*Bianca*
I held my breath before pushing the door open.
It’s been a couple of days since Leo’s capture and since then, I had taken charge. I made sure to include myself whenever the n started to talk strategy. I did everything I could to guide them, encouraging them to take extra precautions to fortify the compound and making sure my voice was heard.
I wanted to be involved when it ca ti to figure out how to rescue Leo.
It looked like tonight was going to be that night. A group of trusted mbers within Leo’s circle arrived and they took over the eting room on the far end of the compound.
I stood in the doorway and surveyed the room. There were about a dozen n gathered around the long table, including Darion and Taylor. They all raised their eyebrows in surprise when they saw .
“Good evening, Miss Bianca,” one said. “Did you need sothing?”
Instead of answering right away, I simply stepped into the room and shut the door behind . They all eyed as I took the last vacant chair at the end of the table. “I would like to attend this eting,” I said, raising my chin confidently.
The n glanced at each other with uncertainty, their faces lined with disapproval.
“I must ask that you remove yourself, Miss Bianca,” one said, standing from his seat and pinning with what could only be described as a stern look. “We are going to be discussing so unpleasant and dangerous content. It would be inappropriate for you to listen in. Our boss wouldn’t like-”
I stopped him there, putting a hand up to silence him. “I am going to have to disagree with you,” I said calmly, knowing that becoming emotional would only lower my validity. “As Leo’s future wife, I believe that it would be more than appropriate for to know what is going on.”
There was a beat of silence.
“I don’t know,” another guy said doubtfully.
“She shouldn’t be here,” another added. “This is going to be too much for her.”
“Be a good girl and wait outside,” another piped in.
I stood there calmly as they started to try and order to leave. I took my phone out of my pocket without a word and dialed a number before putting it on speaker.
“Bianca?” Alessandro’s voice ca through, sounding concerned. “What’s wrong? Have you heard anything about Leo yet?”
“Not yet, Al,” I said. “The eting to plan what to do next is about to start but I have been asked to leave. I was wondering if you shared the sentint that it would be inappropriate for to attend?”
“Not at all,” Al said at once, his voice hard. “In fact, I believe that you deserve to be there just as much as anyone else, possibly more. Anyone who says otherwise will answer to .”
I watched with satisfaction as the n began to fidget nervously at Alessandro’s words.
I smiled for the first ti in days. “Thank you, Al. I’ll be sure that the n are made aware of your opinion.”
“Call is an order, Miss Bianca,” he said graciously. “Have a good night and please do keep updated.”
“I will,” I promised. “You have a good night as well, Al. And thank you again.”
I pocketed my phone and t their gazes triumphantly. They muttered their agreents to let stay but they were more than a little reluctant to do so.
“Thank you all for coming,” Tony, one of Leo’s trusted n, said. He gestured around the room. “We need a plan of action now that the Angels are officially riding our asses.”
The others grunted in agreent. They might have feared the Angels but I could also tell that they were more than a little angered by the whole situation. It was a direct blow to their egos.
The guys tossed around so ideas for a while.
“We need to take what’s left of our territory and secure it,” one bellowed.
“Perhaps we should get the fuck out of here and go to Italy,” said another.
They went on for several minutes and I just sat there quietly, waiting for soone to bring up Leo and what to do about the fact that he was currently at the rcy of their rival gang but no one even uttered his na.
“Boss knew the risks,” soone else said, causing my ears to perk up. “He would want us to carry on and take what we can for the operation.”
I felt my temper flare and I stood suddenly from my seat, causing all eyes to turn to . I slamd my hands down on the wooden table in front of . “How can you all talk about abandoning your leader?” I yelled at them, trying to keep my voice from trembling with rage. “He would never do that to any of you!”
They were quiet as they stared at . Many of them averting their eyes almost in a guilty way.
“It is far too risky to go after him,” Tony said. “We’ve already lost several n during the attack. We cannot chance losing anymore. We need to move on and rebuild ourselves.”
“Leo would have said any one of you would be worth the risk,” I spat before I stomped out of the room. I might have looked like a temperantal child doing so but I didn’t care.
“Bianca!” Taylor protested but I ignored him. He didn’t stand up for Leo either and while I knew I couldn’t really bla him given his position, I still wasn’t going to encourage this though.
I bit my lip hard, willing myself not to cry as I tore up the stairs and pushed the door open to Leo’s office.
I stood in the doorway for a long mont, just looking over the space, at the desk piled with papers and at the books pushed aside. It hurt to be in a space that so deeply embodied Leo but I straightened and reminded myself that he wasn’t gone and that I was going to get him back.
I moved further into Leo’s office, deciding that I would need to get into his headspace if I wanted any chance of saving him. He knew the Angels well and how they thought. He must have so information on them in here sowhere.
That was sothing great about Leo. He was always willing to learn and to research things when he was uncertain. It’s part of what made him a great leader. He was humble where it counted and it led to him being able to solve problems.
It took a while but I was finally able to find a couple of folders with notes on the Angels, including so subtle observations Leo made during so etings with them. He was wise to take note of everything they said. It would serve him later.
Hopefully it served him now.
A couple hours later, I burst through the doors of the eting room.
The guys stared at in bewildernt but I ignored their look and went right up to the front of the table, laying out my notes. “We need to take the offensive while making it look like we are taking the defensive.”
Taylor looked at with raised eyebrows. “What do you an?”
I started to explain my thinking in a rushed voice, growing more excited with each word. “The Angels clearly want sothing,” I said. “We can use it as leverage and put pressure on them. They seem to be obsessed with territory and it’s because they know that they are vulnerable. It’s why they are only appeased when given more land.”
This might have seed like such an obvious thing because many gangs desire the sa thing. More territory ant more power. This seed to be sothing that the Angels focused on even more so than most however. It was to the point where it was obsessive, which made them easier to control.
“Territory is sothing that we have more than they do,” Darion pointed out, his eyes widening as he realized that we did have sothing over them.
Taylor nodded, his eyes glinting as an idea struck him. “We can make them feel even more vulnerable,” he said darkly, an evil grin flitting across his face. “We just have to make them believe they are outnumbered now. We can use the guys we have on the inside of the police station to make them second guess themselves.”
“We’ll send them backtracking,” Darion said with a nod, grinning too at the thought.
The rest of the guys were listening eagerly, seeming on board with the idea now that a plan was underway.
“We’ll use the connections that Alessandro has to plant ssages,” I said decisively. “Taylor’s plan is brilliant. We will make them think there are more of us than there are. It’ll give them pause enough for us to catch them off guard to save Leo.”
I didn’t expect the cheers that erupted and I felt relief go through that they were all onboard.
We were going to rescue Leo!
I spent the next few days in Leo’s office, going through all of his notes. It took a while but I was able to find all of the docunts he had collected on the Angels. Among the papers was information on all of the places the Angels have occupied, as far as Leo was able to find anyway.
Leo had to be in one of these hidden locations. It was just a matter of figuring out which one.
A soft knock sounded on the door but I didn’t turn, even when I heard Taylor enter. “It’s getting late, Bianca,” he said. “Have you eaten today?”
I waved him off, staring down at the forms. “It doesn’t make any sense,” I told him. “There just hasn’t been enough activity around the old warehouse that they are claiming to be their headquarters.”
Taylor ca to stand beside , looking down at the papers with . “Maybe they have plans to move their headquarters?” he offered. He set a hand on my shoulder. “Anyway, I ca in here to scold you about eating and resting but also because your plan is working! The Angels are retreating deeper into their territory. We’ve successfully freaked them out!”
I looked up at him. “Where in their territory are they retreating?” I asked, pointing at a large map I had laid out on the table.”
“Just behind this bridge,” he said. “Although, a handful of them have been spotted on this side of Founder.”
My eyes narrowed as I looked at the street he had indicated. I looked at a smaller map that Leo marked up. He had circled a building, noting it as one of their earlier hideouts that appear to be abandoned now.
“This is where they are keeping Leo,” I told Taylor with certainty. “At the old, abandoned steel factory.”
“I still think I should be going with you,” I said through my teeth.
Taylor looked over from where he was strapping a small dagger to his belt. “You’re pregnant,” he said slowly, as if I had forgotten that fact.
“You’ll just get in the way anyway,” Darion said as he pocketed a handgun. He smirked at . “Just be a good girl and wait here.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. This was completely unfair even if I understood why I had to say. It didn’t an I had to be happy about it.
“We’ll be back with Leo, Bianca,” Taylor said as he and Darion turned to go. “I promise.”
I sucked in a breath and nodded, praying that Leo would be alright when they did.
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