Saving The Capo's Heir

Nine

Esmé

“What’s going on?” Javier asked as I walked behind the desk and sat down. I had so much energy and anxiety that I could run miles on miles right now and think about it. I haven’t run since before I got pregnant. Maybe running would take my mind off the stress and anxiety I have right now.

“Okay, I was talking to mom, and she was able to identify that a man that ‘seemed’ to be the boss had a tattoo on his neck of a raven.” I informed, leaning over the desk and placing my elbows on the edge as if this was a national secret. I mean, in a way, it was to me, at least. It was my daughter that we are trying to save here.

“I will run that through the tattoo database. Anything else?” He asked, concern flowing through his face.

“Do you think that we would be able to get anything from that?” I asked. I knew it was a long shot and that maybe it would be another dead end, but I was at the point where I would try anything.

He sighed a big breath and let it out slowly. “I am not sure, but you know that I will definitely try.”

“Did you ever run a background check on Ysabel?” I asked. I didn’t want to give in to what my mom was saying, but in this business, you tend not to trust people, and I was unsure how I felt about Ysabel. I must say she has never given me a reason not to trust her, but right now, I would rather be safe than sorry.

He scrunched up his nose, and his eyebrows wrinkled, “Why? I believe she had one done when she came on board.”

“Mom said that she has been spending too much time texting, it might be that she has a boyfriend or something like that, but I just want to make sure.”

He rubbed his jaw and sighed. “Okay, you’re the boss.” He went to stand up, and I stopped him.

“Javier, please tell me that you have found something. Anything. I need my daughter, and I am getting desperate here. I am about to go out there and start shooting at random people until I find her.” I held back the sob that was threatening to come out.

“So far, it is like I told you earlier. The only one that had an heir was Viktor. Iram had a clean slate, no women, no children. He didn’t have a family; they were all murdered.”

I rubbed my face, not believing what I was hearing. “So what the fūck am I supposed to do? Do I sit here, twiddle my fingers, and wait for this asš hole to make a mistake?” I slammed my hand on the desk and stood up, turning around and avoiding their gaze. I was trying to be strong, but with each passing second, I felt myself breaking.

“Capo, I assure you I am doing the best I can. The hospital floor is still closed off, and I send someone in each day to see if they might catch something that any of us missed in our initial investigation.” Javier’s voice was laced with worry and anger. He, too, had dark circles around his eyes. He, too, had not slept well in the past weeks and had been dealing with all of this day in and out.

My cellphone rang, an unknown caller. I usually do not accept unknown calls, so I did what I always did I declined the call and shoved my cell phone back into my pocket. My phone vibrated in my pocket; I rolled my eyes and pulled my cell phone out of my pocket. I unblock my phone and click on the green message icon, I see the blue dot next to the unread text message, and I click it. My lunch almost came back up, my heart accelerated, and my hands trembled.

“What happened?” Mason stood up, almost knocking down the chair. Javier mimicked his stance. My eyes averted to them.

“They texted me; they want a meet-up.” I slid the phone on the desk and looked over at Javier and Mason; both had their jaws ticking and fuming. The phone vibrated again on top of the desk, and all three of us looked at the phone. I gasped; it was a picture that showed a very battered and injured Thomas cradling a tiny Aaliyah in a queen-sized bed.

“Whoever this is,” I pointed to the cell phone on the desk. “I want them all dead. Javier, find out where the hell the signal is coming from.” I grabbed the cell phone from the desk and zoomed in on the picture, my tears flowing of their own accord. Thomas was so battered and bruised that I don’t understand how he is still alive. He is cradling Aaliyah like a father would protect their child. Javier left the office, no doubt heading to his lair and searching for the culprit.

“Who the hell is doing this? Why?” I sniffled as Mason took me in his embrace.

“We will find them.” He assured me, but as much as I wanted to believe those words, it was becoming harder and harder to accept them. Whoever the person is, is good at covering their tracks.

“Why do they want a meet now? It has been more than a week. They could have contacted you the day after the kidnapping.” I rambled as I pushed away from his embrace, walked around the desk, and left the office. Mason was hot on my heels in point five seconds.

Mason

I swear she was driving me crazy. I felt as if she was all over the place. Her mind was running a thousand miles per hour while I was still trying to catch up. I haven’t slept because I constantly worry about her. I feel as if she is a child and I am the parent. I was continually reminding her that she needed to eat or that she needed to drink enough liquids to keep the milk coming along. I read enough baby books to know that if she failed to eat, drink or rest enough, her milk would dry up and add stress to the mix. It’s a miracle she was able to produce what she is now.

“Esmé, where are you going?” I asked as I followed her out of the office and down the stairs to the first floor, taking a sharp right turn and heading straight to Javier’s office. She pulled the door open and stopped behind Javier, watching the ten screens plastered on the wall.

Javier didn’t even move a muscle. He knew the boss that he had, and I am sure he figured by now that she would end up here. I sighed because there was nothing I could do. I walked over to the extra chair on the corner of the office and brought it next to Javier.

“Sit.” I demanded, pointing to the chair; she looked at me, then turned her gaze toward the screens.

I took a step closer to her and then whispered. “I said to sit down. If not, I will sit you down. I don’t think you want your men to witness that do you?”

She gulped and then glared at me as she slowly made her way to the chair I had provided for her sitting down as I adamantly demanded. “I will be back. Do you want anything from the kitchen, Javier?” He shook his head, and I turned around to pull the door handle.

“I don’t want anything, honey.” Esmé chimed right before I left the office.

“Lucky for you, you don’t get to make that decision. I will be bringing you something to snack on. Stay there, Esmé.” I left the office and headed to the kitchen.

“How is she doing?” Debra asked while she cleaned the counter.

“I don’t even know. She is hogging Javier right now in the office. Do you have anything fast that she could snack on? I also need coffee.” I walked to the coffee machine as she walked to the fridge pulling it open and taking out ingredients to make her something. I was so glad that she was here.

“What are you going to make her?” I asked while I warmed up some milk and let the coffee brew.

“I am going to make her a quick panini. Do you want one?” She asked in a teasing tone.

“I don’t know why you even ask. That is an insult. You better be making me one.” I told her in a scolding manner, but she knew better than that. Shīt, I knew better than that; she raised her eyebrow and looked at me.

“I know you are not talking to me like that, Mason.” She warned as she began prepping the paninis.

I walked over to her, bringing her into a tight embrace. “You know I am kidding.” I kissed the top of her head and turned back around, grabbing the milk and the coffee and putting in some sugar. Ten minutes later, I am walking with a tray of food. Debra made her girl a panini and cut up some apples for her with a side of peanut butter. She also made a panini for Javier and sent passion fruit juice, and I had my panini and a second cup of coffee for me.

I pushed the door to the office as best as possible while holding a tray of food in one hand and entered. “Here you guys go.” I placed the tray on the desk, grabbed my panini and coffee, and began eating while standing behind Javier.

“Esmé, eat.” I glowered at her; she sighed and grabbed the panini.

“I can’t deal with you. I swear.” She rolled her eyes as she took a bite of her panini.

I smirked and walked over to her, crouching down so that what I was about to tell her was only between her and me. “Keep rolling your eyes like that, and I will take you across my knee.” She squeezed her thighs together and gulped down the piece of panini that was in her mouth.

“Yes! I got you, mother fūcker!” Javier yelled as Esmé, and I froze.