Hers to Love

by Talia Ellison

  “What about any footage from the Viteris’ area from the time Aaron was taken? Surely a camera picked them up somewhere. If we compare their possible route with the one they used when they took Tony...”

  “All the cameras in the Viteris’ area were conveniently down.”

  I threw my head back and let out a frustrated groan. “Then how are we going to find them? We can’t send Dad into a trap, and we can’t aimlessly walk around and hope we’ll stumble on a clue. Have you tried looking for the Ferlantes in this area? Or any strange new groups?”

  “It’s hard to get info from the other areas, but there are no Ferlantes in sight and no one reported seeing them. If they’re here, they aren’t wearing their usual markings on their clothes and are hiding their tattoos. They don’t move in groups either. And we just can’t monitor every single person who passes through this city.” Dylan leaned back in his chair, stretching out his arms, then returned to the keyboard. “I don’t know how Tony does this all the time. I feel like I’m losing my mind already.”

  “You’re doing great.” I gave his shoulder a little squeeze.

  “Am I? We haven’t found anything so far.” His voice hitched.

  “I know. If Oswald would show up somewhere...” My gaze flew to Marco. “Oswald was working for Roberto for a long time, and if he used to be with the Ferlantes and is with them now, then he has to be a spy, right? How did he manage to infiltrate Roberto’s ranks? Roberto was always screening everyone who came to work for him.”

  “I don’t know. The Ferlantes were just a small group back then. It wasn’t unusual for people to start in smaller gangs and then move up in the world. If everything else about Oswald was squeaky clean and he seemed to have cut all his contacts with the Ferlantes, he could’ve used the opportunity, lain low for years, and gained Roberto’s trust. I already gave his contact information and address to my father while you were looking through the images, but everything has already been emptied out and his phone number is no longer in use.”

  “Your father’s helping too?” I eyed him carefully, wondering if we could trust his father as much as we could trust him.

  “Yeah. He wants to find Aaron, and he doesn’t like what Oswald and the rest are doing. After Roberto died, my father retired, but he’s still able to access some parts of the Viteris’ systems since no one had time to change the codes.”

  “But if we can’t find Oswald and we can’t...” I bit down on my lip so hard I almost drew blood.

  “We’ll find him and your brother too.” He looked like he wanted to reach out for me but wasn’t sure if he should. I stepped forward and wound my arms around his neck, burying my face into his shoulder.

  “What if we don’t? What if we’re too late?” I sniffled.

  “We won’t be. If the Ferlantes want to lure out your father, they’ll have to keep your brother alive. And Aaron won’t break no matter what they do to him.”

  “I hope you’re right,” I mumbled as he rubbed circles on my back. I pulled away, wiping at the corners of my eyes.

  “Octavia,” Dylan said, his voice tense, and I spun around. “You have to see this.”

  “See what?” I went over to him and focused on a video that was playing on the screen. My heart fluttered in my chest, and I couldn’t breathe for a moment. Aaron was hanging from a hook in the middle of a dark room. There was a spotlight above him so the cuts on his bare chest that were dripping blood would be clearly visible.

  His jaw was marred with dark bruises, but there was a smile on his lips and he seemed to be saying something, though there was no sound. A figure with a black hood stepped forward and punched him in the stomach, and Aaron leaned his head into the crook of his arm, his chest moving up and down rapidly. The screen went dark. Someone swore, probably Lora. I’d forgotten she was even here.

  “Where did you get this?” Marco said, and I was glad he’d asked, because I was unable to form words.

  “Someone sent it from an anonymous source. It’s intended for Octavia. There’s a message too. It says that if Octavia wants to see Aaron alive, she has to come to an alley in the free zone in an hour.” Dylan clenched his teeth.

  “Can you find out who sent it or from where?” Lora asked.

  “Um, probably not,” Dylan said. “I could be wrong, but this looks like something Tony would know how to send.”

  “They cut off his finger and have done who knows what else to him,” Marco said. “It wouldn’t be surprising if he agreed to help them just to get them to stop.”

  I thought I was going to throw up. “Why would they want to meet with me?”

  “They claim you have something they need and they’re willing to negotiate for it.”

  “It’s a trap,” Lora said. “There isn’t anything they could need from you, is there? Aside from capturing you too and using you to get Aaron to do whatever they want. That might also be an attempt to use you against your father because everyone knows he went to great lengths to protect you and that you’re very important to him. If not for Tony, he might come for you.”

  “Why would they think that would work?” Marco asked. “We’re not stupid.”

  “It doesn’t cost them anything to try, and if Octavia is desperate enough to save Aaron and goes against her family’s wishes... I could see that plan working out just fine. Unfortunately for them, Octavia isn’t going anywhere. They can’t draw her out that easily.”

  “Can’t we use this against them somehow?” I asked, but my voice sounded distant to me. Come on, Octavia, pull yourself together. It wasn’t the first time the life of someone I loved was in danger. I should be used to it by now. They needed my brother and Aaron, and as long as they did, they wouldn’t kill them. Repeating that over and over again did nothing to fill the pit forming in my stomach. “If we send someone to that meeting spot and catch one of them...”

  “I’m sure they picked a good spot from which they’d see us coming,” Dylan said. “Actually, I can verify that. Let me just see if I can pull the image...” His voice trailed off as the sounds of typing filled the room. “They blocked the surveillance cameras, but I have the map and Street View app, and... yeah, they’d see us coming.”

  “They’d let me pass, but I can’t do anything.” I ground my teeth together. They’d kill both Aaron and me as soon as Aaron signed their deal, even though his signature wouldn’t be valid anyway since he was no longer the heir, and Sebastian... A frown creased my brow. “Wait. I think I have an idea.”

  “What idea? You don’t actually mean to go...” Dylan said.

  I shook my head. “It’s something else. Potentially very risky, but if we don’t come up with anything else...” The Ferlantes wouldn’t wait forever, and I didn’t know how long Aaron and my brother could hold on, and if Aaron’s mother showed up... No, we had to do something before the Ferlantes came up with a new plan to get what they wanted.

  “What do you suggest?” Lora asked.

  “I’m going to call Sebastian.”

  Chapter 14

  “You can’t tell him the truth,” Marco said as we strode toward the building where Sebastian was waiting for us. I’d called him and arranged a meeting, and taken a whole lot of protection and guards with me, just in case any of the Ferlantes were watching us. No one would use me against Aaron or my family.

  “Why not? He’s going to find out sooner or later, and if we wait and something happens to Aaron because of that, it won’t even matter who gets the Viteris’ inheritance.” I gave him a hard look. “Besides, I can always twist the truth a little if I need to.”

  “Aaron wouldn’t agree with it. I’m telling you, he’s not going to talk.”

  “You can’t know that. And what if they find out about it anyway? Who says no one can reach Roberto’s lawyers or whoever he contacted to change the damn thing? If the Ferlantes realize they no longer need Aaron, they’ll kill him. If Sebastian can help us get him back, he can have the damn Viteri business, houses, or whatever the fuck he wants.�
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  “Sebastian could be working with them,” Marco said. “If he tells them, Aaron’s dead.”

  “For all we know, he’s aware of Roberto’s will. He would’ve already done that if he was working with them, wouldn’t he? And if he loves my brother, he wouldn’t have let them hurt him.”

  “He doesn’t have to be working with them. Maybe he wants them to get rid of Aaron for him, so he’ll choose to do nothing instead or sabotage our rescue mission. Maybe the Ferlantes don’t want him to lead either but want everything for themselves. But Aaron being gone would be very convenient for him, especially if no one ends up blaming him for what happened.”

  “That’s why we won’t let him go anywhere alone, got it? You check him for weapons or any devices he might use to contact anyone and take it all away from him. That’s what you’re supposed to do anyway before our meeting.” I lowered my voice.

  “Wait. If he doesn’t agree, what are you going to do? Kidnap him?”

  “Take him with us somewhere safe. I already arranged with my brothers to take care of everything if Sebastian protests.” My brothers were supposed to be well hidden, and before I entered the room to meet with Sebastian, they would contact me to assure me Sebastian’s men had been taken care of. Not killed or anything, just held up a little. My brothers would be in place and ready to hit Sebastian with a tranquilizer. Of course, I hoped that wouldn’t be necessary. If my brothers didn’t message me or if they alerted me that something had gone wrong, I wouldn’t tell Sebastian anything and I had a special escape plan in place.

  “If you’re so sure about this...” Marco pursed his lips together.

  “Yes, I am, and you will do as I say. Now go.” I placed my hand on his back and steered him in the direction of the door where Sebastian was supposed to be, and I spotted one of Sebastian’s guards waiting for me. I glanced down at my phone and saw a confirmation message from my brothers.

  They’d found most of, or hopefully all, Sebastian’s men and made sure they wouldn’t be able to act against me or run to Sebastian’s aid. I stepped forward and the guard scanned me for weapons or any potentially dangerous devices, then deposited my phone in a plastic bag. When he let me inside, I made my way down the dark hallway and into a small room. Sebastian arrived a few minutes later and closed the door behind him.

  “I should warn you,” Sebastian said, leaning against the wall. “If my men back at my place don’t hear from me, they have full permission to attack your family.”

  “I came here to meet with you in peace and the first thing you say is a threat. Wonderful.” I grabbed one of the chairs, dragging it away from the desk, and slumped into it.

  “I’m simply stating a fact, nothing more,” Sebastian said calmly.

  “I assume you didn’t have any luck finding my brother.”

  Sebastian’s mouth tightened. “Neither did you. My nephew’s still missing too. You must have so many resources at your disposal, and I wonder if you’re doing enough to find them. I’ve been doing everything in my power, but I’m not sure that’s enough. My reach in this city is limited for now.”

  “We’re doing our best, trust me, but I need your help. The Ferlantes are behind the whole thing.”

  “The Ferlantes? They’re here?” Sebastian asked.

  “Yes, and they have Tony and Aaron. One of their spies was... or maybe still is... working for the Viteris. The Ferlantes want to take over both the Ferraras and Viteris by blackmailing the leaders into signing over their territories and assets to them. That’s why they took Tony. To get to my father. And Aaron...”

  “They expect Aaron to sign... He can’t do that!” Sebastian pushed himself off the wall, his eyes bulging. “He can’t hand over our family’s legacy to those fools. They’ll kill him anyway. We have to find him and Tony before it’s too late.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know.” I searched his eyes. He didn’t know about Roberto’s will, and it didn’t seem like he was working with the Ferlantes either. “But there might be a way for us to find them. I just need you to do something for me.”

  “Me? What could you possibly need from me that you don’t already have?” Sebastian crossed his arms. “If you plan to take my men and leave me without protection...”

  “The Ferlantes want to take everything, their spies are everywhere, and we can’t locate them that fast. What we need is to find Oswald. He took Aaron and he knows where he is, but we can’t track him down. That’s why we have to lure him out and get him to come to us.”

  “Lure him out how?” Sebastian’s eyes narrowed. “What do I have to do with that? Do you want to use me as bait? They have no reasons for wanting me. At least not before Aaron strikes a deal with them and I remain the only one who might try to challenge their rule.”

  “Well, yes and no. I have a special proposal for you.” The corners of my lips quirked up. “If you help me, you might get what you want.”

  “I’m listening.” He looked like he wasn’t sure whether he could trust me. It seemed that telling him anything other than the truth wouldn’t work. He wouldn’t agree to anything that didn’t benefit him, and faking Roberto’s will in some way probably wouldn’t fool him.

  “You’d have to go to the Viteris’ main residence and summon the highest ranked men. Oswald will have to come if he wants to find out what’s going on or if he still wants to keep his cover.”

  “Who’s that guy? The Ferlantes’ spy?”

  “Yes. He’s been with the Viteris for a long time and probably fooled everyone else into thinking he’s only trying to do what’s best for the Viteris.”

  “I don’t think he’ll come without a good reason and risk his life.”

  “He’ll have to. He kidnapped Aaron in your name. If that wasn’t your idea like you claimed last time I asked, then prove it. Tell everyone that Oswald tricked them.”

  “And put my life in danger? No, thanks. I’m not the heir. Aaron is. And I have my own plans, which I’m not about to share with you.”

  “You wouldn’t be putting your life in danger. If Aaron dies, you’re the only one who can continue the Viteri line. If they don’t want to be overtaken by others who’ll never let them rise in ranks because they used to work for the enemy—if they accept them at all—they need a Viteri in charge. And I bet they don’t know Oswald is the Ferlantes’ spy and isn’t working for the Viteris’ benefit. When they find out the truth, they’ll turn against Oswald and follow you.”

  Sebastian laughed. “If only it were that simple. How do you plan to find Tony and Aaron if I agree?”

  “Once you tell everyone Oswald’s a traitor, your family’s men or mine will capture him and make sure he doesn’t escape. We can question him. He’ll tell us where he took Aaron and where Tony is... They’re probably being kept in the same place. There aren’t many places where they can hide them for so long without anyone finding out or noticing.”

  Sebastian tilted his head. “Nice plan, but Roberto’s men have no reason to follow me right now. They might not want Aaron in charge, but if he returns, they’ll be seen as traitors. I presume only Oswald or a few of them attacked Aaron while the rest stood aside and let it happen, so by accepting my leadership without knowing for sure that Aaron’s dead, they would only get themselves deeper into trouble. They wouldn’t be able to deny that they supported me and betrayed Aaron in case my overtaking failed or something unforeseen happened. I can’t offer them proof of Aaron’s death or wait too long to convince them of that lie. And Oswald can contradict whatever I say or claim I tricked him or am conspiring with someone to protect myself. Maybe he’ll even say I was the one who handed Aaron to the Ferlantes, and then there will be a lot of empty talk. Unless of course, you have tangible proof of his betrayal and dealings with the Ferlantes. Without something else to persuade them to take my side, no one’s going to believe me over their friend who’s been with them for years.”

  “I’m sure Oswald will come up with a plan to explain away beforehand why you mig
ht act like you weren’t behind Aaron’s kidnapping. But all you have to do is convene a meeting saying you’re taking what’s rightfully yours, and they’ll all have to come, especially the Ferlantes’ spies, although I doubted there’s anyone other than Oswald. The Ferlantes need to be up to date with everything that’s going on so they can prevent you from ruining their plan. Oswald will probably think you won’t reveal too much about Aaron because his disappearance benefits you. If you talk too much, he’ll have to do damage control, and him not showing up would only raise suspicion. We’ll make sure no one leaves that house, and question Oswald and the others. But before you accuse Oswald of anything, you’ll officially become the leader of the Viteris.”

  “I can’t. Not without proof of Aaron’s death and...”

  “Yes, you can. Roberto changed his will at the last moment. He disowned Aaron. Everything’s yours.”

  Sebastian gaped at me. “You’re lying.”

  “I’m not. I’m sure you can see the will yourself. Aaron found out about it just before he was taken, but if you really want to be the leader, you’ll help me find Aaron and my brother. You want Tony back too, right? And once we extract the location from Oswald, we can attack together. The Ferlantes and their allies won’t stand a chance against both of us. They expect to divide us and leave us without our leadership, but we won’t let that happen.”

  Sebastian went over to an empty chair and took a seat. He really hadn’t known, and I wondered what he would do now. If he’d been only pretending to want Aaron back too, he could reveal his true intentions after seeing the will, or maybe even now.

  “This is all you’ve ever wanted, isn’t it? I just want Aaron and my brother back. You want the same, I suppose. Well, if you think Aaron’s a threat to you and prefer to let him die, you’ll have to deal with me. You don’t want that. Aaron and you can work out another deal once everyone’s safe. What do you say?”

  “I...” He seemed at a loss for words.

  “What? Don’t tell me you’re scared now. You planned to take over and now that the opportunity is in your grasp, you’re going to tuck your tail and run from responsibility?” I had a feeling he’d planned to observe for a while longer how things would unfold, and hadn’t intended to take over so soon, but it didn’t matter now. “Even if you’re afraid Aaron will be a threat once he’s back, you should know you’ll have enough protection with being the leader and all.”