Chapter 44: Chapter 44

Mason’s eyes shifted from the surveillance footage flickering on the conference room screen to Enrico as he entered. The moment their gazes locked, a new wave of annoyance rippled through him. Enrico’s expression was almost stoic, but Mason could sense the uncertainty behind it—guilt, desperation, that a twinge that matched Amelia’s. His jaw clenched as he turned back to the screen, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Enrico let the door click shut behind him, his footsteps deliberately slow as he made his way to the top of the table on Mason’s left side. Without a word, he sat down, the leather of the chair creaking under his weight.

“You asked to speak with me?” Enrico’s voice was a low murmur of uncertainty.

Mason didn’t look at him. “Joe is coming for you because the woman you killed in one of your spectacles was his sister. I need to know who she was so I can know who he is.”

Enrico straightened in his seat, the colour draining from his face as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “He’s Gabrielle’s brother?” he muttered, almost to himself. “Are you sure? Last I heard, he died while on active duty.”

Mason’s gaze snapped back to him. “Did you really just ask me if I’m sure?” He took a breath. “Being on active duty means he was in the armed forces, which explains a few things. But now he’s here, alive and hunting you. These are the ripples I’ve talked about, Enrico. The kind we make sure don’t come back to bite us in the ass!”

He pulled out his phone, dialling Donni with a deliberate slowness. It wasn’t just about speaking to Donni—he needed to hear Elnora’s voice, needed to ground himself in something other than the growing chaos around him. It was odd that Donni hadn’t checked in yet. They should have already arrived at his private villa: it shouldn’t take so long to get there. The truth about Elnora’s father was eating him alive at the back of his mind, and he hadn’t yet figured out how to deliver the news. If Elnora knew her father had been killed by Amelia, how would she react? Would she stay, or would she walk away from him, from everything they’d started to build?

When Donni didn’t answer, he exhaled his irritation before redialling, his gaze flicking to Enrico as he did. “Stay out of this, Enrico. All you have managed to do by showing up is make matters worse!”

“What happened with Gabrielle was an accident, Leo. I’ve known Joe for a long time. Let me explain it to him.”

Mason set his phone down with a thud and turned to face his brother fully for the first time since he’d entered the room. His eyes narrowed dangerously. “You’re either a complete moron or a delusional one. Which is it?” he asked. “The man blames you for his sister’s death. In his mind, you should have been locked up for vehicular manslaughter or worse, but you weren’t because your family operates above the law. He’s spent years planting himself in your ex’s life just to draw you out—and you think a heart-to-heart will fix this?”

Enrico raked his fingers through his hair, frustration etched in every line of his face as he leaned back in his chair. “Now that I’m out of hiding, I’ll be able to face trial, like Joe wants.”

Mason let out a harsh laugh, the sound devoid of humour. “There’s no Enrico De Lauro any more. Guilty as you are, you’ll never get a fair trial for the crimes you committed. The world thinks you’re dead, and even if they didn’t, justice isn’t something people like us can count on. This is far beyond anything a court could handle. Since you’re choosing to play stupid with this. What Joe wants is you dead and unless you intend to take a bullet to fix things, shut the hell up.”

After a brief knock, Mateo and Luca entered the room. Mason’s eyes flicked to the tablet Mateo always carried, the damn thing almost fused to his hand like an extra limb. He hissed through clenched teeth and waved his lieutenants forward.

“We deployed the Merc crews, boss. All their bases have been hit,” Luca reported with a tone that made him think he was hiding something. “Eden is secure and the repairs are being done. Also, Lorraine is on the line for you.”

Lorraine could wait. He was more concerned about the radio silence from Donni. His calls had gone unanswered for too long, and the pit in his stomach was growing.

“Boss,” Mateo called, his voice dropping to a near-whisper as if he knew what he was about to say would light a fuse, “We’ve got an incoming call request from Signoria. It’s an encrypted video call that says Joe would like to speak with Enrico.”

Mason noticed how Enrico tensed at the news. Elnora wouldn’t be patching in a call from Joe unless she was with him and that somehow explained why he couldn’t reach Donni. He felt his heart pound in his chest as he grabbed his phone, dialling Donni again. He was worried about El’s safety alright, but he also worried for Donni. He was his oldest friend, if they understood what friendship meant, and the only reason Donni wouldn’t fight back would be because of El. His muscles tightened as Donni didn’t pick up yet again.

“We’ve been trying to reach Donni for over thirty minutes, boss. No response,” Luca added.

“Joe has Elnora?” Enrico shouted as he shot to his feet, slamming his fists on the table.

Mason snapped his fingers at Mateo, a sharp, angry motion that made both lieutenants instinctively step back. “Patch the call through.”

Mateo quickly turned to the screen, his fingers flying over the controls. The idea of Joe having Elnora, of Donni possibly being compromised, made Mason’s blood boil. Donni wouldn’t have let Elnora get taken unless something had gone terribly wrong. And now, Mason couldn’t shake the burning question of how Joe had tracked them down.

The screen flickered to life, revealing a young man with cold, bright grey eyes. When his gaze found Enrico, a twisted smile spread across his face.

“Enrico De Lauro, you look good for a dead man,” Joe drawled with malice. “Killed anyone else recently?”

“Where is El?” Enrico demanded, his voice trembling with rage.

Luca and Mateo edged further back toward the door, probably sensing both his and Enrico’s rage. Enrico stepped closer to the screen, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the edge of the table.

“Oh, she’s somewhere getting the same royal treatment you gave Marcy,” Joe sneered. “By the time I’m done, you won’t even recognize her.”

Mason’s jaw tightened. “Help me understand this, Joe. Are you trying to convince me that you care about Marcy’s well-being? Because the last time I checked, you framed her for your own crimes. What did you think would happen when it came time to settle the score? Did you really believe there wouldn’t be a price to pay?”

He paused, letting his words sink in. “You’re either a fool, or you have a nasty habit of not thinking things through. Considering you’ve taken Elnora, mistaking her for Enrico’s woman, and nabbed my top lieutenant—who would’ve already put a bullet between your eyes if it weren’t for her—it’s clear you’re the latter. You and Enrico share that in common.”

Joe’s eyes narrowed as he turned his attention to Mason. “And who the hell are you?”

“Do not concern your tiny brain with that. If you’ve called for a reason, get to it. Blaming him for what you caused is a waste of time, and I’ve got none to spare.” Mason sat up.

Joe’s lips twisted into a sadistic grin. “I want nothing from him now. I have his woman. He’ll do anything I want.”

“Then this call is pointless,” Mason snapped, signalling Mateo to end the call.

“Do that, and I’ll deliver his precious Elnora to him, piece by fucking piece,” Joe’s voice dripped with venom, his pupils dilating with psychotic glee.

Mason’s jaw clenched, every muscle in his body coiled tight. He was dealing with a madman, and he hated it, because he’d have to become one to put the mad dog in his place.

Enrico’s gaze darted to Mason, his eyes narrowing in alarm as Joe’s threats rang out. But Mason didn’t flinch, didn’t even glance at his brother’s growing agitation. Instead, he kept his focus locked on the screen, his mind wondering one thing. How the hell had Joe intercepted Donni? No one else knew where they were headed.

Taking a deep breath, Mason stood up and stepped closer to the screen. Joe’s smug face stared back at him, and the audacity of the little fly daring to threaten El’s safety ignited a deep, simmering rage. Every word, every breath Joe took was another reminder of the chaos Enrico had brought into their lives.

“Let’s get something straight,” Mason began, his voice a low, controlled growl. “Enrico had nothing to do with Marcy. In fact he has no power here and whatever you want with him, I decide if it happens. But let’s not digress. The last thing you want to do in what’s left of your unfortunately very short life is make the mistake of threatening me. Do not make that mistake again.”

Joe’s laugh was a jagged edge against Mason’s nerves, but he refused to show it. The rat dared to interrupt, opening his mouth to speak, but Mason’s patience snapped.

“Don’t you dare interrupt me, you little shit!” Mason’s roar filled the room, his fury slicing through the air. The composure he’d struggled to maintain slipped as he leaned closer to the screen, seething. “Now, tell me—what’s the point of this call?”

Joe’s eyes twitched, a sign of the madness that was all too clear now. How had Elnora and Marcy missed it? The crazy was right there, staring at them from the beginning, and now it had exploded, consuming everything in its path.

“At midnight,” Joe said, “Enrico turns himself over to my men. A life for a life. My sister deserves justice. Tonight, on top of the Spirestand Nest.”

Mason leaned back, arms crossed over his chest, studying Joe with a cold, calculated gaze.

“Here’s how this is going to work,” Mason said. “Mateo and Luca will pick you up at midnight. They will also take El and my men off your hands. Since this mess is between you and Enrico, you will both get the chance to settle it tonight, alone. This is the end of your pathetic vendetta.”

Joe’s face twisted with fury. “You don’t tell me what to do! His life for his woman’s—”

A soft chuckle escaped Mason, but there was nothing amused about it. He scratched his brow, considering the man on the screen, every muscle in his body coiled tight. Joe was pushing his luck, and Mason was on the edge of losing the last shred of his composure.

Mason’s sneer curled into a dark, a predator’s smile. “Oh, ~stupida stronza~,” he hissed. “You hide behind a screen to run your mouth. Pathetic. We’re right here at the Garden of Eden, wide open. If it’s Enrico you want, come and get him. No one’s stopping you, boy.”

For a split second, Joe’s confident facade cracked. Mason saw it—the flash of uncertainty, the fear behind the bravado. It was a fleeting, but it was enough to confirm what he already knew: Joe was gutless.

Mason leaned closer to the screen, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. “I thought you were smarter than this,” he continued. “But you’re just an opportunist, riding on the coattails of luck. And that luck ran out the moment you laid a finger on my woman.”

He let the news sink in, so Joe understood the gravity of his error. “You want Enrico? Fine. They’ll meet you at Spirestand Nest at midnight. And you’d better pray—pray—that Elnora is unharmed. Because if she’s not, death will be a mercy compared to what I’ll do to you.”

Mason’s voice dropped to a growl, the kind that promised agony beyond imagination. “Mateo, get this fool off my screen,” he ordered, his tone final, as if Joe was already dead in his mind.

Without waiting, Mason walked out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him. His chest ached with the fury that threatened to tear him apart. All he wanted was to rip Joe’s head off, to crush the life out of him with his bare hands and bash his head in with his boot.

Facing Mateo, Luca, and Enrico as they joined him, Mason’s eyes burned. “Luca, get Antonio, the soldiers, and a few close associates. We’re moving out. Joe and this nonsense with Enrico end tonight.”

Luca nodded and left, his footsteps quick as he hurried towards the stairs.

He turned to Mateo. “Find Joe. He was stupid enough to let Elnora patch that call, that means she left traces. Track them, pin down his location, and block off any escape routes.”

As he spoke, Mason’s eyes remained locked on Enrico, simmering with a fury that barely kept itself in check. He watched his brother, waiting for him to speak.

Enrico’s jaw tightened. “You know I didn’t want any of this to happen, Leo. Just tell me what you need me to do.”

His teeth clenched so hard it hurt. “Oh, you’re riding with me on this one. You don’t get to sit this out. This is the last time you screw up and drag anyone else into your mess. And hear me, Enrico—if there’s even a scratch on Elnora when I get her back, I’ll carve out your heart myself.”

Enrico gave a curt nod, as if he’d pieced it together himself, though Mason knew better. Without a word, Mason stormed toward the stairs, his mind working. How had Joe managed to track Donni? How had he known precisely when and where to intercept Elnora and Marcy?

Halfway down the stairs, Mason froze, a cold realization crashing over him. Marcy. He’d overlooked something so painfully obvious. Marcy was one of Elias’ projects, and that meant she carried one of those state-of-the-art trackers the German billionaire implanted in all his “investments.” And where there was a tracker, there was a handler—a ghost in the machine, keeping tabs on her every move.

How had it completely skipped his mind? Did Elnora know? He doubted it. There were no direct links, no breadcrumbs leading back to Elias’ network, which was the whole point. The handlers were invisible chains, binding the women to their fate, unseen but ever-present.

But Joe—how could he have known? Unless… Unless Elias was in on it, pulling strings from the shadows, using Marcy as a pawn exactly as he used all his ‘projects’. It was just the kind of twisted scheme that maniac would orchestrate.

Marcy, the unwitting Trojan horse, had become a tool of chaos. Whether she intended it or not, her very existence had brought trouble crashing down on all of them. The thought boiled Mason’s blood. He wanted her as far away from Elnora as possible. She was a liability, a ticking time bomb, and he couldn’t afford to let her drag Elnora down with