Mafia's Redemption: Terzo - Chapter 49: Chapter 49

DANI
“Like you, you mean. You’d take a bullet for him, but from what I am seeing, you just sold him out.”
No matter how mad I was at Katie right now, she was right. She made a lot of sense. I should have picked a side, or maybe I already did but hadn’t realized it yet. I was here with Terzo because I was on his side. Right now, I have to prove that all his sacrifices will not go in vain.
“Girl, I’m the very least of your worries. I know Terzo will never be mine, and there’s no us.” She chuckled. She found it funny when her friend was in FBI custody. “Yes, we slept together, or call it friends with benefits, but that’s it. When we work together, we’re thick as thieves. Relationships? Nah. He’s more of a best friend to me than a boyfriend. He’s not even boyfriend material. And it would never work out between us. Don’t get me wrong, he’s good in bed, but I know he has a calling, it’s to run the family business. And I can’t be involved in another mafia. I ran away from one, not joining another.”
“What? You were?” That was quite a revelation. I wasn’t even bothered by their sexual relationship. Okay, I was bothered, really bothered. But I was over and done with jealousy. She was his past, and I was his present.
Terzo assured me that nothing was going on between them, and I trusted his words. I was jealous and maybe insecure because, damn, she was gorgeous, tall, and strong. They would be a perfect couple.
“Terzo gave me another chance, a new identity. And I’m grateful for that. I would have accepted jail time, but I know I can still help him when I’m outside.”
“While you two are sorting out your issues, I tried calling his handle, but it was out of service,” Linden said, which almost broke me down.
I wanted to cry, but I had to be strong. My heart was sinking. I turned around when my chin started to tremble.
This happened because I let it. I forced the idea of fixing both families to be on the same side when it was impossible.
I gathered all the last strength I had left and faced them. “What do we do now? Maybe you can talk with the higher authority to get Terzo out? Should I inform his sister?”
“No,” Katie and Linden said in unison.
“Fuck, Siciliano.” Linden scrolled on his phone. “I love that guy. He did things for me than I did for him. I owe him that much. I’m calling someone I know she can’t say no to me. She got her promotion because of my help.”
I nodded with the hope that someone would pick up from the other line.
“I’m sorry,” Katie said. “They monitored every move I made. I wish I had done something to warn him.”
“He’ll be out soon. I know he will.”
Katie smiled gratefully.
“Fuck the system, Grace. I know you’re in that position to do something. You can do a simple favor. His handler is not picking up. Where’s Kelsey Adams?” Linden put his phone on speaker.
“You shouldn’t even know that name?” the woman responded.
“Oh, really? Try me. I’m not threatening you, but call it whatever you want. If you won’t do something for one of your officers, I’ll release a list of their names on active duty to the mafia. How about that?” Officers?
“Fuck you, Linden. He’s supposed to be dead. Why can’t he stay dead?”
“I love you, too.” He hung up the call and grinned. “That’s how you do the job, girls.”
“I can hug you right now, but it can wait.” I smiled. Katie smiled too.
A few minutes later, Linden received a text.
“Let’s go. We got the address where they’re holding Terzo.” He grabbed his coat and opened the door for us.
We stuffed it in his personal car while two SUVs followed us.
“When we get there, just stay in the vehicle and let me and Grace do the job, okay?”
“I’m fine with it as long as Terzo is released.”
“Hey,” Linden called. “He’s gonna be fine. I’ve been there, done that. I met Grace when I tried to rescue a brother of mine from the Russian mafia.”
“Ilya?”
“Yes. Families are complicated. They sort it out in the end. What I’m trying to say is, he’d done so much for the agency. I’m sure there’s a chance to wipe his name clean.”
We arrived at the location later on. Another black sedan parked, then a black woman walked out carrying a docu bag and met Linden.
I tried to listen to their conversation, but it was too quiet. I heard nothing but hush-hush. The only thing I could make out was ‘he should have just stayed dead’. They exchanged arguments. I could see the tensions of both bodies. The woman, Grace, was so furious, but rolled her eyes at Linden in the end, and I thought I just saw her smile.
They walked together to a building until I lost them in sight.
I checked my phone for calls or texts. Nothing came from Terzo. He was indeed arrested.
“You’re worried about him.”
I lifted my gaze to Katie. “Aren’t you? What did the FBI offer to you?”
“No jail time. No arrest records.”
“Good for you.” I stuffed my phone back in my bag, but it vibrated.
When I checked who called me, it was my roommate. I declined her call. Katie noticed what I did.
“Friends stab friends.”
She seemed to understand. “I lost my parents at a young age. They were killed in a crossfire between rival gangs. I became an orphan, obviously. I got adopted by a good couple. I went to college then I met this guy. His charming, handsome, but I knew he was a bad news, so I ignored him, and it pissed him off. When I came home, he was there with a gun pointed at my adoptive mother while his man was at my adoptive father. I told him to let them go, and I would go with him. He sold to the mafia.”
I sucked in an audible breath and stared at her in horror. “Oh, my God. I’m so sorry.”
I didn’t know how I gripped her hand so fast, and yet here I was, envying her for caring about Terzo.
“He wanted to join the mafia, so he had to prove himself. I let his boss use me, do what pleased him, until Terzo arrived as Dmytro Fedir. He instantly knew I wasn’t there on purpose.”
“Glad you got out, Katie.”
My eyes widened as I looked outside the window. Terzo was walking out with Grace and Linden. Before they got close, I was already jumping out of the car, running my way, and throwing myself at him.
He gasped in shock. “Dani.” He tightly wrapped his arms around me and kissed my head. “Hey. I take it your research didn’t go well.”
“I was so worried about you.” My voice cracked, but I forced my tears back.
“Guys, you can continue it somewhere more private,” Linden said.
On our way back to Osmium, Terzo didn’t let me go. Katie rode with Grace. I wondered what they talked about, though.
“Thanks, man.”
Linden smiled meaningfully. “I can’t let you rot in jail and become Don Terzo with a bunch of losers in your wake.”
Terzo chuckled. “If I get out, and I will get out, I will come for you first.”
“No doubt.” Linden stole a glance at me. “You found a good woman who would risk her life for you.”
“It’s the other way around, Linden,” he told him instead.
Once we made it back to the Osmium, Grace turned into a boss mode. “What were you thinking, Siciliano? You could have stayed dead, and you can do whatever you want? Now I have to answer thousands of questions on why one of our dead agents just got arrested with Humphries. Do you know how pain in the ass you are?” Her gaze landed on me. “Make sure she doesn’t talk.”
“I won’t. I swear.” I raised my hand. “And thank you, ma’am.”
She eyed me for a moment and raised an eyebrow. “Why were you searching for Medea?” Well, shit.
I swallowed hard. “Personal project. What’s Medea?”
“Stop digging into something you don’t understand.”
“Now, I’m even more curious.” I shut my mouth when Grace glared. Damn, she was intimidating.
She looked at Terzo. “Siciliano, a moment alone, please?”
Am I in trouble?