Arlo let him have it. “How do you think she is?”
“That wasn’t me. It couldn’t have been. I’m no saint, I admit it. I’m in the Russian mob for fuck’s sake. I’ve killed people but I’d never hurt a woman before and they said I tried to do that to another one.” He shook his head. “I don’t remember that. I would never do that.”
Arlo locked eyes with the doctor and she raised an eyebrow. Alexander was either a really good actor or what he said was true. The combination of an untreated mental illness and doping had created a monster. “You did. I was there when we rescued her.”
Alexander stood up and paced back and forth, seeming to weigh his options. Finally, he stopped and sat down. Putting his elbows on his knees, he placed his face in his hands. “Fedor did this to me. My own fucking brother poisoned me with drugs to take control.” Slowly he looked up and said, “I have a feeling you are telling me this so that I will do something for you? What do you want?”
“What do you need to know?”
Arlo pulled out a chair, sat down, and tugged a little notepad from his pocket. “I want names and places.”
“That I can’t do.” Alexander slumped back in the chair. “I can’t betray the Bratva. They’ll kill me.”
“You have two choices.” Arlo crossed his ankle on top of his knee. “You answer my questions and we might, just might, let you go so you can even the score with your brother and set things straight with the Bratva.”
“And the other choice?” The man behind the glass chuckled.
“If you don’t answer my questions, I’ll kill you.”
Chapter Eighteen
Layla
Arlo was silent on the way to her sister’s. They’d stopped for some pizza for lunch and he’d spent most of the time on a burner phone with Roman. Things had been set in motion but what that was exactly, she wasn’t sure yet. Being born in the family, she knew it wasn’t good.
“Are you going to share what’s going on?” she finally asked.
“In time. We’re having a meeting once we get there. Your father will be involved as well.”
“We’re going to war.” Her heart sank.
“We’ve been at war. It was d
eclared the moment they blew up the boat. You know it did.” Arlo’s voice was flat and emotionless.
“I do, I just hoped it wouldn’t come to this.” So much for being a leader. All she wanted right now was to give up everything they had to keep the people she loved safe but that wasn’t how things worked.
They halted at a stop sign and he leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek. “It always comes to this. Last man standing wins.”
Her head landed back on the head rest. More people would die soon and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it. Madison had made it her goal to get more and more of Roman’s business legit but his ties to her father had complicated things. Roman was bound by family and now blood to avenge both the attack on Bruno and at the wedding.
There was a pit in her stomach as they drove through the gates of the Caponelli estate. The yard was filled with vehicles, including the white van that Dominic drove. As soon as they stopped, she was out of the car. No need to wait for Arlo to open it, they were safe here and she couldn’t sit idle any longer.
Walking fast, Arlo finally caught up with her as she put her finger to the doorbell. It was Jasper who opened it and waved them inside. The place was packed with men but she couldn’t hear what they were saying. There was just static in her brain as she tried to process everything going on.
“Layla!” Maddy yelled as she came down the stairway. Her husband had her arm as they made their way down. As soon as they got to the bottom, her sister rushed to her side. Her face was pale and her skin clammy.
“Are you all right? You’re as white as a ghost.” Layla put her arms around her.
“Yes, yes. I’m fine.” She nodded and then bit her lip.
“Are you sure? I can get you some water.”
“No, no. I’m good.”
“Gentlemen,” Roman called out. “Meet me in the study. We have a lot to talk about.” As the men funneled into the office, Arlo left her in Maddy’s care and said he would speak with her when he knew more.
“Come into the kitchen.” Madison looped her arm in Layla’s and led the way. As soon as they entered the room, she could see Stephanie and Jackie nursing glasses of wine. “If I wasn’t pregnant, I’d be having one of those. too.” Maddy dropped her arm and walked over to the other two.
“Pour me one.” Layla didn’t wait for it to be offered. “And fill it to the top.”
“I’m on it.” Jackie rose and took another wine glass from the cabinet. She placed the goblet of Cabernet in front of one of the chairs at the counter and motioned for her to take a seat. “Have some cheese.” Layla’s gaze fell to the platter full of cheese and meat. It never failed to amaze her how people in Wisconsin pulled out a plate of cheese no matter what the occasion, whether it be wedding, birthday party, or pre-mob hit. The Asiago did look good though and she plopped a piece in her mouth.
“What do you think this means?” Jackie asked.
“I don’t know everything but from the information they gathered from Alexander it appears they will strike one or two of the locations he mentioned. Tonight,” Madison answered.
Jackie gasped and put a napkin to her lips. “Who’s going?”
“Everyone, including Roman.” That explained the faintness of her complexion. They were expecting their first child. The pair should be picking out baby furniture, not dealing with the possibly of the father getting hurt or killed.
“Jasper, too?” the redhead asked. Jackie was the newest one to the family so this was going to be a shock for her to think of her man in harm’s way.
“Everyone but a few guards. Dominic will stay.” Madison seemed to have more of the details than anyone else.
Stephanie let out a deep breath. “I had hoped he wouldn’t go. Dom thought they would need someone to scatter the phones and he usually doesn’t get too involved in things. Just cleans up what needs to be.”
“Scatter the phones?” Jackie glanced between the women.
“It’s no secret that they think the phones are being traced and tracked. To throw them off, Dom will take Roman’s, Jasper’s, and Arlo’s phones with him. He’s going to go to a bar for as long as it takes for them to get to Chicago. He’ll have a burner with him to keep up to date. Anyone monitoring them will think they are out for drinks. Every now and then he will pick one up and walk around the place so they are all in action,” Maddy explained. “The guys will hit their targets and come right back. As soon as Dom gets the word, he’ll be back here to let us know what’s going on.”
“I’m going to be sick. What if someone gets killed?” Jackie leaned her head on Layla’s shoulder.
“We can only hope it will be the ones responsible for murdering all the innocent people in the restaurant and on the boat last weekend.” Either way, someone was probably going to die tonight. Layla’s eyes met Maddy’s across the table. It was going to be a very, very long night.
The meeting went surprisingly fast. In no time at all, Roman came into the kitchen, followed closely by Jasper, Dom, and Arlo. They each went to their women to exchange words, hugs, kisses, and a few promises. Even though Dominic was staying behind, it was a hard situation for everyone. His job was vital to throw their trackers off their trail.
Shortly after, all the guys except Dom disappeared to change into all black. When they returned, they were heavily armed and wired for action. It was even more stressful knowing that Christopher was still handling the surveillance. He’d sworn his allegiance, and even though he knew Tonya was safe and sound, it still didn’t ease her fears as far as Layla was concerned. Roman thought he could be trusted and he was the boss.
“Everyone ready?” Roman glanced from man to man. They either spoke out loud or nodded. The boss then went over and kissed Madison goodbye. Jasper did the same with Jackie. Layla witnessed it all happen as if it were just a dream. She couldn’t look at Arlo. As long as she didn’t, it wasn’t real. Right? They’d waited too long to be together for this to break them apart. With her eyes trained on the floor, his shoes came into view. They were dark tennis shoes, all the reflector material blacked out. Funny what you notice when you’re trying to block other things out.
He put both hands on her face and raised her gaze to meet his. “Aren’t you going to say goodbye?”
“No, because you’ll be coming back soon. You have to.” Tears streamed down her face.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. Not even death could keep me from your door.” He tipped her chin up so she had to gaze into his eyes.
“There’s been something I’ve wanted to tell you.” Layla grabbed the lapel of his suit.
Arlo shook his head. “No, no. Don’t you dare say that you love me or want to marry me or any of that shit. I can’t bear to hear those words now. If you mean it, tell me when I least expect it. When I know without a doubt you mean it, and aren’t just saying what I want to hear to make me feel better in case I don’t come back.”
“But…” Layla shook her head.
“No. You know how I feel about you but I still have a few issues about what I heard you say upstairs.”
“Seriously? You know I was joking.” Shaking her head, she continued, “This isn’t the time to rehash this.”
“That’s exactly why I’m saying this. Don’t make promises or say words that you might want to take back at a later date.”
Her eyes focused on his, trying to read the meaning behind the words. In her heart she knew he cared about her but hearing it might just make everything worse. It would be something she’d never recover from if he didn’t return.
“Layla, a word,” Roman interrupted them. “Sorry, Arlo, but I need a moment with Layla.”
Reluctantly Arlo nodded and released her. She followed him to the door as the girls led Madison to the living room.
“I need you to look after your sister,” he said. The man had enough to worry about without having to think about her welfare.
“Of course. Always,” she reassured.
“No, I mean if something happ
ens to me, you move here and take care of her. I don’t care about family honor or whatever, you put her first.” He put his hands on the top of her shoulders.
“Yes, you don’t need to ask. She’s my family.”
“Good.” Roman kissed her cheek. “Thank you.”
He turned to leave and Layla pulled him back. This time it was her that put two hands on his shoulders. “I want you to bring Arlo back. Bring all the men back.”
“That’s the plan.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a quick hug. “Be safe. That baby needs a father.”
“I’ll be back. We all will.” Roman waved his arm. “Let’s go, men. Dom, you know what to do.”
They all followed with Arlo bringing up the rear. He stopped to embrace her again and drop a kiss to her forehead. “We’ll be back soon.”
All she could do was nod. A big lump had lodged in her throat, preventing her from saying any more. Layla leaned against the doorframe and watched the guys climb into a black SUV with Dominic in the driver’s seat. They would be driving together to the bar. There another vehicle would be waiting to pick them up. Dom would stay there with all their phones. The others would be going dark or using the burners.
She couldn’t move until their taillights disappeared through the gates. It was going to be a very long night. The mission would hopefully be done by midnight. Closing the door, Layla took a deep breath and headed to the living room. Madison needed her and Jackie probably did also. Stephanie was the only one who would be breathing easy for the next few hours because her man was safe, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t feeling the stress surrounding the house.
When she entered the room, Stephanie was collecting everyone’s order for some take out from Firenza. “I don’t feel hungry.” Madison was slumped in a chair.
“You have to eat. The baby needs food even if you don’t.” Her gaze met Stephanie’s and she crossed her arms in front of her chest. It was going to be a long night and it would take the two of them to keep the mood up.
“I’ll help you pick something out,” Layla volunteered. “And then we’re going to find a good movie to watch. I trust the guys. They’re good fighters, they practice all the time, and they have good intel.” She took a seat between Maddy and Jackie. “They will get through this and we will too.” As much as she tried to comfort the rest, it wasn’t doing much to calm herself.
