Ace

Chapter Twelve

I make sacrifices, you make lies up
- Chase Atlantic

~ Midas ~

I looked at the sight in front of me and felt my heart race. Jessica was sitting before my men and women in her seat, laughing away at something one of them said. For the first time she was down here before me, and it took not even five minutes for her to have everyone in this room wrapped around her finger. I ran my finger over my lips, trying to remember how hers felt pressed against mine.

"Capo!" Leo shouted, a smile on his face as I nodded my head and sat down. Jessica looked at me and her face turned a light shade of pink. The events from last night replayed in my head as I clenched my jaw and looked around at the table.

"Capo!" Matteo ran into the room, rushing towards me, causing me to lift my head with confusion.

"What is it? Spit it out." I looked at him, raising my eyebrow as he panted. His face was full of anger, shock, confusion, and so much more.

"They took Josie!" Matteo yelled, his face dropped as he panicked about the whereabouts of his sister. Jessica stood up, her chair flying back as she stared at Matteo. Her laughter suddenly stopped, the smile from her face dropped and her hands shook. I watched her, trying to read her body language but I couldn't.

"What are you not telling us?" Jessica asked, staring at Matteo who looked at her nervously and then at me.

"They want Jess, in return they will give back Josie." His eyes never left mine as he spoke, and I knew that he was waiting for me to say something. All eyes laid on me except for Jessica's. She stared at Matteo, so many emotions swarming in her eyes.

"Do it." She said, her voice cracking as she looked at me.

"What! Are you crazy!" I gritted, standing up from my chair. Everyone at the table looked between us, and I took a second to catch my breath. Matteo looked at me, and I knew that he didn't want to give Jess up, but he also didn't want his sister to suffer. I ran my fingers through my hair and looked around.

"Everyone is dismissed until further notice." I voiced before everyone stood up silently and walked out of the room. Matteo and Leo stood there, waiting for me to say something, anything.

"I- I need to go." Jess said, turning and booking it out of the room. I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose as I looked at my two closest men.

"My office. Now." They followed me as we walked through the house. I wanted to go check on Jessica but I didn't have time. We needed to get a head start and figure out what we were going to do about this.

"We could call Alexander. He owes us a favor." Matteo spoke quickly as they sat down across from my desk.

"Do you really think the Spanish want to get involved in some petty bullshit over a girl?" I spat, thinking about the first night when Jess rode my motorcycle towards me trying to get to safety. Her safety only brought us chaos. I looked down at her folder, and bit the inside of my cheek.

"Jessica Fields is mixed up in some deep shit, Capo." Leo reasoned, looking directly at the folder in my hands. I dropped the folder and closed my eyes, resting my hands on my head. We needed answers, I needed answers, and all I kept doing was getting more and more attached.

"What should we do?" I asked them, for the first time, not wanting my answer to be hypocritical.

"We track where Josie is, and see if we can get her out. If not..." Leo trailed off, being the only one that could speak freely without both Matteo and I being hypocritical. I nodded my head, as did Matteo.