Code of Honor

by Missy Johnson

  He walks off, stomping up the staircase. I wince at the sound of the door slamming shut. I cover myself with the blanket, thankful to have at least a little bit of warmth. Gingerly, I approach the bucket, knowing I have no other choice. I look around me, searching my brain for a way of escaping.

  There has to be a way out of this.

  Kicking aside my food, I get up and examine the locks on the cage. There’s no way I can break through that. Deflated, I pace the small space, my fingers laced together behind my head.

  My only hope is that my dad will give them whatever it is they want.

  Chapter 27

  Pietro

  “So, who are these guys?” I ask as we get into the Audi Mark has just pulled up in. “And how sure are you that they haven’t hurt her?”

  “They won’t hurt her because then they have nothing over me,” Giovanni mutters. “So long as she’s alive and in their hands, they know I’ll do whatever they ask me to.”

  That makes me feel a little bit better until I remember this probably has nothing to do with Giovanni. What if I’m the reason she’s been kidnapped? I should’ve listened to Benito and kept my fucking nose out of it. We drive in silence through the city.

  “What if she’s not there? What if you’ve got it wrong and it’s not these guys?” I mumble. Does he have a backup plan?

  “Then I’m out of ideas, aren’t I?” he explodes. “Look, Pietro, just trust me, okay? Nobody wants her back more than I do.”

  I want to argue the point further, but it will only make things worse, and I’ll probably end up confessing my whole sorry story. Instead, I shut my mouth. We drive in silence toward East Harlem. I stare out the window, taking in the gloomy weather. It suits my mood. The neighborhood is run-down and neglected, and just being here gives me a bad vibe. Graffiti covers the walls on nearly every shop, and thick metal bars adorn the windows. We pull up outside a house that looks deserted.

  “Stay out here, Pietro,” Giovanni orders as we get out of the car.

  I laugh. He can’t be serious? But he is. His cold eyes narrow on mine and I wonder if this is punishment for my involvement with Lucy. I shake my head. Of course it is.

  “Whatever,” I mutter. Folding my arms across my chest, I lean against the car. I glance around me. The place is deserted. Opposite the car is what looks like was once a school. Now it’s derelict, with every window smashed to pieces and graffiti, complete with gang tags, everywhere.

  Five minutes pass, and it feels like I’ve been standing here for hours. Why the fuck am I listening to him? I should be in there finding Lucy, dammit. I push myself off the car and stalk over to the warehouse he and Mark entered, next door to the house. Halfway there my phone beeps. I reach into my pocket and retrieve it.

  It’s Benito. I’m confused, especially after how our last meeting ended. I hadn’t expected to hear from him again but my gut tells me I want to pay attention.

  Benito: Meet me in half an hour inside Screamers. Come alone and do not tell anyone about this. Man, you’re in some serious trouble.

  I delete the message and shove the phone back into my pocket as Giovanni and Mark storm toward the car. From the look on his face I can tell it didn’t go well.

  “What happened?” I demand, falling into step beside him.

  “They say they don’t have her.”

  “And you believe them?” I snort, not wanting to believe that this is all my fault.

  “What do they get out of lying to me, Pietro? The only reason they would take her is to get my attention. They have it.”

  Then who the fuck has her?

  Giovanni drops me back at my apartment after I convince him I’m more help making sure she doesn’t show up there or back at her own place. I wait until the car disappears into the traffic before I head for Screamers.

  I’m running late when I finally reach the bar and I’m relieved to see Benito is still there. Huddled in a booth and nursing a beer, he doesn’t look up. I slide into the booth.

  “What’s this about?” I ask. I’m not stupid. I know this is about me asking the wrong people too many questions. “I have a situation, Benito. I don’t really have time for this.”

  “Pietro, you need to stop.” He still won’t meet my eyes, and his dark tone is scaring me. “You have no idea how far they’ll go to keep you from finding out the truth. No, actually, you do know. You know exactly how this shit works, man.”

  “How is this any of your business?” I ask, my voice harsh. “You made it clear that you couldn’t help me, so why have you dragged me out here?”

  “Because I’m trying to help you now.” He slams his fist down on the table, showing his frustration. “If you don’t care about your own safety, do it for your girlfriend, okay? Keep digging, and they’ll kill her.”

  My blood runs cold. Wetting my lips, I wonder if I just heard him correctly.

  “Where is she, Benito? Where the fuck is Lucy?” Both my hands lie flat on the table as I stare at him. I’m almost willing him to give me a reason to punch the shit out of him.

  “Look, I had no idea of her connection to you. I knew who she was and that you knew her, but I didn’t realize how close you two were.”

  “Benito—”

  “She’s in Brooklyn. She’s fine, but if you don’t bury this obsession, you’ll be burying her.”

  His words hit me in the face. He’s right. I need to let this go for Lucy. For now at least. I can’t stand the thought of something happening to her because of me and I know better than anyone, these guys don’t mess around.

  “So, how do I get her back?” I ask.

  “She’s in a warehouse over in Brooklyn, Carmen Industries, down in the basement. Come tonight at eleven. There’ll only be two of us there. Keep Giovanni on a leash, okay? If he starts a war, it will blow up in your face.”

  I nod, already trying to think of a way to keep Giovanni out of this. I’ll do whatever I need to in order to get her back unhurt. I stand up and push myself from the booth.

  “Thanks,” I mutter to him before walking out.

  The only way I can see this working is to avoid Giovanni for the rest of the day. He’ll be ready to murder me, but he’ll get over it if I bring Lucy back safely. In the pit of my stomach, I feel sick. This is my fault. I was so quick to blame Giovanni for getting her into this mess when, in reality, it was all me.

  I switch off my phone and brace myself for what I know is coming next.

  Chapter 28

  Pietro

  I stand outside the warehouse that Lucy is apparently being held in. I glance at my watch again. 10:49 p.m. The clock is dragging. Cursing, I kick at the stones beneath my feet, my hands deep in my pockets. This might be the worst decision I’ve made in my life. What if I’m walking directly into a trap? If people are pissed off that I’m hunting for information, who knows how far they’ll go to silence me? I want to think I can trust Benito, but my gut is telling me not to trust anyone but myself.

  God, if anything happens to her…

  I shake the thought from my head. I need to focus on getting in there and getting her out. When my watch finally reads eleven, I enter through the side door, which is unlocked, just like Benito told me it would be.

  Inside, it’s dark, and the only sound I can hear is my heart pounding. I walk slowly, praying with each step that I don’t bump into anything and alert them that I’m there.

  My heart in my throat, I grip what I think is the rail of a staircase. I am rounding the corner to descend when I hear the faint sound of voices in the distance. I strain to hear, taking a few steps toward the sound.

  I stand against the wall as Benito comes into view. He’s arguing with another, bigger guy. I’m too far away to make out what they’re talking about and I can’t risk moving any closer.

  Forget about everything except Lucy.

  I move down the staircase, one step at a time. I reach a door and open it slightly, carefully squeezing myself through the small space. My vision adjusts
as the moonlight shines through the windows in what I assume is a basement. I make my way down another flight of stairs until my feet hit the safety of the concrete.

  “Hello?”

  Lucy. My chest tightens as I move toward her voice. As I round a corner loaded high with boxes, I see her. She stands against the front of a cage, her fingers wrapped around its thick bars.

  “Thank God you’re okay,” I mutter, my hands covering hers.

  “Get me out of here,” she whispers. Surrounded by dark circles, her blue eyes are full of emotion. I tug at the cage and realize it’s padlocked. Shit. Why didn’t I think to bring something? I look around for something to break it open with. The only thing I see that will do the job is a huge metal pipe. The problem is, as soon as I start smashing the lock open with that, everyone in this damn building will be down here to inspect the noise.

  I jump as the door above us slams shut and the unmistakable sound of footsteps fills the air.

  “Hide,” Lucy urges me, her eyes growing wide. I duck behind a stack of boxes, trying not to think about how fucking terrified I am. The big dude approaches the cage. He’s carrying a bag of what looks like takeout.

  “Here,” he mumbles, unlocking the cage. He tosses the bag to Lucy. As he goes to lock it again, she calls out, startling him.

  This is my chance. My fingers find the body of the pipe that lies next to me. My heart thumps as I pounce on him, swinging the pipe at the back of his head. The sound is sickening, and as he crumples to the ground I panic that I’ve killed the guy.

  “Come on, he’ll be fine,” Lucy begs me as I bend down to check for his pulse. I sigh, relieved, as the sensation of blood pumping through his veins passes my fingers.

  “Pietro.”

  “Okay, okay,” I mutter, getting to my feet. I grip her hand in mine.

  “There’s two more guys at least,” Lucy whispers, her voice stricken with fear.

  “Do you trust me, Luce?” I ask, looking her in the eye. She nods. “Then come on.”

  Taking a deep breath, she springs into step beside me. We quietly bound up the stairs, until we reach the door. With my hand on the knob I slowly turn, my heart racing. Even though I know I have Benito on my side, I have no way of knowing when his friend will be back. We have one shot at this, and I can’t risk fucking it up.

  Near the side door, freedom is eminent. I breathe a sigh of relief.

  Giovanni appears out of nowhere.

  “Lucia,” he gasps, wrapping his arms around her. “I was so scared I’d lost you.” “What the hell is this?” he growls, turning his attention to me. “You turn your phone off and come here alone? You both could’ve been killed. Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because I was told to come alone,” I reply, my voice calm. “If I had showed up with you they probably would’ve killed her.”

  “That wasn’t your decision to make, Pietro,” he fires back. “Who is behind all of this? Who contacted you? Hurry—go—take Lucia home and do not leave her side.”

  “What are you going to do?” I ask. But I already know the answer. I shake my head and put my hand on his chest. “Please, Giovanni, just let this go. She’s back and she’s safe. No good can come from you bursting in there and threatening them.”

  Giovanni calmly removes my hand. His eyes narrow, meeting mine. I shiver at how cold his expression is.

  “Take Lucia home. Now.”

  I grab hold of Lucy and guide her outside. She resists, pulling away from me.

  “You can’t leave him here,” Lucy says, her voice stricken. “We have to do something.”

  “You are not doing anything,” I mutter, steering her outside and toward the car. I unlock it and place my hands on her shoulders as she sits in the passenger seat, swinging her legs into the car. I walk around to the trunk and open it, retrieving a baseball bat I threw in there just in case. “Stay here, okay?” I hand her the bat. “I’ll be back in a second. Lock the doors and don’t open them for anyone.”

  She nods as I shut the door. I press the lock key, then I start for the side entrance again. Why the hell did he have to show up? I had this under control, and now all he’s doing is making everything a thousand times worse.

  Running a hand through my hair, I take a deep breath and make my way to where I last saw Benito. As I near the base of the stairs, I hear Giovanni’s voice. I move closer until he comes into view. I gasp when I see the gun he has aimed at Benito’s chest and Mark standing next to him.

  Benito’s eyes dart to meet mine, alerting Giovanni to someone else’s presence. He turns around, sighing when he sees me.

  “Can you not follow any direction, Pietro? You’re supposed to be looking after Lucy,” he growls, his face clouded with anger.

  “She wouldn’t leave with me knowing you were still in here,” I say through gritted teeth. “Just leave it, Giovanni. Take your daughter home.”

  “Do not tell me what to do,” he yells, turning his attention back to Benito. “You tell whoever the fuck it is that you’re working for if they touch my daughter again, there will be hell to pay. Got it?”

  “That would be me.”

  My blood freezes. I turn slightly and see the gun aimed at my head. I have no idea who this guy is, but he looks pissed. “Get over there with your little friends,” he orders me.

  I slowly make my way across the room to where Giovanni stands. This is bad. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Think, Pietro. Think. But it’s useless.

  “What is this about?” Giovanni asks in a loud, booming voice. Even when he’s clearly down he still somehow manages to sound menacing. “What the fuck has you so interested in my daughter, Andreas? Does Gambero know you’re here?”

  My breath catches in my throat at the sound of that name. Giovanni knows Gambero. Of course he does. Why would that surprise me? Slowly things begin to click into place. This Gambero must have something to do with my parents’ death. Lucca was getting close, so they took matters into their own hands and took Lucy and did God knows what to Lucca.

  What the fuck am I missing here?

  “The funny thing is, Giovanni, I had very little interest in you until you came bursting in here with your guns blazing.” He shakes his head. “You know how this works. If it doesn’t have anything to do with you, don’t get involved. How hard is that to follow? And of all people, why would you want to piss off Gambero?” he says, and laughs.

  Giovanni stares at him, a confused expression on his face. He opens his mouth to reply and I brace myself. He’s about to learn that this is all my fault. Any possible chance I had of him eventually accepting Lucy and me together will be gone after this, along with any hope I once had of him telling me what he knows about my parents’ death. I hang my head, defeated, and wait for Andreas to tell Giovanni everything.

  A sickening crack fills the air and I watch, shocked, as the guy falls to the ground. Out of the shadows behind him steps Lucy, clutching the baseball bat in her hands. She’s shaking. I race over and throw my arms around her.

  “Are you okay?” I ask, kissing her forehead. “What the hell are you doing in here?”

  “Saving your asses,” she replies, her voice shaky. “I saw him come back in and I had to make sure you weren’t in trouble. Is he dead?” she asks.

  “I don’t think so.” No sooner than the words leave my mouth, three gunshots ring out, all landing in his chest. I look up into the cold eyes of Giovanni, who now stands behind me. Lucy gasps, her grip on my hand tightening.

  “Lucia, come here.” Giovanni orders, his arms outstretched. “Check and make sure this place is secure.” He turns to glare at Benito. “How many of your men are here?”

  “Just Mario upstairs,” he says, his voice shaky. Giovanni nods at Mark, who disappears upstairs.

  “All clear up here,” Mark yells from upstairs. “We have one who is out cold. I’ve secured him for the moment and I’ve called Johnny and Philippe to come down and help,” he adds as he retreats down the stairs.

  “Good,
” Giovanni mumbles, motioning for Lucy to come closer to him. “Tell them I’ll give them a discount on their next package for their trouble.” His eyes narrow in on mine as she falls into his embrace. “Let’s get you home, bambina.” He nods for Mark to join him. “Can you clean up this mess?”

  Mark nods, his eyes darting from Benito, to the bullet-ridden dead guy on the ground, and finally to me. I let out a laugh. Am I the mess he’s referring to?

  I take a step closer to Lucy, but Giovanni stops me.

  “She’s been through a lot, Pietro. Give her a few days. Let me take her back home so she can recover.”

  I nod. It kills me to watch him take her, but I know he’s right. What she needs now more than anything is rest.

  “Luce. I love you,” I say, ignoring the burning gaze of Giovanni. “I’ll call you, okay?” She manages a small smile, then allows her father to lead her outside.

  —

  I leave Mark to “take care” of the mess and walk over to where Benito is sitting. He is crouched on the ground with his back up against the wall, and I can see he’s in shock. He looks up at me with wide eyes.

  “I swear I didn’t know who she was in the beginning,” he says, his voice cracking. “I was given a job, so I did it. When I realized, I tried to warn you that you were in over your head.”

  “I appreciate you risking your own life to try to warn me,” I say. “I’m just glad this is over.”

  Benito lets out a strangled laugh. “You think it’s over? It’s never over, Pietro. This won’t end until you stop looking. You think this ends with him?” he asks, jerking his head toward where Mark is disposing of the body. “Andreas is nothing compared to Gambero. You came close to losing everything tonight. Next time you might not be so lucky.”

  I back away, his words driving through me.

  He’s right. I was lucky tonight. Next time I might not be.