Stefano took a careful look around, up and down the streets. The overhead streetlamps had long since been shot out. No cop was going to be patrolling the street. Debris swirled in the gutters and rushed down the street in little eddies. Several men were gathered on various porches, talking, drinking, and in one case, shooting up with a needle.

He could hear them talking, and one of them said the name Nicoletta. He chose a shadow that would bring him close to the group of men he knew were members of the same gang the Gomez brothers were in. He recognized the big man sitting on the stairs, his hand wrapped around the neck of a bottle of whiskey, his eyes on the Gomez house.

“They’d better fucking bring her out soon, or I’m going in after her,” he snarled, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. “I told Diego to turn her over to me or the three of them are dead men.”

The man was Benito Valdez. He was all muscle and scars from the years he’d spent in and out of prison. A great brute of a man, he scared most people just by looking their way. Even in prison he’d remained the leader of the notorious gang, running it from his prison cell. No one crossed Benito Valdez and remained alive. He had four brothers who were just as brutal as he was.

It didn’t surprise Stefano that Nicoletta had caught Benito’s eye. Even at seventeen she was beautiful. Every single picture clearly showed her physical beauty, the full, lush curves of a woman rather than of a girl. Every report had included the word beautiful in front of girl. Evidently Benito had waited long enough, or he was worried the Gomez brothers would eventually kill her. There was no doubt that Benito wanted the girl for himself. It was no wonder he had a feeling of urgency.

Stefano rode the tube back to the Gomez house and studied the layout in front of him. He couldn’t rush, no matter the growing sense of apprehension. He slipped out of the tube into the shadowy depths between the two houses and used the burner phone. “In position.” His gut churned. Anxiety burned through his nerve endings, the sense of urgency increasing. For the first time, he had to take some deep breaths to restore his normal calm. The wait seemed as if minutes ticked by slowly while in reality it was no more than a few seconds.

“You have a go.”

He snapped the phone shut, knowing he would have entered the house to check on the girl even if the answer had gone the other way. There was no payment on this one. A favor in return, but no payment. The social worker had no money, but she was willing to provide information when needed to the family. Stefano knew the New York family probably would never need to collect, but it didn’t matter. The problem had been brought to them and they had taken it on, investigated and sent for riders out of Chicago. The family charged their criminal clients enough to compensate for all those they didn’t ask monetary pay from.

Stefano looked the shadows over and found one that ran up the front steps, beneath the door and into the house. There were lights on, but not a lot, not overheads, which meant there would be shadows inside the house. Movement caught his eye and he whirled to face the threat. Taviano stood just inside the shadows beside him.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Stefano didn’t know whether to be relieved or angry. No one went against his decisions, yet there was his younger brother.

“I had the same bad feeling, Stefano,” Taviano said. “It’s getting worse and there’s no ignoring it. Don’t worry. I covered my tracks. I’ll tell you about it back on the plane when we have this done.”

Stefano nodded. He wasn’t about to waste time arguing. He found he was grateful for Taviano’s presence. If his younger brother had the same bad feeling, something was definitely off.

Stefano had already chosen his tube and he stepped into the shadow, allowing it to carry him inside. Taviano rode the shadow next to the one he was riding. The moment they were in, he knew they might be too late. He heard voices. Three men, very distinct. Taunting. Amused. Cats playing with a mouse.

“Put it down, Nic. You wave that thing at me, I’ll cut your throat with it.” Low. Furious. Didn’t mean what he said, but capable of great violence. Stefano was certain that was the one called Diego. He had a reputation for enjoying his kills.

“Stay away from me.” A sob. Nicoletta sounded young and very scared.

“I told you, bitch, you don’t cooperate with Benito, he’ll sell you. You’ll end up living the rest of your life flat on your back, chained to a bed, fucked by every man sent up to you. Better Benito than that. You choose.” That voice rang with honesty. With authority. He was the leader of the three. That one had to be Cruz. Cruz knew if he didn’t turn over the girl to the leader, he was a dead man.