Episode 11

"Dragon's secretary is your brother Luka, right?" Vincenzo asked, as he looked at the information that had arrived on his phone a few moments ago.

Elio looked at him, with a trace of confusion on his brow, but he nodded anyway. "Why? Did something happen to him?" He immediately stood up and walked towards his husband. Vincenzo, as quickly as he could, closed the email and turned off his cell phone.

"Nothing, I just wanted to know so I could do business with him," he lied.

"What kind of business?" However, Elio was too smart to believe those words. They had been together long enough to know that the expression on his face meant lies and trouble.

"Lately, we've had problems with the Russians, and I understand they have good dealings with the Bernocchis, I needed your help." Vincenzo approached Elio and hugged him by the waist, then kissed his neck and his lips. "Don't worry, everything is fine."

Elio said nothing, for the moment, he was going to leave things like that. However, that didn't mean he wasn't going to do some investigating of his own.

...----------------...

Vincenzo arrived at the luxurious bar that he knew Alessandro Bernocchi ran. Although the two had been left in a marked enmity, he was still worried about Luka.

Upon reaching the office, the guard opened the door for him and ushered him in. Inside, the two Bernocchis were sitting, facing each other. Both of them looked up at the imposing Vincenzo Di Marco and greeted him.

"I heard from Mike that Luka has disappeared, can you tell me what the fuck happened?" His voice was threatening and his gaze cold. "How the fuck did you let this happen, what am I supposed to tell my husband?"

"Calm down, coal! You don't come here to order us around," Leandro shouted, as he stood up.

"He's under your command, you imbecile! And you're not even doing anything to find him!" Vincenzo was furious. Leandro wasn't so calm either, he stood up, and went up to grab him by the neck, however, Alessandro stopped him.

"Calm down, the most important thing right now is Luka, not him," he said. He was the calmest of the three, although he was worried, he knew that fighting at that moment was not helping at all.

"Don't you even have any idea who it might be?" Vincenzo asked, after a minute of silence in which they held their intense, angry gazes.

"We have a vague idea." Leandro grabbed a folder from the wooden table and handed it to Vincenzo. "We had a mishap with them on our last delivery, however, everything was resolved, they have no reason to betray us like this," he stated. "I'm going to go talk to them."

"You're late, aren't you?" Vincenzo did not miss the opportunity to point out his incompetence.

"I'll go now. Brother, if anything happens, let me know immediately," he said, looking at Alessandro. He nodded.

Leandro went out, took out his cell phone and dialed the number he had saved, however, there was no answer at all. He made two more calls, until he finally got through to the other person. He took the passenger seat and the driver started to drive.

"What do you want?" He responded in an annoyed tone. Although the business went smoothly, they had not been in contact since. You could say they were on neutral terms.

"They kidnapped my secretary, you fucking bastards." Leandro was sure they were responsible, he didn't even doubt it.

"No, Dragon, I haven't kidnapped anyone. Don't make false accusations, or it could cost you dearly." Although his voice sounded convincing, Leandro couldn't trust his words. After all, they were both criminals and knew perfectly well that in this business, there was no such thing as guaranteed loyalty.

"You're the prime suspect, Geovanny, you're my direct competition, and you're probably looking for information from him. Tell me where the fuck he is and how much money you want, or the next time we see each other, you'll have a gun in your face."

The threats were real, however, the other person was unfazed.

"Think what you will, I have not kidnapped anyone," he stated confidently. "However, I do know someone who is interested in human trafficking."

"Meet me at the same place in half an hour. Remember to come alone and unarmed."

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" He said with a laugh.

"You mentioned it, dear cousin."

Leandro said nothing more and hung up. After giving orders to the driver, he looked at his cell phone screen again. He had taken several pictures of Luka, and at that moment, it was the only thing that could comfort him.

However, remembering Luka's smiling face as he hugged that bastard made his blood boil. However, this was not the time to be angry, the most important thing was to find his whereabouts.

"I will find you, Luka...

...----------------...

"Cousin, not so dear." Greeted, arrogantly, a young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

Geovanny Bernocchi was the heir to the Bernocchi group, a company dedicated to transporting cargo all over the world. His father had started trafficking in unique canvases everywhere, selling them at exorbitant prices on the black market. He still couldn't understand how anyone could pay so much for a hideous painting.

"Talk," he ordered, with an air of superiority. Geovanny smiled, arrogant. If anything characterized him, it was that never in his life had he lowered his head to anyone. Not even to his father. Of course, he was not willing to be overshadowed by Leandro.

"You asked for this meeting, you are the one who needs my help, you cannot make demands here, cousin." Geovanny leaned back on the front of his luxury car.

"Stop with your stupid games, just fucking talk! Luka's life is at stake..." He was desperate, for every minute he wasted with this idiot was one less chance of life for Luka.

"Alright, calm down. Remember, he who angers, loses." Geovanny curved his lips into a mocking smile and approached him, carrying an electronic tablet in his left hand, which he had picked up from the top of the sports car. "Here is the information you are looking for, but... nothing is free." Geovanny ran his right hand across Leandro's chest and down to his abdomen. "What are you willing to give?"

"I'm willing to shoot you in the head if you don't get your hand off me," Leandro threatened, grabbing his cousin's wrist tightly and pulling him away.

"You're no fun, that's why you're alone." Geovanny stepped away, handing him the tablet and grabbing his wrist with his other hand, if he had used any more force he would have surely broken his bone.

"Who are they?" Leandro ignored the comment and focused on the photographs displayed there.

"I don't know exactly where they're from, in fact, nobody does. However, we do know that they have members all over the world," he explained. "The ones who have entered Italy are from the Middle East, but their names, or nicknames, are still a mystery to me."

Leandro frowned and looked up. "Where do I find them?"

Geovanny shrugged. "I have a contact who tried to make a deal with them, but something happened there that made him back out."

"Send me the information."

"We are family, but I don't give anything away for free."

"How much do you want?" he questioned.

"It's not how much I want, it's who I want." A malicious smile formed on Geovanny's rosy lips. Leandro's eyes narrowed as he saw that evil look. Although Geovanny possessed the beautiful and peaceful appearance of a dove, he was, rather, a venomous serpent waiting to trap his prey, suffocate and swallow it whole.

"You will tell me," he said.

"Not now, I'll tell you when the time is right." He returned to his angelic face, turned around, and approached the car door. "We'll be in touch, cousin."

After getting in, he sped away from him. Leandro watched him disappear down the road and returned to the dark van. The driver, who had been attentive and on guard, was finally able to relax.

"Let's go."

...----------------...

Leandro entered the warehouse where Geovanny's contact had summoned him. The place was silent, only the sound of his footsteps against the dirty pavement could be heard.

"Leandro Bernocchi, I didn't think we'd see each other again, let alone in this situation."

Leandro turned his face towards that annoying voice. He closed his eyes, hoping it was a damn joke on the part of his annoying cousin. However, as soon as he opened his orbs, he was met with that mocking, disdainful face.

"Fabrizio Berti, how many years has it been?"

A huge grin spread across those yellowed teeth and that hideous face. Fabrizio walked, proud and overbearing, towards him. He was thin, with curly, tousled hair, an unkempt beard, drooping eyes, a pronounced chin and a hooked nose; he was undoubtedly ugly.

"It's good that you didn't forget my name or my face." Fabrizio approached him and the smell of cheap cigarettes filled his nostrils, however, what caused him the most disgust was the smell of garbage coming from him.

"Impossible to forget a face as horrible as yours," Leandro scoffed.

Fabrizio frowned, but after a few seconds, he let out a laugh. He didn't care about the mockery, after all, he was used to it.

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