Chapter 4 - Callum’s Sister

“Her name is Elena.”
Callum stood beside the penthouse windows.
“My younger sister.”
Sadie had never heard him mention family except Victor.
“How old?”
“Thirty-one.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
Sadie’s stomach dropped.
Callum showed her his phone.
Elena had missed three calls.
That never happened.
Marco entered.
“We checked her condo.”
Callum turned.
“And?”
“Door open. Security guard unconscious, but alive. Elena’s gone.”
Callum became very still.
Sadie had learned that was when he was most dangerous.
Marco continued.
“There’s something else.”
He placed a small object on the desk.
A silver pin.
Russo family crest.
“Nolan?” Callum asked.
“Probably.”
Sadie shook her head.
“No.”
Both men looked at her.
“What?” Callum asked.
“Nolan wore one tonight.”
“So?”
“It was gold.”
Marco frowned.
Callum understood first.
“Different rank.”
Sadie nodded.
“You told me Nolan works under Victor. If the person at Elena’s condo wore silver…”
“Someone else is involved.”
Marco’s phone rang.
He answered.
Then his expression hardened.
“We found Nolan.”
Callum turned.
“Where?”
“Outside the Fulton warehouse.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
Twenty minutes later, Nolan Price sat in a chair inside a private office owned by the Russo family.
No weapons were visible.
None were necessary.
Callum stood across from him.
Sadie remained behind the glass in the adjacent room.
Callum had ordered her to stay at the penthouse.
She had ignored him.
Nolan looked nervous.
“Mr. Russo, I can explain.”
“Start with Sadie.”
Nolan swallowed.
“Victor told me to scare her.”
“You injured her.”
“She fought back.”
Callum stepped closer.
Nolan immediately corrected himself.
“I shouldn’t have touched her.”
“No.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Tell her.”
Nolan glanced toward the mirrored glass.
“You brought her?”
Callum’s expression told him he had asked the wrong question.
“Why did Victor want the Caravaggio declared fake?”
“I don’t know.”
“Wrong.”
“I swear.”
Callum leaned against the desk.
“Where is Elena?”
Nolan blinked.
“What?”
“My sister.”
“I don’t know anything about your sister.”
Callum watched him.
Sadie watched too.
Nolan wasn’t lying.
She pressed the intercom.
“Ask about the silver pin.”
Callum’s eyes shifted toward the glass.
Then back.
“Who wears silver?”
Nolan’s face changed.
There.
Fear.
Callum saw it.
“Answer.”
“Your father’s old crew.”
Callum went silent.
His father had been dead for six years.
Most of his men had either retired or sworn loyalty to Callum.
Most.
“Names.”
Nolan shook his head.
“They’ll kill me.”
Callum leaned forward.
“They already left you outside an empty warehouse.”
Nolan’s breathing changed.
“They wanted you to blame Victor.”
“Who?”
“I only know one name.”
“Give it to me.”
Nolan whispered it.
“Anthony Russo.”
Callum stepped back.
Sadie had heard the name before.
“Your uncle?” she asked later.
Callum nodded.
“My father’s brother.”
“I thought he retired.”
“So did everyone.”
Marco approached.
“Boss, we found Victor.”
“Where?”
“He’s downstairs.”
Callum frowned.
“Downstairs?”
“He walked in voluntarily.”
Minutes later, Victor Russo entered.
Callum’s cousin looked furious.
“What the hell is happening?”
Callum tossed the manifest onto the table.
Victor stared at it.
“Where did you get this?”
“You tell me.”
Victor looked toward Sadie.
Then Nolan.
Understanding spread across his face.
“Oh, you idiots.”
Callum’s eyes narrowed.
Victor picked up the manifest.
“This isn’t mine.”
“I know.”
“You do?”
“Now.”
Victor looked at Nolan.
“You attacked her?”
Nolan said nothing.
Victor cursed.
Then turned back to Callum.
“Anthony has been using my name for months.”
“Proof?”
Victor pulled out his phone.
“I have better.”
A photograph appeared.
Anthony Russo.
Standing beside the missing Bellini painting.
And beside him—
Elena.
Alive.
Sadie exhaled.
Callum didn’t.
Because Elena wasn’t restrained.
May you like
She was smiling.
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